Product Description
CMT 309.160.12 Dowel Drill - 16 x 43 x 70mm Left-Hand by CMT is a precision left-hand rotation boring tool built for clean, accurate dowel hole drilling in furniture manufacturing, cabinet making, and panel processing. Engineered with a hardmetal (HW) cutting head, 4 spiral flutes, and negatively ground spurs, this 16mm diameter drill produces flat-bottom blind holes with crisp, tear-out-free walls - making it a reliable choice for chipboard, MDF, solid wood, and coated panel stock on multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers.
Key Features
- Hardmetal (HW) cutting head with 2 precision ground cutting edges (Z2) - tungsten carbide construction resists heat and wear, maintaining sharp performance over high-cycle boring runs in demanding production environments.
- 2 negatively ground spurs (V2) - shear the wood fibers ahead of the cutting edges to produce clean bore walls and flat-bottom holes with no tearout or rough edges, even in laminates and coated panels.
- 4 spiral flutes - efficiently evacuate chips from the bore during drilling, reducing clogging and heat buildup to extend tool life in continuous-duty applications.
- PTFE coating on the cutter portion - the black or orange PTFE finish prevents pitch and glue buildup on the flutes, keeping the tool running cleanly and reducing maintenance downtime.
- Precision balanced centre point - ensures accurate hole positioning and eliminates bit walk on entry, critical for tight-tolerance dowel joinery in furniture and cabinet panels.
- Super-strength steel body - provides the structural rigidity needed to withstand the high-speed, repetitive drilling loads typical of multi-spindle boring machine operation.
- Parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw (10 x 20mm) - enables secure, repeatable seating in boring machine chucks and CNC tool holders, with adjustable depth control for consistent blind hole depth across a panel run.
- Left-hand (LH) rotation - designed specifically for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring heads, ensuring correct chip ejection direction and optimal cutting geometry when installed on the appropriate spindle.
- 70mm overall length - long-series form factor accommodates thicker panel stock and deeper blind holes where standard-length bits fall short.
Why This Product
- The left-hand rotation designation makes this drill a direct fit for LH spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring heads - using a right-hand bit in an LH spindle produces poor cut quality and accelerated wear, so selecting the correct rotation is essential for production accuracy.
- With a 43mm cutting height and 70mm total length, this long-series dowel drill reaches the depth required for thicker furniture panels and cabinet carcasses where shorter bits cannot achieve the necessary blind hole depth for secure dowel joints.
- The combination of 2 negatively ground spurs and a precision balanced centre point means entry and exit quality in laminates and coated panels is clean and consistent - reducing sanding, patching, or rejection rates on finished components.
- PTFE coating on the cutter portion actively resists pitch and adhesive buildup during MDF and chipboard drilling, cutting cleaning intervals and keeping the tool in productive use longer between maintenance cycles.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 309.160.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 16mm
- Cutting Height: 43mm
- Total Length: 70mm
- Shank: 10 x 20mm parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw
- Rotation: Left-Hand (LH)
- Number of Cutting Edges: 2 (Z2)
- Number of Spurs: 2 (V2)
- Number of Flutes: 4
- Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
- Blade Material: Hardmetal (HW)
- Cutter Coating: Black or orange PTFE
Approved Applications
- Drilling blind holes for dowel connections in furniture panels
- Cabinet making and casework panel boring
- Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations (LH spindle positions)
- CNC boring center panel processing
- Panel drilling in chipboard, MDF, HDF, and coated panels
- Solid wood and plywood dowel joint preparation
- Laminated and coated panel boring where clean entry and exit are required
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does rotation direction matter for this dowel drill?
This bit is designed for left-hand (LH) rotation, meaning it must be installed on a left-hand spindle of a multi-spindle boring head or CNC boring machine. Installing a left-hand drill on a right-hand spindle reverses the cutting geometry, resulting in poor hole quality, rough walls, and accelerated wear on the spurs and cutting edges. Always match the drill's rotation to the spindle's rotation direction.
What materials is this 16mm dowel drill suitable for?
The hardmetal (HW) cutting head and negatively ground spurs make this drill suitable for chipboard, MDF, HDF, solid wood (hardwood and softwood), plywood, laminates, and coated panels. The PTFE coating on the cutter portion is particularly beneficial when drilling MDF and adhesive-coated materials, as it resists pitch and glue buildup on the flutes.
What does the 10 x 20mm parallel shank with driving flat provide?
The 10 x 20mm parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw is the standard interface for multi-spindle boring machine tool holders and CNC boring center chucks. The driving flat prevents the bit from rotating in the holder under cutting loads, while the length adjusting screw allows the operator to set and repeat an exact boring depth for consistent blind holes across a full panel run.
What is the purpose of the PTFE coating on the cutter portion?
The black or orange PTFE coating applied to the spiral flutes acts as a non-stick surface that resists the buildup of pitch, resin, and wood glue during drilling. This is especially useful when boring chipboard, MDF, and laminates, which tend to generate adhesive-rich dust that can pack the flutes and reduce chip evacuation efficiency. Keeping the flutes clear helps maintain cut quality and extends the interval between tool cleanings.
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