A question arose the other day about the differences in precision between the crank type lift and the Dowelmax lift. My answer is twofold. (1) While precision is usually advantageous, it’s not always necessary. (2) With my particular router I’m able to achieve a .002 inch cut.

Regarding (1) the crank type system works well, but it’s laborious, and in my opinion over engineered. From my experience the most accurate requirement involves routed and mitered profiles. These must marry properly or a disaster will result. I mill all the rails to the same width and thickness, then I route all the rails at the same time. At that point I’m assured a perfect match. To illustrate a point I could then repeat the process with the router bit at a position .060″ higher and it wouldn’t matter, because again they’d all be identical. Repeatability is the answer in this case, not precision.

Regarding (2) I’ve been using routers for decades now and while I certainly don’t consider myself an expert I do think that a two thousandths adjustment obtainable from the router body is precision enough, and something I’ve never actually needed in years of furniture design and construction.

In a few weeks we will be introducing a new accessory; The mitre guide. Dowelmax can accomplish every wood joint conceivable, with one exception; the edge mitre. It can easily accomplish the end mitre, such as would be required for a picture frame, but it can not be configured to complete an edge mitre, such as is required for a drawer ( mitred corners ) For the past nine months Mike and I have been designing, and constructing prototypes for a suitable accessory.

The design is a little more tricky than it would appear; It has to handle all the relevant sizes from 1/2″ to 1 1/2″ and beyond. It also has to be able to accomplish through type joints. The latter is particularly pleasing, because by design the dowel exits at exactly 45 deg. to the normal axis, and when trimmed and sanded forms an ovoid shape. Darker ( mahogany ) dowels can be used and the effect is very pleasing particularly when used in conjunction with drawers ( dove tail effect )

An introductory video of the system has been added to our website ” Dowelmax advantages v.s the ” other” system “