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Dowel plates

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Dowel plates

Postby Mike G » 24 Mar 2021, 08:57

I am about to place an order with a fabricator for various bits of steel for my upcoming garage project, and I thought I would get him to make me a dowel plate at the same time. Two things......are these OK to be made in mild steel, or does it need a harder steel? Secondly, if anyone wants one, just shout. Mine is going to go from 22mm diameter down to 6mm diameter in increments of 2mm, in 10mm plate.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby AndyT » 24 Mar 2021, 09:06

My own is made out of a bit of unidentified scrap steel. I managed to drill it ok, so it's unlikely to be hardened and I didn't attempt any hardening. It works fine, having had a bit of a rub on emery paper to make sure that the edges of the holes are sharp.

I expect it's one of those things where mild steel is ok for occasional use but if you were using it all day long the edges would wear too quickly.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Dr.Al » 24 Mar 2021, 09:13

I'd agree with Andy. Mine is made out of a bit of 6 mm mild steel plate and that works fine. It is (I think) 5 mm to 12 mm in 0.5 mm increments. I like the close increments as I can work gradually down to the right size and not take too much off per pass, although having them so close together is probably unnecessary at the bigger sizes. It would also be less necessary if the raw stock was closer to the right size to start with.

For the larger diameters it seems a good idea to go for the thicker 10 mm plate.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Dr.Al » 24 Mar 2021, 09:15

I found a photo. I used some wet-and-dry on a bit of glass to "sharpen" it.

dowel_plate.jpg
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Mike G » 24 Mar 2021, 09:19

Thanks guys.

Dr.Al wrote:...... I like the close increments as I can work gradually down to the right size and not take too much off per pass.......


I'll adjust my design, I think, in light of this. That makes sense at the smaller diameters.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Mike Jordan » 24 Mar 2021, 09:25

Mine is mild steel and over fifty years old.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Cabinetman » 24 Mar 2021, 10:10

Very handy bit of kit Mike, the last time I made dowels I used a block of wood with a hole through it and a blade set in it and handles to stop it spinning, the wood was in the chuck on the lathe, sorry can’t remember what it was called. I used it to make the rods for the back of that Windsor chair in the other thread, and that was a while ago haha. Ian
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby PAC1 » 24 Mar 2021, 12:34

22mm! What will you use to force a bit of hardwood through that! And what will you use to sit the plate on as you hit it.
For larger than 15/16mm I tend to make it on the router table and keep a few inches square each end so it is stable.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Woodster » 24 Mar 2021, 12:54

I’ve used 01 tool steel for lots of jobs over the years so I think I’d be inclined to use that. It comes annealed but is a little bit tougher to machine than mild steel. It shouldn’t need hardening after the holes are drilled, it’s tough enough as it is.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Mike G » 24 Mar 2021, 14:21

PAC1 wrote:22mm! What will you use to force a bit of hardwood through that! And what will you use to sit the plate on as you hit it...


Oak pegs for green oak framing, and I'll use a lump hammer with the plate sitting over a dog hole in my bench. My final size will be 20 or 18. The 22 is just to start them off from square.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Dr.Al » 24 Mar 2021, 14:32

Mike G wrote:
PAC1 wrote:22mm! What will you use to force a bit of hardwood through that! And what will you use to sit the plate on as you hit it...


Oak pegs for green oak framing, and I'll use a lump hammer with the plate sitting over a dog hole in my bench. My final size will be 20 or 18. The 22 is just to start them off from square.


At that size I'd be tempted to make a chisel based one like this:

Untitled.png
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Mike G » 24 Mar 2021, 14:52

I've got a number of those set up for various different sizes. I made my curtain poles like that a few months ago. I've also got a jig set up for the router table. However, even if it is just to produce blanks for one of the other methods, I want a dowel plate for these sorts of sizes. I know it works for these sizes, because I've seen people do it.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Dr.Al » 24 Mar 2021, 15:01

Mike G wrote:I've got a number of those set up for various different sizes. I made my curtain poles like that a few months ago. I've also got a jig set up for the router table. However, even if it is just to produce blanks for one of the other methods, I want a dowel plate for these sorts of sizes. I know it works for these sizes, because I've seen people do it.


