Harwood dowels

Is there any intrest in hardwood dowels? I was thinking of getting some knives for makeing dowels, but not sure if there is enough demand for them. If you use them, what sizes?

Dowels generally get hidden so you really don't need hardwood. And when you want a plug, you generally don't want the end grain showing - you want face grain - so you use a plug cutter to make it.

And if I did need a hardwood dowel, I'd just turn it myself and finish it on the dowel plate that I have. But even if I didn't have a dowel plate, I just go slow and creep up on the proper size. I can't imagine needing a whole lot of hardwood dowels.

Mike

Al killian said:

Is there any intrest in hardwood dowels? I was thinking of getting some knives for makeing dowels, but not sure if there is enough demand for them. If you use them, what sizes?

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Knives? Would you be making them on a shaper? Sorry, don't really have a need, just curious.

No shaper, a moulding machine. A guy has some knives left over from when he had a moulder and Iwas seeing if there would much call for them.

Al killian said:

No shaper, a moulding machine. A guy has some knives left over from when he had a moulder and Iwas seeing if there would much call for them.

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Al,
Since most of the commercially available dowels are sized all over the place - some are too big, others too small, and a very few are the right size - I'd think there might be a market for "right-sized" dowels, particularly in some of the more popular hardwoods like oak, cherry, walnut, and maple.

I'd guess there could be a decent market for some of the exotics, too, but they'd probably have to be made only on an 'as needed' basis due to the small market. Geez, I can only imagine what you'd have to get for something like ¾" Macassar ebony dowels! Can you say EXPENSIVE?

Al, I have a nasty shop made dowel plate I made because I'm too cheap to buy the LN. It serves my needs well.

I guess my view is that someone fussy enough to want his/her specific [wood type or size] dowels will probably have the ability to make them. Or buy them from places like Rockler that IIRC, offers a nice variety.

OK then, I guess Iwill pss on them. On to the next money maker.

Al killian said:

Is there any intrest in hardwood dowels? I was thinking of getting some knives for makeing dowels, but not sure if there is enough demand for them. If you use them, what sizes?

Click to expand...

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There may be a demand for 3/8 dia. if you could find someone making free standing shelving units similar to these.