Instead of "hogging out" or using your Dado stack...Build Up. You are working with plywood anyway. Drop to half thickness from your finished depth. And just build up. Additionally, unless you absolutely Have To have access into the very tightest edge of the corner... Why not use 1 inch square lumber to simply screw into the cross grain of the two pieces of plywood forming the T? You would have the perfect glue face not using any end grain as well as even being able to switch to nut and bolt joining. This, after all, isn't a finished cabinet or piece of furniture where that might not loot good.
@@vftnow5938 Tamar @3x3 customs did it a few months ago on her record player cabinet build... then flush trimmed the dowels. When he said pocket dowel i honestly thought he was going to put the pocket hole screws lined up with the dowel holes to make the dowels expand? It would probably blow out the plywood however if he did that
I haven't seen pocket-holes and dowels before, but knockdown furniture often incorporates a single fastening device (bolt) with dowels to prevent spinning. I have a habit of using pocket holes as clamps for glue-ups. I'd love to see an experiment done to determine what value there is in leaving the screws in place vs removing them. I think I'll keep getting comfy with dados, but it's cool to see this alternative for places where they aren't possible, or the cost of mistakes is higher. Thanks for sharing this option!
I've been using a similar joint, but with festool dominos and pocket holes. Made a couple book shelves and some shop cabinets with it. Haven't had it fail yet, and it's nice having everything to together so quickly. The screws holding everything together while the glue dries is amazing as well for those of us that don't have a million clamps, and it's nice being able to keep working on a project even though the glue isn't dry yet.
I have avoided pocket holes many times for all the reasons you called out. But I've also avoided dowels on larger joints like you explained. This is a boss level combo! And yes I KNOW I really need to get the plans for that sweet best-every doweling jig you got.
It gives me the fizzies to see someone looking for alternative methods of doing their project. I made the mistake of asking one of the TH-cam woodworkers if there wasn't an alternate way of doing some of the cuts in his projects. He and his viewers turned on me like if I was too dumb to do woodworking. Sure, I am more into electronics than woodworking and whirling sharp blades just seem to be an accident ready to happen. Lessening the usage of them, even if the project takes longer, makes me feel more at ease in the shop and my electronics projects get nice wood case work. This jointing method looks like it was made for me.
Right? I’ll be the first to admit that 9/10 when I’m looking for that alternative method, or to reinvent the wheel sometimes, the result is usually worse/harder/costs more than the original, but once in a while it’s not, which makes it worth the exploration I think. Glad I could help you out Joseph, happy to hear you’re making badass enclosures for your electronics (a field I find myself to have no skill in whatsoever lol) and proud to know my comments section hasn’t turned on you. That last one is something I hope to foster as this channel grows. Healthy conversation and debate is one thing, outright zealots blindly attacking “heretics” is just ridiculous I think. Cheers brother!
That's too bad. Unless your alternate is dangerous, or would obviously result in failure, why dump on you? I've worked in fully equipped shops where "Doing it 'right'" was simple and effective. I've spent LOTS of time in minimally equipped shops where alternate solutions were the only solution. One of the joys of our craft is the creativity of finding those "alternate" methods. Sure you get there by experiment, trial and error, and failure. So what! Have fun! Enjoy you craft!
Just remember that all "current" best methods were alternative methods at one time. Now that CNC machines are available and not longer new, does that mean that is the only way to make something. Sure looks that way based on some videos I see now days. The best joint is the one that works & that you feel safest making. I don't want my 10 year old to spool up the table saw with a dado stack to make a box for their project, but I wouldn't hesitate to show them this approach. There are different skill levels and different sets of tools that can be used for a range of projects. Be Safe.
I do not think the strength difference between the different types of joinery is an issue in most applications. I like the fact that the dowels compensate for the potential alignment issues with the pocket screws. Well done!
I like pocket screws and your idea of using dowels as locators is great. I don’t have a dado stack nor do I like changing table saw blades so thanks for sharing.
I think dowels and pocket screws make for a great joint. I have used the joint many times over the years for pretty much the same reasons you went into in the video. In my situation as an occasional woodworker, I don’t have a table saw or a router, so if I need a dado, I am doing a bunch of cuts with my circular saw, which does work but is very slow. On the other hand with a dowel jig and a pocket hole jig, I can set up a pocket hole dowel joint pretty quickly. If i want more strength, I drill additional dowels and/or screws. Another nice feature of this joint is that if you are building knockdown furniture in the style of IKEA, pocket screws and dowels can hole things together nicely with out glue.
Really good points Andy and I love that you aren't letting any sort of lack of tools stop you from building what you want. You sir, are a fellow Craftswright!
Reminds me of how IKEA project assemble, dowels for alignment and then there fasters. Well done, well thought out and I would think it works very well and is easy done by beginners with limited tool options.
This is what I do for my outdoor reptile cages. I started doing it for the same reason, help keep alignment for the pocket holes, the added strength is a bonus.
I've been a HUGE pocket screw fan for years and I never liked the tendency of the piece to wander without serious clamping. This does solve that problem and strengthens the joint. Well done! I am going to start using this method, as soon as I finish building my "Improved Dowling Jig" Keep up the good work! You've got another subscriber here. I don't see the wood storage cart plans on the website. Did I miss them?
Awesome Daniel happy I could help improve your workflow! That wood storage cart is a Steve Ramsey (Woodworking For Mere Mortals) design and its free on his site. Keep up the good work my friend!
I've just bought myself a few tools and about to start on my first project - a rolling cabinet for my new table saw! The table saw won't take a dado stack and I can't buy a router (for dados) at the moment cos here in Australia EVERYTHING is out of stock at the moment due to covid lockdowns. I've been mulling over what I was going to do instead of using dados and rabbets, I didn't want to use simple butt joints and I only have a handful of small clamps - too many things to spend money on. Guess all I need to do now is make one of those dandy dowelling jigs and I can rip off your idea! Thank you.
At first, I thought you were gonna crap on Steve and was about to get grumpy with you. But instead, you took a great project and added a genius solution for those of us who haven't gotten around to buying those spendy dado stacks (or would like to avoid lifting and turning big pieces over and over!) I love this idea. I guess my next project is a dowelling jig!
I’m going to be using this on a simple, farmhouse style table my wife wants. It has several parts where end grain butts into face grain. I’m excited to have the strength and aligning support of the internal dowels and the clamping power of the pocket screws! The rest of the piece will be held together with visible, decorative dowels. Believing the best for this project!
I used a similar idea a while back, but used a biscut joiner to align my project pieces and the pocket hole screws to secure it while it dried. I've also used biscuts w/out glue so I can align my project pieces but still able to knock it down and store it or move it if needed. I have my pieces numbered and can reassemble w/out issues.
I dreamed up this approach a few years ago as well. I was making a large-panel cart (for scaffolding components, not lumber), and this worked well for me. I didn’t want to deal with the tighter alignment for dowels on that project, but I can see how Craftswright’s super-cool dowel jig would address some of those concerns.
Yes did this with my flip table top and it worked great for all the reasons you say! Love my jessem dowel jig yours seems close to it. Well done aligning all those joints free hand
I had a similar idea a couple months ago when I was looking for a way to flat pack a shelf and mail it out. I was using pocket holes to construct but was worried the people I would send the shelf to wouldn’t get the pieces to line up. A couple dowels seemed like the solution. Never ended up having to mail any out but now know it would have worked
This is a perfect use for the biscuit joiner and pocket screws. Biscuits provide are much quicker to cut than dowels and require less precision but provide the alignment you need while driving the pocket screws. It's my go to for joints like this.
