Customer Testimonial of the Month

Absolutely wonderful product!!!

Absolutely wonderful product!!!
Hi, I purchased the Dowelmax 1/4 and 3/8 kit this past November and the 1/2 kit in December. I always wanted to build my own design workbench, but didn’t want to create all the mortises and tenons. I just finished building the base using the dowelmax 3/8 and 1/2 kits. Geez, I never drilled so many dang holes in all my life for one project! It all worked out beautifully and fit as I planned by using the Dowelmax. No freaking errors or oops!! I made several practice pieces to learn the T joints and end joints and watched the videos to get a feel for the importance of paying attention to the reference ✔️. Oh well, pretty pleased with the Dowelmax and most likely will use less and less mortise and tenon projects in my wood shop. Here’s a couple of pics.

Matt Lunghuhn

If you’re shopping dowel jigs, read the reviews here, watch the independent reviews on YouTube and BELIEVE all the good things that are said about the DowelMax. You do not get something of this level quality and functionality without having put a ton of work into it. Materials are amazing. Fit and finish are amazing. Tightening any part of it is easy, no knob is too small and the spacing is perfect. Simply a joy to use. I purchased a basic set, then bought pretty much everything except the depth gauge just prior to 12/31/2024. I am looking at the current prices and it still looks like a great value (because these guys are absorbing part of the tariff).

Robert Glass

Just wanted to send a note that my order arrived early and I couldn’t be happier. The product is so well made and I’m thrilled to get started learning how to use it. Such quality.
Thank you,
Ron Holmgren

Greetings,
First time attempting cabinet doors and I selected the Dowelmax. Great tool and process for a novice. Mentioned Dowelmax in chapter four of a Substack series I wrote to support the Keyport Historical Society (New Jersey, USA).
https://predictivesearch.substack.com/p/the-dumbwaiter-chapter-4
Thanks and happy holidays,
Lee Skalruud

Hello,

I’m buying my second dowelmax. I love this tool. Even though the tariffs, I’m choosing to purchase.

Jeff Taylor

This is perfect. Thank you so much. I bought the dowelmax jig a few years ago and thought it was too complicated to use so it sat around. I got it back out and I’m kicking myself for not using it on every project. I’m still a beginner, obviously.

Thanks again. Unbelievable quality and customer service!
Clay Hudson

Did a couple of test pieces.
Product is simply ‘stunning’… don’t know what else to say!
Ken Goldup

Words can not describe what the Dowelmax has done for me. I am legally blind and have found a way to perform woodworking now. I could never get screws or nails straight (especially not in a safe manner). Now, I have the Dowelmax that not only helps me line up drilling for dowels, but is my clamp too.

I just couldn’t do woodworking properly without Dowelmax. I don’t know if this tool had the blind in mind when it was invented, but please know that I have been able to fulfill a life long retirement dream because of Dowelmax. I have now invested in a small wood work shed shop and also am able to share the possibilities of wood working on my YouTube channel too.

Thank you to everyone at Dowelmax that has given me the tool to not only build basic wood products, but items for my grandchildren, which has built memories to last a lifetime. Thank you for letting this visually impaired grandfather follow his dream.

Hi Jim,
I received the new clamp discs today and the angle adapter now fits perfectly. Thanks so much! In case you no longer have the specs for the old discs, they were 7/8” diameter. It might save you some trouble for other customers who order the angle adapter, they could measure their discs to see if they need new ones.
Here’s some recent projects of mine, all using your Dowelmax for the joinery. I always mention it when I post my projects online.
Cheers,
Tim

Hi Jim,

Just following up on this, did you ever send me the clamp disc? Also I gotta tell you, I love my DowelMax!!!! I’ve been using it on every project!
Thanks,
-Rachel

Hello Dowelmax Team,
Yes, that would be fine. The only reason I didn’t use the PO Box on the order, is because I saw you used DHL.
Dowelmax is absolutely fabulous. It’s amazing how many woodworkers on YouTube shy away from using dowels. They’ll spend thousands of dollars on all those fancy machines and tools but are then too cheap to spend a couple of hundred on Dowelmax. However, Dowelmax does make you have to rethink how you build projects if you only want to use dowels as the fastener.
Thanks! Scott

I had a experience many years ago at a woodshow in the U.S. which bothered me at the time, and still does. A blind person and his friend were at our booth, and trying to negotiate a deal after witnessing the Dowelmax demonstration. At that juncture I was not in a good position financially, and more importantly I was not aware of the benefit my tool could be to the visually impaired. They eventually left with no agreement.

After that, I stewed for a considerable time, cursing myself for being such a complete jerk.
Eventually I closed the booth, left, and went looking for them. I scoured the entire building for quite some time, with no luck. That experience has bothered me since.
Hence the importance, and effect of the following email:

July 6, 2025

My name is Paul Hobson. I recently purchased the Dowelmax Classic and then I ordered the ¼”
drill guide package, and I started using this product and I have got to tell you – I am visually
impaired. This product is just the most excellent product for the blind and visually impaired
that you could imagine. It has opened up a whole new world for me, and I want to thank you
for thinking up this product. It can do so many things than the other jigs and dominos and all
that stuff. This has just been excellent and has changed my way of thinking and I just want to
say thank you so much. I intend on getting the 45 degree, I’m also going to get the ½” and the
5/16”.
I just want to tell you, thank you so much and I’m going to be showing it to the visually
impaired, a group that I hang out with as well. It is an amazing product…it is outstanding for
that way of doing things, you have no idea, as everything I do is by feel, and I can put so many
things together by just feeling it. I don’t want to ramble, but thank you so much.
I’ve been listening to the videos with Matt (last name) and Colin Knecht. They’ve just done a
great job in talking about it. I can’t see the videos, but I listen to them. I now ??? it myself, and
have it in the workshop and I just decided to call, and it’s just, it’s just amazing.
Thank you so much for listening, sorry for rambling.
Paul Hobson

Dear Sirs – I don’t normally take time to write a note to a vendor; however, I had to write this. When I retired two years ago at the age of 66+ years I decided I needed to learn furniture refinishing & repair. The other day my son-in-law was throwing away a chest of drawers and I asked if I could have it to refinish, not knowing the drawers were totally destroyed. Being a novice, I set out to learn to build drawers (which I have done) with one big concern – the bottom drawer was 11″ tall. I needed to figure out how to glue maple boards together but was not sure of how to join them. Decided I’d try doweling and after trying one jig, that I immediately sent back, I found information on your jigs online. I really liked what I saw & read and decided I needed yours. Ordered the 3/8″ Classic and the 1/4 drill pkt as well. Opened them yesterday & voilà – within 30 minutes I was drilling holes and gluing the front, sides, and backs to make a beautiful 11″ drawer. This is the most amazing tool I’ve ever bought – and my husband will attest to the fact that since I’ve started this journey I’ve bought A LOT of tools. The quality is amazing and the ease of use is phenomenal. Thank you so much – I now have the confidence to try many more exciting projects. God bless.
Vickie W. (Beeta)
Burns, KS

Wanted to thank you for the fast delivery and including angle piece at N/C.. Excellent service, great product! Malcolm D.

