Drill a Hole in the Middle of a Dowel

Not long ago I published an Instructable on how to center drill a dowel (https://www.instructables.com/Tools-for-Center-Drilling-Dowels/). Since I occasionally have to drill a hole in the middle of a dowel, I decided to make a jig to ensure the hole is drilled directly in the center.

Supplies used:

• 2x2 block of wood
• 2 bolts
• 2 washers
• 2 wing nuts
• epoxy glue

Tools Used:

• spade bits
• straight drill bits
• drill press
• band saw (or a hand saw)

Cut a 4 inch length of 2x2 and drill holes completely through it for the size dowels you use. I typically use 5/8ths and 3/4 inch dowels for most of my projects. After drilling the holes you need, saw the block through the center as shown in the photo.

Drill holes for two bolts (one near each end of the block). Use drill that allows the top piece of the block to slide up and down without binding. Countersink these bolts (on the bottom section) and lock them in with epoxy. In other words, you want the bolts fixed to the bottom section, but you want the top section free.

Using a square, mark a center line on the top section above the middle of each of the dowel holes. Drill the holes for the sizes of drill bits you intend to drill into the dowel. In my case, I drilled three sizes of holes -- 1/8th, 7/64th, and 3/16th, because these sizes are the common sizes I tend to need.

Slip the top section onto the bottom section and secure it with two washers and two wing nuts.

To drill a dowel, loosen the wing nuts, slip the dowel into where you want to drill your hole, then tighten the wing nuts to secure the dowel. Using a drill press or a hand drill, you can drill the dowel directly in the center without worrying about the hole getting off center.

The purpose of making this jig in halves is to make sure you can lock the dowel in tightly before drilling.

This is an easy jig to make, and it will keep you from the frustration of not hitting the dead center of a round dowel.