Product Description
CMT 309.140.12 Dowel Drill 14 x 43 x 70mm LH by CMT is a left-hand rotation, 4-flute carbide-tipped dowel boring tool engineered for precise blind hole drilling in panel processing applications. Built on a super-strength steel body with a tungsten carbide (HW) cutting head, this 14mm diameter drill delivers clean, flat-bottom bores in chipboard, MDF, hardwood, softwood, plywood, laminates, and coated panels. The long-series 70mm overall length accommodates deeper drilling depths in thicker panel stock, making it a reliable choice for furniture manufacturing, cabinet making, and high-volume multi-spindle boring operations.
Key Features
- HW (Tungsten Carbide) Cutting Head on Super-Strength Steel Body - carbide hardness maintains a sharp edge through extended production runs, reducing downtime for tool changes in high-cycle boring operations.
- 2 Precision-Ground HW Cutting Edges (Z2) - dual carbide cutting edges deliver consistent chip removal and dimensional accuracy, ensuring each dowel hole meets tight tolerance requirements.
- 2 Negatively Ground Spurs (V2) - the negative grind geometry scores the material perimeter before the main cutters engage, producing clean bore walls and splinter-free hole entries in laminates and coated panels.
- 4 Spiral Flutes - four flutes evacuate chips rapidly and continuously, preventing chip packing that can cause burning or hole distortion in dense materials like MDF and chipboard.
- PTFE Coating on Cutter Portion (Black or Orange) - the non-stick coating resists pitch and resin buildup on the spiral, keeping the tool running cleanly and extending useful service life between cleanings.
- Precision-Balanced Centre Point - a stable, centered entry point prevents drill wander at the start of the bore, contributing to accurate hole placement and repeatable dowel alignment across multi-spindle setups.
- 10 x 20mm Parallel Shank with Driving Flat and Length-Adjusting Screw - the standardized shank geometry locks securely into boring machine chucks or adapters, and the length-adjusting screw allows fine-tuning of drilling depth without removing the tool from the machine.
- Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - designed specifically for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring centers and panel processing machines, enabling simultaneous dual-side drilling without repositioning the workpiece.
- Long-Series 70mm Overall Length - the extended body provides the reach needed for blind holes in thicker panel assemblies where a standard-length drill would fall short.
Why This Product
- The left-hand rotation designation makes this drill a direct match for LH spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring centers - pairing it with a right-hand counterpart allows simultaneous bilateral drilling, cutting cycle times in furniture and cabinet panel production.
- The combination of negatively ground spurs and an HW precision-balanced centre point addresses one of the most common quality problems in panel drilling - tearout and hole wander - producing clean, accurate bores that translate directly into stronger, better-fitting dowel joints.
- The PTFE cutter coating reduces resin and pitch adhesion on the spiral flutes, which is especially valuable when drilling MDF or resin-impregnated chipboard where buildup accelerates tool wear and degrades hole quality.
- The 43mm cutting height accommodates substantial drilling depth within the 70mm long-series body, giving operators the reach required for deeper blind holes in thicker panel constructions without sacrificing shank engagement or rigidity.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 309.140.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 14mm
- Cutting Height: 43mm
- Total Length: 70mm
- Shank: 10 x 20mm (parallel shank with driving flat and length-adjusting screw)
- Number of Cutting Edges: 2
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Number of Flutes: 4
- Spur Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
- Rotation: Left-hand (LH)
- Blade Material: HW (Tungsten Carbide)
- Cutter Coating: Black or orange PTFE
Approved Applications
- Blind hole drilling for dowel joint connections
- Panel drilling in furniture manufacturing
- Cabinet making and case construction
- Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations (left-hand spindle positions)
- CNC boring center panel processing
- Boring machine operations with adapter or chuck
- Chipboard and particleboard drilling
- MDF and HDF panel drilling
- Hardwood and softwood boring
- Plywood, laminate, and coated panel drilling
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) dowel drill, and why does it matter?
Left-hand rotation drills like this CMT 309.140.12 spin counter-clockwise when viewed from the shank end. They are designed for the left-hand spindle positions found on multi-spindle CNC boring centers and panel processing machines. Using a drill with the wrong rotation on a given spindle will cause the cutting edges and spurs to rub rather than cut, resulting in poor hole quality and rapid tool wear. Always match drill rotation to spindle rotation.
What does the PTFE coating on the cutter portion do?
The PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coating applied to the spiral portion of this drill creates a low-friction, non-stick surface on the flutes. In practice this means pitch, resin, and adhesive residues - common in MDF, chipboard, and coated panels - are less likely to accumulate on the tool during drilling. Reduced buildup keeps the flutes clear, maintains efficient chip evacuation, and helps preserve cutting performance between cleaning intervals.
What is the purpose of negatively ground spurs on a dowel drill?
The two negatively ground spurs on this drill are positioned at the outer diameter of the cutting head and score a clean circle in the material surface before the main cutting edges remove the core material. This scribing action severs the surface fibers ahead of the cut, which is especially important when drilling laminates, veneer-faced panels, and coated boards where tearout at the hole perimeter would be visible and unacceptable in finished furniture or cabinet work.
What shank does this dowel drill use, and how is drilling depth adjusted?
This drill uses a 10 x 20mm parallel shank with a driving flat, which provides positive rotational engagement in compatible boring machine chucks and adapters. The shank also incorporates a length-adjusting screw that allows the operator to set and fine-tune the drilling depth without fully removing the tool from the spindle - a useful feature when calibrating blind hole depth across a multi-spindle setup.
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