Dowels

[Rob Luter]

I use pegged mortise and tenon joinery quite a bit. I like the strength and like the look. It's been pretty tough finding dowel stock for the last year or so. The stuff that's available is usually only in Red Oak and Poplar and the size and quality is all over the map.

I was pleased to see that LN has their dowel plates available again and am looking forward to receiving mine. Going forward I'll make my own using the wood I want. Come on Brown Truck!

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[Jack Frederick]

I have the LN dowel plate. I’ve done them in walnut, oak, mahogany, pine. I have made some pretty wonky dowels with it. You find out the grain structure that you may not have recognized prior to driving the pin. Good luck with it. I’ve been on their list for mortise chisels for about 6-8 mos. Wish they would come back too.

[Joshua Lucas]

I have the DFM Tool Works dowel plate, though I haven't had occasion to use it yet. It has more holes than the L-N for about the same cost, IIRC.

Edit: yep, $60 for the DFM vs. $65 for the L-N.

[Rob Luter]

I have the LN dowel plate. I’ve done them in walnut, oak, mahogany, pine. I have made some pretty wonky dowels with it. You find out the grain structure that you may not have recognized prior to driving the pin. Good luck with it. I’ve been on their list for mortise chisels for about 6-8 mos. Wish they would come back too.

I understand that rivving/splitting the dowel stock along the grain (as opposed to sawing blanks) is important to proper function. I'm looking forward to the learning curve.


I have the DFM Tool Works dowel plate, though I haven't had occasion to use it yet. It has more holes than the L-N for about the same cost, IIRC.

Edit: yep, $60 for the DFM vs. $65 for the L-N.

I saw that one and others with lots more holes. I use 1/4" and 3/8" for 99% of my work so the LN has more than I really need anyway.

[Jim Koepke]

Congratulations Rob, once you start making your own dowels you find yourself with a lot less 'store bought' dowels.

Being able to make my own dowels has saved me a lot of frustrations over having to run into town.

The LV Veritas Dowel Former was the one to catch my eye. It is currently out of stock.

In one publication from Stanley there is a section on making dowels using a #45 and beading blades.

One of my projects, building an articulated gate > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?262272 < used a set up with a small hollow plane to shape stock to use with the Veritas Dowel Former (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/dowel-and-tenon-cutters/101492-veritas-dowel-former).

It is also not too difficult to make your own cutter for making long dowels:

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Sometimes larger dowels have been cut on my lathe.

Then there are a lot of other tools to help with using dowels > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?256011

In case you haven't guessed, dowels are used often in my projects.

jtk

[Philip Glover]

Rob,

I have a L-N dowel plate which I use for short (>3" long) dowels. It works well.
It is difficult to make a straight dowel that is longer than 3". For long straight dowels I use different methods.
Riven stock does produce a better result.
I think the main things to remember are 1) always drive with the grain, 2) put a point on the stock to make it easier to center and start.

Regards,
Phil

[Jim Koepke]

I have the DFM Tool Works dowel plate, though I haven't had occasion to use it yet. It has more holes than the L-N for about the same cost, IIRC.
[edited]

Some dowel plates have multiple larger holes in steps of 1/64" - 1/32" before the target diameter for rough cutting followed by smoothing cuts to a dowel.

jtk

[Keith Outten]

Beale Tools sells dowel stock in several species for wood threading purposes that is very accurate.

[Rob Luter]

Rob,

I have a L-N dowel plate which I use for short (>3" long) dowels. It works well.
It is difficult to make a straight dowel that is longer than 3". For long straight dowels I use different methods.
Riven stock does produce a better result.
I think the main things to remember are 1) always drive with the grain, 2) put a point on the stock to make it easier to center and start.

Regards,
Phil

I’ll just be making tenon pegs so 3” will be just fine.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Rob,

I have a L-N dowel plate which I use for short (>3" long) dowels. It works well.
It is difficult to make a straight dowel that is longer than 3". For long straight dowels I use different methods.
Riven stock does produce a better result.
I think the main things to remember are 1) always drive with the grain, 2) put a point on the stock to make it easier to center and start.

Regards,
Phil
You can make longer ones, but it is hard to do by driving them through.

I have been known to chuck up a piece of stock in my shoulder drill and run it through. A little pressure and the rotation and you can get longer dowels pretty easily with a dowel plate.

Still waiting to find one of those Stanley machines at a yard sale someplace.

[James Pallas]

It’s usually the flex that gets you on longer dowels. Water pipe is sized close to standard dowels. Keep a couple of pieces of different length and size. Put your riven piece thru the pipe first set it on the plate and drive away. A machined edge on the pipe will help with a primarily cut, 1/2” pipe for 3/8” dowel. Well sized pipe will get you there without the plate in some cases. Drilling out coupler nuts to correct size leaving part of the threads works well also, many sharp cutters after drilling.
Jim

[Mel Fulks]

We always knocked the dowels thru a 3/4 or 1 inch thick piece of scrap steel on both purchased and shop made dowels. That plate would
be counter sunk enough to keep the plate from cutting….it only squeezed. Then when project was doweled together the the water in the
plastic resin glue would swell the dowel. Done that way they never back out.

[Jim Koepke]

Still waiting to find one of those Stanley machines at a yard sale someplace.

That would be a sweet find on any rust hunt.

jtk

[Philip Glover]

I do use a Stanley no. 77 dowel maker for long dowels, or my pattern-makers lathe.
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Regards,
Phil

[Rob Luter]

I do use a Stanley no. 77 dowel maker for long dowels, or my pattern-makers lathe.
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Regards,
Phil

Want! :D

At least ten characters.

[Rob Luter]

It got delivered today and I mounted it in a chunk of white oak. I made a couple test dowels and it seems to work well. Straight grain is your friend.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51545812722_d579c7cf1e_c.jpg