Making your own dowel question

[Anthony Whitesell]

Actually few of them and some are on the newbie side.

1. I purchase the HF (yeah, I know but they were cheap) 4 piece roundover set consisting of 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 in bits. Is that the radius?

2. What diameter dowel will the 1/8" bit make?

3. What size do I cut the stock for the dowel?

Thank you.

[Cary Falk]

1. I purchase the HF (yeah, I know but they were cheap) 4 piece roundover set consisting of 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 in bits. Is that the radius? Yes, this is the radius.

2. What diameter dowel will the 1/8" bit make? 1/8" radius makes a 1/4" dowel

3. What size do I cut the stock for the dowel? In theory you would have to cut the 1/4" dowell out of 1/4" square stock , etc and round over theedges. For smaller dowells this would be extremely difficult with a router. I wouldn't want to cut anything smaller than 1". Is there is a reason you need to do this? It is much easier to buy them and they are perfectlly round.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Actually I need 1/8" diameter (guess I'll need to find a 1/16" or another way) spanish cedar dowels. I have never seen dowels in spanish cedar. But at the same time, they only need to be about 2 inches long.

[Mike Henderson]

I agree with Cary - unless you need the dowel made from some unusual stock, just buy them.

If you do need to make your own, the easiest way is to turn the stock on a lathe. Turn it a bit large and then hammer it through a dowel plate.

You can even shape it close with a spokeshave then hammer it through a dowel plate.

Mike

[Ryan Baker]

Yep, a dowel plate is the answer. Split and trim the stock down somewhere close and head for the dowel plate. You can buy a dowel plate or make your own. Work down through the sizes until you have the size you want.

[Bill Huber]

It sounds like you want them exposed and looking fancy.

You could us some epoxy and 1/8 brass rod, really looks neat.

But if you have to have the Spanish cedar dowels then you are going to have to go with a Dowel Plate.

[Myk Rian]

And at $50 the LN plate at Woodcraft is a ripoff.

[george wilson]

You could make your own dowel plate for short runs,just drill the holes in a piece of mild steel. It will work for a while,then make another one. Use 1/8" mild steel for 1/8" holes. Just lay the dowel plate across the top of the vise jaws that are opened just a bit wider than 1/8" to keep the dowel plate from bending.

Split the wood out to make short dowels,so it isn't cross grained in the dowel plate.

[Mike Hutchison]

Guys: Have tried turning dowels on my lathe for projects and usually end up a little off despite concentration applied. Think a plate is my answer.
Just one question. When you refer to mild steel - can anyone be a little more descriptive in re: what I am going to be asking for when I stroll into the Metal Supermarket here in town.
Thanks, Mike H.

[Russ Hauser]

Here is what I did. The "Dowel Plate" is a length of 1" x 1" x 1/8" "angle iron" from Ace Hardware. I clamp it in a vise and don't have to worry about it bouncing around when pounding on the dowel. The holes are stepped down gradually so as to not remove too much wood at one time. The back side of each hole is redrilled to a slightly larger diameter about half way thru so there is only a thin section of the drilled hole. Hope this shows in the pic of the back side.

Russ

[Mike Henderson]

And at $50 the LN plate at Woodcraft is a ripoff.
If everyone in the US had to have a dowel plate, they'd be $5 or less. But given the extremely low sales volume, that's where the price winds up.

But I find that a pretty steep price, also.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

Guys: Have tried turning dowels on my lathe for projects and usually end up a little off despite concentration applied. Think a plate is my answer.
Just one question. When you refer to mild steel - can anyone be a little more descriptive in re: what I am going to be asking for when I stroll into the Metal Supermarket here in town.
Thanks, Mike H.
Mild steel is just steel that has a low percentage of carbon. I think George recommended mild steel so that you could drill it. But mild steel will eventually distort or wear if you drive a lot of dowels through it (as George said).

The commercial dowel plates are hardened so they last longer.

Anyway, if you ask for some steel plate that can be drilled with standard drill bits, you'll almost certainly get mild steel. George can tell you the number(s).

