Product Description
CMT 308.140.12 Dowel Drill - 35/64" x 1-3/16" x 2-17/64" Left-Hand Rotation by CMT is a precision-engineered, carbide-tipped boring tool built for clean, flat-bottomed blind holes in panel processing and cabinet production. Designed for left-hand rotation on multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, this 14mm diameter dowel drill delivers accurate, repeatable results in solid wood, chipboard, MDF, HDF, plywood, laminates, and coated panels. Its negatively ground spurs and two-tooth carbide geometry make it a reliable choice for high-volume furniture manufacturing and millwork applications where hole quality and tool longevity are critical.
Key Features
- Hardmetal (HW) Carbide Construction - tungsten carbide cutting edges bonded to a high-strength steel body provide lasting edge retention and resistance to wear in abrasive panel materials like MDF, chipboard, and laminates, reducing tool change frequency in production environments.
- Negatively Ground Spurs - the precision-sharpened spurs score the material perimeter before the main cutting edges engage, producing clean bore walls and flat-bottomed holes with no tearout or rough edges - essential for dowel joints and hardware fitting.
- Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - engineered specifically for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, ensuring correct chip evacuation direction and proper engagement geometry for the intended spindle slot.
- 14mm Diameter / 35/64" Nominal Size - a widely used dimension for dowel joinery and hardware boring, giving cabinetmakers and panel processors a precise fit for standard dowel pins and shelf pin hardware without secondary sizing operations.
- 10x20mm Parallel Shank with Driving Flat - the standardized shank geometry provides secure, slip-free seating in compatible boring machine chucks and adapters, maintaining accurate hole positioning under repeated production cycles.
- 30mm Cutting Height - sufficient depth capacity for blind dowel holes and hardware pockets in standard panel thicknesses, allowing full boring depth in a single plunge without tool repositioning.
- Two-Tooth Geometry with 2 Spurs - a balanced cutting configuration that promotes smooth entry, even chip load distribution, and reduced spindle stress during high-cycle boring operations.
- Short Series Profile (57.5mm Total Length) - the compact overall length minimizes tool runout and deflection at the spindle, contributing to tighter hole tolerances and more consistent hole location across the full panel surface.
Why This Product
- Specifying left-hand rotation tools for LH spindle positions is critical - using the wrong rotation direction causes poor hole quality and accelerated tool wear. This bit is purpose-built for LH spindle bores on multi-spindle CNC and panel boring equipment, eliminating that risk.
- The negatively ground spur design addresses one of the most common boring complaints in panel production - chipped or ragged hole edges on laminates and coated panels - by scoring the surface cleanly before the carbide cutters remove material.
- The 10x20mm parallel shank with driving flat is a standard interface for professional boring machine tooling, meaning this drill seats securely without adapter modifications in most compatible machines.
- Hardmetal (HW) carbide construction makes this drill suitable across a broad range of panel materials - from soft MDF to dense hardwood and abrasive laminates - reducing the need to swap tools when processing mixed-material production runs.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 308.140.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 14mm (35/64")
- Cutting Height: 30mm (1-3/16")
- Total Length: 57.5mm (2-17/64")
- Shank: 10x20mm
- Number of Teeth: 2
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
- Rotation: Left-Hand (LH)
- Blade Material: Hardmetal (HW) Carbide
- Series: Short Series
Approved Applications
- Chipboard and particle board panel boring
- MDF and HDF blind hole drilling
- Hardwood and softwood dowel hole production
- Plywood cabinet component boring
- Laminate and coated panel hardware pocket drilling
- Left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring machines
- CNC boring centers and panel processing centers
- Boring machines equipped with a compatible adapter or chuck
Frequently Asked Questions
What does left-hand (LH) rotation mean and why does it matter for this dowel drill?
Left-hand rotation means the drill is designed to spin counterclockwise when viewed from the shank end. Multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers have dedicated LH spindle positions to allow simultaneous drilling from both sides of a panel. Using an LH drill in an LH spindle ensures the cutting geometry engages material correctly, producing clean flat-bottomed holes. Installing a right-hand drill in an LH spindle position would cause the tool to rub rather than cut, resulting in poor hole quality and rapid tool damage.
What is the shank specification for this dowel drill and what machines accept it?
This drill uses a 10x20mm parallel shank with a driving flat. This is a standard tooling interface on professional multi-spindle CNC boring machines, CNC boring centers, and panel processing centers. The driving flat prevents the shank from rotating in the chuck under cutting load, maintaining accurate hole positioning during high-cycle production runs. Boring machines equipped with a compatible adapter or chuck can also accept this shank format.
What panel and wood materials can this dowel drill bore cleanly?
The hardmetal (HW) carbide construction and negatively ground spur geometry make this drill suitable for chipboard, MDF, HDF, hardwood, softwood, plywood, laminates, and coated panels. The spurs score the material surface before the main cutting edges remove stock, which is especially important on laminates and coated panels where surface chipping or tearout around the hole perimeter would be unacceptable.
How deep a hole can this drill produce in a single pass?
The cutting height of this drill is 30mm (1-3/16"). This represents the usable boring depth in a single plunge and is sufficient for standard blind dowel holes and hardware pockets used in furniture and cabinet panel production. The short series total length of 57.5mm also helps minimize runout at the spindle, keeping holes accurately located even across repeated production cycles.
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