Reducing the size of dowels

[pigwins]

Hi,

was hoping for some advice. I purchased 300 hickory dowels from the states for a project but they are to thick.

The dowels are 45inch in length and currently 5/8 in diameter, I need to reduce this to 3/8.

I have tried a few methods with out success, is there any where I could take them that could professionally do this?

Any suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Droogs]

make a dowel plate and get a mallet. I doubt you will find any place to do this at a price you are willing to pay

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Good luck using a mallet on a 5/8" dowel 45" from the dowel plate.

 

[Jacob]

1. Set them aside for another project.
2. Order some more the right size.
3. Don't even look at a dowel plate! :lol:

 

[sunnybob]

Just checking that isnt a spelling mistake?
the dowels are forty five inches long and of Hickory? :shock:
and you bought three hundred of them from america? :shock:
That must have come to a tidy penny.
What on earth are you using them for?

If you need them that long, and are trying to reduce the diameter by an eighth of an inch..... I cant think of any way, sorry. :roll: The only logical way is to make the holes bigger to match the dowels.

 

[AndyT]

You can reduce them by hand, using a rounding plane, aka stail engine or witchet. It's a bit like a giant pencil sharpener.
Ashem crafts make a modern version with an alloy body.

If you want a powered option, look at the Veritas equivalent - you can rotate the dowel with a power drill.

Alternatively, search for "router dowel making" - you make a guide hole in a block of wood and spin the dowel into the hole where a straight router cutter works against it.

 

[Trevanion]

[youtube]yUmlMtpAj9o[/youtube]

 

[sunnybob]

300 off of Forty five inch lengths of Hickory are going to be a work in progress. :shock:
Thats 1125 FEET of dowel.

 

[Inspector]

A dowel maker along the lines of this...https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/to ... owel-maker ....would be the best way do it and let you make anymore needed in the future. Or you can go with the less expensive option. https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/to ... on-cutters . I think a 12 point socket the right size can be pressed/hammered on the end of the dowel to drive it with a drill and adapter. https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/to ... and-drills

Pete

 

[pigwins]

Thanks for all the reposnse, id be willing to pay a decent amount as the initial nvestment has been high once shipped,.

I tried making a table saw jig and also used a veritas platr but neither has worked. The length of the dowels have made it difficult to be honest, I shall give the chisel method a go before cisidering my options but as it stands I may simply reorder.

Cheers

 

[marcros]

Do they need to be hickory? There are plenty of 3/8 dowels in the usual species readily available.

 

[Fitzroy]

I’ve reproduced the Mattius W chisel based dowel maker and found it difficult to make and set up such that the dowels were uniform. With a lot already invested I’d bite the bullet and buy a veritas 3/8th dowel cutter from Axminster for £40 and have a crack at sizing them down.

Fitz

 

[pigwins]

I have the vertis dowel cutter and it's not proven successful with the dowels as yet, tweeked and tried different set ups but the size makes them difficult to work with. Will resharpen and perhaps try again.

Yea it needs to hickory due to the nature of the project.

 

[pigwins]

I have the vertis dowel cutter and it's not proven successful with the dowels as yet, tweeked and tried different set ups but the size makes them difficult to work with. Will resharpen and perhaps try again.

Yea it needs to hickory due to the nature of the project.

 

[Steve Maskery]

This is how I do it
[youtube]p4D8lW8uouw[/youtube]
I was younger and more handsome then. But the dowels were the same
S

 

[Droogs]

Good luck using a mallet on a 5/8" dowel 45" from the dowel plate.

Thought it said 4 point 5 inches. my bad

 

[ED65]

I have tried a few methods with out success...

Did you try making a dowel plate, chucking up the dowels in a drill and drawing them through? This is a very effective and very quick method for making, and resizing, long lengths of dowelling.

Alternatively, enlarge the holes?

 

[whiskywill]

trying to reduce the diameter by an eighth of an inch.

In the U.K., 5/8 down to 3/8 means a reduction of 2/8 or 1/4. Is the Cyprus counting system different? #-o

 

[sunnybob]

You do realise that in my mind I typed radius, dont you?
:roll: :roll: (hammer) (hammer) 8)

 

[novocaine]

I like mathias wandels way of doing dowels (I'm sure he wasn't the first but it's were I saw it) that involves drilling a hole in a block of wood, cutting away a relieve and mounting a chisel then spinning the dowel through with a drill driver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUmlMtpAj9o

whoops, ignore me, trevion beat me to it.