Nicely done. I started with dowels twenty years ago on rockers for my grandkids. It was easy and cheap. I have since experimented with dadoes, biscuits and only in the last couple of years, pocket screws. Biscuits are the fastest to put in, but you do have to clamp and let dry. I think I will try the biscuits and pocket screws.
Really enjoyed the video and I think the joint has a lot of promise. I'm going to be at the point of building a mobile wood org cart myself so I may consider using the same joinery. Thanks so much for sharing with the community, most appreciated!
I just found this video - liked and subscribed. I like this joint. Glue provides strength, pocket screws provide strength and clamping force for the glue, while dowels ensure proper alignment. The only limitation is on projects where visible pocket holes are not desirable.
Dados solve two additional problems that you mentioned: they (at least partially) prevent splitting by not allowing the wood to expand sideways and don't allow the piece being added to slide sideways. That being said, I had an idea that I have no way to check: use a Skil saw to make the dado. Clamp two straightedges to the wood you need a dado in so that the blade can't cut outside of the lines, then rotate the saw until opposing corners are touching the straightedges and hog out most of the material. Finally, bring the blade parallel to the cut and clean it out. You don't even need a deep dado if you are going to use pocket screws; just one deep enough to keep the piece being attached from moving. Does that make sense?
have you thought about using a bradpoint bit for your doweljig? it seems to wobble a lot at the start when not supported by another dowel, bradpoint might make it more stable/accurate
Funny story I bought 4 different brad point bits by different, reputable, companies and none of them cut an actual 3/8" hole. There would be so much wiggle that the dowel was essentially useless. But the cheap general purpose point cut the best hole lol
Great idea it is some thing I thought about but being a novice I did not think it would work and i have never got around to trying it out, but now I think I will
Well done for bringing your brain to the workshop! I really appreciate people who have the confidence to suggest something, even if they don’t have years of experience behind them. Keep it up. I’ll be watching. Too often we have the channel snobs who crush people’s confidence. Bon courage!
Oddly enough I needed to hear that today. I’ve been thinking about being more “real” and authentic in my shop/videos but have been hesitant that it may be harmful to the channel if I don’t come across as an expert, even if I’m not. Thank you very much for the comment and encouragement, it’s refreshing 😊. Cheers Fraser!
I've used this method before. It worked so-so for me. Unfortunately the material I was building with was crap half inch plywood. I cut short lengths of bamboo skewer for the dowels. (Can't remember the youtube channel I saw that on) Anyhow, I drilled the dowel holes all the way through the so-called "top of the T". Why? I don't know. I backed up each joint during assembly with a clamped on backer board and it went ok. All in all I think it's fine. The pocket screws pulled it all together while being aligned with dowels. And, now I have a custom plywood utility bed for my truck.
Essentially what you're talking about is adding a bridging piece to a pocket hole joint. Dowels, dominos, or biscuits would all work equally well, I think. Those who have specialty cutting tools for dominoes or biscuits could take inspiration from this to start adding pocket hole screws to their joints to improve clamping while the glue dries, and those who only use pocket hole screws can take inspiration to add a bridging piece to improve alignment before driving the screws home.
How did you deal with the pocket holes for the last piece of plywood? (i.e. the large one you'd put on just after minute 8:30) Your drill would be too too large to get into the shelf?
REALLY good eye! Don't tell anyone, but I didn't pocket hole those because (you're right) there wouldn't have been any room for the drill or bit, so I just drove screws home from the front face 😬
Very nice. I am a big fan of Steve Ramsey. I don't currently have space in my workshop for this cart, but as I dig more dirt out I may be able to expand the crawl space.
It would be perfectly acceptable for someone to use dominoes for this sort of thing, and guess what your double dowel resembles??? You are actually dealing with two problems, the joinery method and the clamping application. Your solution tackles both of these problems and can be used by most people with basic tools. Thumbs up from me. 👍👍
I like it. It’s super strong. I’m going to use it when possible. And by the way I have only just subscribed but loving your channel and looking forward to seeing what you have coming up.
Awesome Bradley, and thank you! I think it's a great solution, especially if you're just getting going. I'm currently exploring routed floated tenons a bit more, but fall back on the pocket-dowel when I'm in a hurry.
Thank you for this video. I keep hearing comments that screws add strength, not sure where that comes from? I have seen other videos testing pocket hole strength and they are usually worse than a dado+glue. The good thing about screws is you can remove them for future disassembly, not strength.
They definitely can hurt a joint if not used properly that's for sure! But if you were to compare a glued butt joint vs a glued and screwed butt joint the later would take the cake :)
Personal opinion here - I think your proposed dowel joinery is better than dado's because with plywood, the thickness can vary. Meaning you can have an overly tight or loose joint. Or both in the same (long) run. It may be slower than a dado but it's less cumbersome when trying to assemble the rig. I will be applying this technique in the future. Only in cases where the strength of a dado is needed will I consider going the dado route. Glad I came across this video. And I like your dado jig. Very intuitive.
I had not thought of combining the two joints, but it looks like a good technique in some places. It reminds of the way some machined metal parts are assembled. They use metal dowels to align the parts and bolts to hold the parts together.
Hey! Do you have a link to the bigger square you use to mark on the ply? The one with the black plastic piece on the bottom. Would you recommend it? Great video, really enjoy your channel, thank you!
Hi Pawel, it's a Milescraft and here's a link for it (amazon affiliate) amzn.to/35YfHRr For the price I don't think you can beat it. Especially since that black plastic bit is adjustable, so if it goes out of square you can set it right again. That being said, it's really only useful for laying out lines and whatnot. Doesn't work great for checking square due to that black plastic piece. Hope that helped!
@@Craftswright Got it! For some reason, I thought it is longer:( I am trying to find a replacement for a framing square, with some kind of solution (like a plastic lip on your Milestone square) which would allow for quick referencing off the perpendicular edge. Preferably for less than $100:) Fastcap makes something similar, its called Blue Dog Square, but my experience with it is far from acceptable, unfortunately. Not a biggie, will keep looking:))
You might look at a drywall square. I use this one when I am marking sheet goods. www.lowes.com/pd/Mayes-48-in-Lightweight-Blue-Wallboard-Square/3117757
Excellent idea. All jointing techniques have to do two things: Locate the parts and apply pressure until the glue sets. You considered Steve Ramsay's approach (dadoes and clamps). ?have you seen Peter Millard on 10 minute workshop? He uses dominoes for location and screws for pressure - then covering screw holes. He's working mainly in painted MDF. You have realised that pocket screws don't really do both jobs - without a lot of effort. I think you have come up with something new and effective which only needs a drill, a pocket hole jig and a dowelling jig - and you've even told us how to make the dowelling jig
I think I have seen that, I just try to avoid having to fill holes whenever I can, seems to take forever haha. Thank you for the awesome comment Stephen!
In my opinion, ANY fastening method that works for you is a good method! A successful conclusion to a project and its functionality are all the justification you need. Keep it up!!
Would love to see a video testing these 3 methods alone then the 2 you just did together. Putting strain on the joints to see what last longer and stronger.
Is there any real time saved with drilling all the dowel holes? Seems like having to clamp a support the piece for just pocket screws is probably faster (happy to be proved wrong).
I would think they take about the same amount of time, but I found drilling the holes less tedious than getting the piece clamped in place just right haha
I've been using a similar combination of biscuits for quick alignment and pocket screws for clamping and mechanical strength. while I don't think biscuits add any strength, they make quick work of keeping those bigger plywood sections right where you want them for glue-up.
