I am wanting to fix my MDF cabinet together with cam dowels and connectors (I rent, so for ease of moving I want the option to flatpack. Of course I will glue up when I get somewhere permanent, don't moan at me :-P).
I have bought the following:
- Rimless Cam Connector – Min Panel Thickness 12mm
- Self Drive Dowel – Cam Centre/Pin Length 34mm
- 12mm wood drill bit such as that pictured below
I have been doing a test piece to connect 2 scrap pieces together and have been coming up against a bit of an issue…
My MDF is 18mm thick, the quoted length of the cam connectors is 10mm with the locking centre being quoted as 6mm, so in theory I should be able to drill in with my drill bit and have everything line up ok as shown in my diagram below…
However… I have been finding that the point of the drill bit is rather long and appears to be either poking through the other side of my MDF, or at least making a small bulge.
Is there anything I can do to avoid this? Would a forstener bit be a better option for this job?
UPDATE
So after a few more tests, drilling in slowly and checking the fit I was still frustrated and decided to actually measure the length of the point on the drill bit… It appears the point is greater than 4mm, so of course it is poking out of the other side! Would a forstener bit's point be less dramatic as to help me with my issue here?
Best Answer
You can simply grind down the point of the bit you have to suit this job, rather than purchasing another tool and hoping that it will conform to the geometry you need.
Nothing says that a tool is unalterable once you own it.
Note - do not remove it entirely (that will prove VERY hard to use) and do keep it centered.