Product Description
CMT 311.020.22 Dowel Drill - 2 x 12 x 70mm Left-Hand Rotation is a solid carbide boring bit engineered for precision blind-hole drilling in furniture manufacturing, cabinet making, and panel processing applications. Built entirely from premium super-micrograin carbide sourced from Luxembourg, this left-hand dowel drill delivers consistently clean bores in hardwood, MDF, particle board, chipboard, plywood, laminates, and veneered wood - making it a dependable choice for high-volume CNC boring centers and multi-spindle boring machines alike.
Key Features
- Solid super-micrograin carbide construction (HWM) - the entire body is formed from a single unit of premium carbide, eliminating the weak points found in brazed-tip designs and allowing an almost infinite number of resharpenings for long service life and reduced tooling cost.
- Curved, negatively ground spurs (2 spurs, V2) - the unique spur geometry severs wood fibers cleanly at the perimeter of the bore before material is removed at the center, producing exceptionally clean bore walls with no rough edges or tearout - critical for visible joinery and furniture panels.
- Centre-point balanced tip - ensures the drill tracks true from the moment of contact, reducing wandering and improving positional accuracy when drilling dowel holes for tight-fitting connections.
- Plunge edge extending to the centre of the bit - reduces drilling resistance during entry, which increases production speed and puts less stress on boring machine spindles during continuous operation.
- 2 cutting edges and 2 spiral flutes (Z2) - dual-flute geometry promotes efficient chip evacuation from the bore, keeping the cutting zone clear and reducing heat buildup during repeated drilling cycles.
- Left-hand (LH) rotation - designed specifically for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines and CNC boring centers, ensuring correct chip ejection direction and optimal cutting action on LH-configured equipment.
- 10 x 40mm parallel shank with driving flat and adjustable screw length - the parallel shank fits standard boring machine collets and chucks securely, while the driving flat prevents slippage under load for reliable torque transfer.
- Extreme sharpenability rating - the solid carbide body can be reground to full geometry repeatedly, making this bit a long-term investment rather than a disposable tool.
- 12mm cutting height with 70mm overall length (long series) - the extended length reaches deeper boring depths required for through-panel and deep blind-hole applications in panel processing centers.
Why This Product
- Built for demanding production environments - solid carbide construction and a cylindrical head that is larger than traditional tip designs means this bit withstands prolonged use on high-speed boring units and CNC routers without the rapid wear that affects lower-grade tools.
- Clean results in difficult composites - the negatively ground curved spurs and centre-balanced tip are specifically suited to particle board, MDF, and veneered wood, where tear-out and delamination are common failure points with lesser boring bits.
- Left-hand spindle compatibility - purpose-built LH rotation matches the spindle orientation of left-hand positions on multi-spindle boring machines, so there is no need for workarounds or adapter compromises on correctly configured equipment.
- Reduced downtime between tool changes - the combination of solid carbide durability and an extreme resharpening rating means operators spend less time changing bits and more time running production, directly supporting throughput in furniture and cabinet manufacturing workflows.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 311.020.22
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 2mm
- Cutting Height: 12mm
- Total Length: 70mm
- Shank: 10 x 40mm (parallel shank with driving flat)
- Rotation: Left-Hand (LH)
- Number of Cutting Edges: 2
- Number of Flutes: 2
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Blade Material: HWM Solid Carbide (super-micrograin)
- Sharpenability: Extreme
Approved Applications
- Blind hole drilling for dowel connections in panel and solid wood assemblies
- Furniture manufacturing and cabinet making
- Panel drilling on multi-spindle CNC boring machines
- CNC boring center operations
- Panel processing center operations
- Boring machine operations using an adapter or chuck
- High-speed boring unit applications
- Drilling in hardwood, softwood, MDF, HDF, chipboard, particle board, plywood, laminates, coated panels, and veneered wood
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this dowel drill have left-hand (LH) rotation and when do I need it?
Multi-spindle boring machines and CNC boring centers use spindles that rotate in opposite directions depending on their position in the head. Left-hand spindle positions require a left-hand rotation bit so that the cutting edges engage the material correctly and chips are ejected in the proper direction. Using a right-hand bit in a left-hand spindle position would result in rubbing rather than cutting, causing rapid wear and poor bore quality. This bit is specifically ground for LH rotation and should only be used in LH-configured spindle positions.
What makes the solid carbide construction of this bit different from a carbide-tipped dowel drill?
A solid carbide bit is machined from a single piece of super-micrograin carbide material - there are no brazed joints or insert interfaces that can fail under heat or repeated stress. This gives the bit extra structural integrity and, as stated in the product data, provides extra safety features during use. It also means the full body can be reground to original geometry an almost infinite number of times, making it a longer-lasting and more economical tool in high-production settings.
Which materials is this 2mm dowel drill designed to bore cleanly?
This bit is designed for use in hardwood, particle board, MDF, veneered wood, chipboard, HDF, plywood, laminates, and coated panels. The curved, negatively ground spurs are specifically engineered to handle difficult composites such as particle board and MDF where fiber tear-out is a common problem, producing clean bore walls with no rough edges in these materials.
Can this bit be resharpened, and what should I expect from its sharpenability?
Yes - the product data rates this bit at an Extreme sharpenability level, which is the highest level in CMT's sharpening classification. Because the entire bit body is solid carbide rather than a tipped design, it can be reground to full cutting geometry repeatedly. The solid carbide construction supports an almost infinite number of resharpenings, and the bit is also noted to last longer between sharpenings compared to conventional designs due to the extended plunge edge and durable carbide grade.
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