The great thing about dados, rabbets and grooves is that they are a lot faster if you are working with larger pieces and there is very little room for alignment problems or user error in applying the piece to be joined. Dowels can be fast in larger applications if you have dedicated horiztonal boring and face boring setups.
I don’t like pocket screws, but they definitely have their place. I avoid them when possible, but sometimes they are the best method, especially with shop furniture. Another great video.
I like the doweling jig and will have to give it a try down the road. In the mean time, I think a biscuit/plate joiner *could* be used in the same way... to align and strengthen the pocket hole joints. One added benefit is the biscuit holes allow a little lateral adjustment, whereas the dowels have to be spot-on in both planes of orientation. Good video and provokes some thought.
Gonna use this to try to build kitchen cabinets for my condo inside my condo. The "shitloads of dust" part is no bueno, and I don't have a garage or a table saw (or the electrical service needed to operate one safely). I think I can do it with this though. If it's good enough for a lumber cart, it's good enough for a cabinet, right? As long as the face frames look good.
Well thought out. Was that a rolling tool cart I saw in the shop? I made one about six years ago and love it. Lets you bring tools to the project when working in the driveway. Great video.
You are working with wood and are already combining different methods of joining it together in the same project - it is kinda natural to also do that on a single joint. When just making a small wooden phone-holder i used some popsicle sticks as the backing and to connect it to the base i made a small dado, glued and nailed it (the nails really helped with alignment). I can't say i am nearly as good as you, not doing nearly the work nor having the tools or experience, which kinda shows that we often don't see the obvious thing in front of us.
I tried pocket screws and biscuits- the biscuits didn’t prevent the 1/16” movement,( stopped it from moving much more)- I’ll try dowels and pocket screws next time. A similar construction has been proven in flat pack furniture. They often use particleboard and screw from the back (into end grain in the case of plywood). My vote for the joint 👍👍. Why ( with pocket screws) did you double up all the dowels? (In the dividers I would have made a story pole to repeat the dowel spacing. )
Honestly I think I just doubled them up because it looked "right" to me. I guess there could be an argument that they would be stronger that way but I'll have to test that out I think. Glad to hear you're giving it a shot, keep up the good work Andy!
Wi noticed that your dowel jig moved a little when holding without the fence, would some abrasive paper attached to one face stop it wandering? Brilliant jig by the way!
Good eye Andrew! I’ve thought about doing that now I just need to get around to doing it lol Thankfully the little bit of movement didn’t hurt the joint so long as the drill bit starts where it’s supposed to
I did biscuit and pocket hole joints for about three decades until I got a Domino jointer. They are very strong and shop furniture and tool boxes from thirty years ago are still going strong, and will probably outlast me. I did them because I didn’t have space fore a real shop, and didn’t have a table saw yet, so dados were a pain.
I'd love to get my hands on a Domino because I agree they're probably better. A full floating tenon vs a dowel. I would imagine the tenon wins all day long. One day :)
@@Craftswright I bought one, only because I found it on eBay, including the systainer of dominoes, with both Festool and domino misspelled, for $650 to start. I bid on it and nobody else apparently found it. I only found it because he had listed some Lee Valley stuff, and I looked to see what else he had listed. So, I won the auction. It has turned out to be really handy for a lot of things. Largest thus far was doing the balusters on a bunch of stair railing. When I started out, had a 3/8-inch drill, and some hand saws, hammers, etc. Then bought a skill saw, followed by the biscuit joiner, and then the aluminum Kreg pocket hole jig. My older sister watched Norm on New Yankee Workshop, and she would buy me things that Norm used. So, when I asked for the biscuit joiner, she bought me the Porter Cable Norm had used. When I asked for a pocket hole jig, she got me the Kreg, she had seen Norm use. Sure are times when I miss Norm.
This is good. Pocket screws have a place in a workshop. I don't want to use pocket screws when fulfilling an order for a customer, but I have no problem using them in applications like this. I like the dowel as a stabilizer, too. It sure beats clamping and unclamping guide boards to keep the work piece in place.
It's a good idea and I think very similar with how many modern pieces of furniture are built (think IKEA), except they use knock-down fasteners instead of pocket holes... and I have to say, when presented with the same challenges as you, my solution was to use dowels and knock down fasteners, but without glue because I actually wanted to be able to disassemble the piece!
When you said pocket dowels, I thought you were going to insert dowels in angled holes made with a pocket screws jig... I guess you could wedge dowels open with screws like that maybe to add some clamping while the glue dries?
I like the thought of dreaming solution for problems,I often do the same and I get usually the best thoughts while trying to sleep Sometimes my mind keeps racing with ideas that keep me up for hours to the extent of all night thinking
Hey Tim, I think it depends on the wood your using and where the dowel is going in relation to grain. Tough question to answer without knowing a little more detail, but I'd be happy to give it a go if you could provide some :)
This is a good idea because it limits the need to use clamps and I will try it on my next cabinet project. There are videos of people who miraculously manage to drill the screws into pocket holes using their bare hands as the only clamps - but every time I did not use a clamp I regretted that choice. I have made a couple of doweling jigs myself, including one aimed at larger cabinets which is a long L-shaped "stick" (two butt jointed 80 cm long, square 2x6cm sticks) with two series of 32mm spaced holes with brass bushings on each side of the "L" - one set is used for drilling into the board's edge and the other for drilling into the surface. I clamp my jig to the edge of a board only once and drill all the dowel holes in a row, thus eliminating errors that can happen by having to reposition a smaller jig for each of the holes I want to drill... But somehow even using a drill press my jig is not so precise - I think the stock I used before gluing up the L-shaped jig was not perfectly square. Or maybe the boards slipped during glue up. I bought a a pin nailer recently so will try redoing the jig and hand plane the stock to square. I got the idea from this style of jig: www.simek.eu/vrtaci-sablona-power-drill-do-hrany-656-20/
I love the idea of pocket dowels I make desks occasionally and storage cabinets for the kitchen this meat be the ticket to keep my honey do projects slick
From the perspective of a small shop that doesn't have a giant table for easily working with large sheets of plywood, I rather like this approach. I'm more of a novice woodworker, so whatever that's worth, but your approach appears sound to me.
I like this joint, and will keep it in mind for times when I'm doweling (or really any floating tenon) and the clamping is awkward. Using pocket screws as clamps -- genius! I'm not sure this is the application I personally would use it on, simply for the fact that every wood cart I've ever had, I've overloaded it beyond all reason and propriety. So a plywood edge in a dado just makes more sense for a serial wood cart abuser like myself, since it functions like one very thick tenon in a full-length mortise, as opposed to tiny tenons in tiny mortises (dowels and screws). Given the forces of pushing and pulling an overloaded cart, trying to roll an undersized wheel over an oversized expansion joint in the floor, over various and sundry debris, etc., might put too much strain on the PDB. But for normal folks with normal lumber carts, who don't abuse them like the old 'American Tourister meets gorilla' commercial, it seems fine.
I think this is a clever combination of techniques to yield a good result. I honestly think the majority of your strength is coming from your dowels and the glue, but the pocket screws provide a great amount of clamping force, especially in the middle of the piece where it'd be darn near impossible to get any clamp. Personally, I prefer dadoes. I find them faster and easier to cut, and easier to get alignment just right (having some glide in the joint is nice when you try to get the butt joints to perfectly align). I've always had trouble getting everything perfectly flush with dowel pins, though that's probably more a testament to my lack of skill than the technique itself :) You also raise a great point about clamping force and building things from the bottom up. If I were to make that lumber rack, I'd use dadoes, but I'd also be flipping the piece multiple times to shoot brads in from the bottom (and praying that they don't shoot out the sides). Pocket screws are far easier to aim, and a screw is definitely beefier than a brad. Overall- awesome! I love watching your stuff- keep coming up with the clever ideas!
