Offcuts in, dowels out
Make your own round dowels from scrap hardwood, with the drill you already own.
Spin a blank in your drill and push it through one of the eight holes. A carbide insert inside the wheel shaves it round as it goes, and what comes out the far side is a dowel in the wood you chose — walnut pegs for walnut furniture, oak pins for an oak frame, not the pale birch you get in a bag.
Read this first: it is a metric tool.
It makes dowels of 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 mm. It does not make 3/8, 1/2 or 3/4 in dowels. Only two of the sizes land close to everyday American ones — 8 mm is about 5/16 in and 16 mm is about 5/8 in — and even those come out a few thousandths over. If you are gluing them into holes, drill the holes with a metric bit of the same size. The full size chart is further down.
Eight sizes
8 to 20 mm (0.31 to 0.79 in) around one wheel
One carbide insert
Four cutting edges, standard replacement part
Runs on a drill
No lathe; the drill spins the wood
Screws to the bench
77 mm (3 in) tall on a 60 × 48 mm base
How it cuts
Turn the cutter to a hole, lock it, feed the wood
The black holder in the middle turns a full circle. Loosen it with the Torx key, swing the carbide insert round to the hole you want, and tighten it again. The insert now sits at the edge of that hole, and anything spinning through the hole gets shaved down to its diameter.
The insert is a standard part: a 15 × 15 × 2.5 mm, 30°, R150 carbide square, the same type used in aftermarket spiral planer heads. It has four edges. When one dulls, loosen its screw, turn it a quarter turn to a fresh edge and carry on. When you order spares, make sure they say R150 — the same-size R100 insert is a different part.
The part that decides which set to buy
Your drill has to be able to turn the wood
A drill chuck grips round bits, not square sticks. A 1/2 in chuck will hold square stock only up to about 3/8 in across, and a 3/8 in chuck even less. That covers the smallest holes and nothing else. For 14, 16, 18 and 20 mm dowels — and in practice for most of the sizes — the blank simply will not fit in the chuck.
That is what the drive nail is for. Drill a small pilot hole in the center of the blank’s end, screw the nail in, and chuck its hex shank instead. The supplier’s drawing shows it 42 mm (1.65 in) long with a 9 mm hex shank.
If you want the big sizes, buy a set with the nail in it — or add the nail on its own. The jig-only set assumes you already have another way to drive the blank.
Getting a clean dowel
Seven habits that separate a dowel from a broken stick
1
Fix the jig down. Screw or clamp the base near the end of your bench so both hands are free for the drill.
2
Use a straight, knot-free blank a little larger than the dowel you want. A bowed stick gives a bowed dowel, and knots are where sticks snap.
3
Knock the corners off first. An octagon feeds far more easily than a square, which takes a lot more force.
4
Chamfer or point the leading end so it starts into the hole instead of catching on the edge.
5
Drill fast, feed slow, and do not stop halfway. Pausing mid-stick leaves rings in the dowel. A corded drill is the easier choice; this job drains batteries.
6
Support the dowel as it comes out — a V-block or a helper. A long unsupported stick whips around and cracks.
7
Clear the chips after every stick, with an awl or a scrap of wood. Packed shavings stop it cutting. Never use your fingers.
Metric, in inches
What each hole makes, next to the nearest inch size
A plus sign means the dowel is nominally bigger than that bit, so it will be tight; a minus means it will be loose. These are the nominal sizes of the holes — we have not measured finished dowels, and real size shifts with the wood, its moisture and how fast you feed.
| Hole |
Inches |
Closest inch bit |
Everyday size |
| 8 mm |
0.315 |
5/16 in, +0.002 |
Yes — 5/16 |
| 9 mm |
0.354 |
23/64 in, −0.005 |
No |
| 10 mm |
0.394 |
25/64 in, +0.003 |
No — 0.019 over 3/8 |
| 12 mm |
0.472 |
15/32 in, +0.004 |
No — 0.028 under 1/2 |
| 14 mm |
0.551 |
35/64 in, +0.004 |
No — 0.011 under 9/16 |
| 16 mm |
0.630 |
5/8 in, +0.005 |
Yes — 5/8 |
| 18 mm |
0.709 |
45/64 in, +0.006 |
No |
| 20 mm |
0.787 |
25/32 in, +0.006 |
No — 0.037 over 3/4 |
The simple fix for a glued joint: drill with a metric bit of the same size. Metric brad-point and Forstner bits in these sizes are sold by American woodworking suppliers. Test-fit before you glue.
Straight answers
Five things we would rather you knew now
The first few sticks will probably go wrong. A published hands-on test of this kind of jig warns that the first several sticks tend to break or come out rough. It is a feed-and-speed skill, and it comes quickly, but budget a few offcuts for it.