Mike

[Michael Weber]

There was a short article or maybe just a 'tip' in one of the ww mags the last few years that had a jig for making dowels utilizing a router. I actually built a simplified version of it because I only needed it for one time use. It worked pretty well after a short learning curve. It uses the side of a straight router bit to shear square stock. The square stock feeds through a round hole just large enough to fit the square stock and allow it to turn. The stock passes past the bit, shearing it round because the stock in continually being rotated and then the stock exits into a round hole the desired dowel diameter. Both holes are in stock within an inch or so of the router bit to provide rigid support. Wish I could remember where I saw it. Maybe someone here will remember.

[Harry Goodwin]

Well, I have both a homade and a Ln dowel plate. They both work. The LN is A2 and reemed out on the backside to provide clearance. I would buy it again but I'll admit it was a spending spree. Then again I have some Japanease chisels. Harry

[Lee Schierer]

I've made my own dowels a few times when I need one longer than the sizes stocked at the local supply houses. It is pretty easy to do with around over bit and feather boards on a router table. You rip your stock to the nominal dowel size you are making and cut it longer than the final needed piece. Then with the appropriate sized bit in the router adjusted so the edges of the bit cut flush to the table surface and to the fence surface, you mount the feather boards to hold the stock tight to the fence and also down to the table. Make the first pass, the rotate the stock so the just cut surface is up and against the fence. Make the second pass and rotate the stock so the two cut surfaces are up and one is against the fence. Make the third cut. Rotate the stock so the remaining square edge is toward the router bit and make the final pass. Wrap some sand paper around the dowel and hand sand by running the dowel through your hand sort of like violin playing.

You can make any length dowel this way.

I don't know that I would try this on any dowel smaller than 3/8" diameter, but it probably can be done if you have small enough feather boards. I also wouldn't try this for very short dowels as they would be hard to push past the feather boards.

[george wilson]

Note I did specify that a mild steel dowel plate would be o.k. for "a while". then,it isn't too hard to make another one.

Mild steel is the stuff that most iron work is made out of. The store will not have the numbers,like 1018,1020,etc. that the steel is. If it is in the assorted metal bin at Ace,it is mild steel.

For home shop use,meaning short runs of dowels,make one up and try it. I'd recommend using a thicker plate than the one shown,though. Can you lay hands on a piece of 3/8",or 1/2" steel? I get plenty of good scrap steel at the local junkyards,though that may not be possible in big cities. In New York,I saw a store where they sold odd chunks of metal that were sky high on pricing. I mean,a 2" cube of brass,not even square for $12.00 back in the 70's. I'd have paid $1.00 for that in Hampton,Va..

If you can get hold of a car leaf spring,it will make a nice dowel plate,as it is fairly high carbon. Trouble is,you will have to anneal it to cut or drill it.

I am trying to help non machine shop equipped users,without tempering ovens,to get by: Many years ago,in the Winter,I was able to anneal some hefty pieces of hardened tool steel by putting it in the woodstove overnight,packed with wood,and just let it burn all night,and cool down slowly. I had steel 3" X 1"x12". It annealed very nicely.

After annealing,you can hammer it flat,saw a piece off,and drill it.

Failing everything else,you can just buy a piece of 01 steel. It comes annealed so it can be cut and drilled. You have to buy an 18" piece at least. MSC Co. sells it. You may end up paying more than you want to for a 3/8" X 1 1/2" X 18" piece. I don't have my catalog handy. That would make 3 dowel plates,though. Even annealed,high carbon steel,like a spring,or 01 will hold up much better than mild steel.

[David DeCristoforo]

This will absolutely do you no good but years ago I bought a dowel making tool from Woodcraft. I cannot recall the maker's name but I think it's German. It has a handle with a holder for various sized dowel bushings and a gouge shaped cutter. There are "drivers" that mount in a drill press or lathe chuck into which you tap the end of a square stick. Then you turn on the machine (slow speed!) and run the cutter down the length of the stick. It makes beautiful dowels in whatever spices you feed it as long as the cutter is good and sharp. Tomorrow when I'm in the shop I'll take a couple of pics to post. It's a great little tool but I don't think it's being made any more. I could not find it on the 'net or the bay or anywhere (except in my shop!)

