Dowelling - where can I get some

[Taffy Turner]

I need a legth of 12mm dowelling for a job I am doing. Does anyone know if B+Q or Focus et-all sell this?

If not - any suggestions?

Regards

Gary

 

[ike]

Yup I think so - pine and/or Ramin probably.

 

[Taffy Turner]

Thanks Ike,

Rammin would be ideal - I'll make a detour on my way home tonight and have a look (B+Q and Focus are within 100 yds of each other!).

Regards

Gary

 

[dedee]

Gary, this may not help you for your current project but I find the big DIY sheds in France, eg Castorma, Leroy Merlin or Brico Marche, have a much better quality dowel and it is available in beech.

Might be worth a look if ever you cross the channel.

Andy

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Would you want to make it yourself? You could do it with a router, a block of wood and a drill.

 

[Scrit]

You might be better to seek out a traditional ironmongers. B&Q, et al sell tiny and extremely overpriced bags. I am fortunate enough to have a couple of old-fashioned shops in the area who will supply in bags of 1000 (beech, fluted) at a fraction of B&Qs price, although normally it is a next day delivery. If you have the time why not order from Woodfit

Scrit

 

[Taffy Turner]

Guys,

Thanks for the advice. I am not actually after bags of pre-cut dowel, what I wanted was a length of 12mm smooth dowel that I can cut to length myself. I figured that this wouldn't really lend itself to mail order, hence my enquiry if one of the DIY sheds stocked it, so I could pick a length up in passing, so to speak.

Perhaps I should explain why I need it. Last year a turned a set of heavy bails for my cricket club to satisfy the local league requirements for windy weather. As they needed to be heavy, I turned them from Ironwood, which is certainly heavy enough - S.G. of approx 1.2 if I remember correctly. Sadly, Ironwood is very hard, but also very brittle, and two of the bails got their spigots broken off. The reason for wanting the dowelling was so that I could cut off all the remaining spigots, bore a 12mm hole through the bails and insert a length of doweling, with approx 20mm sticking out each side to rest on the stumps. This way I get the weight of the Ironwood without its brittleness.

Regards

Gary

 

[devonwoody]

Gary.

The bad news is I am sure you can get your dowel in either establishment but when you drill the 12mm hole the dowel will be too thin, it has shrunk.

I haven't bought any dowelling in the last 4 years to match any of my drill bits.

 

[dedee]

Gary,

I just had to check and it is interesting ( to me anyway) that the Laws of Cricket do not specify the weight of the bails, I am surprised. Perhaps England should have a heavy set when batting and some lighter ones when fielding. :lol:

Andy

 

[Taffy Turner]

Andy,

You are right - nowhere in the laws of the game does it specify the weight of the bails. I went through this when I first made the set of heavy ones last year. It seemed very strange to me at the time as well.

It is a just a requirement for the South Wales Cricket League that a set of heavyweight bails be available for use in windy weather. Mine are certainly heavy - you wouldn't want to get hit in the face by one of you were a wicket-keeper!

Regards

Gary

 

[Alf]

Ha hum... Turn some...? :roll: :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[DaveL]

I have a set of these, from Lee Valley.

Work a treat, you can adjust the blade to get the size to match your drill.

Make dowels in the same wood as the rest of the project or have a contrast for effect. 8)

 

[UKTony]

Now that i'm impressed with....does it sharpen carpenters pencils as well :lol:

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi all

I do the same as Dave, but with the LN metric version.

Cheers
Neil

 

[tim]

You are doing well then Neil.

I told Tom LN at the Axminster show that I couldn't get the dowel to come out straight. He assured me that it would and sure enough he showed Chris and I that you can produce a straight piece of walnut dowel about 6 inches long in roughly 20 minutes! :shock:

Cheers

Tim

 

[Scrit]

So about 17 minutes more than it takes me to chuck up and turn one, then? :?

 

[tim]

So about 17 minutes more than it takes me to chuck up and turn one, then?

Zackly! I thought he was going to show us some super fast method that I just hadn't managed. Instead it took forever! It was a bit embarrassing given that he'd taken the time to show us

Cheers

T

 

[dedee]

Tim,
I've read about that problem elsewhere and hence have never bought one.
If the dowel plate was a lot thicker would it increase the chances of getting a straight dowel?

Andy

 

[Taffy Turner]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I picked up a length of pine dowelling in B+Q last night for £2, although I must have picked up and rejected 20 legths before I found a good one.

I know I could have turned some, but it seemed a waste to start off with a 1" square piece of harwood and reduce it down to a 12mm dowel, especially in view of what I wanted it for, not to mention being PITA!

Regards

Gary

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Tim

He assured me that it would and sure enough he showed Chris and I that you can produce a straight piece of walnut dowel about 6 inches long in roughly 20 minutes!

I've not encountered that problem, as I've never produced one that long.

Cheers
Neil