A few weeks ago, I received my Aliexpress cheap dowel jig in the mail, but as usual with Aliexpress stuff, it didn’t come with any manual. If you’ve purchased one just like this, let me give you a short and straightforward guide on how it works.
Cheap Dowel Jig – Overview
There are many affordable dowel jigs you can find on Amazon, and each works differently. This one is made of plastic and has a handle for operation. It can also be clamped down to your work surface.
The jig comes with 3 Brad-point drill bits, each with a matching collar. These are 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm. These sizes match up perfectly with standard, cheap dowels you can find in most stores.
There are a few markings on the cheap dowel jig, which act as reference lines for centering the hole. Initially, I didn’t even see them. I was trying to look down the hole to see if I’ve got it just above my pencil marking.
However, this is not the right way to use this jig. You can give me the benefit of the doubt since I had no instructions.
Eventually, I figure it out and got much better results. Let me show you how this thing works.
How to Use The Cheap Dowel Jig
The dowel jig has four posts that center the drill holes. The middle hole is 10mm and can be centered using posts on each end.
The side holes can be centered using posts on the same side. This way of using the jig is suitable for joining boards. You can center your hole on any piece of wood that will fit between the posts.
If you want to drill a hole in the middle of a more substantial or flatter board, you will need to create markings. Draw a straight line where you want the dowels to be places, keeping it straight with the edge of the board.
Then, draw a perpendicular line for each hole. You can sight one like the picture above.
The marker should like up with the perpendicular line you’ve drawn, and now you’ve centered the hole exactly where it should be. Clamp down the cheap dowel jig and drill your hole.
You can see the results here, with all the dowel holes lined up. I didn’t quite get the second hole aligned perfectly. I think when I clamped down the dowel jig, the position must have shifted and didn’t double-check.
So keep that in mind! Check for alignment once you’ve clamped the jig down.
Next, bang in the dowels with some glue, let it dry, and cut the excess with a Japanese Ryoba saw or any flush-cut saw.
An edge guide is also provided for more options when drilling your dowel holes.
Cheap Dowel Jig – Conclusion
Overall, this is a pretty decent dowel jig. It does what it’s supposed to do, although with more work and preparation on your part.
You can see the finished dowels in this picture, trimmed flush and sanded over. It adds a nice touch to the walnut and maple coffee table I am building. The alignment of the dowel holes may not have been perfect, but they are good enough for my first attempt.
You can purchase this exact jig from AliExpress here for just $13.
There are a few variations you can choose from. Some of them include guide pins and the actual wood dowels, so it’s a complete package.
Either way, these cheap dowel jigs from Aliexpress are definitely worth the money.