I have the Dowelmax system with both the 3/8″ and 1/4″ system. I love the tool. It has essentially replaced my Festool Domino. The setup time is minimal, accurate, and repeatable. Great combination. And about 25% of the cost.
With that said, I would like to mention three minor issues I have run into. First when using the 1/4″ system and doing a face dowel, the clamps won’t clear the base, I had to mill a small piece of wood so the clamp face won’t run into the base. Not sure I described it correctly but hopefully you will figure it out.
Secondly, the depth jig only goes to 1″ and if you are using 1 1/2 dowels on 1/2″ plywood face you can only drill 3/8″ deep. That means the dowel on the end needs to be at least 1 1/8″ and the drill guide doesn’t go that far. So you have to guess and try it out. Thirdly, when you need to drill 1 1/8″ with the 1/4″ bit, you only have a very short shank left.
Again, these are minor details and I love the Dowelmax jig. I just spent $78 buying additional parts for the jig so you know I like it.
Cliff OBryan
Hello Cliff, if our system has mainly replaced your Domino that is great to hear, and we really appreciate it. The clamping issue in the second face joint configuration is mentioned in the Tips section in the center of the blue instruction booklet, and we have videos on YouTube demonstrating the method. We did not want to reduce the clamp disc size for obvious reasons. You could take a skim off one side of the pads to let them fit under the spacer, or use a disc magnet if that works better (see attached image).

On the depth gauge the longest printed increment is 1″, however if you retract the adjustment screw to the upper edge of the machined slot, that should provide a 1-1/8″ length adjustment.
Thank you for your email and let us know any further questions you have. Sincerely, Dowelmax.

Hello customer service at Dowelmax.

It is being posted to Amy Mulick“ in Oregon City.

Because Amy is my girl friend and she will take it with her to me to Berlin Germany when she flies over in the middle of June.

Really thanks for your email below. Appreciate this. – & Please confirm before you send anything? Just to be sure.

I am likely to use your product a great deal (as I use the Festool Domino). Your tool offers the possibility to achieve excellent joins in different situations to the domino and since I make furniture that cannot be purchased, and I am under time constraints, i would appreciate your tool. And since where I am at the dowels are sold in metric sizes – it is the reason for the 6mm, & 8mm options I am especially interested in. Nothing against the imperial system.

If there are extra parts you would recommend (comment if you like on this) I would order them separately… there is still time.

Kind Regards
Paul Schwartzberg
&
Amy Mulick
From Oregon City

I ordered the Dowelmax and some accessories last year. What a fabulous product! Unfortunately (for us), we lost it in the Hurricane and need to replace it. I want to make sure we order the correct item again. It appears to be the 3/8 model.
Would you put together the package I bought previously so I may order this again? The info is below. I want to make sure I order everything I need at once. Thank you.
Also, the lead time on the delivery?
A feather in your cap, here is a story. We went through our shop after the storms and counted up over $35,000 in damages to our machinery but we often talk about how we miss our Dowelmax. 🙂
Joe Fleming

Love the product, made a improvement.
I bought the dowelmax system a few months ago. I absolutely love it. Worth every penny.
Everything about the system is easy to use and adjust expect for the distance gauge base. I ended up buing some thumb screw and replaced the Allen screw and it made a big difference. It is now very quick and easy to adjust (I don’t have to search through the saw dust on the table to find the Allen wrench)
Want to share since I thought it made such a difference for me and I think other woodworkers would appreciate it.
-Brandon

Hello Mike Lindsay, Thanks for rushing my order, Invoice for order number is 28456. This dowel jig is amazing! I love it!
My order arrived in perfect condition and right on time, thank you. I would like to make you aware that I am missing the instructional DVD and the two brass 1/16″ shim washers for 7/8″ materials.
P.S
I love this thing so much I will be placing future orders to complete my awesome dowelmax kit.
Thanks again Larry.
Thank you Larry, the 1/16″ spacer washers are replaced by the improved 1/16″ slotted spacer; DVD is discontinued and available on a YouTube playlist linked below:

All,

Just amazing. A fine piece of machining. Great packaging. The fixture makes it almost too easy to connect things together. I am sure you hear this all the time.

Well done!!
Can’t rave enough. Thank you for making this. If I had this back in the 90’s I may have not sold all my high end Delta tools.
Just built a small step stool with 7 degree compound mitered legs. The dowelmax did not complain one bit. Not glued up yet and rock solid. The sky is the limit.

Question. Do you folks sharpen your dull bits?

More to follow.

Regards,

Russ S.

Ah, certainly, this Miter Joint would never be possible with Domino. Jim’s ideas are amazing. But even more surprising is that the Drill has evolved from Dewalt’s wired version without a brake to Makita’s 18V version with a brake. As a result, for the first time in 15 years, Jim’s characteristic action of wrapping his left palm around the drill chuck to stop it from rotating as soon as the drill is removed from the DowelMax has been omitted for the first time in 15 years. I also went through a lot of trouble in Japan to bring in Metric size DowelMax, but I don’t think there is any other tool that is as accurate and reliable as this one. The exchange rate, airfare, and other expenses that I paid over and above the price of the product don’t seem like a big deal when you consider the value and consider that it was actually a good purchase.

十二番三太夫

Hi there
I am based in the UK and already have the 10mm Dowelmax jig which in my opinion is still the best doweling jig you can get, infact in my opinion it is better than the Festool XL700 Domino and I am now looking at making it more versatile with adding the 6mm & 1/2 inch options but dithering on the need for the 8mm.
Am I correct in thinking that all the drill guide packages, quote ” All drill guide packages now include a specially priced center guide block for quicker and more convenient change overs.” Is exactly the same guide block that is the same for all dowelmax jigs apart from the number of drill guides ?
Also I looked at the drill depth setting tool which is aimed at imperial rather than metric and noticed it mentions 9.7mm drills, is this the size of drill that you get with the 10mm package ?
The following is a list of what I am looking for and just casting your eyes over it does it appear logical or have I overlooked anything?
Roy O.

I’ve been making furniture both professionally and for myself since the 80’s. Have used (and embraced) all forms of joinery. From traditional handcut dovetail, to hand cut mortise and tenon, to horizontal mortice and tenon, biscuits, etc, etc. So happy to have finally come around to dowels. So versatile and easy and quick.

I’m hooked.
Thanks again. Everything about the Dowelmax is quality.
Paul K.

Relatively new to woodworking but have been a professional maker for the past 2 decades. Have spent the last few years learning how to make wood to the size I wanted with all angles square and surfaces flat and smooth. I’ve bought 4 doweling jigs past and each one was a waste of money despite some decent online reviews. About as accurate as me marking where to drill with a marking ruler and pencil. I’ve put in the work learning mortise and tenon, I’ve made plenty of dados, rabbets, and half-laps. And while each of those have it’s place and time, some of them are just time consuming, some just not the aesthetic I am looking for. Have considered biting the bullet and buying a Domino but I really just can’t justify the price tag so with some larger projects in the works, including redoing the pantry, wanted a quick and easy way to make clean, accurate and repeatable joints. Just got my Dowelmax so naturally descended into the abyss of my workshop and started joining wood. This tool is nothing short of amazing. Thought having to reconfigure it to make different joints would be a drawback but really it isn’t. It’s faster to change than you think. It’s super accurate and really easy to use. Every joint I made was incredibly tight and flush. You don’t have to be a pro to have quality joinery as long as you have a Dowelmax. Function alone the Dowelmax easily rates 5 stars. But visually the tool is stunning. It is an amazing feat of machining precision. Every aspect of the tool screams quality. If you make things, and you like to make nice things, then you will appreciate the Dowelmax on a whole other level.

David B.