Plan to sand. A single insert shaving a spinning stick leaves a clean dowel, not a polished one. Nobody publishes a finish figure for this kind of tool, and neither will we.
Straight-grained hardwood is what works. The test above used red oak, walnut and cherry without trouble. Knots, wild grain and open-grained woods are where sticks tear out or snap. We have no test data on softwoods.
There is no honest maximum length. The longer the blank, the more it wants to twist between the drill and the cutter. Support it, and do not expect broom handles.
We have not measured the dowels. The hole sizes are nominal. Real diameter depends on the wood, its moisture and your feed rate, so test-fit in a scrap before you glue anything that matters.
Safety
A spinning stick deserves respect
Wear eye protection — chips come out fast. Keep gloves, sleeves and long hair away from the spinning blank. Hold the drill firmly with both hands; a high-torque drill can twist hard if the stick binds.
If the drill stalls, let go of the trigger at once rather than fighting it. And never reach into the cutter opening with a finger to clear shavings, even with the drill stopped.
Choose your set
Every set has the jig, a mounted insert and the Torx key
Jig only
For small dowels you can chuck directly, or if you already drive blanks another way.
Jig + 1 spare insert
The same, with four fresh edges in reserve.
Jig + spare insert + drive nail · our pick
The set that makes all eight sizes without extra parts.
Jig + 10 spare inserts
For batch work, if you already have a drive for the bigger blanks.
Jig + 10 spare inserts + drive nail
Everything, with forty spare cutting edges.
10 spare inserts only
Refills for a jig you already own. Standard 15 × 15 × 2.5 mm, 30°, R150.
Drive nail only
Add it if you bought the jig without one and want the larger sizes.
The specifics
Sizes and figures
Holes
8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 mm (metric only)
Body
Anodized aluminum wheel, 77 mm (3.03 in) tall
Base
60 × 48 mm (2.36 × 1.89 in), with holes for screwing it down
Cutter
One carbide insert, 15 × 15 × 2.5 mm, 30°, R150 — four usable edges
Key
Torx L-key, marked T30 on the supplier’s drawing
Drive nail
In the sets that name it. 42 mm (1.65 in) long, 9 mm hex shank, per the supplier’s drawing
Drill
Any drill that can run fast; corded is easier on long runs
Shipping weight
0.49 kg (1.1 lb)
Not verified by us
Finished dowel tolerance, maximum length, finish on specific woods, and whether mounting screws are in the box
Questions people ask
Before you order
Can it make 3/8, 1/2 or 3/4 inch dowels?
No. The holes are metric. The 10 mm hole makes a dowel about 0.019 in over 3/8, the 12 mm one about 0.028 in under 1/2, and the 20 mm one about 0.037 in over 3/4. Only 8 mm (about 5/16) and 16 mm (about 5/8) are close to everyday inch sizes. Drill your holes with a matching metric bit.
Do I need the drive nail?
For the larger sizes, almost certainly. A 1/2 in chuck grips square stock only up to about 3/8 in across, so blanks for 14 to 20 mm dowels will not fit. The nail screws into the end of the blank and gives your chuck a hex shank to hold. If you already drive blanks with a socket or a lag screw, you can skip it.
What drill should I use?
One that runs fast and does not bog down. The cleanest results come from high speed and a slow, steady feed. A corded drill is easier for a batch of dowels; this is exactly the kind of long, steady load that drains a battery.
What wood works best?
Straight-grained hardwood with no knots. A published test of this kind of jig used red oak, walnut and cherry successfully. Knots and wild grain are where sticks break. We have no test data for softwoods, so we will not promise anything there.
How big should the blank be?
A little larger than the dowel you want, and straight. Taking the corners off to an octagon first makes the feed much easier than a full square. Chamfer or point the end that goes in first.
Where do I get replacement inserts?
The insert is a standard 15 × 15 × 2.5 mm, 30°, R150 carbide square, sold in packs of ten for spiral planer and jointer heads. We sell a ten-pack as an option on this page too. Check for R150 — the same-size R100 insert is a different part.
Is the body steel?
No, it is anodized aluminum. The cutting is done by the carbide insert; the aluminum wheel just holds it and guides the stick.
How smooth are the dowels?
Clean, not polished. Expect a light sanding, especially on your first few sticks while you find the right feed speed.
Shipping & returns
Delivery in 7–15 business days from the time you order — that window already includes the 1–2 business days we take to process. Tracking is emailed as soon as the carrier scans the parcel. Shipping & Delivery.
30-day returns. Items must be unused and in their original packaging. Email support@nexuratool.com to start a return.
Nexura Tools
Tools for repair, maintenance and the jobs in between — chosen for specs we can verify.
