The Dowelmax is a loose tenon
dowelling jig manufactured by the O.M.S. Tool company in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The manufacturer claims that the small
manufacturing tolerances of for the
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
,
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
and
steel components of the jig ensure accuracy and repeatability. The precision manufacturing adds to the unit's cost, which is higher than other dowelling jigs.
The tool allows the placement of five dowels in one pass. A distance gauge bar provided with the jig allows accurate spacing between sets of dowels.
Joint strength
Tests by both the manufacturer,
and
Wood magazine,
are claimed to show that dowel joints made with the Dowelmax are stronger than most other woodworking joints tested.
In 2007, ''Wood'' magazine compared the joint strength of various loose tenon methods and tools, with these results:
A 2011 review
by Wood Magazine, has rated Dowelmax very highly as a dowel joinery tool. The review classifies Dowelmax as "the best dowelling jig ever made".
Independent test
Hydraulic comparison strength testing by manufacturer
See also
*
Biscuit joiner
A biscuit joiner or biscuit jointer (or sometimes plate joiner) is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade to cut a crescent-shaped hole (called the mouth) in the opposite e ...
— another loose tenon joinery method
*
Domino joiner — another loose tenon joinery method
References
*
{{Woodworking
Woodworking hand tools
Woodworking
Joinery