I absolutely love the Dowelmax jig. I’ve been using it for several years now on nearly all of my woodworking projects. I’ve used it in many configurations for various types of joints. All of the joints end up incredibly precise and strong. It is probably the most precise tool in my small workshop right now. Once you’ve used it a few times it really becomes intuitive and very natural to use and understand. I have all four sizes because I love using it so much and prefer using it to other joinery methods. Overall, I very highly recommend this jig. I can easily say it is one of my most favorite tools that I’ve purchased and has become essential to my woodworking. Also, note that I purchased other (high quality) dowel jigs before this one and this one is by far the best in my opinion.

Meggie

I bought the DowelMax Classic system in September of 2024 and am absolutely delighted with it. I was building a fireplace mantel and surround and the plans I was using suggested a biscuit joiner for alignment of several parts. That was an absolute disaster of an idea and I turned to the DowelMax after reading many favorable reviews. Easy to use and wonderfully built. Maybe not as fast at the Domino which costs at least 3 times as much but this was exactly what I needed and made accurate, precise, and strong joints. I’ve used it on a few projects since as well. If you’re thinking about it… I’d advise buying it and consider it my best woodworking tool purchase in some time.

Joe P.

I’ve only made one project, a base for my 8″ jointer. I was amazed at the precision of this when it went together. I made a couple of mistakes along the way, but I’m learning to use this new tool and I see it will have many uses in future projects. The 3/8″ classic is a must as well, I like having the option of the beefier 1/2″ dowels for bigger projects.

Kenneth B.

I already put an order in for the extra parts. You should have two orders for me now. I’m sorry for jumping the gun. I just finished a large glue-up and the Dowelmax was pure perfection. I’m attaching a couple of pictures. Regards, Brian

Hello Jim.
I’ve been using the DowelMax for a few days now and just wanted to say thanks. I’ve tried almost every joint in the manual, and tested them for time required and strength against other joinery I regularly use.
Wow. I thought I couldn’t be impressed by tools anymore, but you really knocked it out of the park with your invention. Seriously Jim, you put some damn good Scottish ingenuity into this jig. It’s a winner.
Thanks again. Greetings from Calgary.

———–

Peter

Hi jim,
Thanks for the advice you gave me top class.
With the help of the dowelmax I was able to make this vienna wall clock.
Every joint was done with the dowelmax and saved me hours of time.
No mortice and tenon joints needed and it is so easy to use, a strong and perfect joint every time.
Very well engineered.
Thank you once again money very well spent.
Ralph and Elaine

My packages arrived this morning, full of beautiful things ….and I haven’t even opened everything yet …. am going to follow your suggestion and watch the DVD before I start in trying to use it all…..I think it’s going to be a blast, and I know it is going to make me a better woodworker for sure … thank you for making such an exciting package available, and for getting it here …..
Best regards ….
J. P. Mc.
11230 Courtauly, France

Folks:

I had high hopes for your jig, after watching several videos on the
Internets from many different woodworkers. After using it to remake a
base for an old turntable I can personally say it significantly exceeded
those wishes. It was easy to set up, after I read the manual and watched
some of the videos you included with the purchase. It is a beautifully
machined, well designed tool. Thank you very much.

Alan P.

Hi,

Just finished making a number of dowel joints – using my DowelMax

I bought the DowelMax in December 2017 and have used it a fair bit since then

Using today was a delight

It is really enjoyable using such a precision made, accurate and easy to use jig

It is the best made and designed bit of gear I have

Thanks for the great job you did designing it and manufacturing it

Regards

Russ S.

I am new to woodworking so looking for tools that make my work better. This is definitely one of them. So easy to use and amazed how everything lines up perfectly. The quality is outstanding. Will be buying another to save time setting up.
Excellent comms with my order and received in good time to the UK.

Gordon L.

Jim:

When I spoke to you on the phone, I didn’t realize you were the developer of dowelmax. I received my order, have watched the 14 videos as well as the depth gauge video and have practiced on a few simple applications.

I am extremely impressed with the product, the instructional videos, and your excellent customer service. I also greatly appreciated the time you spent with me on the phone giving me what I now know was very good advice. I am glad I ordered what I did, largely as a result of your guidence. Thank you for all your help and consideration. As for the math question below: In the words of the accountant: “what would you like it to be?”

Best regards, Bruce E.

I purchased your Dowelmax late summer. It has allowed me freedom to create some projects that I haven’t tried before. It is so easy to use and the results are tight, flush, accurate and quickly accomplished. It is so much easier than the traditional mortise/tenon joint. I just regret that it took me so long to discover it!
This is a pic of my latest project. I could not have built this without your Dowelmax. TY!
Mac

Hello,

This is just a message of praise 😉

I bought the Dowelmax with both 3/8 and 1/4 inch guides many years ago. It has always served me well. I have incorporated other joint methods over the years, built my own jigs, and eventually even bought a Festool Domino. But the Dowelmax always stands out especially when it comes to ease of use. But not only then–it was also often simply the only solution when it comes to narrow parts. This is where it got really frustrating with the Festool Domino. Yesterday I spent about an hour trying to set it up for jointing two small rails, and when setup was finally done, the small piece slipped and got ruined. Today I used the Dowelmax instead and was done in under 15 minutes!

Here is a gallery of pictures of a project I did earlier this year. I used finger joints for the drawers, but most of the rails etc. were joined with the Dowelmax:

https://drtebi.com/Pictures/2023-03-03_Sofia’s_Entry_Table/

Thank you for having invented such a genius tool, it will always be treated well (I did build a nice box for it).

Have a great day,
Holger

I bought the Dowelmax Classic 3/8 Joining System back in April of 2022. I bought it for a Farmhouse Style End table, which I built in mid/late 2022 and this thing was flawless and I was able to dowel the whole thing in like 2 hours including the setup time and reading the manual to make sure I was drilling on the correct faces!!! Still messed one of those up… but that was my own doing… This thing is amazing to setup and the accuracy is 2nd to none!!! I just now in late 2023, did a search for the best doweling jig and I don’t see it on any of those lists!! Man they have no idea what they are missing out on!!! BTW… procrastination is being beat to the curb… I’m getting the 2nd end table done this next week!!! 😉

Terry P.

Thought you might be interested to see my lates Dowelmax project. No
other joinery is incorporated. I did not use extended dowels, but there
are 24 dowels in the leg to frame construction– all of which lined up
perfectly.

The second picture is of the high tech spacers used to locate the dowel
holes in the legs and frame (3 on each end, and 3 at the end of each
spacer). The fact that all of the dowels lined up without exception is
the greatest possible testament to the accuracy of the Dowelmax.

I did not dowel the side boards to the head or foot boards, as this is a
king size bed and it has to be as portable as possible.

Anyway, we are very pleased with it. Thanks again for a great product.

Larry Cadle

Hello Jim,

I have gone from the doldrums to the lofty heights. I tried many ways of being able to drill the dowels or use another method (Kleg, and something called ZipBolt on which I spent a lot of money). With hopeless results. Then after many attempts to create a square shape I found two offcuts of the rail shape and discovered they provided the perfect right angled shape. The photos should tell the story of binding the rail with these offcuts allowing the dowelmax to drill two holes on each side of the rail, giving a strong connection of four dowels. The results are shown. The only remaining problem is how, in future, to force the two glued pieces tight enough together to avoid a slight gap when the glue seems to shrink after drying.
I am now a totally committed Dowelmaxer. Thanks for your superb invention. Cheers, Peter

Jim,

Just finished another project with the DowelMax. Extended the width of an antique screen door to fit an opening. The joint– as always with the DowelMax– is perfect and invisible after the door was repainted.

I find the DowelMax to be as essential to my shop as my table saw, drill press, etc. I still use tenons in a few instances, principally in doors with narrow stiles and rails, but the speed and absolute accuracy of your product has encouraged me to reach for it first in most case construction.

