Wood joints stronger than mortise or Domino

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  CP

  I’m so glad I went with this, amazing engineering and execution on this jig! I just got it but I’m constantly amazed at how versatile and amazing this is! Plenty of educational materials on line and a great company to deal with! Thank you!

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  MJ

  I just received my DowelMax and started using it yesterday. I started with some scraps and was amazed at how accurate the results were and how easy it was to get those results! I was able to make tremendous progress on my current project that I thought was going to be a struggle to get through. I’m hooked on this tool and using dowels on my current and future projects! Thanks so much for such a refined and useful product.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  JP

  This Dowemax is fantastic and easy to work with. As some as I received it, I did some testing and on scrap wood and was very pleased with the results. I also used it on some narrow pieces of wood to make two small table tops for my customers and the tops needed a small amount of sanding. This is the first time that I have done dowel joinery and will using it along with pocket hole joinery in my small furniture business. Thank You

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  DJ

  I was a bit reluctant to buy this dowel jig given its high cost. But given the lack of decent dowel jigs on the market I thought I would give it a try. I make basic furniture using rail and stile dowel joinery. It takes a while to learn how to use in its many configurations but it is very accurate. The guide bushings are very resistant to wear and the provided drill bits are extremely sharp. I like how you can reconfigure to dowel on wide face grain. I use the metric version. My only minor gripe is that it doesn’t come with some metric spacers. I’ve had to make some custom thickness spacers out of acrylic but they are easily made. It basically takes all the frustration out of joinery and allows you to enjoy making whatever you want. http://www.davidswoodworking.com.au

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  JH

  Where do I start? I bought two of the other brands over the years. One of them looked like all the bells and whistles in concept, but not in reality. The other was robust and reliable but aggravating as you know what. Got ride of both of them. I’ve got the Green “domino” and use it when I want to quickly bring things close, but by no means precision. Any yes…I know how to use the green machine. That’s where the Dowelmax comes into play. It is more than close…it is precision. You do your part and the Dowelmax will definitely do it’s part. It is ultra portable and it is ultra precision. Check out the joint strength tests you see online. Check out Jim’s strength test also. Choose your poison. The joints coming off the Dowelmax are very strong and very accurate. Look at the price too. You get a lot of joint value with this jig.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  CB

  Relatively new to woodworking but have been a professional maker for the past 2 decades. Have spent the last few years learning how to make wood to the size I wanted with all angles square and surfaces flat and smooth. I’ve bought 4 doweling jigs past and each one was a waste of money despite some decent online reviews. About as accurate as me marking where to drill with a marking ruler and pencil. I’ve put in the work learning mortise and tenon, I’ve made plenty of dados, rabbets, and half-laps. And while each of those have it’s place and time, some of them are just time consuming, some just not the aesthetic I am looking for. Have considered biting the bullet and buying a Domino but I really just can’t justify the price tag so with some larger projects in the works, including redoing the pantry, wanted a quick and easy way to make clean, accurate and repeatable joints. Just got my Dowelmax so naturally descended into the abyss of my workshop and started joining wood. This tool is nothing short of amazing. Thought having to reconfigure it to make different joints would be a drawback but really it isn’t. It’s faster to change than you think. It’s super accurate and really easy to use. Every joint I made was incredibly tight and flush. You don’t have to be a pro to have quality joinery as long as you have a Dowelmax. Function alone the Dowelmax easily rates 5 stars. But visually the tool is stunning. It is an amazing feat of machining precision. Every aspect of the tool screams quality. If you make things, and you like to make nice things, then you will appreciate the Dowelmax on a whole other level.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  T

  I’ve been a dowel max user for at least five years now I’ve been meaning to get the dial Max Junior for a while I saw that the website was out of stock so I called up and said are you planning on getting it back he says they don’t sell many of these and they might discontinue it He was kind enough to put one on the Internet stock and I ordered it thank you so much dial Max is the best and having the Dow Max Junior can really save time From switching components back and forth I hope the people at Talmaks reconsider taking this down Maybe what they need is to offer a bundle where they’ve sold the junior and the Dowel max for a discount or something Or maybe just sell The component that makes the Dow max junior separate I also wish they would make one that has more than five pin holes for when you’re doing long shells or something again the Dowel max is great keep up the good work

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  NW

  I own a festool domino DF500. It almost literally went up in flames. Being that I’m in the middle of a somewhat time-sensitive project, getting it repaired seemed somewhat impractical. And I also do not know how much it was going to cost to get it fixed either—it is out of warranty, and I have a feeling it is nothing more than a paper-weight at this point. This led me to research suitable alternatives. I started comparing the Dowlmax and the doweling jig from another canadian company, and one from the “red” tool company. I think all of them would be quality tools, but I settled on the Dowlemax for two reason. 1. I didn’t have to fumble with clamps. 2. The easy way it was to make repeatable and precise hole patterns with the indexing rod/pin. It came last week and I got to put it through it’s paces. This thing is a tank. It is a well built, well machined tool. The knobs run smoothly it clamps easily and is easy to use and understand. Super accurate—I mean if you take care to line it up on the same reference edge for each piece it will line up spot on every time.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  MS

  I found that after very carefully making my boards to precise demensions I ended up frustrated when it was time to connect them together. I would carefully line my boards up on a flat bench surface, clamp them down and use my biscuit or dowel joiner only to find out when it was time to join the boards there was rarely a perfect joint. The dowelMax references off of my work piece rather than my work surface and gives me a near perfect joint when putting the boards together. I am so glad that I did not invest in an expensive domino jointer. The DowelMax works!

