Holding wood pieces together by rotationally welded dowels can be used to make blockboard panels with the dowels inserted in the side of the wood substrate slats. The average results for both tensile and three-point bending tests indicate that a 20 degrees dowel insertion angle yields strength results better than 10 degrees and 0 degrees insertion angles. Applied load vs deformation in the two types of tests showed that blockboard panel stiffness was greater for the panels with 20 degrees dowel insertion angle. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011