You can add a lot of strength to the joint by using what I call (I have a video :>) pocket hole toe nailing. By putting PH's on both sides, you add the toe nailing strength to it. I have done several PH idea videos but never thought of using the dowel to keep it from creeping. I think the pocket dowel is an awesome addition to the PH and doweling technology, I guess it's like getting chocolate on your peanut butter idea :>) Great video
OTB Thinker!!!! I’m very familiar with your channel and love it, so the fact you think this is a viable option just puts the icing on the cake (or chocolate on the peanut butter 😁) Thank for reaching out!
The dato -should- still be considerably stronger because it's able to distribute force on a face completely across another face. However, this joinert is already strong enough. This would start to see the same problems that datos would at about the same forces and material sizes. What makes -this- joinery awesome is 1) how accessible it is, not needing access to both sides, and 2) material reuse! Like you said, if you mess up a dato, that part is now scrap. Mess up a hole? Then move the hole. One piece of advice though. The pocket holes were still bowing in the video. You could fix this by spacing out the dowels, and putting the pocket holes in between them, thus minimizing how much the entire sheet bends.
idea officially borrowed.... Almost. Im going to use your method on my up coming kitchen cabinet build except I'll swap out the dowels for biscuits. I think i cut biscuits a whole lot faster than drilling dowels
Pocket screws are relatively quite weak (matthias wandel has some videos demonstrating how weak they are if you're curious), but you're right they provide an in-place alternative to clamping which is often difficult with traditional clamping, and they're nice because they don't require you to drill through from the other side. Dowels are great for providing strength and for alignment, but as you say require you to clamp effectively. I think this is a great combination of the two. I will probably give this a try sometime And when I say they are weak, I'm not saying they are useless. In many cases we overbuild quite a bit and don't really need all that much strength, so their relative weakness is not that big of a downside. But I would also be careful not to assume they are actually all that strong. Try putting a chair together (something whose joints undergo WAY more forces than the corner of a cabinet) with pocket holes and see how quickly it works itself apart and becomes wobbly.
If you leave the glue out of the equation, I think Ikea and all the prefab furniture still prices this is a viable, strong joint. Add the fact that you are using glue, and plywood instead of particle board, I think you've got a winner!
I'm sure the joint is fine. It's essentially a pocket screw joint (a proven joint) supplemented by dowels. I definitely looks like more work to me, but then I'm a fan of dados. The advantage of dados, to me, is how easy they make assembly: everything goes together straight and in the correct position. The disadvantage is having to tune the dado stack every time since plywood never seems to be the same thickness. But beyond that I love dados, so this joint isn't for me. I made the same cart in 2017, before I had a pocket screw jig. It went together quickly. My one complaint about it is something you will probably run into soon enough: it's too small.
Haha I think I actually like that it's too small, keeps me from hoarding a bunch of material I'll end up never using 😆 Dados definitely have their place and I can think of a couple scenarios where they would definitely be stronger, and I could see myself liking them more with a bigger table saw and more room to work. The biggest thing for me with dado joints is the clamping and drying time. If you don't do that, you need to nail the pieces together and then go back and clean up the holes. Even though this joint does take a little longer to actually make, once the screws are driven home it's essentially done. Totally with you there on adjusting the dado stack 🤕
This is absolutely great. My table saw doesn't support a dado stack and using a router for it is just...yuck. Next step is to make your dowel jig and start using this for projects where I need strength and elegance. Thanks bro.
the dowels aren't gonna make it (much) stronger, but if you just don't like dados I'm sure this is plenty strong for like 90% of the stuff you're gonna do. The pocket screws and dowel combo definitely seem to balance out each others weaknesses. Also that's a great doweling jig.
If you're interested in trying this joint out for yourself, plans for the doweling jig are available here: bit.ly/2JTcOt1
Instead of "hogging out" or using your Dado stack...Build Up.
You are working with plywood anyway.
Drop to half thickness from your finished depth.
And just build up.
Additionally, unless you absolutely Have To have access into the very tightest edge of the corner...
Why not use 1 inch square lumber to simply screw into the cross grain of the two pieces of plywood forming the T?
You would have the perfect glue face not using any end grain as well as even being able to switch to nut and bolt joining.
This, after all, isn't a finished cabinet or piece of furniture where that might not loot good.
VERY NICE JIG BUILD! Signs of a "Thinking" man and not someone who is dead from the ears up. (half brained)
when you said pocket dowels, for a second i thought you were going to drill angled holes with the pocket screw jig and drive dowels in at an angle LOL
Hahaha sounds cool for sure, not sure how effective though 😆
Funny enough that's the first thought that popped into my head, too. I guess great minds think alike. LOL. Yes, I agree, may not be very effective.
lmao, I just made a nearly identical comment, then realized multiple other people thought the same thing. I kind of want to see it! :D
Someone has actually done that. I can't remember their name.
@@vftnow5938 Tamar @3x3 customs did it a few months ago on her record player cabinet build... then flush trimmed the dowels. When he said pocket dowel i honestly thought he was going to put the pocket hole screws lined up with the dowel holes to make the dowels expand? It would probably blow out the plywood however if he did that
I haven't seen pocket-holes and dowels before, but knockdown furniture often incorporates a single fastening device (bolt) with dowels to prevent spinning.
I have a habit of using pocket holes as clamps for glue-ups. I'd love to see an experiment done to determine what value there is in leaving the screws in place vs removing them.
I think I'll keep getting comfy with dados, but it's cool to see this alternative for places where they aren't possible, or the cost of mistakes is higher. Thanks for sharing this option!
Yes. I now need to build your doweling jig. That looks great.
Get on it Michael! 😁
I've been using a similar joint, but with festool dominos and pocket holes. Made a couple book shelves and some shop cabinets with it. Haven't had it fail yet, and it's nice having everything to together so quickly. The screws holding everything together while the glue dries is amazing as well for those of us that don't have a million clamps, and it's nice being able to keep working on a project even though the glue isn't dry yet.
YES!!!! ^^^ this guy gets it. The clamping factor of the pocket screws is huge IMO. Kudos on the domino, I’ll have one one day 😂😩
I have avoided pocket holes many times for all the reasons you called out. But I've also avoided dowels on larger joints like you explained. This is a boss level combo!
And yes I KNOW I really need to get the plans for that sweet best-every doweling jig you got.
Hahah get on it Jim! 😁
This is the definition of thinking inside the box and outside the box at the same time.
Looks promising.
Thanks Bill, cheers!
You’re a saint for not using that generic rock song during your montage, that so many YT woodworking channels have been defaulting to lately.
😂 my guess is something by Tigerblood from Epidemic?
It gives me the fizzies to see someone looking for alternative methods of doing their project. I made the mistake of asking one of the TH-cam woodworkers if there wasn't an alternate way of doing some of the cuts in his projects. He and his viewers turned on me like if I was too dumb to do woodworking. Sure, I am more into electronics than woodworking and whirling sharp blades just seem to be an accident ready to happen. Lessening the usage of them, even if the project takes longer, makes me feel more at ease in the shop and my electronics projects get nice wood case work. This jointing method looks like it was made for me.
