iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Producing dowels

Started by jim king, June 23, 2008, 10:24:40 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

jim king

We just got a dowel machine and made the heads for 1/4 , 1/2 , 3/4, 1" and 1 1/2 inch.

I dont have any experience in what the customer expects.  They come out of the machine very smooth but does the customer do the final sanding or does the manufacturer ?¿

Fla._Deadheader


When you buy them in a store, they are sanded and symmetrical ???
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

stevareno

That would depend on the end use.  We manufacture dowels that are further machined after they leave our plant so we send them out with a knife finish only. 

jim king

stevareno :

These will be going to retail stores.  I have never known what people buy dowels for.  As a dowel maker you must know what people do with them.  Can you tell me ??

Sprucegum

I keep a variety of dowel sizes on hand in my little woodworking shop : axles on toys, plugs over screw heads, line-up pins in furniture, clothes closet rods.

Any dowels I buy are usually Birch or Maple. What species will you be using? There may be a market for dowels that match the exotic boards you sell. I have lots of ideas but only one finger knows how to type  :D

jim king

Sprucegum :

The dowels we are making are of the exotics we currently produce.  Most of them work but some of the species with the nice looking twisted grain have to much tear out.  We have found out that burl dowels are much closer to hand grenades than wood when they go thru the machine yet we can plane small burl table tops up to 20 inch with the helical head planer with no problem.

Bloodwood, purpleheart and many other simple woods actually come out of the dowel machine with a shine.

stevareno

Jim, The dowels we produce are made of hickory.   Drumsticks are produced from these.  The reason you're getting tearout is because a dowel machine cuts against the grain of the wood.   The planer is cutting with the grain which will produce a much smoother cut.   I would say it's possible to get a good cut on the dowel maching without tearout if the tooling is sharp and good pressure on the guides.    If you're cutting away a fair amount of wood try slowing the feed rate.  We produce our dowels on a moulder.

solidwoods

You lost me.
You bought a machine and then you seek customer input?
jim
Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

Don_Papenburg

You know that some times you can get a great deal on things . ones that are hard to pass up  ,  and I could use that some day deals  .
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

jim king

Solid woods:  You got it right, a customer wants a lot of dowels out of bloodwood , purpleheart and the other exotics we have so my partners bought a used machine and sent it down.  We had to make the knives as it was not complete but they do not polish the dowels as I would like. 

We made some knives using the helical head carbon squares and they are improving.








solidwoods

Ahhhh nice pics.
Good simple machine.
How about adding right in line some flap sanders?
I'm guessing 4 side.
There are sanding wheels made of a soft felt like material with grit but those would require more precision.
Cheap , simple.  Just put them on a slide so the sanding pressure can be changed as the flaps wear.
Also I see molding sanders on auctions allot.  Super cheap, the shop builds are real cheap (and a good bargain because lg. factories just copy other machines but no brand name so they go cheap)   But they won't be 4 side.  A machine like that could be moded to go 4 side.  Flap sanding isn't high precision.
jim
Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

SwampDonkey

Quote from: Sprucegum on June 24, 2008, 09:22:53 PM
I keep a variety of dowel sizes on hand in my little woodworking shop : axles on toys, plugs over screw heads, line-up pins in furniture, clothes closet rods.

Any dowels I buy are usually Birch or Maple. What species will you be using? There may be a market for dowels that match the exotic boards you sell. I have lots of ideas but only one finger knows how to type  :D

I made some dowels from blue-green stained birch and inserted them into screw counter sink holes in a cherry display box for some salmon flies. Kind of interesting and simple way to show some contrast.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Thank You Sponsors!