Is it possible to buy hardwood dowels?

[marcros]

it is a shame that one couldnt be made with an adjustable blade, and an adjustable hole in the end. That way, you could produce whatever dowel you wanted on a single plane.

 

[RogerP]

I'm rambling on! Sorry! :mrgreen:

It's good to ramble

 

[RogerP]

it is a shame that one couldnt be made with an adjustable blade, and an adjustable hole in the end. That way, you could produce whatever dowel you wanted on a single plane.

I'm no turner but I've found it reasonably easy to turn 18 inch lengths of dowel down to half inch or so. I made a good few lengths in oak when I made some Mackintosh chairs. I took my time and they came out fine. I did try a Veritas dowel maker but quite honestly they were better from the lathe. Probably me but I couldn't get a really smooth finish (it left tiny ridges) from the Veritas without some sanding - and I hate sanding :?

 

[Benchwayze]

it is a shame that one couldnt be made with an adjustable blade, and an adjustable hole in the end. That way, you could produce whatever dowel you wanted on a single plane.

I'm no turner but I've found it reasonably easy to turn 18 inch lengths of dowel down to half inch or so. I made a good few lengths in oak when I made some Mackintosh chairs. I took my time and they came out fine. I did try a Veritas dowel maker but quite honestly they were better from the lathe. Probably me but I couldn't get a really smooth finish (it left tiny ridges) from the Veritas without some sanding - and I hate sanding :?

I barred sandpaper from my shop. Then I started using pine laminated boards. They are easy enough to joint, but are a pig to plane, because they are put together without any thought to grain direction lengthways. So I grudgingly bought a belt sander;
and a mask;
and ear defenders,
and gloves to stop white-finger;
and a vacuum cleaner to trap the dust;
and a new broom to sweep up the dust that escapes....

Arrrgh! Sandpaper! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Benchwayze]

Yes you could make a dowel plate. Mine has 'star' holes in it though, which flute the dowel as you pound it through. I haven't the means of making the star-holes. (hammer)

I wonder if it's possible to make dowels, using old threading dies? (hammer) Of the appropriate size of course. Just a thought, which might be way off the beam... :mrgreen:

 

[custard]

I'm having trouble finding them. I need them 18mm in maple and or beech. The best timberyard I know says they have them in ....can't remember the name but starts with r

Ramin. Hardwood dowels are traditionally made from Ramin.

 

[RobinBHM]

I can remember the days when timber merchants had a rack of ramin mouldings, of course it is an internationally protected timber now so banned from logging.

I buy plugs from plug-it, they are great only about 6mm thick so they can be banged in almost flush and just sanded. Much better than those plugs that come in a stick of 4

 

[marcros]

I have used plug it dowel too for dowel. Can't fault them on price or service.

http://www.plugitdowel.co.uk

 

[Mr T]

I second (or third!) the plugit recommendation. A good business to deal with.

Chris

 

[Newbie_Neil]

For a great selection of dowels, I'd look at G & S

Thanks,
Neil

 

[dickm]

Needed some dowel for a repair job today, didn't have any of the right size, so had a quick look in the metal bin for something to make a dowel plate. There was a piece of very agricultural looking steel with two holes of approximately the right size, so tried bashing some oak through them. Came out about .5 mm too big for the job, so was just going to drill new holes. Thought it might be worth trying peening the edges of the hole with a hammer to make it smaller; bingo, it worked. A lot easier than drilling another hole in 3/4" plate!
Almost certainly not an original idea but it might help someone.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Needed some dowel for a repair job today, didn't have any of the right size, so had a quick look in the metal bin for something to make a dowel plate. There was a piece of very agricultural looking steel with two holes of approximately the right size, so tried bashing some oak through them. Came out about .5 mm too big for the job, so was just going to drill new holes. Thought it might be worth trying peening the edges of the hole with a hammer to make it smaller; bingo, it worked. A lot easier than drilling another hole in 3/4" plate!
Almost certainly not an original idea but it might help someone.

Er, helped me!

E. (who also has some 3/4" plate...)