The other indispensable use that I have found for the DowelMax is in the positioning of shelf pins. Forget specialty jigs and other contraptions for this application.

DowelMax is a first rate product with dead-on accuracy. I can’t imagine my shop without it.

Larry C.

Dear Jim, I did exactly what you said. I drilled an inch hole in the end board and a 1/2” hole in the face board. It was PERFECT, as you can clearly see. Thank you Jim.

I talked with you a couple of times when I first bought DowelMax. What an honor for me. You are truly a genius. You are right up there with Sir Isaac Newton, St. Paul, and Elon Musk. What a fabulous invention.
One more question? I assume that a 1/2” hole measures at the bottom of your your depth gauge? That’s what it worked out to be.
Regards,
Eric

I’m so glad I went with this, amazing engineering and execution on this jig! I just got it but I’m constantly amazed at how versatile and amazing this is! Plenty of educational materials on line and a great company to deal with! Thank you!

Carlos P.

Hi, I purchased a dowelmax kit a couple weeks ago and it has been a real game changer for my projects. I will be in Kelowna on Friday March 3rd around 10:00 am. I would like to purchase a few items , 1/2 inch dowel max, 1/4 inch dowel kit, a package of each 1/2, 3/8, and 1/4 inch dowels, 1 brass clamp thumbscrew. Question is where can I pick up and pay for these items?

Thanks
Gary S.

Just purchased your product to make a cherry waterfall table. Expensive but worth every penny! This jig is engineered like a Swiss watch. Precise and elegant. It is nice to know that there are people out there who care about craftsmanship in this world of cheap products. Keep up the good work.

Kevin M.

Thought I’d send you this Leg/Duplo table project for my granddaughter. Used your magnificent tool. Best , Bill S.

Hey prospective dowel users. I have used the Dowelmax system for hundreds of dining tables, beds and entry doors.
Enclosed is a set of doors custom made for Victoria’s Restaurant on 17 Ave SW Calgary. They are 9′ tall and 3′ wide as a pair of French doors for their summer Patio. The framework of the doors or styles and rails are Douglas fir rafters salvaged from a School near North Battleford Sask. It was likely harvested from BC forests as the dimensions were 2 and 5/8 thick by 11 1/4″ wide by 28′ long. I bought them 15 years ago and have been sparingly using them for special projects and special clients.
These 9′ doors have over 100 dowels in the joints and the glass units weighed over 80 lbs each. I used a large number of dowels as
the weight of the wood and glass placed huge strains on the joints and I even resorted to 3 rows of dowels. I remember talking to Jim about this project at the time and he recommended using 2 rows.
I realized he had a lot of experience with
using hydraulics to test joint strength, but in the end I decided to take a bit more time to drill the extra holes, test dry fit the set up
and pay for extra dowels. I then thought of the task of having to rebuild the doors should they ever fail and this scare convinced me to go for 3 rows. Imagine the forces placed on the screws in the hinges and the joinery in the corners.
After assembling the doors to test I could barely get them apart to glue them up before final assembly. Imagine using a clone of dowelmax and expecting it to try and do what I have described. Above with 35 to 40 dowels per corner of the door assembly and multiply that by 4 corners. It would be impossible to try and get that monster together with ease!!!1
Here is a picture of the final doors in place
Thanks Jim for a beautiful engineering assistant for all the 15 years plus Dowelmax has been putting our strong joints in my work.
Warren Hall
Soulworks.ca

I just wanted to tell you how delighted I am with my dowelmax I have made a lathe stand ,router table bookcase and a couple of spice racks which I would never have attempted without the dowelmax at the moment I have run out of projects but find myself in my garage/workshop just joining pieces of scrap wood for fun! The accuracy and versatility of the dowelmax is amazing.

A Canadian relative brought me a spare sleeve block when he visited the UK and it is so much more convenient switching blocks rather than replacing the guides with a different size.

Congratulations for manufacturing such a brilliant device.

Ken D.

I can’t remember when I came across the Dowelmax but whenever it was, it was my lucky day.

I had been looking for a reliable and accurate jig for some time and had tried a couple. They could do the job but what was missing usually was repeatable accuracy. I’m strictly a novice from a woodworking point of view having chosen IT as my career back in the 60’s. My dad was a genius with wood however and I can remember watching him when I was a kid. I guess some memories of what I saw surfaced after I retired. I moved to France into an old house. Old as in built in 1830. It needed a lot doing to it some of which I tackled myself.

I looked at the reviews of Dowelmax plus videos of it in action and after some thought decided to go ahead with it. I got the metric version in 10, 8, and 6mm. In Europe it is a bit expensive thanks to our 20% sales tax and import duties but If I measure the time saved and knowing that I will have totally accurate outcomes it is worth every cent.

The design of the system is a masterpiece of elegant simplicity. Very easy to learn. The Scots have always been very inventive and this is a fine example.

The first thing I did when I got the Dowelmax was to make all of the joints in the instructional videos. I was completely blown away by the results. Everything was absolutely perfect. The tricky bit is finding timber that is accurately milled.

I’m really going to enjoy using this fine system.

Mark S.

Hi Jim

Thanks for the speedy reply. I actually found my answer on “parillaworks” fellow by the name of John. Absolutely one of the best
video I’ve ever watched on the basics of Dowelmax.

Last question I’m trying to recall when I bought my Dowelmax, I’m certain it’s well over 30 yrs. It was at a woodworking event I believe in Cloverdale.

There is simply not a dowel jig in existence that I’m aware of that will compare with the Dowelmax. I truly believe every woodworker would benefit by having one on their shelf.
To give you an idea of how many holes I’ve drilled over the years, I purchase my dowels 500 to the bag, 2 bags at a time. And like Timex would say it’s taken a licking but keeps on ticking. A testimony to
how well built it’s made.

Dave S.

An awesome tool. I ordered it from Dowelmax and it came in four days, the packaging was excellent. I have never seen such a fine and superb engineering tool in over fifty years of woodworking. The very first project I did was a simple frame out of 1inch x 2inch material. Corner to corner measurements were bang on and after glueing rock Solid. The Dowelmax is quickly replacing my very expensive biscuit joiner and pocket hole jig. I can’t say enough about this Tool except everyone needs one in their work shop. The inventor is a genius and you have my many thanks for inventing this.

Cecil A.

Re. Amazing Tool

Hello. Just wanted to let y’all know how much I appreciate the dowelmax. I recently built my sister a 9 foot dinning table with 89 half inch dowels. I used poplar and red oak. Also built a matching bench with 56 3/8” dowels. It’s a great feeling when you build something for someone it will last forever. Thanks again. Jason C.

Hi Jim and Mike. I used the dowel max tonight. What a game changer! I just want to thank you for having me up and chatting with me today. The tool is such a high quality and easy to use. This will save me time and frustration and money in the long run.
Anyway thanks again, maybe I’ll send you a picture of the final project when it’s complete.
Take care,
Mike A.

I just received the dowelmax. I quickly opened up, first impressed with the quality it looked to be, then I tried it out on a test piece. WOW how simple it is to use and what a perfect dry fit!

Can’t wait to use it on a real project. I’ll be using a lot less screws. I’m so glad I didn’t spend over a 1,000 on a Domino machine. I’ve been working with wood for 25 years I have lots of tools but this one just jumped to my favorite.
Thank you for making such a quality tool.
Sincerely a VERY satisfied customer.
Josh F.

