Product Description
CMT 310.040.11 Dowel Drill 5/32" x 18 x 57.5mm RH by CMT is a short-series, two-flute boring tool engineered for precision blind-hole drilling in furniture manufacturing, cabinet making, and panel processing applications. Built on a super-strength steel body with a tungsten carbide (HW) cutting head, this right-hand rotation drill delivers clean, flat-bottom holes for dowel joinery in solid wood, MDF, chipboard, laminates, and coated panels. The spiral flutes are coated with P.T.F.E. to resist pitch and adhesive buildup, keeping the tool cutting efficiently over extended production runs.
Key Features
- 2 HW precision-ground cutting edges (Z2) - tungsten carbide construction maintains a sharp, accurate cutting edge through repetitive production drilling, reducing downtime from tool changes.
- 2 negatively ground spurs (V2) - scribes the perimeter of the hole before the carbide edges remove material, producing clean bore walls and tear-out-free entries in chipboard, laminates, and coated panels.
- P.T.F.E.-coated spiral flutes - the orange or black non-stick coating prevents pitch, resin, and glue from adhering to the flutes, maintaining efficient chip evacuation and extending tool service life.
- Precision-balanced centre point - locates exactly on the marked centre at the start of every bore, eliminating drift and ensuring consistent hole placement across multi-spindle CNC and manual boring operations.
- Parallel shank with driving flat and length-adjusting screw - the 10 x 27mm shank seats securely in boring machine chucks and multi-spindle heads, while the adjusting screw allows precise drilling depth control without additional tooling.
- Super-strength steel body - provides the rigidity needed to resist deflection during high-cycle panel processing, contributing to repeatable hole geometry across large production batches.
Why This Product
- The negatively ground spurs combined with a precision-balanced centre point make this drill a purpose-built solution for clean blind holes in coated and laminated panels - where tear-out at the face is not acceptable in finished furniture and cabinet work.
- At 57.5mm overall length with a 27mm cutting height, this short-series dowel drill is sized for the compact spindle spacing of multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, fitting without clearance issues that longer tools create.
- The P.T.F.E. flute coating directly addresses one of the most common causes of tool degradation in adhesive-heavy assembly environments - resin and glue buildup - helping maintain consistent cut quality without frequent cleaning stops.
- The 10 x 27mm parallel shank with driving flat and length-adjusting screw gives operators direct depth control at the machine, which is essential for achieving the precise socket depth that dowel joinery requires.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 310.040.11
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Product Type: Dowel Drill
- Diameter: 4mm
- Nominal Diameter: 5/32"
- Cutting Height: 27mm
- Total Length: 57.5mm
- Shank: 10 x 27mm parallel shank with driving flat and length-adjusting screw
- Number of Flutes: 2
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Number of Teeth: 2
- Spur Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
- Blade Material: HW (tungsten carbide)
- Rotation: Right-hand (RH)
Approved Applications
- Blind hole drilling for dowel connections and dowel joinery
- Panel drilling in furniture manufacturing
- Cabinet making and face-frame assembly
- CNC boring center and multi-spindle boring machine operations
- Panel processing center production runs
- Boring machine operations using adapter or chuck
- Drilling in solid hardwood and softwood
- Drilling in chipboard, MDF, and HDF
- Drilling in plywood, laminates, and coated panels
- Drilling in plastics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the cutting diameter and the nominal diameter listed for this drill?
The cutting diameter is 4mm (metric), which is the actual dimension of the hole produced. The 5/32" nominal diameter is the equivalent fractional inch designation. Both refer to the same cutting size - the metric value is the precise engineering dimension used when specifying this tool for CNC boring programs and machine setup.
What does "negatively ground spurs" mean and why does it matter for panel work?
Negatively ground spurs are sharpened with a geometry that scribes and severs the wood or panel fiber at the outer edge of the hole before the main carbide cutting edges remove the core material. This sequencing prevents the outer edge from tearing or chipping out, which is especially important when drilling through laminates, coated panels, and chipboard where surface appearance is critical to finished product quality.
Is this drill compatible with manual boring machines, or only with CNC equipment?
This dowel drill is compatible with both CNC and manual equipment. Approved machine types include multi-spindle CNC boring machines, CNC boring centers, panel processing centers, and boring machines fitted with a suitable adapter or chuck. The 10 x 27mm parallel shank with driving flat seats securely across all of these machine types.
What does the P.T.F.E. coating on the spiral flutes do during drilling?
The P.T.F.E. (polytetrafluoroethylene) coating applied to the spiral portion of the drill creates a low-friction, non-stick surface on the flutes. This prevents pitch, resin, and adhesive from bonding to the tool body during drilling, which keeps the flutes clear for efficient chip evacuation and helps maintain consistent cutting performance over extended use - particularly in production environments where glue or resin-saturated materials are common.
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