Plenty strong for most of the joints woodworkers make, dowel joints are also among the easiest joints to execute, requiring only a jig and a cordless drill. And precise dowels are both widely available and inexpensive.

I’ve tried lots of dowel jigs over the years, and Woodpeckers’ unique Cam-A-Line jig is my new favorite. Its big advantage is in its name: an ingenious cam system that draws three guide bushings as close as 3/4 in. apart, center to center, or as far apart as 1-3/4 in.—while keeping them evenly spaced. Other dowel jigs have fixed spacing between the bushings, so you can end up with one less dowel in a joint than you want.

With the Cam-A-Line, you can optimize the spacing and number of dowels in workpieces up to 5-1/2 in. wide. Wider than that and you’ll probably want more than three dowels. But the Cam-A-Line makes that easy too, with extension rods and registration pins that let you add holes to the array.

The fence has a large surface for clamping it to a workpiece, and it stays parallel to the jig when you adjust it. For smooth drilling be sure to keep the bit square to the jig in use. Kits are available for four essential dowel sizes—1/4 in., 5/16 in., 3/8 in., and 1/2 in.—but I recommend buying the kit that includes them all. The kits include a handy wall rack for storing the jig and all of its accessories.

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