Great, thank you so much Marie for sending the spacers! The quality of the Dowelmax and all of its components is amazing! I am very impressed.

Ryan R.

Hi I recently purchased the Dowelmax classic (Amazon order # 113-4423076-XXXXXX) with the half inch add-on and the miter attachment (oms invoice # 14006) I absolutely love it, it’s fantastic!

I must not have realized that the t-attachment was not included in the classic and I did not add it to my order I already paid for shipping on the classic and then separate shipping on the 1/2 inch because I couldn’t get it from Amazon. I would like to order the T attachment is there any way to get shipping waived? Thank you so much for considering.
All the best,
Chaim S.

Hello Mike,
I received the dowelmax on around the 5th of Aug, so delivery was quite fast. Package arrived in good condition.
(To note for any other Indian buyers in future, there are custom duties and taxes of about 30% of invoice value. Luckily, I was prepared for this and the discount from your side helped a lot.)
As for the dowelmax itself, it is an excellent joinery device. Out of box I was able to precisely make joinery, ready to use. Even dry fit without glue was very very strong and precise. I am extremely happy to use and know about dowelmax, the videos on youtube helped a lot in my decision to buy this.
Im going to try and spread the word here, as I feel for the Indian subcontinent the dowelmax is a better fit than festool, which has non existent sales/service here. For comparison the df500 costs approximately 1800 USD to import, not considering that the tenons are also unavailable.
Since dowels are more universally made, the dowemax is a no brainer here.
Overall extremely satisfied with everything. Thank you for your support. Its also gorgeous to look at. Attaching a few images just for reference.
Thank you
Nikhil

Thanks Jim, much appreciated. Thanks again for bringing the Dowelmax to market. This has probably been the biggest boost to productivity in my shop since I started woodworking.
Have a great day!

John D.

I wanted to write and let you know that I finally got around to installing my butcher block counter tops using DowelMax. You helped me pick the right spacing for centering on 1.75” and sent an additional spacer with no charge. The system worked great for aligning the larger pieces without much of a learning curve. I used the dowels as alignment pins on the 45 angles and gluing on the straight pieces.

It is a great product and more people should give it a try, you have well demonstrated the capability and have shown that it is strong. I do not understand how the others sell their technology for such a ridiculous price for the everyday wood worker.
I won’t lie and tell you that have have lost sleep thinking about those long miters for almost a year now. I watched countless videos and read countless articles where most are hacks and should not make their work public, but I made templates using strips of 1/2” plywood so I would know where the miters start and stop. I then setup a straight edge guid le for the skill saw that was about 1/8” shy of the line. I then took an upcut bit on the router taking 1/16” off with a straight edge to get the cuts square since the saw deflected and cut the thick stock at an angle. The one thing that I have not gotten a good answer for is whether to glue them or not? I chose not to glue and use bone bolts in-between the dowels to hold them together. Yes, that leaves for movement over time but the joint would be tighter if I had used glue and more dowels. I will never know since this is a one time thing for me…lol. I did glue the one straight joint I have in the center of the sink while using 7 dowels in a line. It was a long process and took me about a week to measure, cut and varnish them.
Barry

Hi Jim,

I have been using my Dowelmax for several years, and just wanted to let you know how much I like it. Accuracy is so important when using dowels, and your jig is dead-on accurate. It has become my go-to joinery method for most projects. I frequently mention it when posting on woodworking forums, such as Lumberjocks.

Since a nice tool deserves a nice home, a built a box to hold the kit. I have since added other accessories like the 1/4” guides, but everything still fits.

I really like the way the DM can be adapted to solve problems with a little thought. I recently built a table for my wife’s orchids with small vertical rails, and wanted a dowel in the center of each end of the rails. I built a simple jig using off-cuts from the rails as spacers, placed it in my Moxon vise and was able to drill accurate holes for perfect alignment:

My latest project was building some display tables with the legs made from stock that was a bit too narrow for the normal spacing of the DM. I solved the problem by using a reference block made from one of the offcuts which was clamped into the DM and held in perfect alignment (from both sides) by drilling a hole for the metal DM centering pin inserted in the #3 guide. The leg stock was then referenced off of this block for drilling the first hole, not the edge of the DM as usual. The distance from the reference block to the #1 guide was adjusted so the first dowel hole in the leg stock was properly placed. I then added a spacer block to drill the second hole, still using the #1 drill guide. The photos might explain things better:

Thanks for making such a great product. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tim

Jim Lindsay, Inventor of Dowelmax
First off, I want to thank you for inventing such a wonderful device!! I’ve used my Dowelmax for over a year now and I am so pleased with the precision and ease of use. Everything I have ever tried using the Dowelmax system has resulted in perfect work. I just couldn’t be more pleased with the product. I’m a retired high school woodworking instructor so I’m very familiar with a broad range of products, jigs, machines, etc. designed to help in making dowel joints and Dowelmax is by far the best product I have ever used. Two weeks ago I referred a friend who also purchased the dowelmax system. It’s just a superb quality and precise device and I wanted you to know of my appreciation for bringing it to market.
Since it’s such a versatile platform to build upon, I’ve actually started to develop new accessories that I thought you might be interested in. Sometimes I use the precision of the Dowelmax system to drill small holes (which also end up perfectly aligned). I’ve made some round wooden bushings that fit inside the 3/8″ drill guides. These bushings rest on top of the aluminum drill guide block and are flush with the top of the drill guide. Each bushing has a different size small hole perfectly centered and drilled the length of the bushing. I’ve used the Dowelmax with an appropriate bushing to very accurately drill small holes for fasteners and a whole host of other woodworking tasks. Anyway, I thought it was an idea worth sharing with you.
I thought maybe you could offer a set of aluminum bushings (3/8″ OD) drilled with various small holes and offer the bushings and matching drill bits as a new Dowelmax accessory. Who knows, maybe you’d even send me a set as a thank you for the idea???
The Dowelmax is terrific! I enjoy using it and expanding its use. If you’re not too busy, let me know what you think of my idea.
All the best!
Brent Boswell

I purchased the Dowelmax Classic about 2 months ago but could not get to my project until this past weekend. I was going to use the jig for joining three 5″ x 36″ white oak boards for a table top. Since this was the first time I had ever made a top and the first time I used dowels to join, I practiced with the jig a couple of times to ensure that I knew what to do, One of my 3 boards had a slight bow and I was not sure what that would mean to the glue up. I put a couple extra dowels in the bow. The first 2 boards (which did not have the bow) went together with ease and perfectly. Then the bowed piece. After applying the glue and starting the dowels into bowed board I moved it to the clamps to help draw it together. Success! The boards aligned perfectly. I was thrilled with the outcome. This jig is well worth the price. The precision is truly remarkable. The craftsmanship is superb. Great jobs guys. Thanks.

C. Nordhielm

This is by far THE most used tool in my shop. I first purchased the DowelMax about 5 or 6 years ago and have since purchased several units. I do a lot of repetitive work building custom bed frames. Having multiple units allows me to switch between configurations quickly, without having to reassemble the unit for each drilling function. The precision between the units is so exact, that I confidently switch between them with ZERO problems in spacing, and perfect accuracy every time. I LOVE this tool.

B. Gonzalez

The Dowelmax Jig is one of the best tools in my shop for joinery! Frankly I wish I would have learned of it years ago!

