Product Description
CMT 311.120.12 Dowel Drill 12 x 35 x 70mm Left-Hand by CMT is a precision-engineered, left-hand rotation boring tool designed for clean, accurate blind-hole drilling in panel processing, furniture manufacturing, and cabinet making. Built around a tungsten carbide (HW) cutting head bonded to a super-strength steel body, this 12mm diameter dowel drill delivers repeatable dowel-joint accuracy in chipboard, MDF, HDF, solid wood, plywood, laminates, and coated panels. The 35mm cutting height and 70mm overall length make it well suited for applications requiring deeper boring depth, while the orange or black P.T.F.E.-coated spiral flutes minimize pitch and adhesive buildup during continuous production runs.
Key Features
- Tungsten Carbide (HW) Cutting Head - hard-metal carbide construction stays sharp longer than standard steel, reducing downtime and regrinding frequency in high-cycle boring operations.
- P.T.F.E.-Coated Spiral Portion - the orange or black PTFE coating on the spiral flutes prevents resin, pitch, and glue from adhering to the tool body, keeping chips clearing freely and extending service life between cleanings.
- Precision-Balanced Centre Point - a ground centre point registers the drill accurately on the workpiece face, preventing walking or misalignment at the start of each bore for consistent hole positioning across large production runs.
- 2 Negatively Ground HW Spurs (V2) - the pair of precision-ground negatively set spurs score the panel surface cleanly before the main cutters engage, producing flat-bottomed blind holes with minimal tearout on laminates and coated panel faces.
- 2-Flute Spiral Design - twin spiral flutes provide balanced chip evacuation during left-hand rotation boring, reducing heat buildup and maintaining bore quality in dense composite materials such as MDF and chipboard.
- Parallel Shank with Driving Flat and Length Adjusting Screw - the 10 x 30mm parallel shank with driving flat locks securely into multi-spindle CNC boring heads and adapters, while the length adjusting screw allows precise depth setting without a separate stop collar.
- Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - purpose-built for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines and CNC boring centers, ensuring correct chip ejection direction and clean hole geometry on the appropriate spindle side.
- Super-Strength Steel Body - the steel shank and body resist bending and vibration under the lateral forces common in multi-spindle panel boring, maintaining concentricity over extended use.
Why This Product
- The 70mm overall length combined with a 35mm cutting height gives this drill the reach needed for deeper blind holes in thicker panel assemblies, making it a reliable choice where standard short-series dowel drills fall short.
- The negatively ground HW spurs and precision-balanced centre point work together to produce flat-bottomed holes with clean entry edges - a critical requirement in furniture and cabinet manufacturing where visible face surfaces cannot have chipping or tearout.
- The P.T.F.E.-coated spiral reduces adhesive and resin accumulation in production environments where panels with glue or laminate coatings are bored continuously, lowering the frequency of tool cleaning stops.
- The left-hand rotation designation and parallel shank with driving flat make this drill a direct-fit replacement for LH spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers, simplifying changeover without the need for adapters.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 311.120.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 12mm
- Cutting Height: 35mm
- Total Length: 70mm
- Shank: 10 x 30mm
- Rotation: Left-Hand (LH)
- Number of Flutes: 2
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Spur Type: V2 (negatively ground)
- Blade Material: HW (Tungsten Carbide)
- Body Material: Super-Strength Steel
- Coating: P.T.F.E. (orange or black) on spiral portion
- Shank Type: Parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw
Approved Applications
- Blind hole drilling for dowel joint connections
- Panel drilling in furniture manufacturing
- Cabinet making and case goods production
- Boring in chipboard, MDF, HDF, hardwood, softwood, plywood, laminates, and coated panels
- Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations
- CNC boring center panel processing
- Use in boring machines with compatible adapter or chuck
Frequently Asked Questions
What does left-hand (LH) rotation mean and how do I know if this drill is correct for my machine?
Left-hand rotation means the drill spins counter-clockwise when viewed from the shank end. Multi-spindle CNC boring machines and panel processing centers use both right-hand and left-hand spindles depending on their position in the spindle block. Check your machine's spindle layout or manual to confirm which positions require LH tooling before ordering. This drill is specifically designed for LH spindle positions and will not cut correctly in a right-hand spindle.
What is the purpose of the negatively ground spurs on this dowel drill?
The 2 negatively ground HW spurs (V2) score the panel face ahead of the main cutting edges as the drill enters the material. This pre-scoring action severs the surface fibers or laminate cleanly before the body of the hole is bored, producing a sharp, clean entry rim with minimal chipping or tearout. This is especially important when working with coated panels, laminates, or veneered chipboard where a rough entry would be visible in the finished furniture piece.
Why does the spiral portion have a P.T.F.E. coating, and what colors does it come in?
The P.T.F.E. coating on the spiral flutes creates a low-friction surface that prevents pitch, resin, and adhesive from bonding to the tool body during boring. This keeps the flutes clear so chips evacuate efficiently throughout the cut, reducing heat buildup and maintaining consistent hole quality. According to the product data, the coating is available in orange or black.
What does the length adjusting screw on the shank do?
The length adjusting screw built into the parallel shank allows the operator to set the precise boring depth directly at the tool, without relying solely on a machine stop or a separate depth collar. This is useful when fine-tuning blind hole depth across a multi-spindle head to ensure all holes in a row reach consistent depth, which is critical for reliable dowel joint fit-up in panel furniture assembly.
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