Tiny dowels create big problems
A:
I have several dowel issues that came up while building a project. First, I can't find 3⁄16 "-diameter dowels at the home center. Second, I need to drill holes for these dowels into the edges of several project parts too large to fit on my drill press, but my doweling jig works only for 1⁄4 " to 1⁄2 " holes. Finally, how can I keep the dowel holes centered while drilling?
—Perry Franklin, Shreveport, La.
Q:
You'll find small-diameter dowel rods like this at crafts stores, such as Michael's or Hobby Lobby. As for drilling the holes, Perry, you can temporarily modify your doweling jig to bore holes for these small dowels. Start by center-marking a 1⁄2 "dowel in your guide, as shown above, and cutting it to the length of the drill guide. Next, drill a centered 3⁄16 " hole into the 1⁄2 " dowel as shown below. Now you have a self-centering jig for 3⁄16 " dowels.
