Dowel making

[Mike O'Keefe]

Morning Does anyone here make there own dowels?? What kind of plate or die do you use? I need to make some 3/8 dowels but must be white oak. There not available locally so would have to order. Thanks Mike O'Keefe

[Richard Coers]

I have the Veritas dowel making fixture from Lee Valley. Pricey, but amazing quality and quality smooth dowels from it. They do make a cheaper dowel and tenon maker, but I have no experience. A dowel plate is okay for making things like 3" long dowels, but even then the surface quality is not the best and if the grain doesn't run from end to end you can actually break the dowel by driving it through.

[Dave Mills]

I use the "smash it through" plate from LN and have recently made 3/8" dowels from white oak. They worked fine, though not as smooth as something that would cut them like a pencil sharpener type of action.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

You did not mention how long you wanted to make. I assume that everything that I link here will be better for shorter dowels, not longer ones.

I own this one (and some make one on their own):

https://www.lie-nielsen.com/products...plate-standard

One from Lee Valley (that I do not own)

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...r?item=05J6320

Some random one on Amazon with 17 different sizes with very different types, I don't know anything about either.

https://www.amazon.com/DFM-Steel-Dow.../dp/B07Q4RY3T7
https://www.amazon.com/Creker-Speed-.../dp/B08D5ZT1RR

[Andrew Hughes]

I also use the Lie Neilson dowel plate. Riven wood dowels are kinda wormy look but very strong I would go as far to say they are stronger then a smooth dowel cut from square blocks.

[Jacob Mac]

I use this

https://dfmtoolworks.com/products/a2-steel-dowel-plate

So far so good.

[David Powell]

As an alternative to the plates, one can use the router table fitted with a roundover bit with a diameter 1/2 of the needed dowel diameter. There was an article in one of the old ShopNotes magazines from several years ago. Also, a Google search will show similar methods.

[Philip Glover]

I have a LN plate.
The main things to remember are:
1 - hammer the piece through with the grain.
2 - put a taper on the end to center and start the piece.
3 - it is very difficult to make a long straight dowel with a plate.

In addition I have a A.A. Wood hollow auger and a Stanley no. 77 dowel maker.
The size and length of the dowel needed determines the tool used.

Regards,

Phil

[Matt Day]

Stanley 77 here.

[Mike O'Keefe]

Thanks everyone for the reply's. I wanted to order the Veritas ,but out of stock. So ordered the DFM one. Thanks again. Mike O'Keefe

[Mike Ontko]

I use the "smash it through" plate from LN and have recently made 3/8" dowels from white oak. They worked fine, though not as smooth as something that would cut them like a pencil sharpener type of action.

I've also got the LN "smash it through" plate but most of the dowels I've made have been with a simple pencil sharpener type of jig that I use my beater Stanley bench chisel for. You can make reasonably decent dowels this way, though you'll want to be sure that your chisel is sharp.

For reference...in case you haven't come across it already, here's a link to a YouTube video by Matthias Wandel on, "How to make the dowel maker."

[Paul Haus]

Just saw this and even though the OP ordered a plate thought I'd add something for the next guy. I have a couple of drive through plates and don't always come out straight. I have a couple of tenon cutters in various sizes like this one: Timber Tuff TMC-01TCFB 1" Tenon Cutter with Forstner Bit - - Amazon.com
and theser: 5 Piece Plug & Tenon Cutter Set - Power Drill Accessories - Amazon.com
The first one is easier to get going and centered but both styles will work. I know you can get the 2d style in 3/8" but I'm not sure about the first one but likely you can if you look. The first one is used a lot in log furniture etc.