Long and fairly thin dowel ...

[TobyB]

I wanted some 70 cms lengths of dowel, 10-15 mm diameter, made of the same wood as the rest of the piece. Tried making this (pushing it, as I have a sort-bed lathe!) and the whip was way beyond my skills to control. I don't have a centre-steady ... but even if I had I think I'd have struggled ... might have managed with 2-3!

Veritas dowel cutter ... great tool ... with a little bit of practice ... great results ... whip doesn't matter much when sanding it smooth. And MUCH cheaper than buying (and perhaps even making) a centre-steady.

Instructions suggest using a socket to drive the wood using an electric drill. Tried this ... rapidly and repeatedly the initially v.tight grip on the wood (walnut and ash) just stripped and spun. Gripped the wood in pin-jaws on my lathe and held the cutter in my right hand (VERY cautiously at first, no idea of the torque) ... slow speed ... easily cut pieces of dowel, and controlled the lathe and whip with my left hand ... felt very safe and controlled ...

Good tool ... but might have been disappointed if I didn't have a lathe with a suitable chuck and jaws.

Anyone else used these to good/bad/indifferent effect?

 

[marcros]

I have wondered about getting one of these. Are they adjustable if you wanted a custom sized dowel, for example just smaller or larger than 3/8" cutter (I know that they do a 3/8" cutter for this example)?

Interesting about the socket not working. And without a lathe, I am not sure what other options there might be.

 

[RogerP]

I agree, holding the wood in the lathe an dowel maker in the hand is the best method. I found the Veritas is very finicky to set up, lots of poor results until I got the knack and the right setting ... then perfect dowel by the mile

 

[TobyB]

Certainly seems finely adjustable - curved blade held with 2 screws in sliding slots seems to allow for some fine adjustment ... maximum diameter of 1/2" on the one I have ... but could shave off a couple of mm less as far as I can tell ... but not done it yet ...

Smaller sizes available ... if anything a larger (20 mm?) might be useful for Windsor-type chair makers ...

 

[bobham]

Here is a link to a pictorial review I did a few years ago on the D&T cutters: http://bobhamswwing.com/Articles/Dowel% ... cutter.htm

I really like them and haven't had any problem with the socket stripping the end of the blank. You are using a square recess socket, right? The cutter can be adjusted to fine tune the fit, but it is a trial and error process aided slightly by index markings on the casting.

Bob

 

[paulm]

I wanted some 70 cms lengths of dowel, 10-15 mm diameter, made of the same wood as the rest of the piece. Tried making this (pushing it, as I have a sort-bed lathe!) and the whip was way beyond my skills to control. I don't have a centre-steady ... but even if I had I think I'd have struggled ... might have managed with 2-3!

Veritas dowel cutter ... great tool ... with a little bit of practice ... great results ... whip doesn't matter much when sanding it smooth. And MUCH cheaper than buying (and perhaps even making) a centre-steady.

Instructions suggest using a socket to drive the wood using an electric drill. Tried this ... rapidly and repeatedly the initially v.tight grip on the wood (walnut and ash) just stripped and spun. Gripped the wood in pin-jaws on my lathe and held the cutter in my right hand (VERY cautiously at first, no idea of the torque) ... slow speed ... easily cut pieces of dowel, and controlled the lathe and whip with my left hand ... felt very safe and controlled ...

Good tool ... but might have been disappointed if I didn't have a lathe with a suitable chuck and jaws.

Anyone else used these to good/bad/indifferent effect?

Bit puzzled with the stripping on the socket Toby, I've made a few lengths of oak dowel with the Veritas cutters and was pretty easy and straightforwards, assuming the stock was straight grained, not massively oversized to start with, and the socket used was a square one.... It ought to be pretty much impossible to strip a square profile timber in a square socket, so maybe you are doing something else or I've misunderstood something ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[Jonzjob]

I have a different challenge, if I may do a hjack for a mo?

I need 2 by 2.6 merer lenghths of 45 mm dowel! In a good hardwood.

Any ideas. My lathe bed is about 36" and there's NO WAY I'm going to turn 3 lengths and screw or any other way of joinging them. They have to support some 2.2 meter drop heavish curtains! This window is 5 meters wide :shock:

 

[boysie39]

I have a different challenge, if I may do a hjack for a mo?

I need 2 by 2.6 merer lenghths of 45 mm dowel! In a good hardwood.

Any ideas. My lathe bed is about 36" and there's NO WAY I'm going to turn 3 lengths and screw or any other way of joinging them. They have to support some 2.2 meter drop heavish curtains! This window is 5 meters wide :shock:

Two shovel handles join them up and BoB's your uncle. :mrgreen:

 

[Jonzjob]

Shovel handles?

How do you take yer pick :? :? :roll:

 

[boysie39]

We are only confused if there are more than two .

 

[Bill Mooney]

Try this link, this was made by a mate of mine. Go right through the thread to see all the photos & info. Hope it helps.
http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/for ... KW=topdown

 

[Alli]

I have a different challenge, if I may do a hjack for a mo?

I need 2 by 2.6 merer lenghths of 45 mm dowel! In a good hardwood.

Any ideas. My lathe bed is about 36" and there's NO WAY I'm going to turn 3 lengths and screw or any other way of joinging them. They have to support some 2.2 meter drop heavish curtains! This window is 5 meters wide :shock:

Rather than using a lathe could you do it with hand tools. From square stock, make it into an octagon, then use a spoke shave to shape into a circle?

 

[Jonzjob]

Now Alli, that is a sensible answer and one that I will be investigating next time I can get into one the local woodyards :mrgreen:

Cheers mate!

 

[Gromit62]

There is a video by Steve Maskery using a router on this very subject mate on You Tube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4D8lW8uouw or on his DVD set, hope this helps you out.
Geoff.

 

[nev]

I rarely venture into the other sections of the ukw forum, but I did today and lo and behold on the home page https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/
there it is, the said steve maskery dowelling jig 'how to' in prime place!
and it does look simple to do as long as you can measure and drill holes accurately (thats me out )

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I thought someone would have suggested this by now, but it's probably anathema to some people----if you're making dowel the wood is unlikely to be any other than straight grained, put the wood on a lathe and use a plane. Put one hand underneath the dowel to help stop the flex, plane on a skew with a razor sharp smoother. Simples!