A Twist on the Dowel Jig #woodworking

I previously made a dowel jig that could also be used for 45° miter joints, but after making many different dowel joints, I started wondering if it would be possible to make one jig that could work at 90°, 45°, and other angles as well. At first, I thought about using a regular hinge, but I quickly realized that the hinge pin and hardware could get in the way at the inside corner. Then I wondered if the barrel hinges I often use for box making could work instead, so I decided to give it a try. The result turned out really well. The jig moves with the angle of the workpiece, allowing it to follow not only 90° and 45° joints, but other angles as well. You might expect a movable jig like this to lose some accuracy, but the barrel hinges had surprisingly little play, and the drilling accuracy was very good. The guide hole position still needs to be selected depending on the angle, but the overall structure remains very simple. It also folds a little flatter when not in use, which is a nice bonus. I added a small twist to a simple dowel jig.