Replies

1. 
   papanick | Feb 17, 2006 09:03pm | #1

   Not to sound facetious, but why would you want one?

   The idea behind the plate is to make dowels in different species for appearance sake. Fluted dowels aren't supposed to be seen, and come pre-dried, chamfered, perfectly in birch in lots of different sizes for next to nothing.

   I found a web link on making your own, but the 1st question remains.

   The older I get, the better I was....

1. 
   Yogi | Feb 17, 2006 10:53pm | #2

   Thank you for your support-

2. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Feb 17, 2006 10:55pm | #3

   Yogi,

   All you need is one flute . for glue/air to escape.

   Drill a hole the size of the dowel in a piece of hardwood scrap. Put a screw into the side of the bit of hardwood so that the tip of the screw just pokes into the hole.

   Hammer the dowel through and you've got your flute - to change the shape of the flute, take the screw out and file the end of the screw to the angle you want the flute at.

    

   Alternatively, get a bit of 3 by 2 (this is the way I do it when I need to.) Drill a series of through holes across the 2" dimension about 1/2" from the end of the 3 by 2 that are the same size as the dowels.  By staggering the holes into two rows, one about 1/2" from the end, and one about 1.5" from the end, I can get about 7 dowel holes across the 70mm/3" width of the face. 

   Then, go to the bandsaw and cut a saw kerf in each dowel approx 1/16" deep.  Job done.  Replace the dowels as needed and reuse the jig to cut air/glue grooves as needed.

   Cheers,

   eddie

    

1. 
   papanick | Feb 17, 2006 11:36pm | #4

   But- if you puchase fluted dowels, they are also compressed.

   They swell up when the glue hits them, and expand to fill the hole better.

   That's why I suggest buying spiral or stright fluted pieces if you're building with them.The older I get, the better I was....

1. 
   Yogi | Feb 18, 2006 03:10am | #5

   Thanks anyway-  I found what I was looking for at Woodcraft-

2. 
   Yogi | Feb 18, 2006 03:11am | #6

   Thanks anyway-  I found what I was looking for at Woodcraft-