Custom Dowel Maker
I mentioned in a recent video that I used a 5/32″ dowel, which is not a standard size. I’ll show you in this post and this week’s video how I did it.
Maple or birch dowel in standard sizes (1/8″, 3/16″, 1/4″, etc.) is relatively easy to find. Other hardwood species (walnut, cherry, oak) are available, but you would have difficulty finding many exotics or intermediate sizes. Years ago I came across this jig, which will allow you to make any dowel for which you have the corresponding drill bits and wood species.
The jig guides square stock through a hole on one side, past the top of a spinning cove bit, and out the other side. The square stock must be sized so that it is the same size or slightly larger than the desired dowel diameter, and also so its diagonal dimension fits nicely in the entrance hole. You want the entrance hole to be a standard size, so I use a spreadsheet to calculate the appropriate sizes. You can download the spreadsheet below as a .pdf or .xls file. The .xls file will allow you to use your own dimensions. I also created a metric version.
I have used the jig with a straight bit, but you’ll get a better surface on the dowel with a cove bit. Also note that if you want to make a dowel larger than about 1/2″, the entrance hole gets pretty big and therefore becomes a limiting factor.