Right? I’ll be the first to admit that 9/10 when I’m looking for that alternative method, or to reinvent the wheel sometimes, the result is usually worse/harder/costs more than the original, but once in a while it’s not, which makes it worth the exploration I think.
Glad I could help you out Joseph, happy to hear you’re making badass enclosures for your electronics (a field I find myself to have no skill in whatsoever lol) and proud to know my comments section hasn’t turned on you. That last one is something I hope to foster as this channel grows. Healthy conversation and debate is one thing, outright zealots blindly attacking “heretics” is just ridiculous I think. Cheers brother!
That's too bad. Unless your alternate is dangerous, or would obviously result in failure, why dump on you? I've worked in fully equipped shops where "Doing it 'right'" was simple and effective. I've spent LOTS of time in minimally equipped shops where alternate solutions were the only solution. One of the joys of our craft is the creativity of finding those "alternate" methods. Sure you get there by experiment, trial and error, and failure. So what! Have fun! Enjoy you craft!
Just remember that all "current" best methods were alternative methods at one time.
Now that CNC machines are available and not longer new, does that mean that is the only way to make something. Sure looks that way based on some videos I see now days.
The best joint is the one that works & that you feel safest making. I don't want my 10 year old to spool up the table saw with a dado stack to make a box for their project, but I wouldn't hesitate to show them this approach. There are different skill levels and different sets of tools that can be used for a range of projects.
Be Safe.
Specially with most of the simple wood-projects we do as a hobby there is nearly no "wrong" method. Do it like you want to, if it works it works.
I do not think the strength difference between the different types of joinery is an issue in most applications. I like the fact that the dowels compensate for the potential alignment issues with the pocket screws. Well done!
That was the big benefit to me next to eliminating the need for clamps while the glue dries thanks to the pocket screws. Thanks for the comment Kat!
*Absolutely useful! The scene about you inventing is so true.... Lol, the thoughts haunt me while I shower, drive and working at my day job.*
This is definitely a belt and suspenders approach.
I like your honest, straight forward approach.
Ain't nothing wrong with that! lol
I like pocket screws and your idea of using dowels as locators is great. I don’t have a dado stack nor do I like changing table saw blades so thanks for sharing.
You're very welcome Stuart
I think dowels and pocket screws make for a great joint. I have used the joint many times over the years for pretty much the same reasons you went into in the video. In my situation as an occasional woodworker, I don’t have a table saw or a router, so if I need a dado, I am doing a bunch of cuts with my circular saw, which does work but is very slow. On the other hand with a dowel jig and a pocket hole jig, I can set up a pocket hole dowel joint pretty quickly. If i want more strength, I drill additional dowels and/or screws. Another nice feature of this joint is that if you are building knockdown furniture in the style of IKEA, pocket screws and dowels can hole things together nicely with out glue.
Really good points Andy and I love that you aren't letting any sort of lack of tools stop you from building what you want. You sir, are a fellow Craftswright!
A wood biscuit joiner and pocket screws should work as well. For a large clamp, ratchet cargo straps are handy.
Yay ratchet straps! Mind you, I do nothing this "fine" or detailed, but they are very much a useful clamp. Also good for bending deck boards 😁
Reminds me of how IKEA project assemble, dowels for alignment and then there fasters. Well done, well thought out and I would think it works very well and is easy done by beginners with limited tool options.
Spot on with the IKEA reference, I was partially inspired by that!
This is what I do for my outdoor reptile cages. I started doing it for the same reason, help keep alignment for the pocket holes, the added strength is a bonus.
I've been a HUGE pocket screw fan for years and I never liked the tendency of the piece to wander without serious clamping. This does solve that problem and strengthens the joint. Well done! I am going to start using this method, as soon as I finish building my "Improved Dowling Jig" Keep up the good work! You've got another subscriber here.
I don't see the wood storage cart plans on the website. Did I miss them?
Awesome Daniel happy I could help improve your workflow!
That wood storage cart is a Steve Ramsey (Woodworking For Mere Mortals) design and its free on his site. Keep up the good work my friend!
I've just bought myself a few tools and about to start on my first project - a rolling cabinet for my new table saw! The table saw won't take a dado stack and I can't buy a router (for dados) at the moment cos here in Australia EVERYTHING is out of stock at the moment due to covid lockdowns. I've been mulling over what I was going to do instead of using dados and rabbets, I didn't want to use simple butt joints and I only have a handful of small clamps - too many things to spend money on. Guess all I need to do now is make one of those dandy dowelling jigs and I can rip off your idea! Thank you.
Rip away Andy and welcome to the wonderful world of woodworking, it's nice to have you! Let me know how the project goes yeah?
At first, I thought you were gonna crap on Steve and was about to get grumpy with you. But instead, you took a great project and added a genius solution for those of us who haven't gotten around to buying those spendy dado stacks (or would like to avoid lifting and turning big pieces over and over!) I love this idea. I guess my next project is a dowelling jig!
Can't crap on Steve, he's got a great channel and seems like an upstanding dude! Thanks for the comment
I’m going to be using this on a simple, farmhouse style table my wife wants. It has several parts where end grain butts into face grain. I’m excited to have the strength and aligning support of the internal dowels and the clamping power of the pocket screws! The rest of the piece will be held together with visible, decorative dowels. Believing the best for this project!
Sounds like a great solution Greg, sending good vibes for your upcoming build! 😎
I used a similar idea a while back, but used a biscut joiner to align my project pieces and the pocket hole screws to secure it while it dried. I've also used biscuts w/out glue so I can align my project pieces but still able to knock it down and store it or move it if needed. I have my pieces numbered and can reassemble w/out issues.
I dreamed up this approach a few years ago as well. I was making a large-panel cart (for scaffolding components, not lumber), and this worked well for me. I didn’t want to deal with the tighter alignment for dowels on that project, but I can see how Craftswright’s super-cool dowel jig would address some of those concerns.
I’m only a year into my wood working journey and I just found your channel and it makes sense to me and is a great idea. Great job and great video.
Welcome aboard! You've picked a lifelong hobby and we're happy to have you!
Yes did this with my flip table top and it worked great for all the reasons you say! Love my jessem dowel jig yours seems close to it. Well done aligning all those joints free hand
Very similar to the Jessem, good eye Adam! Great minds think alike eh? 😉
Agreed!
I had a similar idea a couple months ago when I was looking for a way to flat pack a shelf and mail it out. I was using pocket holes to construct but was worried the people I would send the shelf to wouldn’t get the pieces to line up. A couple dowels seemed like the solution. Never ended up having to mail any out but now know it would have worked
This is a perfect use for the biscuit joiner and pocket screws. Biscuits provide are much quicker to cut than dowels and require less precision but provide the alignment you need while driving the pocket screws. It's my go to for joints like this.
Totally agree that biscuits are a great option for quick alignment joints but my understanding is they don’t add any strength to the joint?
Nicely done. I started with dowels twenty years ago on rockers for my grandkids. It was easy and cheap. I have since experimented with dadoes, biscuits and only in the last couple of years, pocket screws. Biscuits are the fastest to put in, but you do have to clamp and let dry. I think I will try the biscuits and pocket screws.
Awesome Peter, would love to hear how those work out for you (I don't have a biscuit jointer to try myself)
Really enjoyed the video and I think the joint has a lot of promise. I'm going to be at the point of building a mobile wood org cart myself so I may consider using the same joinery. Thanks so much for sharing with the community, most appreciated!
Glad to hear it and you're very welcome!
I just found this video - liked and subscribed.
