Product Description
CMT 310.095.12 Dowel Drill - 3/8" Diameter, 2-Flute, Left-Hand Rotation is a precision-engineered carbide-tipped boring tool built for clean, accurate blind-hole drilling in furniture panels, cabinet components, and solid wood assemblies. Designed for use in multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, this left-hand (LH) rotating drill features a tungsten carbide (HW) cutting head, 2 negatively ground spurs, and a PTFE-coated spiral body that resists pitch and adhesive buildup during high-volume production runs. With a 27mm cutting height and 57.5mm overall length, this short-series dowel drill delivers repeatable dowel-joint accuracy across chipboard, MDF, plywood, laminates, and solid wood.
Key Features
- Tungsten Carbide (HW) Cutting Head with 2 Precision-Ground Cutting Edges (Z2) - hard, wear-resistant carbide maintains a sharp edge longer than standard steel, reducing regrinding frequency and downtime in production environments.
- 2 Negatively Ground Spurs (V2) - the negative grind geometry scores the material cleanly before the main cutters engage, producing flat-bottomed blind holes with clean, tear-out-free walls - critical for tight-tolerance dowel connections in finished panels.
- PTFE-Coated Spiral Flutes - the orange or black PTFE coating on the spiral portion prevents pitch, resin, and adhesive from bonding to the flutes, keeping the tool running freely and extending service life during continuous panel processing.
- Precision-Balanced Centre Point - ensures the drill self-centers accurately at the start of each bore, reducing positional error across multi-spindle setups where dozens of holes must align perfectly.
- Parallel Shank (10x27mm) with Driving Flat and Length-Adjusting Screw - the driving flat locks securely in the spindle to prevent slippage under torque, while the length-adjusting screw allows precise depth setting for consistent blind-hole depth across every workpiece.
- Super-Strength Steel Body - the steel shank and spiral body resist flex and vibration under load, supporting accurate hole geometry even in dense hardwood and coated panel materials.
- Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - engineered specifically for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines, ensuring correct cutting direction and chip evacuation for clean bore walls.
Why This Product
- Built for high-volume furniture and cabinet manufacturing - the HW carbide head, PTFE-coated flutes, and negatively ground spurs work together to maintain hole quality and tool life across long production runs on chipboard, MDF, HDF, and coated panels where lesser tooling would dull or gum up quickly.
- Designed for precise dowel-joint registration - the precision-balanced centre point and negatively ground spurs combine to deliver flat-bottomed blind holes with clean entry walls, so dowel joints fit snugly without gaps or rocking - a direct benefit in assembled furniture and cabinet door frames.
- Correct rotation for left-hand spindle positions - left-hand boring machines require LH-rotation drills for proper cutting action; using this dedicated LH tool avoids the rubbing, burning, and rough holes that result from running the wrong rotation direction in a spindle.
- Short-series length (57.5mm) optimized for panel boring machines - the compact 57.5mm overall length fits standard spindle spacing on multi-spindle CNC boring centers and panel processing machines, keeping tooling within the machine's design envelope without the overhang and vibration that come with longer drills.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 310.095.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 3/8"
- Cutting Height: 27mm
- Total Length: 57.5mm
- Shank: 10x27mm
- Rotation: LH (Left-Hand)
- Number of Flutes: 2
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Number of Teeth: 2
- Spur Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
- Blade Material: HW (Tungsten Carbide)
- Shank Style: Parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw
- Coating: PTFE (orange or black) on spiral portion
Approved Applications
- Blind hole drilling for dowel connections in solid wood, chipboard, MDF, HDF, plywood, laminates, and coated panels
- Panel drilling in furniture manufacturing and cabinet making
- Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations (left-hand spindle positions)
- CNC boring center and panel processing center applications
- Use in boring machines with adapter or chuck configurations
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this dowel drill have left-hand (LH) rotation, and how do I know if my machine needs it?
Multi-spindle boring machines use both right-hand and left-hand spindles positioned across the width of the machine head. Left-hand spindles rotate in the opposite direction from right-hand spindles, and each requires a drill matched to that rotation. If a right-hand drill is installed in a left-hand spindle, the cutting edges will rub rather than cut, producing burnt, rough holes and rapid tool wear. The CMT 310.095.12 is specifically designed for left-hand spindle positions, with cutting edges and spur geometry oriented for LH rotation.
What is the purpose of the negatively ground spurs on this dowel drill?
The 2 negatively ground spurs score the material at the perimeter of the hole before the main carbide cutting edges remove the core. This scribing action severs the surface fibers cleanly, preventing tearout and chipping at the bore entry - particularly important when drilling through laminates, coated panels, or veneered chipboard where surface quality is critical for finished furniture and cabinet components.
What does the PTFE coating on the spiral flutes do, and does it affect cutting performance?
The PTFE coating on the spiral portion of the drill reduces friction and prevents pitch, resin, and adhesives from bonding to the flute surfaces. In production environments where panels may have adhesive coatings or where MDF and chipboard resins can transfer to the tool, buildup on uncoated flutes increases cutting resistance and can cause the drill to bind or burn the workpiece. The PTFE coating keeps the flutes clear, maintaining smooth chip evacuation and consistent cutting performance over extended use.
What does the length-adjusting screw on the shank do?
The parallel shank on this drill includes both a driving flat and a length-adjusting screw. The driving flat prevents the shank from rotating in the spindle collet under torque. The length-adjusting screw allows the operator to set the exact protrusion depth of the drill in the spindle, which directly controls the blind-hole depth. In multi-spindle boring operations where identical hole depths are required across many workpieces, this adjustment feature allows precise, repeatable depth setting without relying solely on machine stop collars.
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