I received my Dowelmax a few weeks ago after watching a YouTube Channel “DownUnderWoodWorks”. Vic, Down Under, had a great Dowelmax demonstration and I ordered my Dowelmax the same day especially for a complex project I had just received. Today I used Dowelmax for the 1st time on this complicated project which is a combination of Veneer plywood to solid wood with 42 dowel joints. Dowelmax has worked perfectly! I am confident that using dowelmax for this use was the right long-term choice instead of just edge gluing or worse yet trying to use biscuit joints!

I have been a professional woodworker for many years and have my own shop called “Landis River Woodcraft” for high end custom projects. As a spin off from my shop, I opened an “Etsy.com/shop/LandisRiverWoodraft” which has been very successful. My primary joinery will be Dowelmax and Dovetail Joinery.

In a shop like mine I simply do not have time for Mortise and Tennon joinery and now that I have Dowelmax it the joinery is faster, and stronger anyway. In my Etsy shop I make High End Keepsake boxes and there is edge to edge joinery that I will be using the dowelmax for in combination with the dovetail joinery primarily for its decorative feature. I never did like to use Biscuit joinery so I will be getting rid of my biscuit joinery tools in fact today. They’re not very accurate and NEAR as strong as Dowelmax anyway. And I’m sure the skeptics who think dowel joinery is not as good as Mortise & Tennon, biscuits, or other joinery methods will not be moved until they see what they’re missing.

I am grateful to Vic on his YouTube Channel “Down Under Woodworks” because I would probably not have heard of this incredible, accurate, simple, and fast tool that is engineered so marvelously!

I also purchased the 1/4-inch kit, the drill depth guide, and at some point, would also like to purchase the 45-degree Miter kit.

Thank you, Jim Lindsay, for inventing this excellent tool and all your staff support.

Rich Ragan
Landis River Woodcraft, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
etsy.com/shop/LandisRiverWoodcraft

I have made a number of projects using your amazing machine–the Dowel Max I just love it. here is my latest an Adirondack chair using nothing but dowels–and of course the Dowel Max to assemble.

Thanks again for your quality products I will continue to spread the word to all woodworkers I know that a Dowelmax is an essential tool for any serious woodshop/woodworker.

DEAR JIM,

WHAT A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE.
FYI THE INVENTORY NOTICE DOES NOT WISH TO STAY DISPLAYED ON YOUR WEB SITE.
I AM SOOO GLAD TO HAVE MY DOWELMAX. I HAVE BUILT THINGS WITH IT THAT I
WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE CONSIDERED. A GREAT ENGINEERING INVENTION
THAT ANYONE CAN EASILY USE AND GET EXCELLENT RESULTS. WORTH MORE
THAN YOUR LISTED PRICE !!!
Best Personal Regards, Warren Greenwald , P,E,

Just received my dowelmax a couple weeks ago. Typically i dont do reviews but this unit warrants one. I searched and searched for a dowel jig for a project im doing (sofa table with waterfall sides). So needed something that install dowels on a 45 degree angle. Dowelmax kept popping up on every search with their miter accessory. And no other jig i could find could do what i needed. So after extensive research i decided. That even though a little expensive, this could be an investment into a tool that i could use for years and years. So far ive used it on 2 different projects (just a couple edge to edge joints for couple projects. 45 degree is next). Well so far….. is the investment worth it? 120% YES! So very well built jig. Machined to perfection and made to last. Following the check mark system, makes making next to perfect joints easier than ever! Not only stronger joints, but line up is amazing. If i could give more than 5 stars outta 5 i would.

Dont let price scare you away, think of it as an investment into your woodworking future.

Wil @ doitallrenos

Jim.. I purchased the Dowelmax Classic and the 1/4″ guide package over a year ago.
I have wanted to give you some feedback with regard to my experience with this product.
IT’S INCREDIBLE..!!! I have built several pieces of furniture using the Dowelmax.
One of the pieces I am most proud of is the credenza you can see in the attached photo.
Without the use of the Dowelmax, I’m sure it would not have turned out as well as it did.
I just want to thank you for creating a superbly engineered and precision manufactured tool.
Thanks again.. Mark

Still using the Dowelmax classic and loving it!

Still using your Classic Dowelmax jig and it is certainly a pleasure to use!

Link to my latest little project using the Dowelmax:

http://portercalls.com/ceramic_and_wood_pot_holder.htm

http://portercalls.com/links.htm

Have a blessed evening.

Later,

Bill

First use!

Today I tried the Dowelmax jig for the first time. I was apprehensive as many tools on their maiden voyage don’t preform well. Not so with Dowelmax! First try was dead on!!!

Top quality, precise manufacturing, and attention to detail make this jig a premier tool in my shop and one I will proudly pass on the the next owner of my tools.

Congratulations on a superior product!

One highly satisfied customer.
James Gonyea
Trinity, Florida

Just thought I would share my dMax box with you. Love the jig and all it can do, one of the most utilized tools in my arsenal. Thank you for a quality tool.

https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/6822

Douglas Krueger

Just finishing up a dining room sideboard with frame and panel sides and doors, all done with dowelmax. I am just blown away at how well this little jig works…All the parts went together nicely aligned, needing just a few taps to seat…the offset feature is great, as well. I also found your demo videos helpful.

all gone pocket hole jigs now, the slippage when screwing them together was maddening. and biscuits are a pain as well…dowels for me from now on….

so kudos and thanks for a great product

M. Nelson

Table turned out great, I was able to use dowelmax to align the extending leaflets and extending breadboards. Thanks for creating an awesome joinery system.

S. Gadlin

Hi Mike, Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it. You know of course the Dowelmax is just the cat’s meow, makes things real easy.

Here’s a link to the Dowelmax box on Lumberjocks.com

https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/414349#comment-4946040

Thanks Again,

Dick B.

I recently bought DowelMax as well as a lot of accessories and I am extremely impressed with the quality and the design of this product. It really is quite an incredible tool. I’m a beginning woodworker and my very first project with DowelMax was the potting bench you see here. For the leg assemblies there are 8 2-inch dowels per joint, for a total of 128 dowels. I also used dowels for the 45 degree shelf supports on top. I took my time to make sure to keep my reference surfaces in line with the check marks at all times and I managed to get this bench built with not a single miss-drilling. I’m very happy with the results. Kudos on a fine product.

Frank

Dear Sir,

I’m writing to let you know that I received my Dowelmax Classic kit this past week.

This is truly one of the best cost/value items I’ve ever purchased; the design, fit and finish exceeded my expectations. Set up is simple and after less than a half hour practice on scrap lumber I was able to complete a small project with accuracy and precision.

Thank you for supplying an outstanding product at such a reasonable price.

Sincerely yours,

David R.

Mercer Island, Washington

Hi team,

A word of thanks from sunny Western Australia and some feedback on your marvelous and superbly designed, machined and manufactured product.

I looked into your units last year when pricing was higher as I recall. I hesitated at the time.

But since your pricing has come down and I feel this unit is truly unbeatable and the design and manufacturing is world class.

And free international shipping!!!!

My very good carpentry mate Steve Delic (also from Western Australia) put me onto the product recently and I have loved using his. Hence the decision to buy my own.

Well done and please keep up the fabulous work over there in Canada.

“Made in Canada” is a big deal and a differentiator in a world of cheap Chinese crap….you should be hugely proud.

Will share the love over here in Western Australia.

Thanks team

Graham Wheeler

Perth, Western Australia

I actually run a small non-monetized YouTube channel with a bit under 1000 subscribers. It’s called A-Z’s Tiny Woodshop. A humble little maker space geared toward sharing my woodworking journey with other like-minded woodworkers with similar work spaces, budgets, and experience. I’m not a pro. Just one of the masses. I don’t have a single tool made by festool or sawstop. But I do believe in buying quality tools and have many with names like Lie Nielsen, Veritas, Blue Spruce, etc. I believe in buying “good” tools, not just “nice” tools, because they’re worth it!

