Using the Lie Neilsen dowel maker

[Joe Cowan]

This almost seems silly to ask, as this is a very simple tool. My experience is that everything has some tricks to it. I am getting ready to use one for the first time, making 4" X 3/8" oak dowels. I did one and it came out with a slight curve. I have made 3/8" square stock and have cut them to 4". Any tricks to making these straight? One other note, I pounded it through the 1/2" hole first to trim some off the corners.

[Jeff Duncan]

Hi Joe, I haven't made dowels before so I may be way off base, but seems like it would be easier to make the dowels first before cutting to length no? It should give you a lot more leverage to keep the stock going through the die straight? Just a thought FWIW?

good luck,
JeffD

[Joe Cowan]

Hi Joe, I haven't made dowels before so I may be way off base, but seems like it would be easier to make the dowels first before cutting to length no? It should give you a lot more leverage to keep the stock going through the die straight? Just a thought FWIW?

good luck,
JeffD


Could be, but I thought the length would cause a flex when pounding it though, and that would not bode well for keeping it square. I think a hand plane, and rounding over the square corners would be one way to make it easier.

[Ralph Boumenot]

Have tried to rive the dowel stock first? That should cure the banana shape. It also helps to knock the corners off first to approximate the size of the dowel you want.

[Clay Fails]

My experience with the LN plate is that the shorter the stock the less bow you will get. The grain of the wood also makes. Big difference. Trimming the edges of square stock with a block plane also helps.

[Kent A Bathurst]

As noted above, it ain't the dowel maker plate, it is the grain of the wood that guides the blank thru the hole in the plate. The straighter the grain in the blanks, the straighter the dowels.

I don't get too spun up about it..."pretty straight" is usually good enough for me. They straighten out when hammered home.

[Ryan Baker]

You really should rive (split) the blanks instead of cutting them. Start with a big hole and work down through the holes to the size you need. Depending on the size and material, you might be able to start them and then pull them through from the back (one smooth pull) to keep them a little straighter. Don't expect to get perfect, smooth dowels out of a dowel plate. But they don't need to be perfect. They will be fine once you drive them in.

[Nelson Howe]

Here's what I do:

Mill your square stock relatively close to your desired dowel size. You want straight grain as best you can. Point one end either with a knife, chisel, or a pencil sharpener enough that it will get started into the doweling plate hole. I have an mdf table on my drill press with a hole larger than the desired dowel size, and I set up the dowel plate over this hole. I cut my stock longer than the desired dowel piece, but not super long (I'm making pegs, not curtain rods), chuck it into the drill press, turn it on at a slow speed, and lower the pointed end into the hole (!!!?). This gives me smoother, rounder dowels that I got banging sticks in with a hammer, which seems to be what the instructions advised. You still get some that aren't perfectly cylindrical, but I got better consistency this way, which mattered to me, as the ends of the pegs were exposed, and I didn't want any flat spots.

Nelson

[Jim Neeley]

Somewhat similar to Nelson's approach, I've seem someone start with a fairly long blank (24" or so) and whittle a inch or two enough to stick through the hole. Then grip the end in a brace and pull it through while turning. A cordless drill may work as well?? The idea is to make it a bit of a shearing cut.

Jim

[Andrew Hughes]

I rive my wood for the dowel plate also.They do come out kinda wormy looking but they do fit a nicely drilled hole every time.I also keep them close to the length I need and cut the corners off with a pocket knife.Always use a brass hammer and hit them fare and square.Kinda therapeutic.Banging wood thru metal.

[Joe Cowan]

I am using quartersawn oak which works for the advice above. I am going to be using these to drawbore the legs to the table I am building, to the stretcher (Hayrake table featured in Fine Woodworking about a year ago). Because of that pressure on the dowel, I was hoping for as straight as possible.

[Paul Murphy]

I am using quartersawn oak which works for the advice above. I am going to be using these to drawbore the legs to the table I am building, to the stretcher (Hayrake table featured in Fine Woodworking about a year ago). Because of that pressure on the dowel, I was hoping for as straight as possible.
A drawbore will arch your dowel anyway, so just orient any curve to your advantage and drive them home. A riven dowel will stronger, and all you will see is the end once it is driven home.

[Bud Millis]

I've used the LN several times. Start in the larger holes and work your way down. Try hitting the dowel square, adjusting as needed. Sometimes I get a little wave in mine, however, that has never been an issue in draw-boring. Also in one of the rags (Pop Wood??) from last year they had a nice cut away view of a drawbore assembly. That too had some wave in it. If it is done correct, there will be a bow in the pin anyways.