dowel plate

[Noah Wagener]

I was trying to make a dowel plate out of some 1/32 spring steel mounted over wood as it was on hand. Getting holes in the steel has proven difficult. I was able to punch a hole with a nail set and then file to 1/2 " but that was not fun. Do those pliers type of punches that are often labeled "aviation grade" work? How do saw makers cut the holes for the handle?

I was think of filing out the threads of nuts and then maybe putting a slight bevel on top. Are they going to be too soft? Would they be able to be hardened?

Thanks

[David Weaver]

You may be better off doing this purchasing pieces of O1 steel or anything that you know how to harden (scrap or otherwise), annealing it, drilling the hole and then rehardening.

Drilling neatly made holes in spring steel with shadetree mechanic tools isn't terribly easy. Carbide bits with lubrication might work, never tried it. Good quality HSS might also, same thing, never tried it.

George has suggested masonry bits before for spring steel, but I don't know much about their ability to drill deep neat holes.

[Mike Henderson]

Put a "Want to Buy" in the classified section for a dowel plate, indicating about what you would be willing to pay and you'll probably get some offers. You can base your buying price off the LN dowel plate - discount from the current retail price.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

1/32" seems a bit thin for a dowel plate.

It also may be using something stiffer or more substantial could be a better choice.

My dowel cutters are square at the top.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=70555&cat=1,42524

The object isn't to squeeze the stock through, but to peel off any excess upon entry.

jtk

[David Weaver]

I just noticed something - I'd want dowel plates made out of steel that was at least an eighth thick. You're going to beat the daylights out of them trying to get dowels through and you don't want them to bow.

A quarter is even nicer. You lap or belt sand the face of a dowel plate that's a quarter thick - flatness doesn't really matter as much as a fresh edge. Before LN gentrified these, I wonder if they were as neat and tidy, or if they were quickly created, beat mercilessly and not cleaned very often.

LN's version is nice, though. There are likely to be gobs of them bought and not used much. Mine has been used sparingly, but not like something $50 should be.

[Ryan Mooney]

I just drilled some holes in some mild steel (might have been 1/4" stock) with the drill press and left the drilling bur. Not for industrial quantities of use but for a few dozen dowels I haven't really noticed it being a problem. I guess it depends on what your goals are, do you want the fanciest dowel plate on the block that will last for ever or do you just want to bang out a few dowels real quick?

[Paul Saffold]

I have a piece of scrap metal that has worked fine. It isn't even hardened but works. It is 1/2" thick. I agree that you will want something thicker than 1/32". I would check the home supply and farm supply stores. Pick up a small piece of mild steel then do as David suggest.

[Noah Wagener]

I know it is thin. I mounted it on a block of wood for stiffness. it is all i had on hand. I saw somewhere a piece of pipe used with the top beveled to 45. I guess it is cheap eonugh to give it a try.

[Paul Incognito]

I just drilled some holes in some mild steel (might have been 1/4" stock) with the drill press
I did the same thing. I found a couple of big bits (3/4 and 1") and made a dowel plate. I used a tapered reamer to undercut the hole. Didn't harden or temper it.
So far I've made 7 or 8 3/4" dowels and it works great.
I did once make a plate out of an old cicular saw blade. It worked fine for 10 or so dowels, but was pretty trashed by that time.
PI

[Tom M King]

For at least thirty years, I just used some holes I drilled in the legs of my Powermatic contractors table saw. I save fine grained pieces of wood scraps when I'm working on a project. I got a good laugh when I saw dowel plates for sale for fifty bucks.

[John Coloccia]

Masonry bits do seem to work well. Still, you can go old trying to drill through 1/32" of spring steel. I think a HSS bit would just laugh, and then cry after it turned red with embarrassment (and heat). I think for the cost of decent carbide bits that you'll well trash, I would consider just buying one.

[Eric Brown]

If I recall correctly http://www.stjamesbaytoolco.com/ has a dowel plate with round and square shapes. Some of the round ones have four points pointing in towards the middle which makes glue slots. Price is a little lower than Lie Nielsen's. Call and ask about availability if interested.

[Ryan Mooney]

If I recall correctly http://www.stjamesbaytoolco.com/ has a dowel plate with round and square shapes. Some of the round ones have four points pointing in towards the middle which makes glue slots. Price is a little lower than Lie Nielsen's. Call and ask about availability if interested.

He has them on ebay with "buy it now" for $65 and starting bid of $45 + $7 shipping (search "Dowel forming sizeing and grooving plate" - spelling as spelt). So not actually cheaper at the buy-it-now price anyway but an interesting piece nevertheless and has more hole sizes/types.

[Steve Thomas]

Don't over think it.
Grab any steel going mine is 1/4"
Drill a series of holes and start bashing it through.
http://youtu.be/Z1GeA-6551Y
This is a video of mine in action.
The steel came from an off cut of steel beam, it still has paint on it. It works really well.
Don't expect your dowels to look super smooth like machine cut sticks from the stores. But they will be round and will do their job perfectly.

[lowell holmes]

I drilled holes in a piece of 1/4" steel I had. Judging from the lack of oxidation, it must be a low grade of stainless, maybe 304.
It was relatively soft and easy to drill.

I drilled 1/4", 7/32", and then 3/16" diameter holes. I needed 3/16" dowel pins from white oak.

It worked, I made some 3/16" dowels.

I did this yesterday.