How to Drill a Clean Dowel Hole

Measure the thickness of your dowel rods using the ruler. This will enable you to choose a drill bit that is one size smaller than the diameter of the dowel, providing a tight fit between the dowel rod and dowel hole.

Slide the proper size collet from the kit, onto the drill bit. Push the drill bit through the jig hole while holding the ruler on the opposite end of the jig, where the drill bit is protruding. Keep pushing the bit until the desired bit protrusion is achieved. Tighten the allen bolt on the collet to secure it tightly to the bit. The collet will serve as the stopper to ensure the bit goes only to the prescribed depth.

Clamp the dowel jig onto the two pieces of wood, by twisting the two jig knobs clockwise. For corner joints, one board lays flat on a work bench, hanging over the edge to allow the jig to rest on the lip of the flat board. The second piece stands vertical against the top edge of the dowel jig. For straight joints, lay both pieces flat, using a makeshift wooden spacer between the boards to ensure the top board lays level to the jig backing plate.

Drill into the top and bottom holes of the jig until the collet stops the drill's progress. Hold the drill trigger as you withdraw the bit to remove wood debris from the dowel hole, creating a clean dowel hole. You now have two perfectly aligned, clean dowel holes to join your wood pieces with strength.