Today, my 11 year old son and I began a project and the recording of footage for a video that I plan on posting, wherein, we are collectively making a small 11x”6x”24” floating shelf with a sliding front door, all made from solid 3/4” red oak. Basically, an open backed box with a sliding door that will be mounted on the wall under the TV in his room (also on a wall mount) to house his cable box and gaming console. A lot like a floating shelf, but with storage. The boards we were edge joining to make the 11” wide panel were 3-1/2” wide by 48” long. As you can imagine, we plan on using the Dowelmax for 100% of the joinery. Not just the edge jointing for the main panel, but after cutting 45° miters and wrapping the grain, we’re going to use through dowels to secure the miters.

Right now, you’re probably thinking, “What is this guy blabbing about? Where’s he going with this? Well, just bear with me…

My son has very bad attention deficit disorder and is easily distracted at the slightest thing. I pulled out the dowelmax, set it up, and showed him how to use it drilling the dowel holes in only the first board. Mind you, my son often struggles remembering just a single step instruction, and this totally new concept had many different points. I was completely expecting to have to walk him through the entire process every step of the way.

I turned over the project to him handing him the dowelmax and the drill as I got some footage from various angles. I was astounded that this little 11 year old boy with such difficulties following simple instructions took over and used the dowelmax to drill EVERY SINGLE DOWEL HOLE THEREAFTER, with 100% PERFECT PRECISION!!! I mean it! Every hole in every board thereafter lined up like they were meant to be! And not just drilling the holes after Dad set the Dowelmax in place… I didn’t touch the system after I handed it over to him. He was able to drill the holes to start, then use the guide rod to maintain the distance between the holes, move the system along the board, secure it, drill it, and repeat over and over. So simple an 11 year old can do it!

Now, I love my son dearly and he’s the reason my feet hit the floor in the morning, so I don’t want to discount the great job he did. But I’m certainly not going to ignore that the brilliant design, ease of use, and insane accuracy of the doweling system that heavily contributed to his success.

It’s reasons like this, and the versatility of this system that blow me away and are why I can see it being used anywhere I can in my woodworking.

I’ve attached a picture of my son going to town with the Dowelmax.

That’s the good stuff right there!

Thanks again, Mike!

Adam A.

RI, United States

Hunter A. using Dowelmax to edge join long boards in A-Z’s Tiny Woodshop.

Dear Marie,

It is more than 40 years ago, I learned english in school. I hope you will be able to understand, what I want to say…

Everything arrived very well in Wendlingen at Friday morning. Thank you very much.

By the way, now I am proud to be the owner of two dowelmax classic sets. I have parkinson and my fingers sometimes have difficulties to change the setting of the tool. But now, it‘s no need to change the settings of the dowelmax, what a comfortable progress.

I am sure you heard it often but not from me: To me, the dowelmax is a exellent and accurate working tool, produced in high quality and really easy to use. In combination with the check-mark system this tool allows me to realize my woodworker-dreams fast, accurate and with a lot of pleasure.

With respect and sending big compliments to the creator of this perfect tool.

Meinrad Dusba

Hello,

Just wanted to say thank you again for such a wonderful product. I have sent you my pictures before of the box that I made out of Cherry wood to carry all of my Dowelmax products in one cool box.

This time I would like to show you how Dowelmax turned a 2 week project into a 2-1/2 day project using the 8 mm system with the standard offset of ninety degrees and the optional 45 degree plate.

I needed to install some round 1-1/2” maple hand railing onto glass vertical risers while helping to stabilize the glass with the railing including the corner sections and between each panel on three flights of stairs.

Using my brain and a little patience, I came up with a way of keeping all the joints perfect with two dowels in each joint. Here are some of the pictures.

As you can see I made easy work of 15, 30, 90 and 45 degree joints by clamping the jig to my table and lining up the railing into the jig flat on the face indexing every joint perfectly.

Some of the joints where even done off the table being hand held on the railing while on the stair. The strength of all the joints is very impressive and there are literally no fastener marks of any kind on this pre-finished railing.

Thank you again for such an amazing product and excellent craftsmanship in the product.

Chris Reed
JCS Marketing LLC

Hi Jim,
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy using your doweling jig. I’m a hobbyist woodworker, and I purchased the 3/8 classic a couple of months ago, specifically for building cabinets using Melamine. I have previously assembled the cases using a number of techniques: biscuits, Confirmat screws, and milling dados and rabbets.

No technique that I have used before comes close to the accuracy of your jig for perfectly aligned, strong, tight fitting joints. I’m able to dry assemble my cases to test for fit, and they stay in place perfectly without glue, using only half the dowels for the test fit. There are no screw heads to cover with ugly caps, and the look is cleaner than rabbets…and I’m sure stronger. And after doing some research on the strength of biscuits, or lack thereof, I’m not sure I’ll use my biscuit joiner again.

I’m sure your engineering background has a lot to do with how precise the jig, and resulting dowel holes are. Using the referencing pin to span the length of the cabinet pieces works perfectly.

My next project is a rolling kitchen cart with a butcher block top. I’ve decided that instead of using mortise and tenon joints like I have done in the past, I’m using your jig for all the joints in the frame. I have no doubt it will save me a lot of time and produce a great result.

It’s nice to support a small company like yours that makes great products.

Cheers,Tim
Tim Andrews Photography
www.timandrews.com

Yesterday I received the parcel from Dowelmax which is including the metric version of the jig plus all the extra accessories.

I ve read lots of reviews before make up my mind going this route.

The other option that I had was Festool’s Domino. You might think that the price range of Dowelmax is not comparable with Festool’s Domino.

Well, actually in my case it is. You see I live in Greece so my parcel had some custom fees and the total amount I ve paid(buy+shipping+custom fees) is $680.00!

Im an amateur & not a professional woodworker. I dont do woodworking for living. The actual word for “amateur” in my language means “lover of art” and thats exactly how I feel about woodworking.

Because of that and because I didnt want one more power tool in my arsenal I preferred going Dowelmax.

As far as I ve used it, that tool is fantastic! Is rock solid and dead acurate. Theres no words to describe it. A pleasure to work with. When I was joining the pieces having that snug and accurate fit I caught my self smiling like a rookie.

Is it expesive? You get what you pay for.
Does it worth the money? Hell, yeah…worths any penny.

Thanks a lot Dowelmax for a great product.

Nikolaos S.

Just want to let you know that this is one really nice tool. The quality is just outstanding. I have bought to many tools that don’t work as advertised. This is not one of them. This is going to bring the quality of my work up to where I want it. Thank you for building such a nice tool that works as it is supposed to. I will tell all of my woodworking friends about it. Thanks, Scott M.

Mike,
Thank you very much for sending the replacement 1/4” drill guides. Although I needed only two replacements you sent three and a base block as well! Clearly, the new base confirms that these replacement guides fit as designed, although I’m pretty sure that the original block was correctly machined. In a way, it’s rather sad that your company’s concern for its customers is unusual enough that I will tell the owner about this experience. All of our vendors should show this level of concern. I will recommend that he put one on display in each of his stores. We should have done that a long time ago. It’s a great product – a real alternative to the prohibitively expensive Domino, a precision and more flexible version of other doweling jigs, and a much stronger and less intrusive alternative to the Kreg pocket hole jig (although that product does have its place).
Bert

Jim,

It was nice talking with you this afternoon about my new dowelmax.

