CMT Four Flute Dowel Drill 5/16" x 50 x 85mm Left-Hand by CMT is a precision-engineered carbide-tipped boring tool designed for drilling clean, flat-bottom blind holes in solid wood, chipboard, MDF, laminates, and coated panels. Built for left-hand rotation, this long-series dowel drill is optimized for multi-spindle CNC boring machines, panel processing centers, and automated cabinet manufacturing lines where consistent, repeatable hole quality is critical. Four spiral flutes accelerate chip evacuation from deep blind bores, reducing heat buildup and keeping cycle times short in high-production environments.

Key Features

• Four spiral flutes - dramatically improve chip evacuation from deep blind holes compared to standard two-flute designs, reducing clogging and heat in production boring applications.
• HW (tungsten carbide) cutting head with 2 precision-ground cutting edges (Z2) - delivers long tool life and consistently clean, accurate bore diameters across chipboard, MDF, hardwood, and laminated panels.
• 2 negatively ground spurs (V2) - score the material cleanly at the perimeter of the hole before the main cutters engage, preventing tearout and producing smooth bore walls on coated panels and laminates.
• Precision balanced centre point - ensures accurate hole placement and prevents walking on entry, which is essential for tight-tolerance dowel joinery in furniture and cabinet production.
• PTFE coating on the cutter portion - resists pitch and adhesive buildup on the flutes, maintaining cutting efficiency longer and reducing cleaning downtime between tool changes.
• Super-strength steel body - provides the rigidity needed to resist deflection during high-speed boring cycles, protecting hole accuracy even under continuous production loads.
• Parallel shank 10x27mm with driving flat and length-adjusting feature - locks securely in CNC boring machine spindles and allows precise depth setting without additional fixturing.
• Left-hand (LH) rotation - purpose-matched to left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines, ensuring correct cutting geometry and clean entry for that spindle orientation.
• Long-series 85mm overall length with 50mm cutting height - provides the reach needed for deep blind holes while maintaining tool stability in gang-drilling configurations.

Why This Product

• The four-flute design directly addresses chip packing - a common problem in deep blind-hole boring - by providing twice the evacuation channels of a standard dowel drill, making it especially effective in high-feed CNC production lines running MDF and chipboard.
• The combination of negatively ground spurs and a precision carbide cutting head means both the edge scoring and the core cutting are optimized for laminate and coated-panel work, where surface quality at the hole rim directly affects finished product appearance.
• The PTFE-coated flutes and HW construction together extend time between regrinds and cleanings, lowering per-hole tooling cost in volume furniture manufacturing and cabinet shop environments.
• Specified for left-hand rotation, this drill fills a specific machine-spindle requirement that cannot be substituted with a right-hand tool - making it a precise, purpose-built solution for LH spindle positions on multi-spindle boring machines and CNC boring centers.

Specifications

• Manufacturer Part Number: 373.080.12
• Brand: CMT Orange Tools
• Diameter: 5/16"
• Cutting Height: 50mm
• Total Length: 85mm
• Shank: 10x27mm
• Number of Teeth: 2
• Number of Spurs: 2
• Sharpening: Negatively ground spurs
• Rotation: LH (Left-Hand)
• Blade Material: HW (Tungsten Carbide)
• Number of Flutes: 4

Approved Applications

• Drilling blind holes for dowel connections
• Panel drilling on chipboard, MDF, HDF, and coated panels
• Furniture manufacturing and case goods production
• Cabinet making and millwork
• Boring hardwood, softwood, plywood, and laminates