I like this joint. Glue provides strength, pocket screws provide strength and clamping force for the glue, while dowels ensure proper alignment. The only limitation is on projects where visible pocket holes are not desirable.
I would say GENIUS. That could also be great for anyone just starting out. Especially with the DIY pocket hole jigs one could make.
Idk about genius but I totally agree that it would be a wonderful, fast, and strong joint for those just starting out!
My exact first thought- genius.
I'd think it allows you to use flimsier/thinner/cheaper plywood for those parts you haven't weakened by hogging out trenches/dados?
Dados solve two additional problems that you mentioned: they (at least partially) prevent splitting by not allowing the wood to expand sideways and don't allow the piece being added to slide sideways.
That being said, I had an idea that I have no way to check: use a Skil saw to make the dado. Clamp two straightedges to the wood you need a dado in so that the blade can't cut outside of the lines, then rotate the saw until opposing corners are touching the straightedges and hog out most of the material. Finally, bring the blade parallel to the cut and clean it out. You don't even need a deep dado if you are going to use pocket screws; just one deep enough to keep the piece being attached from moving.
Does that make sense?
That makes sense but there’s a part of me that cringes hard at the thought of how much dust and potential kickback that could invite lol
I see the potential kickback, but I still love the idea!
Hmmm... I wasn't thinking about kickback with such a shallow cut, but that could be dealt with by having an overhang on the straightedge.
have you thought about using a bradpoint bit for your doweljig? it seems to wobble a lot at the start when not supported by another dowel, bradpoint might make it more stable/accurate
Funny story I bought 4 different brad point bits by different, reputable, companies and none of them cut an actual 3/8" hole. There would be so much wiggle that the dowel was essentially useless. But the cheap general purpose point cut the best hole lol
Great idea it is some thing I thought about but being a novice I did not think it would work and i have never got around to trying it out, but now I think I will
Well done for bringing your brain to the workshop! I really appreciate people who have the confidence to suggest something, even if they don’t have years of experience behind them. Keep it up. I’ll be watching. Too often we have the channel snobs who crush people’s confidence. Bon courage!
Oddly enough I needed to hear that today. I’ve been thinking about being more “real” and authentic in my shop/videos but have been hesitant that it may be harmful to the channel if I don’t come across as an expert, even if I’m not. Thank you very much for the comment and encouragement, it’s refreshing 😊. Cheers Fraser!
I've used this method before. It worked so-so for me. Unfortunately the material I was building with was crap half inch plywood. I cut short lengths of bamboo skewer for the dowels. (Can't remember the youtube channel I saw that on)
Anyhow, I drilled the dowel holes all the way through the so-called "top of the T". Why? I don't know. I backed up each joint during assembly with a clamped on backer board and it went ok.
All in all I think it's fine. The pocket screws pulled it all together while being aligned with dowels. And, now I have a custom plywood utility bed for my truck.
Essentially what you're talking about is adding a bridging piece to a pocket hole joint. Dowels, dominos, or biscuits would all work equally well, I think. Those who have specialty cutting tools for dominoes or biscuits could take inspiration from this to start adding pocket hole screws to their joints to improve clamping while the glue dries, and those who only use pocket hole screws can take inspiration to add a bridging piece to improve alignment before driving the screws home.
Very well put Will and a super accurate summary of the video.... I could have made it a lot shorter apparently 😆
How did you deal with the pocket holes for the last piece of plywood? (i.e. the large one you'd put on just after minute 8:30)
Your drill would be too too large to get into the shelf?
REALLY good eye! Don't tell anyone, but I didn't pocket hole those because (you're right) there wouldn't have been any room for the drill or bit, so I just drove screws home from the front face 😬
Good Idea. it will definitely have its place in the arsenal of joints.
I hope so, thanks for the comment Bill!
I like this idea. Since I have asthma, keeping the amount of wood dust down is a huge selling point.
I do this with a biscuit jointer for the same reason. Looks great!
Same here, but now I have a duo doweler and a domino. I'll use one of them for alignment and the PS for the clamping on larger projects.
Very nice. I am a big fan of Steve Ramsey. I don't currently have space in my workshop for this cart, but as I dig more dirt out I may be able to expand the crawl space.
It would be perfectly acceptable for someone to use dominoes for this sort of thing, and guess what your double dowel resembles??? You are actually dealing with two problems, the joinery method and the clamping application. Your solution tackles both of these problems and can be used by most people with basic tools. Thumbs up from me. 👍👍
That was kind of my thought process with the double dowel "that sorta looks like a domino, gotta be close enough!" 😁
I like it. It’s super strong. I’m going to use it when possible. And by the way I have only just subscribed but loving your channel and looking forward to seeing what you have coming up.
Awesome Bradley, and thank you! I think it's a great solution, especially if you're just getting going. I'm currently exploring routed floated tenons a bit more, but fall back on the pocket-dowel when I'm in a hurry.
Thank you for this video. I keep hearing comments that screws add strength, not sure where that comes from? I have seen other videos testing pocket hole strength and they are usually worse than a dado+glue. The good thing about screws is you can remove them for future disassembly, not strength.
They definitely can hurt a joint if not used properly that's for sure! But if you were to compare a glued butt joint vs a glued and screwed butt joint the later would take the cake :)
Personal opinion here - I think your proposed dowel joinery is better than dado's because with plywood, the thickness can vary. Meaning you can have an overly tight or loose joint. Or both in the same (long) run. It may be slower than a dado but it's less cumbersome when trying to assemble the rig. I will be applying this technique in the future. Only in cases where the strength of a dado is needed will I consider going the dado route. Glad I came across this video. And I like your dado jig. Very intuitive.
Thanks Pete! Totally agree, there are some situations where a dado is a must, but other than those I think this joint wins out.
I had not thought of combining the two joints, but it looks like a good technique in some places. It reminds of the way some machined metal parts are assembled. They use metal dowels to align the parts and bolts to hold the parts together.
I really like this solution, and will probably be using it in future projects
Hey! Do you have a link to the bigger square you use to mark on the ply? The one with the black plastic piece on the bottom. Would you recommend it? Great video, really enjoy your channel, thank you!
Hi Pawel, it's a Milescraft and here's a link for it (amazon affiliate) amzn.to/35YfHRr
For the price I don't think you can beat it. Especially since that black plastic bit is adjustable, so if it goes out of square you can set it right again. That being said, it's really only useful for laying out lines and whatnot. Doesn't work great for checking square due to that black plastic piece.
Hope that helped!
@@Craftswright Got it! For some reason, I thought it is longer:( I am trying to find a replacement for a framing square, with some kind of solution (like a plastic lip on your Milestone square) which would allow for quick referencing off the perpendicular edge. Preferably for less than $100:) Fastcap makes something similar, its called Blue Dog Square, but my experience with it is far from acceptable, unfortunately. Not a biggie, will keep looking:))
You might look at a drywall square. I use this one when I am marking sheet goods. www.lowes.com/pd/Mayes-48-in-Lightweight-Blue-Wallboard-Square/3117757
Looking at that doweling jig, you could add some non-slip pads to the bottom, that would make holding it steady to the workpiece much easier ;)
Great idea!
This joint looks like many others in one way. They all have their place. Great combination of methods for sure.
Excellent idea. All jointing techniques have to do two things: Locate the parts and apply pressure until the glue sets. You considered Steve Ramsay's approach (dadoes and clamps). ?have you seen Peter Millard on 10 minute workshop? He uses dominoes for location and screws for pressure - then covering screw holes. He's working mainly in painted MDF. You have realised that pocket screws don't really do both jobs - without a lot of effort. I think you have come up with something new and effective which only needs a drill, a pocket hole jig and a dowelling jig - and you've even told us how to make the dowelling jig
I think I have seen that, I just try to avoid having to fill holes whenever I can, seems to take forever haha. Thank you for the awesome comment Stephen!
