If you've ever needed to drill a hole in the end of a dowel, you know what a pain it can be. Either you can't get the drill centered (and keep the bit parallel to the dowel), or the dowel spins in your hand when you drill. While using a clamp or a pair of lock-grip pliers can hold the dowel still while you drill, it can also gouge or damage the surface of the dowel, which isn't exactly fine quality woodworking.

Phil Huber, the online editor of ShopNotes, has come up with a handy solution, one that should work well whether you are drilling using a drill press or a hand-operated drill.

Try Phil's Dowel Drilling Jig the next time you need to drill a hole in the end of a dowel.