CMT 306.080.12 Dowel Drill 5/16" x 30 x 55.5mm Left-Hand by CMT is a precision-engineered boring tool built for high-speed blind hole drilling in panel processing and furniture manufacturing applications. Featuring a hardwood-grade (HW) carbide head with a balanced centre point, 2 precision-ground cutting edges, and 2 negatively ground spurs, this left-hand rotation dowel drill delivers clean, accurate bores in solid wood, chipboard, MDF, laminates, and coated panels. Whether you are running a multi-spindle CNC boring machine or a panel processing center, this short-series dowel drill is designed to keep up with demanding production cycles while maintaining hole quality across thousands of operations.

Key Features

• HW (Carbide) Head with Precision Balanced Centre Point - the hardwood-grade carbide construction resists heat and wear at high CNC spindle speeds, so the centre point registers accurately on entry and prevents walking or tear-out at the start of each bore.
• 2 HW Precision-Ground Cutting Edges (Z2) - dual carbide cutting edges maintain sharpness far longer than steel alone, reducing downtime for tool changes and allowing multiple resharpenings before replacement is needed.
• 2 Negatively Ground Spurs (V2) - the negative spur geometry scores the material perimeter before the cutting edges clear the waste, producing clean bore walls and minimising chip-out on laminates and coated panel surfaces.
• Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - purpose-built for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines and CNC boring centers, ensuring correct chip ejection direction and optimal surface finish without adaptation.
• Super-Strength Steel Body - the steel shank and body provide rigidity under the lateral forces of high-speed panel boring, reducing vibration that could otherwise cause bore deviation or rough walls.
• 8 x 20mm Parallel Shank - the standardised 8mm shank diameter fits common boring machine chucks and adapters used in cabinet-making and furniture production lines, making changeover quick and straightforward.

Why This Product

• The negatively ground spurs and precision-balanced centre point work together to produce flat-bottomed blind holes with clean edges - critical for tight-fitting dowel joints in furniture and cabinet carcasses where surface quality is visible after assembly.
• Left-hand rotation is a dedicated specification, not a conversion - meaning this drill is engineered from the ground up for LH spindle positions, giving you correct geometry and chip flow without the compromise of a universal or adapted tool.
• The HW (carbide) head supports repeated resharpenings, extending the usable life of the bit well beyond single-use or low-grade alternatives and lowering the per-hole cost in high-volume panel drilling environments.
• The compact 55.5mm overall length and 30mm cutting height make this a short-series tool optimised for the tight spindle spacing found on multi-row CNC boring heads, where a longer bit would risk interference or runout.

Specifications

• Manufacturer Part Number: 306.080.12
• Brand: CMT Orange Tools
• Product Type: Dowel Drill
• Diameter: 5/16"
• Cutting Height: 30mm
• Total Length: 55.5mm
• Shank: 8 x 20mm
• Rotation: Left-Hand (LH)
• Number of Cutting Edges: 2 (Z2)
• Number of Spurs: 2 (V2)
• Spur Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
• Blade Material: HW (Carbide-Tipped)

Approved Applications

• Blind hole drilling for dowel connections and dowel joinery
• Panel drilling in furniture manufacturing and cabinet making
• High-speed CNC production boring in solid wood and engineered wood panels
• Boring in chipboard, MDF, HDF, plywood, hardwood, and softwood
• Drilling laminates and coated panels where clean hole edges are required