[harry strasil]

FWIW, The mild steel today is from mini mills, where all manner of iron is thrown in the pot and melted by electric anodes and continuous cast out the bottom, if you heat it to a red and quench it, a hacksaw will not touch it.

And if you are going to make your own dowels using a dowel plate, you need to rive (split) your blanks to make decent dowels.

You can take a hard piece of oak, drill a hole the size you want, cut a rebate for a cutter, which can be a chisel and clamp it in the rebate, and first pointing a piece of square blank, and using a driver in your drill press chuck, position it directly in line with the chuck and spin the blank and if properly adjusted and not fed to fast it will make perfect dowels.

The rebate must go clear across to leave room for the swarf to go.

[Peter Quinn]

I have made dowels as small as 1/4" on the router table. I think 1/8" could work but it sure gets dicey working with stock that thin no matter how you choose to do it. Mill extra stock to be sure. I usually leave the ends square, make the blanks about 12"-20" long depending on thickness (the thicker, the longer). I leave the ends square by plunging the stock into the fence at the beginning of each pass with about 3" of stock past the cutter and pulling away from the fence about 3" before the end of each pass. This keeps things from rotating on those last few passes. I keep the stock tight to the fence with a push stick or a backer board. Keep the fance opening as small as possible. scarier If you use a backer board you have to plunge the stock down and lift up at the end rather than plunge in and pull away. Either way, keep your hands clear of the cutter.

Sounds scarrier than it actually is, and with a 1/16" round over, you are not dealing with a large cutter that has a lot of push to it. Might be worth a shot.

[Roger Warford]

I was just researching this topic myself and have been overwhelmed by the options for making dowels.

I believe this (http://www.veritastools.com/Products/Page.aspx?p=151) is the tool David was referring to.

I've seen several different jigs for making dowels on a router. In addition to using roundover bits as Anthony suggested, I've seen bullnose bits suggested, and just about any other kind of bit in various jigs (see for example the dowel making jig at highland hardware, or Making Dowels with the Router (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/subscription/Workshop/WorkshopArticle.aspx?id=3115) at Taunton.com.

Taunton also offers a jig for use on a table saw (Making Dowels with the Tablesaw (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/subscription/skillsandtechniques/skillsandtechniquesarticle.aspx?id=3116)).

For completeness, Taunton provides directions for using a hand plane as well (Making Dowels (https://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/subscription/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=3074)).

I've also read about people simply chucking up small stock in a drill and sanding it down.

Here's one for conical dowels on a jointer: Making conical dowels and spindles on a jointer (http://woodgears.ca/spindles/index.html).

I'm looking for articles showing methods for the planer and bandsaw now!;)

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

you can do it on a lathe or use a dowel plate. Or both. I made mine from 1/4" thick Tool steel and heat treated it. I sharpen it on my 10" grinder. works great.

The first dowel plate I made was from old angle iron. It worked for the limited run for which I intended it.

[David DeCristoforo]

"I believe this is the tool David was referring to."

Nope... that ain't it. Here's a picture of it.
123256
I cannot find any reference to it anywhere but I bought it in '72 and that was (holy crap) 37 years ago! There are no markings on it whatsoever so no way for me to even identify the country of origin let alone the maker. But it works great and I have made a lot of dowel with it!

[Richard Dooling]

Is there any advantage to using one side of the plate over the other? I guess I'm wondering if drilling the plate raises a burr that would help cut the dowel. If so I guess you would have to stop pounding before the hammer hit the plate.

[george wilson]

Those dowel tools were sold by either Lee Valley or Garrett Wade. Still are,I think. But,they are expensive.

Harry,I haven't had mild steel that would harden,but have heard horror stories about Chinese made steel having ball bearings and other crap in it,that ruined expensive cutters.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Those dowel tools were sold by either Lee Valley or Garrett Wade. Still are,I think. But,they are expensive."

When I bought it, Garrett Wade and Lee Valley didn't even exist! I got this one from Woodcraft but they do not carry it anymore. Nor do GW or LV. It's a mystery now....

