When drilling into a dowel, you often gets frustrated with bit sliding sideways. This results in an off-center hole, which is not good for joining joint. You might assume your bit is junk.
Or maybe your drill press isn’t set up right? The problem: it’s typicaly caused by the combination of a round piece of wood and a bit that are shaped wrong. A lot of folks simply look at where they want the hole to be and attempt to direct the bit by sight alone, this rarely works well.
How To Drill Centered Holes In Dowels
Why Drill Bits Wander on Dowels
When you use a standard bit, its pointy tip offer no grip on a rounded surface. The bit slides around and makes a bad entry point that will widen the deeper you go. Time to do something different, not hold on harder to the tool but rather alter how you initiate the hole.
Making a Flat Spot to Prevent Slipping
To prevent the bit from wandering and losing its position while drilling, one option is to make a flat spot on the end of the dowel before drilling. Just use a small file, or even some light sanding in the middle, to make a flat spot for the bit to seat on. A rough patch are better than a perfect curve.
It makes the surface go from slippery to steady. That little step saves so much time later with clean up. If you don’t feel like sanding each piece, you can also use a center punch.
Using a Center Punch for Dimpling
With a center punch, you tap it into wood and create a little dimple. That dimple position your drill bit tip. It will still require some force by hand to guide the drill bit in a straight line but the dimple will do most of the job.
It’s a good way to go when you have a bunch of pieces and don’t want to spend all day sanding each one. Use a dowel jig if you want to be precise. Brands such as Kreg and Rockler makes jigs that grip a dowel snugly.
Precision Drilling with a Dowel Jig
Then the drill presses straight down on it. Because the jig aligns the drill bit directly along the axis of the dowel, there’s no guesswork involved. This make invisible and strong joints, which is why furniture maker rely on it.
It does cost more. But if you are doing a big project, the accuracy would of been worth the investment. A couple wood workers prefers drilling through the whole thing and it takes longer but turns out perfectly.
Drilling from Both Ends for Accuracy
Drill all the way through on one end until stopping just shy of the other end. Flip the dowel around then drill again starting from the other end. The two half hole align exactly in the center.
It is twice as much work, but it makes a stronger joint. It causes less damage to wood grain. Use this method for accurate items where accuracy matter most.
This is best for high quality work. Another pro trick is using a drill press’s guide bushing. These are metal rings that inserts into the slot in your table (most benchtop drills).
Utilizing a Drill Press Guide Bushing
Set up the dowel against a fence, then drill all the way through using the bushing as your guide. Whatever direction the wood grain run, the steel ring holds the bit straight. This is great for big dowels that you would struggle to guide by hand.
It bridges the gap between manual jig and fully automated systems. The purpose of a drilled hole in the middle is not to force it… It’s to get it started right.
This can mean purchasing a jig, making a punch, or simply sanding a flat area for the drill to grab hold. After that, the drill simple does its thing. It grabs hold of the wood properly and completes the rest of the hole.
You’ll have thin glue lines and tighter fitting joint. The center hole keep everything aligned.