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  M

  I absolutely love the Dowelmax jig. I’ve been using it for several years now on nearly all of my woodworking projects. I’ve used it in many configurations for various types of joints. All of the joints end up incredibly precise and strong. It is probably the most precise tool in my small workshop right now. Once you’ve used it a few times it really becomes intuitive and very natural to use and understand.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  RG

  If you’re shopping dowel jigs, read the reviews here, watch the independent reviews on YouTube and BELIEVE all the good things that are said about the DowelMax. You do not get something of this level quality and functionality without having put a ton of work into it. Materials are amazing. Fit and finish are amazing. Tightening any part of it is easy, no knob is too small and the spacing is perfect. Simply a joy to use.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  BB

  Words can not describe what the Dowelmax has done for me. I am legally blind and have found a way to perform woodworking now. I could never get screws or nails straight, especially not in a safe manner. Now, I have the Dowelmax that not only helps me line up drilling for dowels, but is my clamp too. I just couldn’t do woodworking properly without Dowelmax. I don’t know if this tool had the blind in mind when it was invented, but please know that I have been able to fulfill a life long retirement dream because of Dowelmax.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  FF

  I have been using Dowelmax joinery for several years now. Recently I was making an outdoor dining table that required “invisible” joinery. It involved attaching an end to the center of the mating face. The end side of the joint was simple. The challenge was getting the 4×1/2″ dowels centered in the face of a 5.5 inch board. A little thought and some careful clamping and all four leg joints came out perfectly.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  BL

  It took me almost a year to get around to trying my new jig. It’s my first experience with dowels and I must say I’m very pleased with this product. I’ve done several test runs with it and am planning my first real project. I’m also happy with the quick customer support. I had a question on the 1/4″ kit and had an answer to my email very quickly.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  J

  Love the tool and the precision I can achieve. Only complaint is that the documentation is a bit light. Videos are great for learning but when you need to look up something, sorting through them is not very efficient. I bought the 1/4 conversion kit and eventually figured it out and it worked great.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  CM

  I bought the Dowelmax Classic in August along with the 1/2 block for upcoming projects. After owning it for 6 months I can confidently say its an outstanding piece of equipment for joinery. Its versatility is amazing and the build quality is exceptional. This should last a life time if taken care of.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  JP

  I bought the DowelMax Classic system in September of 2024 and am absolutely delighted with it. I was building a fireplace mantel and surround and the plans I was using suggested a biscuit joiner for alignment of several parts. That was an absolute disaster of an idea and I turned to the DowelMax after reading many favorable reviews. Easy to use and wonderfully built.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  KB

  I’ve only made one project, a base for my 8″ jointer. I was amazed at the precision of this when it went together. I made a couple of mistakes along the way, but I’m learning to use this new tool and I see it will have many uses in future projects. The 3/8″ classic is a must as well, I like having the option of the beefier 1/2″ dowels for bigger projects.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  MK

  Could not be happier with the Dowelmax classic! Bought it a few months ago, but hadn’t put it to use until yesterday. I’m redoing my workshop and building a 21′ workbench miter station. Yesterday was time to join the boards. The Dowelmax couldn’t have been simpler to use and the alignment was spot on!

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  RS

  I worked in aerospace Quality Assurance for many years so am accustomed to being disappointed in tools that claim to be high quality. When I received my Dowelmax I was blown away! It was incredibly well built and even the packaging was outstanding. Every detail about the tool has been carefully thought out. The result is that it is incredibly precise and does an amazing job of joining virtually any joint exactly as planned.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  DJ

  I have had my DowelMax for awhile now. I am very impressed with the quality of materials. It makes joinery much simpler and enjoyable. Great addition to my shop. Sorry I waited so long to buy one.

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  JA

  Worth every penny! I am always surprised how often I use my Dowelmax and not always for dowels. Consistent and accurate holes every time. I just installed a wood railing with wire cable railing. The Dowelmax made it SO simple! Oh yeah, I also use it for dowels too. Thanks for a great product!

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  WP

  I have used the Dowelmax system since 2015 and totally stoked over the performance of the system!

• 5.0 / 5 Rated 5.0 out of 5

  CS

  I cannot say enough good things about both the jig and also the support from the company! Like many of you, I value quality tools and appreciate the effort a company takes to produce a solid, accurate heirloom tool. And my DowelMAX tool is exactly that for me. In addition to helping me make accurate joints, the tool is sturdy enough to survive in my workshop.

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