Dowelmax

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title: "Dowelmax" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["woodworking-hand-tools", "woodworking", "joinery"] description: "Dowelling jig" topic_path: "general/woodworking-hand-tools" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowelmax" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Dowelling jig ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Dowelmax.jpg" caption="The Dowelmax Jig with distance gauge bar"] ::

The Dowelmax is a loose tenon dowelling jig manufactured by the O.M.S. Tool company in Canada. The manufacturer claims that the small manufacturing tolerances of 0.026 mm for the aluminium, brass and steel components of the jig ensure accuracy and repeatability, but the precision manufacturing adds to the unit's cost.

The tool allows the placement of five dowels in one pass. A distance gauge bar provided with the jig allows accurate spacing between sets of dowels.

Joint strength

Tests by both the manufacturer, and Wood magazine (in 2007), claim to show that dowel joints made with the Dowelmax are stronger than most other woodworking joints tested. In addition, a 2011 review by Wood Magazine rated Dowelmax as a superior dowel joinery tool, describing Dowelmax as "the best dowelling jig ever made".

Independent test

::data[format=table title="Shear Test"]

Biscuits	187 psi
::

::data[format=table title="Pull-apart Test"]

Biscuits	766 psi
::

Hydraulic comparison strength testing by manufacturer

::data[format=table title="Shear Test"]

#20 Biscuit	285 psi
::

References

References

1. "Destructive Tests Comparing Biscuit Joints, Mortise and Tenon Joints, and Multiple Dowel Joints made with Dowelmax". O.M.S Tool Company.
2. (2007-07-01). "What's what in loose-tenon tools". Wood Magazine.
3. "Review-A-Tool Dowelmax Doweling Jig". WOOD Magazine.
4. The Beadlock is a loose tenon joinery system made by Rockler Companies, Inc.[http://www.beadlock.com/]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::