Dowel Rods - Not Oak

[Jim Guy]

Does anyone know where I can purchase dark dowel rods? Finding oak is easy but I want something that really stands out. I've seen them on pic posts here. Are you staining? Since I cut the rod after plugging I don't know how you would do that.
Thanks in advance.

[Joseph N. Myers]

Jim,

Midwest Dowel Works, www.midwestdowel.com (http://www.midwestdowel.com), 1-800-555-0133, in Cincinnati, on Hutchinson Road. Been mail ordering from them for years and always good prices, selection and service. Their walnut is beautiful and sounds like what you are asking for. They carry it from 1/4" up to and including 1 1/4" in lengths of 36", thicker and longer at a premium.

They carry red and white oak, hard maple, hickory, poplar, walnut, cherry, mohagany, teak and CCA treated, some other misc woods, pegs, plugs and other craft type parts.

Regards, Joe

[Mark Singer]

Jim,
If you are plugging holes, you can cut the plugs from any wood using a plug cutter. You need a drill press to run it. Here is a link:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=32320&category=1,180,42288&ccurrency=2&SID=

[Jim Guy]

Thanks Joseph & Mark - I just ordered both, several dowels and the plug cutter.

[Alan Turner]

Jim,
You can also use the L-N dowel plate. I use mine all the time. I think the sizes are from 1/8" to 5/8" by 16ths, with no 7/16". I have used mine to make dowels for pinning tenons, for tool holders, catches, etc. Fom maple to ebony to purpleheart, all work fine. It is a neandrathal approach, although less quiet than some. I place mine over a bench dog hole on the bench, and hammer away. You need to rough shape them first, with a knife, spokeshave, or block plane. It won't make long ones, but I don't use them in any length. Nice thing is that they are very full size, so if you are using them as actual dowels, the fit is tight.
Alan

[Dave Richards]

Jim, do you want end grain to show on your plugs? If not, I think it would be better to cut plugs with a plug cutter instead of using a dowel.

If end grain is alright, full steam ahead.

[Rob Littleton]

Miller dowels come in different woods.

I use Cherry and Walnut a lot.

Both decorative and functional.

[Dave Moran]

I agree with Mark and Dave, one trick is to mark the grain direction with a pencil, if you want them to blend, and put masking tape across the top of plugs before you cut them free with the bandsaw, so that you don't have to chase them.

Dave

[Dave Richards]

Dave, here's a trick for making it easier to install plugs. This way it is simple to get the grain direction right and you don't have to get yourself covered with glue.

http://hamiltonwoodworks.com/drichards/Misc/plugs4.jpg
Make a simple jig for the drill press with a clearance notch for the plug cutter. Rip your plug stock so that it is a tiny bit wider than the plug diameter. Set the jig so the plug cutter will cut on the centerline of the stock and remove most of the waste. Set the depth stop to leave approximately 3/32" of stock.

Cut the plugs but leave them attached. You'll end up with a "stick o plugs". Dip them one at a time into a bit of glue in a dish as you isert them. The stick makes grain orientation a cinch. The stick acts as a handle. A tap with a mallet or hammer will snap them free of the stick.

This might be too much work if you're only going to do a couple of plugs but if you have to do a bunch, this will save lots of time and frustration.

Another thing to consider when plugging holes is avoiding the use of glue. If there's a possibility that the plugs will need to be removed to disassemble the piece, use poly or varnish to "glue" them in. It will hold them just fine, won't leave a glue line and will allow the plug to be removed more easily if needed. Removal is done by simply driving a woodscrew into the plug and jacking the plug out.

Varnishing plugs in place has been used for generations on the brightwork on boats.

[Joseph N. Myers]

I was in a rush this morning and didn't really read the post that well; saw the part about dowels and responded only to that part.

If you want dowels for whatever reason, Midwest Dowel Works is really a good place to go. I use their dowels when I'm using my Kreg Jig (pocket hole system). I cut the dowel to somewhat over the required length, glue and hammer them into the holes and after drying, cut them off with one of those flexible Japanese saws and then sand. Works great.

I originally purchase the solid wood plugs for the Kreg Jig made by them and they proved more trouble than their worth. If anyone has any thing positive to say about them, I'd be interested in hearing what they are. In any event, I have about 100 of the walnut, oak and maple just sitting there doing nothing. I'm sure I have the cherry and pine ones but must have them up at the farm. If anyone is interested in them, give me a PM (or whatever).

As far as plugging holes, I do use a plug hole cutter and have been for years. I just did a couple of oak bookcases using some 100 plugs. I bought a dozen plug cutters (taper kind) of them some 5 years ago from one of MLCS' bargain bin and still have 7 of them left. When they get dull, I have them sharpen at a local shop. This is particular important for me as I build a lot of stuff out of cedar and oak, both being hard of screws as far as the tannic acid they have in them. So I pretty much have to countersink and plug all the cedar and oak I make but like the look so much, I do all my work with the countersink/plugging. (I know I can use stainless steel and the likes to use with cedar and oak but what the heck).

As far as the grain direction of the plugs, I really haven't gotten into that except for some chairbuttons (mushroom head) I've used for some craft item I've done. Those I've needed I ordered from Midwest Dowel. They, Midwest, sells flathead, overhead, chairbutton, side grain furniture and boat deck plugs. The 1st 4 are offered in maple, (red) oak, walnut and cherry, the 5th one, furniture plugs, those previous 4 plus white oak, ash, honduras mahogany and teak and the final one, boat, in mahogany and teak.

Finally, many of the shelves I make have pegs, in particular classic shaker pegs, and those, you guessed it, I purchase from Midwest Dowel. They are offered in poplar, hard maple (red) oak, walnut and cherry. They also offer mini-shaker, country wall/mug and country shorty wall/mug pegs although a more limited selection of woods.

Can’t believe I went on so long but there is a lot to this and I know have limited knowledge of the subject. There is stuff on square plugs and God knows what else but I’m sure other SMC members can add information on those items.

Regards, Joe

[Jim Guy]

I placed an order with Midwest this morning. As far as I could see they did not offer any square plugs. I just assumed you had to made your own. Is this what most do for square plugs??

[Dave Richards]

I've made my own square plugs. You can use a small mortising chisel to cut the square hole.