[george wilson]

I have seen similar dowel makers in a recent catalog anyway. It must have been 1 of the 2.

[harry strasil]

that's how I get the spring in my holdfast tops George, as a smith I worked a lot of mild, the old mild was 1003, the new mini mill stuff is whatever, when you cool the piece you use a hot to cut some off of, you normally cool the excess so no one including you picks up the hot end, I found out about the new stuff by trying to cut an end off with a lenox diemaster bandsaw blade and it just skated on it.

[harry strasil]

this is my small dowel plate, its just a piece of 3/8 truck spring I drilled holes in without annealling. and the large one is just a piece of mild steel.

[Virgil Johnson]

There was a short article or maybe just a 'tip' in one of the ww mags the last few years that had a jig for making dowels utilizing a router. I actually built a simplified version of it because I only needed it for one time use. It worked pretty well after a short learning curve. It uses the side of a straight router bit to shear square stock. The square stock feeds through a round hole just large enough to fit the square stock and allow it to turn. The stock passes past the bit, shearing it round because the stock in continually being rotated and then the stock exits into a round hole the desired dowel diameter. Both holes are in stock within an inch or so of the router bit to provide rigid support. Wish I could remember where I saw it. Maybe someone here will remember.

Woodsmith magazine more than a few years ago.
It is a technigue I find easy and accurate and use it often.

Virgil

[Stephen Musial]

Cut your stock close.

Knock down the corners.

Chuck it into your drill.

Pull trigger and hold it to a piece of sand paper.

Presto - you have a dowel.

I wouldn't do it more than 3 or 4 inches exposed as it may start flapping.

[David DeCristoforo]

The shop made dowel making jigs being discussed here are pretty easy to make. Here's a drawing showing how I have made them.

http://www.daviddecristoforo.com/Misc/dowel.pdf

None of the dimensions are critical except for the following:

The lead-in hole and the "pickup" hole must be concentric.
The stock must be cut square and the diagonal dimension must be equal to the diameter of the lead-in hole.
The center line of the holes should be aligned with the center line of the bit.
The bottom of the bit must be exactly tangent to the to the "outfeed" hole.

Drill the lead-in hole first. Drill approximately half way through the block. Then switch the the bit for the "outfeed" hole and drill the rest of the way through the block. The block can be hardwood or a chunk of something like teflon.

The easiest way to set this up is to make a sub-base for the router with the jig attached to it. Then plunge the bit through the jig.

To use the jig, cut strips of the correct size (any length). Run a screw into the end of each stick (centered) and then clip the head off the screw. Chuck the shaft of the screw in a drill, turn on the router, push the end of the stick into the lead-in hole, turn on the drill and feed the spinning stock through the jig. As the dowel is formed, it will be stabilized by the "outfeed" hole. You want a good "slip fit". Too tight and the stock will bind. Too loose and the dowel will not be uniform. Adjust the bit depth to get it "just right".

You will need a separate block for each size dowel you want to make. Theoretically, there is no limit to the length of dowel you can make but long thin dowels may require some additional support to keep from "whipping". I have also seen jigs like this made in a manner that places the bit in a position where the side of the bit is doing the cutting rather than the end. Either way, the principal is the same.

[Jerome Hanby]

Didn't Stanley build a dowel maker once upon a time? Saw this (http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tools/hand/the-stanley-no-77-dowel-and-rod-turner/) on the Wood Mag WWW.

[harry strasil]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/stanleydowelmaker.jpg

1/4 to 3/4 only. I got only the 3/8 one, so made another head with brass inserts to make the other sizes.

[Scot Ferraro]

I like my LN plate -- yes it cost some money, but it is worth it to me to get perfectly sized dowels and not have to mess with drilling a plate. IMHO it is a very fine tool and worth the money -- I just made 24 dowels for drawbore pins for my workbench and I was able to make them in short order. It will stay sharp and can be resharpened easily without distorting the size. I have found that commercial dowels are not exact in size and often you need to punch them through a dowel plate to get them to be exact.

Scot

[Mike Shields]

This is probably gonna be the way I go...

http://www.woodcraft.com/Articles/Articles.aspx?articleid=672