# Cam-locks?



## Aquilus (Feb 22, 2007)

I'll be building some vivs soon, and would like to join the surfaces nice and strongly. Every time I've put together any kind of furniture or cabinets, they've used a combination of wooden dowels and metal-pin-things that you screw into one surface, then push into the other to lodge it into a free-twisting collar thing that you can then turn to tighten the two surfaces together. You'll know what I'm talking about if you've put together flat-pack stuff. 

So - what are these things called for definite, and where can I buy some? They might be called cam-locks and cam-lock pins.. but Google is oddly useless at finding any other reference to them anywhere. I know they exist, so maybe they're not called that... but they're so damn useful I'm at a loss why nowhere seems to sell them.


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## tigerpaws (Feb 21, 2009)

Using The Furniture Fixings search on google the first result was screwfix direct . 

Here you go 


The Lock
Cam Lock 15mm Pack of 50 - Screwfix.com, Where the Trade Buys

And The Dowel 

Cam Dowel 24mm Pack Of 50 - Screwfix.com, Where the Trade Buys




Alan


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## stuartdouglas (Mar 5, 2008)

Good find! next question, is there a template to use for drilling the boards so the dowel lines up properly with the cam?


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## Aquilus (Feb 22, 2007)

tigerpaws said:


> Using The Furniture Fixings search on google the first result was screwfix direct .
> 
> Here you go
> 
> ...


Cheers! Those are exactly what I'm looking for! :2thumb:


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## tigerpaws (Feb 21, 2009)

stuartdouglas said:


> Good find! next question, is there a template to use for drilling the boards so the dowel lines up properly with the cam?


you dont need a template... all you need is a ruler, square, drill, drill bits, and a pencil


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## stuartdouglas (Mar 5, 2008)

:lol2:that's like saying all i need to build a car is valves, pistons, gears............:lol2:


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## Aquilus (Feb 22, 2007)

Well, if you want to put a dowell up the centre of the contiboard you're attaching it to, and it's 15mm thick, rule a line along the edge of the base 7.5mm in. Cross it at a certain point, (say 30mm from the edge) and that'll be where you want to drill a hole, for the dowell to get screwed into.

On your connecting piece, rule a line 30mm from the edge too, and cross it at the length of the dowel (this bit I'll need to check!) then bore a hole of the diameter of the cam lock to the depth it needs. Drill a hole to connect the big hole to the lower surface, and it should all slot together.

At least that's what I'm planning to do...


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## stuartdouglas (Mar 5, 2008)

It's the use of the word "should" as in "It *should* all slot together" that un-nerves me:lol2:


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