I'm in the process of gluing several white oak boards together for a table top. I only have a dowel jig for alignment, and while I know that biscuits or dominoes are better options, I'm curious if I can just cut and chamfer sections from a long dowel I got from a big box store. Do I need to buy the fluted style dowels specifically made for glue-ups? Any advice would be really helpful!
3 Answers
While making your own dowels works, keep in mind that pre-made dowels expand a bit when glue is applied. This could give you a stronger joint. Just something to consider!
Yep, you can use cut sections from a long dowel! Just make sure to give them a quick rough-up with some coarse sandpaper for better glue adhesion. You'll be just fine!
Ok cool. Thanks for the input!
Have you thought about why you need dowels at all? If the boards aren’t perfectly flat, they're actually useful to ensure the joints line up evenly across the surface.
The boards aren’t perfectly flat, so I’m using the dowels to ensure the joints come together evenly at the table top surface.
Ok that’s good to know. Thanks for the input!