In my opinion, ANY fastening method that works for you is a good method! A successful conclusion to a project and its functionality are all the justification you need. Keep it up!!
Would love to see a video testing these 3 methods alone then the 2 you just did together. Putting strain on the joints to see what last longer and stronger.
That’s a good idea! Might have to do that here soon
Is there any real time saved with drilling all the dowel holes? Seems like having to clamp a support the piece for just pocket screws is probably faster (happy to be proved wrong).
I would think they take about the same amount of time, but I found drilling the holes less tedious than getting the piece clamped in place just right haha
@@Craftswright fair enough. It's a good concept, using the screws to pull the joint tight.
I've been using a similar combination of biscuits for quick alignment and pocket screws for clamping and mechanical strength. while I don't think biscuits add any strength, they make quick work of keeping those bigger plywood sections right where you want them for glue-up.
The great thing about dados, rabbets and grooves is that they are a lot faster if you are working with larger pieces and there is very little room for alignment problems or user error in applying the piece to be joined. Dowels can be fast in larger applications if you have dedicated horiztonal boring and face boring setups.
I don’t like pocket screws, but they definitely have their place. I avoid them when possible, but sometimes they are the best method, especially with shop furniture. Another great video.
I like the doweling jig and will have to give it a try down the road. In the mean time, I think a biscuit/plate joiner *could* be used in the same way... to align and strengthen the pocket hole joints. One added benefit is the biscuit holes allow a little lateral adjustment, whereas the dowels have to be spot-on in both planes of orientation. Good video and provokes some thought.
This a great example of creativity. Thank you! First time on your channel, I think I'll subscribe.
Welcome aboard Crichton!
This is the joint I have been looking for. Thanks.
You’re welcome Old Bark!
Gonna use this to try to build kitchen cabinets for my condo inside my condo. The "shitloads of dust" part is no bueno, and I don't have a garage or a table saw (or the electrical service needed to operate one safely). I think I can do it with this though. If it's good enough for a lumber cart, it's good enough for a cabinet, right? As long as the face frames look good.
Well thought out. Was that a rolling tool cart I saw in the shop? I made one about six years ago and love it. Lets you bring tools to the project when working in the driveway. Great video.
Thanks John! I try to put as many things on wheels as I can in my little shop, absolute must really haha
You are working with wood and are already combining different methods of joining it together in the same project - it is kinda natural to also do that on a single joint.
When just making a small wooden phone-holder i used some popsicle sticks as the backing and to connect it to the base i made a small dado, glued and nailed it (the nails really helped with alignment).
I can't say i am nearly as good as you, not doing nearly the work nor having the tools or experience, which kinda shows that we often don't see the obvious thing in front of us.
I tried pocket screws and biscuits- the biscuits didn’t prevent the 1/16” movement,( stopped it from moving much more)- I’ll try dowels and pocket screws next time. A similar construction has been proven in flat pack furniture. They often use particleboard and screw from the back (into end grain in the case of plywood). My vote for the joint 👍👍. Why ( with pocket screws) did you double up all the dowels? (In the dividers I would have made a story pole to repeat the dowel spacing. )
Honestly I think I just doubled them up because it looked "right" to me. I guess there could be an argument that they would be stronger that way but I'll have to test that out I think. Glad to hear you're giving it a shot, keep up the good work Andy!
Wi noticed that your dowel jig moved a little when holding without the fence, would some abrasive paper attached to one face stop it wandering? Brilliant jig by the way!
Good eye Andrew! I’ve thought about doing that now I just need to get around to doing it lol
Thankfully the little bit of movement didn’t hurt the joint so long as the drill bit starts where it’s supposed to
You could use anti slip tape
I did biscuit and pocket hole joints for about three decades until I got a Domino jointer. They are very strong and shop furniture and tool boxes from thirty years ago are still going strong, and will probably outlast me. I did them because I didn’t have space fore a real shop, and didn’t have a table saw yet, so dados were a pain.
I'd love to get my hands on a Domino because I agree they're probably better. A full floating tenon vs a dowel. I would imagine the tenon wins all day long. One day :)
@@Craftswright I bought one, only because I found it on eBay, including the systainer of dominoes, with both Festool and domino misspelled, for $650 to start. I bid on it and nobody else apparently found it. I only found it because he had listed some Lee Valley stuff, and I looked to see what else he had listed. So, I won the auction. It has turned out to be really handy for a lot of things. Largest thus far was doing the balusters on a bunch of stair railing.
When I started out, had a 3/8-inch drill, and some hand saws, hammers, etc. Then bought a skill saw, followed by the biscuit joiner, and then the aluminum Kreg pocket hole jig. My older sister watched Norm on New Yankee Workshop, and she would buy me things that Norm used. So, when I asked for the biscuit joiner, she bought me the Porter Cable Norm had used. When I asked for a pocket hole jig, she got me the Kreg, she had seen Norm use. Sure are times when I miss Norm.
That’s a killer deal!
Could you accomplish the same thing with a biscuit joiner and pocket screws. solves the alignment issue and would probably be faster
This is good. Pocket screws have a place in a workshop. I don't want to use pocket screws when fulfilling an order for a customer, but I have no problem using them in applications like this. I like the dowel as a stabilizer, too. It sure beats clamping and unclamping guide boards to keep the work piece in place.
Exactly! Commissioned work is something else, but quick and (somewhat) dirty then pocket screws are the way to go
Your Dowling tool is awesome and I really enjoyed the video. Great job...
Thanks Wayne!
As one who does not have a dado stack on my very old, pos table saw, I love this idea. Doing dados an 1/8 inch at a time can be exhausting!
Hahah right???
So Matthias Wandel (I think...) stacks up 7 1/4 inch circular saw blades instead of buying a "proper" dado stack. Never tried it myself...
It's a good idea and I think very similar with how many modern pieces of furniture are built (think IKEA), except they use knock-down fasteners instead of pocket holes... and I have to say, when presented with the same challenges as you, my solution was to use dowels and knock down fasteners, but without glue because I actually wanted to be able to disassemble the piece!
When you said pocket dowels, I thought you were going to insert dowels in angled holes made with a pocket screws jig... I guess you could wedge dowels open with screws like that maybe to add some clamping while the glue dries?
I like the thought of dreaming solution for problems,I often do the same and I get usually the best thoughts while trying to sleep
Sometimes my mind keeps racing with ideas that keep me up for hours to the extent of all night thinking
So true!
Good idea. I will use it on an upcoming plywood project.
Would love to hear how it goes Rich, keep us updated!
