Oak dowel

[Chippymint]

Hi

I have tried to buy 3mm, 4mm & 5mm diameter Oak dowel rod in 300mm lengths to no avail. I used to buy it from Axminister Tools Appleby Woodturnings. They no longer do them.

Does anyone know where I can buy them from or would any of you be interested in making me some please? Very happy to pay.

Thanks

 

[SVB]

Hi.
Not sure how much you need / frequency but I know Rob cosman has a YouTube video on making dowel as he uses it to make his hidden hinge boxes (and it’s made via a handheld tool with timber spun by battery drill - no lathe required!)

s

 

[marcros]

Have you tried plug it dowel? I bought from them in the past but nothing that small.

 

[Richard_C]

I've just ordered some 13mm dowel in that length from ebay, choice of pine, oak and ash. There is a bewildering array, some are listed as craft sticks, so half an hour on the ebay UK site might find something. I must admit I've not seen 3mm in oak, just birch, but you might get lucky.

Some of the suppliers just list 'hardwood' but you get to pick type and size from a drop down box after you click on it so maybe don't be too specific in the search.

(I used to think of ebay as amazons 'dodgy cousin' but have used it for low price items a few time lately with no troubles.)

 

[Chippymint]

Have you tried plug it dowel? I bought from them in the past but nothing that small.

No I haven't so will give it a go thanks

 

[Chippymint]

I've just ordered some 13mm dowel in that length from ebay, choice of pine, oak and ash. There is a bewildering array, some are listed as craft sticks, so half an hour on the ebay UK site might find something. I must admit I've not seen 3mm in oak, just birch, but you might get lucky.

Some of the suppliers just list 'hardwood' but you get to pick type and size from a drop down box after you click on it so maybe don't be too specific in the search.

(I used to think of ebay as amazons 'dodgy cousin' but have used it for low price items a few time lately with no troubles.)

Yes I've been doing a lot of checks on the Nett but to no avail. The on my hardwood I've found is beech. I'll keep trying and thsnks for your suggestions.

 

[Misterdog]

https://plugitwood.co.uk/collections/dowels/products/oak-round-wooden-dowel
Smallest listed is 6mm, send him an email/phone he might be able to make you some.

 

[JoshD]

I wanted specifically 3mm dowel in both maple and oak. Spent ages trawling the internet. Only found birch and Ramin. Ended up making my own, but still need more and would hugely appreciate it if you posted here if you find any.

 

[ade_tumu]

G & S Timber might be able to make it by special order. They say on their website "If you require a special length or diameter of wooden dowel please contact us".

 

[JoshD]

G & S Timber might be able to make it by special order. They say on their website "If you require a special length or diameter of wooden dowel please contact us".

They weren't keen on 3mm when I contacted them a while ago

 

[Knox-on-Wood]

They weren't keen on 3mm when I contacted them a while ago

Dowel is available on ebay. G&S timber. And I've just ordered some from Cornwall Model Boats.

 

[OldWood]

Wow - a wood workers forum and no one knows how to make you own dowel - that does surprise me.

A sturdyish (~6mm) piece of gash steel - a suitable diameter hole in it - a square section of wood of the required diameter and just gently drive it throught the hole in the steel.

I will admit that 3mm might not be too easy if some length is required. I've regularly made hardwood dowells this way up to 300mm length.

 

[Cabinetman]

Three mil is very small, tiny enough to cut it to a square shape on the tablesaw, corners off with a hand plane, perhaps with the wood resting in a little V groove in a piece of wood, and then just sand it round. Ian

 

[TheTiddles]

Wow - a wood workers forum and no one knows how to make you own dowel - that does surprise me.

A sturdyish (~6mm) piece of gash steel - a suitable diameter hole in it - a square section of wood of the required diameter and just gently drive it throught the hole in the steel.

I will admit that 3mm might not be too easy if some length is required. I've regularly made hardwood dowells this way up to 300mm length.

Have a go at making a 3mm dowel with a plate, it might be a smidge tricky.
Dowel plates are ok for a few small bits of dowel, longer lengths less so
For that diameter I’d be thinking bamboo skewers
Aidan

 

[JoshD]

Have a go at making a 3mm dowel with a plate, it might be a smidge tricky.
Dowel plates are ok for a few small bits of dowel, longer lengths less so
For that diameter I’d be thinking bamboo skewers
Aidan

Yes indeed it was the experience of making 1000 3mm dowels here that led me to look for a supply

 

[TheTiddles]

Yes indeed it was the experience of making 1000 3mm dowels here that led me to look for a supply

Nice fixture, much better than trying to smash it through a plate, I guess you found that out pretty quickly
Aidan

 

[xy mosian]

I have tried a few methods of making thin dowels. Whether they are of interest I'll leave to you.

Six millimetre dowels formed by modifying a pencil sharpener. Remove the blade drill out the end, use larger pencil sharpener in aluminium, carefully modify blade before replacing and off you go. Best done manually I think.

Four millimeter dowels in dowel plate. Gently. In the case of 3mm then as the diagonal of the square is 4.2mm, start with a 4.5mm hole, to give a bit of leaway, then drop to 4mm and on to 3mm. Oh! as they are readily available I'd use a 3.2mm( 1/8" ) hole between the 4.0mm and the 3mm. The use of graduated holes means that less material is removed with each 'gentle' clout. If you can grip the dowels then pulling rather than pushing is likely to produce fewer failures.

My favourite method is possibly useful under power. Start with a 3mm semi-circle scratch stock. Take a 3mm board, scrape the edge to knock off the corners, the scratch away at one surface. When the bead is fully formed turn the board over and scratch away until the bead falls off. I have done several 250mm lengths using this method. The results were as good as I could have expected.

This is the method which I believe could be done, very carefully, on a router table. Possibly one bead at a time, possibly in multiples.

https://www.trend-uk.com/en/UK/productlist/4/79/multi_bead_and_reads.html
Both the single and multiple beads/dowels done on the router table would need to be controlled, and safe of course. Although the multiple option might have beads flapping around all over the place.

The 6mm dowels were in Mahogany, and the others in Joinery Quailty Softwood. Sadly I think at 3mm in Oak you might be down at the sort of scale where the grain comes into play.

xy

 

[Dominik Pierog]

Min dia is 6mm, 3mm need be made on special order.

 

[xy mosian]

Ther you go Dominik, my bad silly schoolboy error. I hoped I would have left those behind many years ago.
xy

 

[Dominik Pierog]

Found in home beech dovels 3,3mm x 110mm for handmade lollipops. 25 Round Wooden Lollipop Dowel Stick 200mm x 3mm Axle Pack Size Cake Wood Crafts | eBay