Dowel jig

[Philw]

Hi guys,

Appreciate there us likely 100 threads before this one on this but has anyone got any recommendations on a doweling jig.

I am most tempted by the Jessem jig but it’s right up at the top budget.
Has anyone got any good reviews of any others please?

Thanks
Phil

 

[Spectric]

I am most tempted by the Jessem jig but it’s right up at the top budget.

I already had the Dowelmax and it is a fantastic jig but now without a UK distributor, I have more recently purchased the Jessem kit and it is well engineered and delivers 6, 8, 10 & 12 mm dowel holes with precision. My advice is to just buy once and enjoy using the tool, dowel joints need very high levels of precision that cannot be delivered with poorly engineered jigs. There is a fake dowelmax on the market but apparently there is a slight offset in the drilling block which causes issue, it must be 100% symetrical to work. With the Jessem jig I dont use the Jessem alignment line, i prefer to use the edge of the jig like I do with the dowelmax which is failsafe and if you want offsets then use a ruler + stop so as you are not measuring but just setting.

 

[Philw]

Ended up impulse buying the jessem on eBay for £130 just now. Thankyou for your input confirming there was no other direction but jessem!

 

[clogs]

Philw
the Jessom d jig, was it new or used as I cant find anything on eBay, Amazon uk or Amazon de.....

I would like to say that I have a decent metal machine shop and at £130-160 I could not buy the materials to that let alone machine time....
Once I find one I will buy it....

 

[jimbob01]

ive just bought one on Ebay which I will definitely recommend ...ive tried it out (though im no expert) and its very accurate... just trying to work out how to post a pic

 

[jimbob01]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37435721...5snpgfDSha&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[jimbob01]

Hopefully this is the link … I couldn’t stretch to 100s of pounds … the dowelmax seems unavailable atm but this is very well made for the money

 

[jimbob01]

Pretty sure I made a 60 euro offer Inc post and it was accepted then delivered within a week

 

[Bingy man]

Just seen this on offer from rutlands

Looks pretty much the same product

 

[Philw]

Philw
the Jessom d jig, was it new or used as I cant find anything on eBay, Amazon uk or Amazon de.....

I would like to say that I have a decent metal machine shop and at £130-160 I could not buy the materials to that let alone machine time....
Once I find one I will buy it....

You can find them new in UK shops but it’s £170 just with the 8mm jig. My eBay find was a one off used item.

 

[Spectric]

I might be cynical but as

I would like to say that I have a decent metal machine shop and at £130-160 I could not buy the materials to that let alone machine time

has said then how do you get something for £70 which will deliver. The concept of having clamping screws like the Dowelmax is good but as I have said accuracy is really essential with dowels, ± 0.25mm out on a row of dowels and you will have fun closing the joint.

the dowelmax seems unavailable atm

That is because there is no UK distributor but you can buy direct and pay the postage from Dowelmax Classic 10mm and Accessories Order Page Archives | Dowelmax

I brought mine from the Scottish woodworking show for £200 with only the 10mm capability and it has never let me down, the drill guides are as tight as on day one. I only brought the Jessem because it offers 6 and 12mm dowels but cheaper to buy the whole kit that also includes 8 and 10.

The Jessem with just the 8mm guides is £170 from JessEm - Dowelling Jig Main - 8mm | Wood Workers Workshop and additional drill guides are £55 but out of stock at the moment. For me having a tool that delivers is important, I don't want something that changes over time due to wear and @Philw enjoy you new purchase, the quality is so obvious once you handle one.

 

[MichaelChou]

I’ve had this one for a couple of weeks, it’s a plastic body with steel collars and bushes, it’s well finished and super accurate.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25579846...xMcstQiSRm&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I have an old Record, a couple of chinese and JessEm. The Record is decent (useful for imperial and metric). The chinese ones I have are good (no complaints) but the Jessem is in a different league. I have the full set of 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12 mm. 5mm may also be a useful size for people (shelf pins) on dowel jigs.

 

[TomGW]

Who needs a dowel jig??

 

[StephenArfer]

I lived in Brunei during the 70's and owned one of these "Perahu" boats. I had it made to the standard local design and we used a Yamaha 25 outboard. With two people and two young children on board it planed beautifully and we used it to explore the rivers and access small uninhabited islands for BBQ, fishing and chilling. With four adults on board it wasn't powerful enough to plane and bogged down.

We owned and used it for three years and had no issues with it at all. The only time I remember bailing was after we "parked" stern into sea. It was beautifully made. Previously whilst in Sumatra I had a hobby bench made by the local carpenter shop, also from meranti. I wish I had it now!