Fantastic matey.how close do you think a dowel can be placed along the end grain say for a small shaker style frame.kindest regards tim in uk
Hey Tim, I think it depends on the wood your using and where the dowel is going in relation to grain. Tough question to answer without knowing a little more detail, but I'd be happy to give it a go if you could provide some :)
I believethis will be a good joint I will use tomorrow on my dust collection adaptor chute
Would love to hear how it turned out Lawrence
This is a good idea because it limits the need to use clamps and I will try it on my next cabinet project. There are videos of people who miraculously manage to drill the screws into pocket holes using their bare hands as the only clamps - but every time I did not use a clamp I regretted that choice. I have made a couple of doweling jigs myself, including one aimed at larger cabinets which is a long L-shaped "stick" (two butt jointed 80 cm long, square 2x6cm sticks) with two series of 32mm spaced holes with brass bushings on each side of the "L" - one set is used for drilling into the board's edge and the other for drilling into the surface. I clamp my jig to the edge of a board only once and drill all the dowel holes in a row, thus eliminating errors that can happen by having to reposition a smaller jig for each of the holes I want to drill... But somehow even using a drill press my jig is not so precise - I think the stock I used before gluing up the L-shaped jig was not perfectly square. Or maybe the boards slipped during glue up. I bought a a pin nailer recently so will try redoing the jig and hand plane the stock to square. I got the idea from this style of jig: www.simek.eu/vrtaci-sablona-power-drill-do-hrany-656-20/
I love the idea of pocket dowels I make desks occasionally and storage cabinets for the kitchen this meat be the ticket to keep my honey do projects slick
Ya, I like the idea of the pocket-dowel. I'll have to get (eh-hem...build) a quality doweling jig. Might you know where I could find plans? =)
😆
Good Idea! After watching your video, I thought ,why didnt I think of that!
From the perspective of a small shop that doesn't have a giant table for easily working with large sheets of plywood, I rather like this approach. I'm more of a novice woodworker, so whatever that's worth, but your approach appears sound to me.
I'm right there with you on the tiny shop with limited working surface area, so we've gotta get creative 😉
Pocket dowels. Brilliant!
I like this joint, and will keep it in mind for times when I'm doweling (or really any floating tenon) and the clamping is awkward. Using pocket screws as clamps -- genius!
I'm not sure this is the application I personally would use it on, simply for the fact that every wood cart I've ever had, I've overloaded it beyond all reason and propriety. So a plywood edge in a dado just makes more sense for a serial wood cart abuser like myself, since it functions like one very thick tenon in a full-length mortise, as opposed to tiny tenons in tiny mortises (dowels and screws). Given the forces of pushing and pulling an overloaded cart, trying to roll an undersized wheel over an oversized expansion joint in the floor, over various and sundry debris, etc., might put too much strain on the PDB. But for normal folks with normal lumber carts, who don't abuse them like the old 'American Tourister meets gorilla' commercial, it seems fine.
Pretty interesting idea, dude! And it seems to work great! 😃
Well done!!!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
You as well MC!
I think this is a clever combination of techniques to yield a good result. I honestly think the majority of your strength is coming from your dowels and the glue, but the pocket screws provide a great amount of clamping force, especially in the middle of the piece where it'd be darn near impossible to get any clamp.
Personally, I prefer dadoes. I find them faster and easier to cut, and easier to get alignment just right (having some glide in the joint is nice when you try to get the butt joints to perfectly align). I've always had trouble getting everything perfectly flush with dowel pins, though that's probably more a testament to my lack of skill than the technique itself :)
You also raise a great point about clamping force and building things from the bottom up. If I were to make that lumber rack, I'd use dadoes, but I'd also be flipping the piece multiple times to shoot brads in from the bottom (and praying that they don't shoot out the sides). Pocket screws are far easier to aim, and a screw is definitely beefier than a brad.
Overall- awesome! I love watching your stuff- keep coming up with the clever ideas!
You can add a lot of strength to the joint by using what I call (I have a video :>) pocket hole toe nailing. By putting PH's on both sides, you add the toe nailing strength to it. I have done several PH idea videos but never thought of using the dowel to keep it from creeping. I think the pocket dowel is an awesome addition to the PH and doweling technology, I guess it's like getting chocolate on your peanut butter idea :>) Great video
OTB Thinker!!!! I’m very familiar with your channel and love it, so the fact you think this is a viable option just puts the icing on the cake (or chocolate on the peanut butter 😁)
Thank for reaching out!
Most enjoyable. Good choice of music. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yeah that guitar work was great.
The dato -should- still be considerably stronger because it's able to distribute force on a face completely across another face.
However, this joinert is already strong enough. This would start to see the same problems that datos would at about the same forces and material sizes.
What makes -this- joinery awesome is
1) how accessible it is, not needing access to both sides, and
2) material reuse! Like you said, if you mess up a dato, that part is now scrap. Mess up a hole? Then move the hole.
One piece of advice though.
The pocket holes were still bowing in the video. You could fix this by spacing out the dowels, and putting the pocket holes in between them, thus minimizing how much the entire sheet bends.
Well, I was planning on building a set of shelves with just pocket screws but now I think I want to get a doweling jig too.
Hi there, how ca l get one of your dowel jig is great.
Hey Jesus, I have plans available on my website here: craftswright.com/shop/diy-adjustable-doweling-jig
Thanks
idea officially borrowed.... Almost. Im going to use your method on my up coming kitchen cabinet build except I'll swap out the dowels for biscuits. I think i cut biscuits a whole lot faster than drilling dowels
Biscuits are pretty quick if you've got the tool!
Pocket screws are relatively quite weak (matthias wandel has some videos demonstrating how weak they are if you're curious), but you're right they provide an in-place alternative to clamping which is often difficult with traditional clamping, and they're nice because they don't require you to drill through from the other side. Dowels are great for providing strength and for alignment, but as you say require you to clamp effectively. I think this is a great combination of the two. I will probably give this a try sometime
And when I say they are weak, I'm not saying they are useless. In many cases we overbuild quite a bit and don't really need all that much strength, so their relative weakness is not that big of a downside. But I would also be careful not to assume they are actually all that strong. Try putting a chair together (something whose joints undergo WAY more forces than the corner of a cabinet) with pocket holes and see how quickly it works itself apart and becomes wobbly.
If you leave the glue out of the equation, I think Ikea and all the prefab furniture still prices this is a viable, strong joint. Add the fact that you are using glue, and plywood instead of particle board, I think you've got a winner!
How do you light it !
Great idea. I will try it for sure.
Excited to hear how it works out for you Rod
I like the idea, it makes good sense.
Thanks Gene!
I'm sure the joint is fine. It's essentially a pocket screw joint (a proven joint) supplemented by dowels. I definitely looks like more work to me, but then I'm a fan of dados. The advantage of dados, to me, is how easy they make assembly: everything goes together straight and in the correct position. The disadvantage is having to tune the dado stack every time since plywood never seems to be the same thickness. But beyond that I love dados, so this joint isn't for me.
I made the same cart in 2017, before I had a pocket screw jig. It went together quickly. My one complaint about it is something you will probably run into soon enough: it's too small.
Haha I think I actually like that it's too small, keeps me from hoarding a bunch of material I'll end up never using 😆
Dados definitely have their place and I can think of a couple scenarios where they would definitely be stronger, and I could see myself liking them more with a bigger table saw and more room to work. The biggest thing for me with dado joints is the clamping and drying time. If you don't do that, you need to nail the pieces together and then go back and clean up the holes. Even though this joint does take a little longer to actually make, once the screws are driven home it's essentially done.
Totally with you there on adjusting the dado stack 🤕
This is absolutely great. My table saw doesn't support a dado stack and using a router for it is just...yuck. Next step is to make your dowel jig and start using this for projects where I need strength and elegance. Thanks bro.
What’s the guitar music that plays during the build?
the dowels aren't gonna make it (much) stronger, but if you just don't like dados I'm sure this is plenty strong for like 90% of the stuff you're gonna do. The pocket screws and dowel combo definitely seem to balance out each others weaknesses. Also that's a great doweling jig.
Thanks Josh, I can see dados winning when it comes to needing to bear weight like on a bookshelf for sure, other than that 👌I think you’re right :)