Wood Dowl

[ken orme]

Has anyone came up with a method to cut a 3/8" round wood dowl in in the middle and have the cut surfaces straight the full lenght?

Ken

[norgale]

Only way to do that is to have a guide on both sides of the saw blade and secure the dowel firmly to a block so it can't turn while pushing it through the blade. Even then it probably won't be pretty. Pete

[CG Bob]

Try looking for half round wood molding, it's easier than trying to split a dowel. You could get a half round router bit and router and make your own fromflat stock. Half round the piece of wood, and then rip it on a table saw.

[MKC Syd]

If it is not too long, I have heard of drilling a hole that will give a tight fit on the dowel in a block of wood. Then mark the center on the wood and then cut up the line and it will half the dowel.

[JOHN SCALE BOAT]

Take a block of wood drill a hole that is a push fit for the dowl(snug). Cut part way through the hole drilled. Clamp the block in place on the band saw. Now take the dowl and attach a small bubble level on the far end. While pushing the dowl through the hole make sure the level stays level. This ensures the cut is straight and the block keeps it centered. I would recommend the wood grain runs parallel to the blade.

[Greysquirrel]

Do as CG Bob says and go to HD and see if they have the size you want, if they do you can buy it by the foot not the length so if you only need one or two feet it's not to expensive.
Or, you could scribe it on both sides and plane it to near the thickness you want then sand it to it's final thickness. Or router your own as CG Bob also suggested.

[woodybob]

Save yourself the labor and get them here. The Quarter Source (http://thequartersource.com/miniatures/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=39_41)

[ken orme]

Thank for the suggestions.

I have combined a couple of them and came up with another way.

I drilled a hole in the end of the dowl and inseted a round tooth pick, cut off the ends and used it for a guide on a piece of 1" aluminum angle clamped to my band saw table. This kept it from turning. A guide was clamped to the table for a thickness gauge. I had 2 18" pieces cut in short order.

WATCH YOUR FINGERS

Ken

[norgale]

Now that's brilliant. Just goes to show ya how this forum can help. I would put a piece of stock on the right side too to keep the dowel from wandering left to right but that's a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Pete