Can't argue with that :)
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Woodster » 24 Mar 2021, 19:57

Mike G wrote:
Oak pegs for green oak framing, and I'll use a lump hammer with the plate sitting over a dog hole in my bench. My final size will be 20 or 18. The 22 is just to start them off from square.


Forgive my ignorance but whenever I’ve seen this sort of thing on TV they seem to be using quite roughly shaped pegs. I assumed this was something to do with maintaining the strength of the peg or getting it to bite into the hole or something?

Edit: I haven’t read the blurb but just seen this.

https://www.englishwoodlandstimber.co.u ... ered-pegs/
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Mike G » 24 Mar 2021, 20:18

Traditionally they were riven and then shaped with a draw knife on a shaving horse. It was apprentice's work (ie child labour), in some eras at least. However, in restoration work they are often bashed through a dowel plate, which sort-of follows the grain anyway and doesn't produce something overly uniform.
Last edited by Mike G on 24 Mar 2021, 20:59, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby novocaine » 24 Mar 2021, 20:44

The skills have gone for making them these days. But so have the vampires so its not all bad. :lol:
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Mike G » 24 Mar 2021, 21:00

novocaine wrote:The skills have gone for making them these days. But so have the vampires so its not all bad. :lol:


Coincidence? I think not..... :lol: :lol:
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby novocaine » 24 Mar 2021, 21:11

Mike G wrote:
novocaine wrote:The skills have gone for making them these days. But so have the vampires so its not all bad. :lol:


Coincidence? I think not..... :lol: :lol:


Now if we can work out a similar coincidence for vegans........


(Joking , not all vegans are bad)
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby AndyT » 24 Mar 2021, 23:28

Mike, I've remembered that there's another method of cutting pegs which I have seen demonstrated which might be better for your 22mm requirements. It uses a sharpened steel tube and is quick and efficient. Here's a very detailed video about it.



https://youtu.be/uV2wW9Y8-bc
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby AJB Temple » 25 Mar 2021, 00:27

Just to add, quite a few timber framers make pegs in square and then plane the corners off by sticking them in a V jig. I actually buy mine from the local oak guy (well, actually, I usually get them free) in 4ft lengths. They are round so he must do them with a machine as there is no way they bang them through plates. I suspect that's only practical if you are doing shortish lengths one at a time (and some will split - but better there than in the job). If I make them I use the plane method on pieces about a metre long. It's quick, hardly any waste and I get long dowels from which I cut pegs at whatever length. I often shave a slight taper to help get through the hole offsets.
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby sunnybob » 25 Mar 2021, 05:55

Once youve made them round, then you have to cut them to length.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBx0hbeGOeE
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby RogerS » 25 Mar 2021, 07:27

Dr.Al wrote:
Mike G wrote:
PAC1 wrote:22mm! What will you use to force a bit of hardwood through that! And what will you use to sit the plate on as you hit it...


Oak pegs for green oak framing, and I'll use a lump hammer with the plate sitting over a dog hole in my bench. My final size will be 20 or 18. The 22 is just to start them off from square.


At that size I'd be tempted to make a chisel based one like this:

Untitled.png


Isn't that what Boy Scouts normally use a couple of pieces of stick for ?
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Mike G » 25 Mar 2021, 08:45

For those interested in having a dowel plate, this is what I am proposing. Please feel free to comment if you want it a bit different. This is a big old lump of steel, and I've spread out the holes so that it hopefully doesn't develop any dishing from being bashed.

Dowel plate.jpg
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Cabinetman » 25 Mar 2021, 10:23

AndyT wrote:Mike, I've remembered that there's another method of cutting pegs which I have seen demonstrated which might be better for your 22mm requirements. It uses a sharpened steel tube and is quick and efficient. Here's a very detailed video about it.



https://youtu.be/uV2wW9Y8-bc

I liked that a lot, simple practical, and I would imagine very satisfying to do. The more I see of green woodworking particularly chairs and bodging the more I want to do it again (a three day course 10 years ago).
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Re: Dowel plates

Postby Stargazer » 25 Mar 2021, 10:35

Mike G wrote:For those interested in having a dowel plate, this is what I am proposing. Please feel free to comment if you want it a bit different. This is a big old lump of steel, and I've spread out the holes so that it hopefully doesn't develop any dishing from being bashed.

Dowel plate.jpg


Mike, Looks good, I would be tempted to centre the hole pattern left to right so the left hand 10mm hole is not so close to the edge.

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