Replies

1. 
   RickL | Sep 06, 2007 11:11pm | #1

   Just buy presized and fluted dowels. A much better dowel. The flutes are a must.

   http://www.chicagodowel.com/

1. 
   LesT | Sep 08, 2007 02:33am | #5

   Rick -

   Thanks, I do buy fluted dowels, but resizing them makes the project much easier to test fit. Actually, I like the dowels that Lee Valley sells - fluted with a slight twist too.

    

   Les

2. 
   Diz | Sep 07, 2007 04:55am | #2

   One of our club members sent this tip to Glen Huey who illustrates it on his site.

   http://www.woodworkersedge.com/ToolTip01.htm

1. 
   LesT | Sep 08, 2007 02:34am | #6

   Diz -

   Resizing dowels on a table saw is a bit too scary for me - only as a last resort.

   Les

    

3. 
   frenchy | Sep 07, 2007 08:13am | #3

   LesT

    faster less difficult way would be to chuck the dowles in your drill press and hold a piece of sand paper against  it.  a few moments will reduce the size to where it makes an easy slide in or out..

    If you want one side tight simply put half the dowel in the drill pres and sand the other half..

    also works well to take the next size dowel and reduce it enough for a hole that is slightly oversized.. Just think of your drill press as a vertical lathe.

   
   

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   Edited 9/7/2007 1:15 am ET by frenchy

1. 
   LesT | Sep 08, 2007 02:36am | #7

   Frenchy -

   A nice idea, especially for resizing just a part of the dowel. But I must tell you, I can resize 15 dowels in 1 minute by pounding them through the metal gauge. I think your method would take a little longer.

   Les

1. 
   frenchy | Sep 08, 2007 03:51am | #9

   LesT

    You are correct,  your method would be fast if a bit less accurite. 

4. 
   hammer1 | Sep 07, 2007 02:47pm | #4

   Your method is commonly used for making pins. Lie Nielsen makes a dowel sizing plate for this purpose. A loose dowel isn't a good thing in dowel joinery without a gap filling glue. I prefer to use fluted or spiral dowels. They fit tight but compress slightly and the flutes eliminate hydraulic action from the glue, which can prevent you from getting the joints pulled up tight or cause glue starvation.

   http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=DP

   http://www.bearwood.com/DOWELPINS.HTML

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   LesT | Sep 08, 2007 02:38am | #8

   hammer1 -

   my sizing reduces the width by 1/64", so only 1/128" around the edges. So I haven't experienced a loose fit with this method, plus the glue swells the dowel a bit anyway.

   Les

    

5. 
   PaulMassachusetts | Sep 08, 2007 04:07am | #10

   I use a Lie Nielsen dowel sizing plate. I cut some oversize dowels and put that piece in the drill press chuck. The spinning dowell is easily sized.   This plate assumes that you have an exact size drill.

   You need a tight fit of the pin (dowel)  in the hole (made with the exact size drill). Glue hardly helps as the direction of grain in the two pieces is not condusive for glue bond. I use pins on breadboard ends for tables and box lids. The hold is from the tight dowel/hole fit and not from the glue.  

     

   
   

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   Edited 9/7/2007 9:09 pm ET by PaulMassachusetts

6. 
   oldusty | Sep 08, 2007 04:28am | #11

      Les ,

              Definitely try the spiral fluted ready cut dowels .

                I quickly take a pair of pliers and squeeze all around half at a time , takes maybe 10 seconds . This makes the dowel fit better and creates a compression joint as the wood fibers of the dowel swell back up from the moisture of the glue the dowel fits even more tight .

                       dusty