CMT 311.095.12 Dowel Drill - 3/8" Diameter, 2-Flute, Left-Hand Rotation, 70mm Long Series is a precision tungsten carbide-tipped boring tool engineered for clean, accurate blind-hole drilling in panel processing, furniture manufacturing, and cabinet making. With a 35mm cutting height and 70mm overall length, this long-series dowel drill reaches deeper into panels than standard-length bits, making it the right choice for multi-spindle boring machines and CNC boring centers where consistent hole depth and wall quality are critical. The left-hand (LH) rotation is specifically designed to match the spindle direction of dedicated dowel boring heads, ensuring proper chip evacuation and clean entry every time.

Key Features

• Hardmetal (HW) Cutting Head with 2 Precision-Ground Cutting Edges - carbide construction maintains sharp edges through high-volume panel production runs, reducing bit changes and downtime on chipboard, MDF, hardwood, and laminates.
• 2 Negatively Ground Spurs - the negative grind geometry scores the material boundary cleanly before the main edges remove waste, producing flat-bottom holes with no tearout or fraying on the bore wall - critical for tight-tolerance dowel joinery.
• PTFE-Coated Spiral Flutes - the orange or black polytetrafluoroethylene coating on the spiral portion reduces friction and prevents pitch and glue buildup during drilling, extending tool life and keeping the flutes clear for efficient chip evacuation.
• Precision Balanced Centre Point - the hardmetal centre point registers the drill accurately on the marked or programmed bore location before cutting begins, minimising walkoff and delivering hole-to-hole consistency across an entire panel.
• Parallel Shank with Driving Flat and Length Adjusting Screw - the 10x30mm parallel shank seats securely in standard boring head collets and multi-spindle units; the driving flat prevents rotation under load while the adjusting screw allows fine depth calibration without removing the tool.
• Super-Strength Steel Body - the alloy steel body resists flex and vibration at production boring speeds, protecting the carbide head from shock loads and extending overall service life.
• Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - matches the dedicated LH spindle positions found on multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, ensuring correct chip lift and clean hole geometry without recutting chips.
• 2 Spiral Flutes - twin flutes balance the cutting load symmetrically around the centre point and keep chips moving away from the cutting zone, reducing heat buildup and maintaining bore quality in dense engineered materials.

Why This Product

• The 70mm long-series length combined with a 35mm cutting height gives this drill the reach needed for deep blind holes in thicker panels - applications where standard short-series dowel drills simply cannot achieve full depth in a single plunge.
• The combination of negatively ground spurs and a precision balanced centre point addresses the two most common failure points in dowel drilling - tearout at entry and walkoff from the target centre - making this tool suited to high-appearance furniture and cabinet components where surface quality is non-negotiable.
• PTFE spiral coating directly reduces maintenance intervals by resisting pitch and adhesive contamination - particularly valuable when drilling pre-glued or laminated panel stock where resin transfer to the tool is a persistent production problem.
• The hardmetal (HW) construction with a super-strength steel body means this drill is built for repeated use in industrial boring environments, not just occasional shop drilling - the carbide-to-steel bond and balanced geometry sustain consistent performance across high cycle counts on chipboard, MDF, HDF, plywood, and coated panels.

Specifications

• Manufacturer Part Number: 311.095.12
• Brand: CMT Orange Tools
• Diameter: 3/8"
• Cutting Height: 35mm
• Total Length: 70mm
• Shank: 10x30mm parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw
• Number of Flutes: 2
• Number of Spurs: 2
• Spur Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
• Number of Teeth: 2
• Blade Material: HW (Hardmetal / Tungsten Carbide)
• Rotation: LH (Left-Hand)
• Coating: Orange or black P.T.F.E. on spiral portion

Approved Applications

• Blind hole drilling for dowel connections
• Panel drilling in furniture and cabinet manufacturing
• Boring in chipboard, MDF, HDF, hardwood, softwood, plywood, laminates, and coated panels
• Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations
• CNC boring center and panel processing center work
• Boring machines with adapter or chuck using LH spindle positions