You just can't get in to a big of a hurry if you need some holes for screws in the end of dowels

      I thought I would show my way without busting the small dowels.

  The dowels are 1/4, 5/16, and 1/2' in size and maybe the smallest in this picture is a 3/16"

 The screws are sheet metal screws because they are the same size from top to the bottom of the threads. I used two sizes in these pictures..A #4x1/2 and the two larger dowels have #6 x 3/4 and #6 x 1".

 

  I use these jigs in the first picture and they are 1" thick maple so they can stay useful for many moons.. After the band saw splits the wood down the middle the amount of wood that is missing from using the band saw makes a good tight jig to hold the dowels straight in a band saw vise while the drill press drills the holes.

   Once I drill the holes in the dowels I then tap the holes for the right size screws.

 

 

 

For me a #4 sheet metal screw any length I use a #36 number bit.  And on the # 6 screw by 3/4 or the #6 x 1" a 35 number bit.

I get the size bit I need by holding a drill bit up and placing a screw behind the bit and just a very small amount of threads on each side of the drill bit is all that is needed.. Hide the body and most all of the threads behind the drill bit...

 

More if this is not clear directions let me know 

 

Thanks Patch. Another good tip and case for jigs.

Thanks for the info, Jesse. But, in 50 years, I can't recall ever needing a screw in the end of a dowel. What am I missing? 

Nice idea.  Being a lathe guy I have chucked them up in the small chuck jaws and center drilled them first.  Ran the screws in while still in chuck.

45 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

Nice idea.  Being a lathe guy I have chucked them up in the small chuck jaws and center drilled them first.  Ran the screws in while still in chuck.

What is it used for? 

I can't either Gene. I don't remember ever trying to put screws in small dowels.

  But I thought this demo picture might make guys remember if they ever needed to do this.

  What I was actually thinking about is when I do my way of carving I have lots of screw holes from the backer board in to some very small pieces and for sure I don't want to have to stop and try to glue up a piece of busted carving before I can continue..

48 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

What is it used for? 

 

I've only done it once or twice.  I was making a jig and was inserting threaded studs into the ends of the dowels.  

can 't say i've ever had a need to put screws in end of dowels, nice looking jig for sure. 

rj in az

As an alternative, I used jigs that have a V-groove cut in them (so I don't need one diameter of each size) and a Shopsmith horizontal mode drilling.  Also, most of the screws I use have a single diameter, not tapered, shank.

 

I also have never needed to put a screw into the end of a dowel, but I have on occasion needed a hole perfectly centered in one or both ends of a dowel.

I clamp a piece of scrap to the bed of my drill press.  The scrap has a bandsaw cut in the end to the middle of the block. Then I drill a hole the size of the dowel into the middle of it.  Now change bits.  Stick the dowel into the hole and use another small clamp to squeeze it snug in place.  Now drill the small hole perfectly centered into the end of the bigger dowel.  It'll work the other way around too, but using the big bit to drill a big hole in the smaller dowel usually consumes that smaller dowel. 

 

4D