Can I use dowel pins in outdoor projects?
Yes, but choose weather-resistant materials like stainless steel dowel pins or treat wooden dowels with a water-resistant sealant.
Dowel Pins
Dowel pins are small, solid steel tubes that resemble traditional wooden dowels.
They are manufactured to a very high tolerance to ensure that they are a precise fit. They are generally used for locking components in place.
Dowel pins are available in metric and imperial sizes. The diameter of a dowel pin is obviously the most important dimension but don’t forget to check the length, as unlike wooden dowels they are very awkward to cut to size.
Dowel pins are available in size increments of 1mm diameters for metric and fractions of an inch for imperial.
How do I remove a broken dowel pin?
Drill out the center of the broken dowel, then use a screw extractor to remove the remaining pieces.
What's the difference between a dowel joint and a tenon joint?
A dowel joint uses separate dowel pins to connect pieces, while a tenon joint involves cutting one piece to fit into a mortise in the other.
Can I make my own dowel pins?
Yes, you can create custom dowels using a dowel plate or by whittling down larger stock.
This section of our guides and tips hub contains our growing list of helpful articles and videos about our wide range of pins and clips!
