Product Description
CMT 311.150.12 Dowel Drill - 15 x 35 x 70mm Left-Hand Rotation is a professional-grade, 2-flute boring bit engineered for precision blind-hole drilling in panel processing and furniture manufacturing. Built on a super-strength steel body with a tungsten carbide (HW) cutting head, this left-hand rotating dowel drill delivers clean, flat-bottom bores ideal for dowel joinery in solid wood, chipboard, MDF, and coated panels. The spiral portion carries a P.T.F.E. coating that resists resin and glue buildup, keeping the flutes clear during high-cycle production runs. With a parallel shank featuring a driving flat and a length-adjusting screw, this bit seats securely in multi-spindle CNC boring machines and dedicated panel processing centers.
Key Features
- Tungsten Carbide (HW) Cutting Head: 2 precision-ground HW cutting edges maintain sharpness through extended production runs in abrasive materials like chipboard, MDF, and laminates - reducing downtime and resharpening frequency.
- 2 Negatively Ground Spurs (V2): Negatively sharpened spurs score the material perimeter before the cutting edges engage, producing clean bore walls and sharp rim definition with no tearout - critical for visible panel faces.
- P.T.F.E.-Coated Spiral Flutes: The low-friction coating on the 2 spiral flutes prevents pitch, resin, and glue adhesion, promoting efficient chip evacuation and extending tool life in high-volume boring applications.
- Precision-Balanced Centre Point: The HW centre point keeps the bit tracking true at entry, delivering accurate hole placement for repeatable dowel alignment across panel batches.
- Left-Hand (LH) Rotation: Engineered specifically for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines, ensuring correct cutting geometry and clean exit conditions on the appropriate spindle bank.
- Parallel Shank with Driving Flat and Length-Adjusting Screw (10 x 30mm): The driving flat prevents shank slippage under torque, and the length-adjusting screw allows precise depth setting without additional tooling - speeding up setup on production equipment.
- Long-Series 70mm Overall Length: The extended 70mm body accommodates deeper reach requirements in multi-spindle heads, particularly when boring through thicker panels or when spindle clearance demands additional projection.
- 35mm Cutting Height: Generous usable cutting depth supports blind-hole boring to the full depth required for standard furniture dowel connections without bottoming out the shank.
Why This Product
- The left-hand rotation geometry is purpose-built for LH spindle positions on multi-spindle CNC boring centers - using a right-hand bit in an LH position produces poor cut quality and accelerated wear, making the correct rotation designation essential for production accuracy.
- The combination of negatively ground spurs and precision-ground carbide cutting edges addresses one of the most common defects in panel boring: torn or ragged hole rims on melamine, laminate, and coated board surfaces where cosmetic quality is non-negotiable.
- The P.T.F.E. spiral coating and 2-flute design work together to clear chips efficiently in gummy or resinous materials like MDF and chipboard, reducing the heat and friction that degrade boring bit performance over time.
- At 15mm diameter with a 35mm cutting height and 70mm total length, this bit is sized to match the most common dowel boring requirements in flat-panel furniture production - fitting directly into standard boring machine chucks without adapters when paired with the 10 x 30mm parallel shank.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 311.150.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Diameter: 15mm
- Cutting Height: 35mm
- Total Length: 70mm
- Shank: 10 x 30mm parallel shank with driving flat and length-adjusting screw
- Rotation: Left-Hand (LH)
- Number of Flutes: 2
- Number of Cutting Edges: 2
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Spur Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
- Blade Material: HW (Tungsten Carbide)
- Body Material: Super-strength steel
- Coating: P.T.F.E. on spiral portion
Approved Applications
- Blind-hole boring for dowel joinery connections
- Panel drilling in furniture manufacturing
- Cabinet making and flat-pack furniture production
- Boring in solid hardwood and softwood
- Drilling chipboard, particleboard, and MDF
- Processing HDF, plywood, and coated panels
- Laminate and plastic panel boring
- Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the rotation direction matter, and how do I know if I need a left-hand bit?
Multi-spindle boring machines use both right-hand (RH) and left-hand (LH) spindles arranged in a row to drill multiple holes simultaneously. Each spindle rotates in a fixed direction, and the boring bit installed on it must match that direction. Installing a right-hand bit on a left-hand spindle reverses the cutting geometry, causing the spurs and edges to scrape rather than cut - producing torn hole walls and rapid tool wear. This CMT 311.150.12 is specifically ground and configured for left-hand spindle positions. Check your boring machine's spindle layout or owner's manual to confirm which positions require LH bits before ordering.
What does "negatively ground spurs" mean, and why does it matter for panel materials?
Negatively ground spurs are sharpened with a negative rake angle on the cutting face, which means they slice into the material surface with a scraping-type action rather than an aggressive hooking cut. This geometry is particularly effective on coated panels, laminates, and melamine-faced chipboard, where a hook-type spur can catch and chip the decorative surface layer at the entry rim of the hole. The result is a cleaner, sharper bore perimeter that requires no sanding or cleanup before assembly - important in high-volume furniture production where rework time is costly.
What is the P.T.F.E. coating on the spiral, and does it affect cutting performance?
P.T.F.E. (polytetrafluoroethylene) is applied to the spiral flute area of the bit body. It does not alter the sharpness of the cutting edges or spurs, which are ground from tungsten carbide (HW). Instead, the coating reduces surface friction along the flute walls, preventing resinous wood fibers, glue particles, and MDF dust from bonding to the steel body during boring. This keeps the flutes clear so chips evacuate efficiently rather than packing around the bit - which would increase heat, raise cutting resistance, and accelerate wear on both the bit and the workpiece bore wall.
Can this bit be used in a handheld drill or router?
This bit is designed for use in multi-spindle CNC boring machines, CNC boring centers, and panel processing equipment that accept a 10 x 30mm parallel shank with a driving flat. The driving flat requires a chuck or collet system designed to engage it, and the length-adjusting screw requires a compatible boring head. The 15mm diameter and left-hand rotation also present practical challenges in handheld use. For best results and to maintain the precision and safety this bit is engineered for, use it only in compatible stationary panel boring equipment.
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