Product Description
CMT 310.050.12 Dowel Drill 5 x 27 x 57.5mm LH by CMT is a precision left-hand rotation carbide-tipped boring tool engineered for clean, accurate 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 5mm diameter dowel drill delivers flat-bottom holes with smooth bore walls - making it the right choice for high-volume dowel joinery in chipboard, MDF, hardwood, softwood, plywood, laminates, and coated panels. The PTFE-coated spiral flutes resist pitch and adhesive buildup, keeping the bit running cleanly through repeated production cycles.
Key Features
- HW (Tungsten Carbide) Cutting Head with 2 Precision-Ground Cutting Edges (Z2) - carbide construction holds a sharp edge through demanding production runs in abrasive materials like MDF and chipboard, reducing downtime for tool changes.
- 2 Negatively Ground Spurs (V2) - the negatively set spurs score the material cleanly before the cutting edges engage, producing flat-bottom blind holes with no tearout or rough bore walls - critical for tight-fitting dowel joints.
- PTFE-Coated Spiral Flutes - the orange or black PTFE coating on the spiral portion prevents pitch, resin, and adhesive from bonding to the bit, maintaining chip clearance and cutting efficiency over extended use.
- Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - designed specifically for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, ensuring proper cutting geometry and hole quality on machines that require LH tooling.
- Precision-Balanced Centre Point - the HW centre point self-locates accurately at the drill position, preventing wandering on entry and delivering consistent hole placement across every panel.
- Parallel Shank with Driving Flat and Length-Adjusting Screw (10 x 27mm) - the 10 x 27mm shank mounts securely in standard boring machine chucks and adapters; the driving flat prevents rotation under load, and the length-adjusting screw allows precise depth setting.
- Super-Strength Steel Body - the high-grade steel construction provides the backbone rigidity needed for consistent boring depth and dimensional accuracy in automated panel drilling operations.
- Short Series Total Length (57.5mm) - the compact 57.5mm overall length suits tight spindle spacing on multi-spindle CNC boring heads without interference between adjacent tools.
Why This Product
- The 2 negatively ground spurs combined with 2 HW precision-ground cutting edges make this bit a reliable choice for furniture and cabinet production where clean entry, smooth bore walls, and flat hole bottoms are required for proper dowel fit and joint strength.
- Left-hand rotation is a specific machine requirement - this bit is purpose-built for LH spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, eliminating the guesswork of adapting a right-hand tool to a left-hand application.
- PTFE spiral coating directly addresses one of the most common causes of boring bit performance loss in production environments: pitch and adhesive buildup that slows cutting speed, degrades hole quality, and increases heat - keeping this bit working at full efficiency longer between cleanings.
- At 5mm diameter and 27mm cutting height, this drill matches standard dowel hole specifications used widely in flat-pack furniture and cabinet construction, making it a practical stock tool for shops that run dowel-joined panel products.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 310.050.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 5mm
- Cutting Height: 27mm
- Total Length: 57.5mm
- Shank: 10 x 27mm (parallel shank with driving flat)
- Rotation: Left-hand (LH)
- Number of Spurs: 2 (negatively ground)
- Number of Cutting Edges: 2 (Z2)
- Number of Flutes: 2
- Blade Material: HW (Tungsten Carbide)
- Body Material: Super-strength steel
- Coating: PTFE on spiral portion
- Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
Approved Applications
- Blind hole drilling for dowel connections
- Panel drilling in furniture manufacturing
- Cabinet making and flat-pack furniture production
- Boring in chipboard, MDF, HDF, hardwood, softwood, plywood, laminates, and coated panels
- Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations (left-hand spindle positions)
- CNC boring center and panel processing center applications
- Use with boring machine adapters or chucks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) dowel drills, and why does it matter?
Left-hand rotation drills are designed for spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines that turn counter-clockwise when viewed from the cutting end. Using an LH drill on an LH spindle ensures the cutting edges engage the material correctly, producing clean flat-bottom blind holes. Installing a right-hand drill on a left-hand spindle would cause the tool to cut on the back side of the edges, resulting in poor hole quality and premature tool wear. This CMT 310.050.12 is specifically a left-hand rotation tool for LH spindle positions.
What does "negatively ground spurs" mean and how does it affect hole quality?
Negatively ground spurs are sharpened with a geometry that causes them to score and sever the material fibers at the perimeter of the hole before the main cutting edges remove the core. This approach produces a clean, defined hole edge with minimal tearout, which is especially important when drilling laminates, coated panels, and veneered chipboard where surface damage around the hole opening would be visible in the finished piece.
What does the PTFE coating on the spiral flutes do?
The PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coating applied to the spiral portion of the bit creates a low-friction, non-stick surface that resists the buildup of pitch, resin, and adhesive residue. In production environments where the bit is used repeatedly on materials like MDF or coated panels, this coating helps maintain smooth chip evacuation and consistent cutting performance over time, reducing the frequency of cleaning required to keep the bit operating efficiently.
What shank size and machine compatibility should I verify before using this drill?
This drill uses a 10 x 27mm parallel shank with a driving flat and a length-adjusting screw. Before installing, confirm that your boring machine, CNC boring center, or adapter accepts a 10mm parallel shank with a driving flat, and that the spindle at the position you intend to use is a left-hand rotation spindle. The length-adjusting screw allows you to set the drilling depth precisely for the dowel hole specification required by your application.
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