When most people think of fasteners, they envision nuts and bolts. There are many other types of fasteners, however, including dowel pins. Also known as dowel rods, they are used to secure and align parts. One end of a dowel pin is inserted into one part, and the other end is inserted into the other part. Below are five common types of dowel pins.
#1) Solid
Solid dowel pins are exactly what they sound like: dowel pins with a solid body. They are commonly used in woodworking applications, such as furniture. Chairs, tables, dressers and other common pieces of household furniture often feature solid dowel pins. They are simple, easy to install and inexpensive, making them a popular choice for furniture and other woodworking applications.
#2) Pull Out
You may come across pull out dowel pins. They feature the same indrical shape as their solid counterparts. Rather than a solid body, though, pull out dowel pins feature a hollow body with interior threading. This threading makes them easy to extract and remove. Once installed, you can use a bolt and tool to remove them. Just twist a bolt into the dowel pin’s threaded hole, after which you can use a tool like a pin puller to grip and remove the dowel pin via the exposed bolt head.
#3) Tapered
Some dowel pins are tapered. They aren’t completely cylindrical. Rather, tapered dowel pins have a conical shape. While not prominent, this slight conical shape allows them to create a firm hold. Tapered dowel pins are used almost exclusively in woodworking applications. They can be driven into wooden parts without the need for threading.
#4) Slotted
There are also slotted dowel pins. As the name suggests, they feature a vertical opening or “slot.” With this opening, slotted dowel pins will compress while contouring to the shape of the hole in which they are inserted. Even if the hole is larger than a slotted dowel pin, it will still fit. Slotted dowel pins will become smaller when compressed, allowing them to act like a spring by storing mechanical energy under a load.
#5) Through Hardened
Another common type of dowel pins is through hardened. They are characterized by a manufacturing process in which they are heated to a specific temperature and then rapidly cooled. Known as through hardening, it drastically increases their hardness and strength. For fastening applications involving high stress or heavy loads, you may want to choose through-hardened dowel pins for this reason.