I want to thank you for your speedy response to my order, and let you know that I believe it is one of the best values of any purchase I have ever made for my shop.

It is incredibly well made, very complete, and perfectly accurate. I made a little hall table for my wife this afternoon as a learning exercise. It is a simple table, but the idea is that what would have been 24 mortise and tenon joints requiring a day or so to cut was finished in about 5 hours from wood pile to table including sanding, sizing, cutting and joining. I did some things in the construction that I would not ordinarily do in order to check the jig for accuracy and precision; I re-drilled three of the members for longer dowels after I had removed them from the jig and moved on with the project. The 18 holes that were re-drilled to double their original depth were in no way sloppy or misaligned.

I made this table after reading the general guidelines for using the jig and only one page of instructions. The use of the jig is straightforward and intuitive so that even an offset situation like the table skirt is simple.

I have seen some discussions lately regarding the price of the jig to which I can only reply, “Give the man the money!” I thought that I would not discover a new essential woodworking tool now that I am in my 70’s, but if one has doweling applications, this is an essential purchase.

Thanks again for an exceptionally well engineered product, and for your courteous and friendly help with my purchase.

Larry S. Cadle
Hillsboro, OH

Dear Mr. Lindsay,
A few years ago I purchased a Dowelmax jig. I would like to offer my experience with it, and some examples of the joint strength I achieved. Initially, I didn’t use it for much, but lately I have used it for several projects. I have also made and deliberately broken some joints just to see for myself how strong dowel joints can be. I have tried doweling in the past with homemade jigs and another brand of store bought jig, both with disappointing results. I am however, very impressed by the fit and finish of the Dowelmax and the accuracy of it. I have found it easy to use and extremely accurate.
I just completed two chairs; one in oak and one in cherry. I used 3/8″ dowels in the front and back rails, and 1/4″ dowels in the vertical slats. All of the 3/8″ holes were made using the Dowelmax, and everything went together securely and accurately. I used a different brand of jig for the 1/4″ holes, since I don’t have the 1/4″ accessories for the Dowelmax. The other jig worked, but not without some frustration and misalignment. Nevertheless, the chairs were completed and turned out to be fairly nice.
I have done a lot of reading about joinery and have seen both praises and criticisms of dowel joinery. To satisfy my own curiosity, I made and broke several joints. The joints were made with 3/8″ dowels, most of the test pieces were maple (one was oak and one was cherry simply because they were on hand), and I used Elmer’s Glue-All, Titebond 2, and Titbond 3. In two of the pieces I tried applying glue only in the holes before assembly. This resulted in a decent joint, but I was able to break it fairly easily. In the other joints I applied glue to the holes and the dowels themselves before assembly. This joint was significantly stronger, so strong that when I broke them the dowels held and broke out the surrounding wood.
I have attached photos of the chairs and the broken joints.
Thank you for a great product!
Don Polick

Good Day,

I just wanted to share with you the box I made to store my Dowelmax jig and accessories. The box and dividers are soft maple while the dowels and lid are black walnut. I used 3/8 dowels on the miters and 1/4 dowels for joining the dividers. I ended up using nearly every accessory in the making of the box. I believe such a classy tool deserves a classy box to keep it in. Please feel free to share if you would like.

Dave C.

Sitka, AK

Dowelmax case made from soft maple and walnut

Mitered corners with exposed black walnut dowels

Storage compartments for Dowelmax components inside case

Jim, All I can say about the build quality is WOW! It’s obvious one gets what one pays for with the Dowelmax, and that’s precision and quality. On my first test, after reading the enclosed information, everything came out perfect. Frankly, I’m not very good at woodworking, but I do so enjoy it, the Dowelmax has made joinery a process now vs an obstacle for me to overcome. In fact, I plan to use dowel joinery for most every project so I have ordered the 1/4 inch setup and a few other accessories, I would highly recommend the Dowelmax to any woodworker. Thanks for making such a high quality precision product.

Fred Corn

Sir,

25-04 yesterday, I have received the Dowelmax well and I have the honor and pleasure to congratulate you for the fine workmanship, easy and job accuracy of this unit. Definitely worth the expenditure.
A big thank-you.
Thierry Callewaert
Belgium

Hi Jim,

I have just made up three test joints, as I mentioned in my email yesterday, all in 4” x 2” CLS – a face T joint, a mitre joint and a normal corner joint, all with 5No. 10mm dowels. This exercise was also a training exercise for me in the use of the system. It worked absolutely brilliantly, if anything it showed up the inadequacy of my mitre saw to cut squarely.

May I compliment you and your team for the production of a system which is not only accurate, precise and very well made, it is a complete joy to use – very tactile!

Thanks and best wishes.

David George, United Kingdom

Just wanted to let you’ll know, I purchased the DowelMax and used it for the first time on the following table. I did quit a bit of research on what would be the best joint for all the curved connections and I decided to go with the DowelMax. I was Very nice pleased with the Jig and would recommend it to anybody that want a quick dead on joint. Below are some pictures of the Mesquite Dining Table and a video on YouTube of the table being made.

Thanks, Kevin Felderhoff
Gainesville, TX

Greetings Mr. Jim Lindsay,

Just this past Friday, Jan. 2, I received my order of several bags of dowels and two new drill bits. I was really anxious to try the drill bits because you had told me that they were better than the original bits that I got with the Dowelmax jig which was purchased about three years ago.

It isn’t often that I write a review or contact a company about their product, but because of your exceedingly superior quality tool, the Dowelmax Jig and your personal customer service I feel compelled to write this letter to you.

I have been a cabinet and furniture maker for about 45 years now. As you can imagine, in that period of time I have owned and tried many different tools. In choosing my tools I have always insisted on top quality being the first consideration, then price. Your Dowelmax Jig exceeds all of my expectations relative to quality and the price is more than fair for what we get. The Dowelmax Jig has made it possible for me to build a better quality piece of furniture, such as tables and sets of chairs as opposed to using the mortise and tenon joint. The way you have designed the five pin jig, offers a more accurate and stronger joint while taking much less time.

Just this weekend I used the new drill bit and drilled about 100 holes. This bit is absolutely the best I have ever used. Drilling into the end grain of Red Oak most of the time offers a lot of resistance, but with this bit, it was almost like drilling into a soft piece of pine. Thank you for informing me about this tool. Another great feature is that the flute of the bit does an excellent job of lifting the drill shavings and expelling them from the hole. I found that the bit doesn’t get extremely hot like my previous bits have done and even after drilling about 100 holes the bit isn’t showing any signs of dulling. I never thought I could ever get so excited over a drill bit.

As a business man who has owned and managed four businesses over the past 45 years I have a great appreciation for quality customer service. I have always believed the business owner should have direct contact with their customer, because this is what most consumers are more comfortable with and the business person should be getting direct input from their clientele, because after all, they are the life blood of any business. My preference is to deal with family run small businesses such as yours. I couldn’t be more pleased with your product and your follow up customer service.

Another reason that a quality product and excellent customer service is very important to me, you may find quite surprising, I am totally blind. Many people find it hard to believe that I do what I do without seeing, but I do my work and it isn’t really that hard especially when I have top quality tools to work with. I’m sending along a few pictures of some of the jobs that I have done thanks to the assistance of the Dowelmax Jig.

Once again, thanks to you and your family members that I have talked with who have made my work easier by offering to me good advice about getting the most out of the use of your Dowelmax Jig. It has been a great pleasure doing business with you.

Sincerely, John, The Old Blind Cabinetmaker