How-To
Make dowels with a drill gauge
Make your own set of dowels and pins by hammering a slightly oversize workpiece through a drill gauge.
I don’t own a set of dowel formers, so I make the occasional set of dowels and pins by hammering a slightly oversize workpiece through a drill gauge. My gauge is made from 1/16-in.-thick steel, so it stands up well to the task. If you don’t have a drill gauge like mine, you can drill holes of the desired diameters in a steel plate of similar thickness. To make a dowel, start with a square stick that’s roughly 1/8 in. larger than the desired diameter and about 1 in. longer than the final length. Use a chisel or block plane to taper one end to fit into the hole, and then tap it through with steady hammer blows. Trim the ends to create a perfect dowel.
—Charles Mak,
Calgary, Alta., Canada
Drawing by Dan Thornton
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Comments
I do the same thing in my shop! Usually the dowel sizes I need are small enough to chuck in my drill and zoom through the gauge. Great way to get whatever size, length, species you need. . Excellent article.
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