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Author Topic: Dowel Maker  (Read 13442 times)

Offline dogcatcher

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Dowel Maker
« on: April 18, 2015, 06:52:58 PM »
Since the back log is what it is at Dowels on Demand, I have been playing with ideas of making my own dowels. 

Here is one: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/dowelmakingjig.aspx  I do not like routers, I hate routers, I really hate routers, but this one set up correctly has potential to be a method that will work for making dowels for striker pegs.   I will add do this at your own risk. 

The other method I consider safer but a lot more trouble is one by Mathias Wendell, the Woodgear.com guy.  http://woodgears.ca/dowel/making.html  Spend a little time on Google and you will find other versions of his dowel cutter.  Some great versions, some mediocre and some almost useless.

Marvin
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Offline Rick Howard

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2015, 08:00:32 PM »
Awesome!  Thank you Marvin.

I gotta ask though.  What is your aversion to routers? 
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Offline dogcatcher

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2015, 08:41:08 PM »
They scare me, I have never been hurt by one, but have seen what can happen when they get away from the user.  I have hundreds of not thousands of hours using them, but I still hate them.  I prefer to use other methods if I can find one available. 

Marvin
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Offline Rick Howard

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2015, 09:47:02 PM »
I see.  I thought I was missing something about routers.  I have spent my fare share of time pushing routers.  I have seen what happens when you try to catch one when you drop it.  Also I can see a propesnsity for people to be careless with a router.  A router seems much less dangerous than saws and someone could be very lax and get seriously injured.   

I know where your coming from.  I fear the chainsaw.  I use it only as much as I have to. 
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Offline VECtor Calls

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2015, 10:45:57 PM »
That second link has a third link at the bottom to a tool I really like that allows the us of your lathe for the work.

Very impressive stuff. I need to get my bandsaw set up to make straight cuts for me.

I have this crazy idea in my head for the hand held mechanism to be a hand held belt sander rather than a chisel. The '100 grit gouge' would be better on tear out of a more dense wood.
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Offline Rick Howard

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2015, 12:10:02 AM »
I am thinking about a plane iron for a blade. 
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Offline dogcatcher

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2015, 01:26:02 AM »
If you are interested I recommend doing some more research, there are a lot of options for dowel making methods,  Too many options to really list them all, and I really believe if you are into callmaking for a hobby, after you get your set up made it will be a money saver.  Also the satisfaction of making your own tools is priceless.

Marvin
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Offline Ron Hendrix

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2015, 11:49:54 AM »
If you are making dowels for the purpose of turning strikers, you could actually leave off the dowel jig and take them straight from the router table to the lathe and with a little sanding or a skew, round them and reduce them to the needed size. This would be a lot easier than finishing them on the dowel maker. At least it looks like it would to me. :2:
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Offline VECtor Calls

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2015, 12:33:06 PM »
The dowel maker will give you a very exact, consistent size that would fit your striker head snug every time.
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Offline dogcatcher

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2015, 02:07:19 PM »
Quote from: VECtor Calls on April 19, 2015, 12:33:06 PM
The dowel maker will give you a very exact, consistent size that would fit your striker head snug every time.

Right on the money, I have found a dowel that is not a snug fit will sound different than a perfect snug fit. 

I prefer separate function machines if they are proficient at what they do.  If you have the set up and keep it set up it will be faster than the turning on the lathe.  To turn a 5/16" dowel on the lathe will take longer than setting up a good designed dowel maker and on a dowel maker you can make them up to about 3' long, and cut to size.  This can be done using the cutter on square stock without running them through the router set up in the one link. 

Marvin
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Offline davidpoisson

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2015, 09:33:54 AM »
Just happened to stumble across this post yesterday on a woodworking site: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/146730

Not sure I would make dowel that way, but it sure is ingenius!

David
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Offline dogcatcher

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2015, 12:35:16 AM »
I saw that one, I think it will work, it should since some pool cue makers have a system of using a table saw with the same principle.  I would try the jig saw, but no way use a table saw.

Marvin
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Offline S Jones

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Re: Dowel Maker
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2015, 02:49:09 AM »
This is another way to make Dowels. This guy has a lot of other really good
 woodworking projects.

http://woodgears.ca/dowel/making.html

Here is another one
« Last Edit: December 12, 2015, 02:56:55 AM by S Jones »
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