Dowel rods

[genek]

Have you ever wished you had a dowel rod that matched the type or species of wood your are using, but can not find it or it will cost you a arm and a leg to get it in time to finish the project.

Make your own. Use a round over bit in your table top router.

Lets look at how to make a half inch dowel. First you need to plan a board down to 1/2 inch. Now saw out 1/2 blanks. Adjust the router to the correct Height ( I use a 1/2 dowel to do My set up.. Now run one side through the router (be sure to use a feather board here) now turn it over and run the other side. Lightly sand and now you have your dowel rod. You can do this with any round over bit just match the wood to the size of bit. You may need to adjust if it is out of round and you may need to practice, but you can make your own dowel rods out of the same wood that you are using for your project.

Now to make dowels easier to go into holes use a old time pencil sharpener (like they use to have in school Most have holes up to 1/2 one to two turns gives you a nice chambered end.

You do have to adjust the fence as well as the height of the bit.

[donek]

Mathias Wadel starts his that way, but is able to get them far more accurate with his technique here:
http://youtu.be/z3MNbm3NCHE
This guy makes a special jig
http://youtu.be/dR9-gdNdZAA

[genek]

Not sure it is that accurate. Plus getting the hole just right and getting the chisel in right position might be a little hard. Also not sure of the safety using that technique. Some of these things posted on (you tube) is not always correct or really safe. That way it could be harder for some.
Think I will stick to my way.

[Brady Watson]

Mathias Wadel starts his that way, but is able to get them far more accurate with his technique here:
http://youtu.be/z3MNbm3NCHE
This guy makes a special jig
http://youtu.be/dR9-gdNdZAA

That's funny...I was JUST looking at both of these last week ;)

Gene - plenty accurate. He was getting his dowels within like .002". I guess if you spent the ducks on a Veritas doweling jig you could do even better than that, but for occasional use I think these are the ticket. In fact he did a video pointing out how using a router table to make dowels results in less than accurate, but acceptable dowels here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17BTdhlkeWE).

Mattias Wandel has made some pretty ingenious things with basic power tools and by hand. If you haven't checked him out (https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel), you're missing out.

-B

[donek]

That's funny...I was JUST looking at both of these last week ;)

Gene - plenty accurate. He was getting his dowels within like .002". I guess if you spent the ducks on a Veritas doweling jig you could do even better than that, but for occasional use I think these are the ticket. In fact he did a video pointing out how using a router table to make dowels results in less than accurate, but acceptable dowels here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17BTdhlkeWE).

Mattias Wandel has made some pretty ingenious things with basic power tools and by hand. If you haven't checked him out (https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel), you're missing out.

-B
I think Mathias is probably one of my favorite youtube contributors. He has pretty ingenious ideas.

I've actually made a lot of dowels with a technique that uses a router table and two blocks with holes drilled in them on either side of the bit. I was looking for a video of someone using it, but couldn't find it. It produces just as accurate results and is easily adjusted to get precise dimensions. I just run square sticks into the big hole on the feed side and the turned dowel comes out the the size of the hole in the other board. It takes about 10 minutes to setup and be running. I've usually run 6 foot long sticks through it. I just whittle the end that goes into the drill down to be fairly round and stuff it in a drill chuck.

[genek]

Bradly You all may be right. However, I get very good tight joints using my router bit (never measured them, had no need to check they fit tight) I just can see the accuracy using a drill, and a wood chisel (that is not designed to be used in a lathe situation) I could just see the dowel rod splintering and someone running a sharp point into their hand or arm. Sorry that I disagree on this one... Just can not see the benefit of going thru all of that work when I have router bits anyway which take less time to set up than having to make the jig. He may be good at things... just not sure of this one.

Besides I do not end up with a spiral on the rods that would need to be sanded off if the dowel rods are visible.