Dowels for your Rotary Jig

[lynnfrwd]

Please use this section to discuss making dowels and sources for buying them.

[bjbethke]

I use a Legacy Ornamental Mill to make dowels; it can make Pen blanks and up to six inches round to 36 inches long.

ShopNotes has a Jig that makes round stock and can do most of the things I can do with my Mill. I started working on it, have the MPC’s for all the gears – I haven’t carved them yet.

http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/115/videos/router-milling-machine-video/ (http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/115/videos/router-milling-machine-video/)

[CarverJerry]

After looking at your stuff here BJB now I have a question about the rotary jig. Is it possible to carve to make like a large 2" dia screw? How would one go about figuring out how to lay it out on a straight board for designer? Hope this isn't too much of a dumb question but your work really got me thinking. Thanks

CJ

[bjbethke]

After looking at your stuff here BJB now I have a question about the rotary jig. Is it possible to carve to make like a large 2" dia screw? How would one go about figuring out how to lay it out on a straight board for designer? Hope this isn't too much of a dumb question but your work really got me thinking. Thanks

CJ

I don't think you could do that with the CW Rotary Jig. I can do it with my Legacy Mill, I would need to change the gears to get the right thread spacing and use a “V” bit.

[bergerud]

I think it can be done. It sounds like an interesting problem. How would you make the nut?

[dbfletcher]

I agree, I think a screw could be made... the pattern would just look "candy cane-ish". As for the nut... good luck!

[CarverJerry]

Well then if the screw can be made then the nut could also be made but in 2 pieces. Would sure take some trial and error cuts. It was just a thought after seeing BJ's pictures. Thanks guys.

CJ

[SteveEJ]

BJB, What model is that? I have a Revo fully manual and a 900/Standard CNC. 2" dowels are not a problem for Ed's jig.

BTW: Jerry, there was a end vise made with the type of mill BJB has. Both the thread and nut. Look around for their site.

[lawrence]

I think it can be done. It sounds like an interesting problem. How would you make the nut?

traditionally, female threads are created with a tap. If you do not have a large metal tap (2 inch taps are expensive) you can make your own by inserting a cut off piece of saw file into the teeth of the screw and then working it into a hole drilled slightly too small. It is not easy, but it can be done.

Lawrence

[mtylerfl]

Hello,

Here's a quick update on the 2" x 14" pre-drilled dowels sourced from www.bayerwood.com (http://www.bayerwood.com)

I spoke with Mike Bayer this morning and he tells me the dowels should be available before the end of the week (scheduled to arrive to his place in the next day or two). He told me that it may be a "mixture" of Birch and Maple and possibly some Ash in the batch as well. He's not exactly sure what mixture of wood species will be in this first shipment until he receives it and looks it over. I plan to get a quantity of either Birch or Maple (Maple would be my preference, but I may get some of each). He also mentioned some folks have been requesting Poplar (and other species), but he and I are not sure that Poplar would produce as nice of a carve as the other hardwoods.

Anyway, I'll take what I can get from whatever is in this first batch. My plan is to design and carve some spiral rotary patterns to satisfy my own "proof of concept", then offer the patterns to the public. My main reason for testing is to find an "ideal" dimension that won't fall short or overlap too much when the rotary pattern is carved around the circumference of the dowel. Also, I don't know if there will be any variance in the dowel diameters. If there is some minor variance, then I'll just have to find a compromise in pattern dimensions that will work as well as possible.

Mike Bayer has a list of folks to call when the dowels are ready for shipment. Of course, he will also post the dowels on his website after he has had a chance to take a photos, enter these specialty items into his product database, etc. If you are not already on his "call list", you may want to give him a ring at 1-800-323-0817 so you won't have to wait for the items to be posted on the website.

[fwharris]

Michael,

Thanks for the update. Their order must of gotten delayed a few days. Last email from him a little over a week ago was that they expected the dowels in the first part of this week and that it would just be birch dowels. Glad to hear they are adding the maple and ash. Guess my order will change also!

[mtylerfl]

Michael,

Thanks for the update. Their order must of gotten delayed a few days. Last email from him a little over a week ago was that they expected the dowels in the first part of this week and that it would just be birch dowels. Glad to hear they are adding the maple and ash. Guess my order will change also!

Hi Floyd,

Yes, Mike Bayer said the tracking shows the shipment is in New York today. He expected them sooner, but he says they could arrive as soon as tomorrow or the next day. Won't be long now!

[bjbethke]

BJB, What model is that? I have a Revo fully manual and a 900/Standard CNC. 2" dowels are not a problem for Ed's jig.

BTW: Jerry, there was a end vise made with the type of mill BJB has. Both the thread and nut. Look around for their site.
Steve it is a REVO, they do not make this model any more. I had it about five years before I purchased my CW unit. It is made with Aluminum Extrusions.

[SteveEJ]

BJB, I thought so. I have one as well. I bought it used about a year ago. Do you have the original cd's that came with it? The guy I bought it from couldn't find his. I have the assembly ones but I was told there were others with techniques.

You will be able to turn dowels for the jig no problem!

[mwhatch]

How about taking your 2x2 and running it through the router table with a 1" round over.

[bjbethke]

BJB, I thought so. I have one as well. I bought it used about a year ago. Do you have the original cd's that came with it? The guy I bought it from couldn't find his. I have the assembly ones but I was told there were others with techniques.

You will be able to turn dowels for the jig no problem!

Steve, I have four CD's and several traning PDF's - The videos covered all the units thay had at that time. The only one that was only for the REVO was the one that shows how to put it together, The PDF's that I saved were for the REVO. I attached a PDF.

[jiml]

Morton,
Thank You, I was going down the thread and was wondering the same thing. Making round dowels isn't that hard. Don't over think it.

[mwhatch]

I was wandering around Lowes today seeing if they had anything i could not get along without when I came accross these 2x48 poplar dowels for $7.28. That comes out to about $2.13 for a 14" dowel. I know a lot of people do not like working with poplar, but when you carve with the grain as the rotary jig does, you get a lot better carve. i have used poplar on my desktop cnc with nice results. Anyway, it can be a cheap way to test a process or pattern. I did a quick carve to see how it would do. I am happy with the results. Now all I need is to figure out how to drill a straight hole in the ends.

I noticed on my last carve that the dowel had gone all the way around but I was only at 98%. So I did some math and calculated 98% if 6.281 and set my board length at 6.156. As you can see in the last picture, my start and end were almost perfect.

Happy carving.

48239482404824148242

[skeeterman]

Thanks for info Morton, I have been to lowes searching for dowels and the bigest i could find was 1 3/4", You wouldnt happen to have a part # for the 2 inch dowel so as i could maybe have the lowes around here to order some
steve

[mwhatch]

Steve, try #43934. I could not find the label, but that is what it said on the reciept.

[Kenm810]

Here ya Go lowes 2"X48" dowels

[skeeterman]

thanks for the # , i searched my lowes and they do not have in stock so i will have to have them order it for me . thanks again
steve

[edzbaker]

Morton, could you use something like this to assist in drilling. ? Since I have a lathe, I always chuck the dowel and spin it, Set the bit up in the tail stock and push it into the spinning dowel. (Centered and straight done easy)
Look at this MPC and see if it would help in drilling.

Ed

[James RS]

http://youtu.be/dvhcr0j7VVo Here's another video I found of someone making a dowel.

Jim

[mwhatch]

I actually did use a guide to start the holes, I just can't keep them straight. I do have a lathe now, but I need a chuck, then I think it will be OK.

I think these poplar dowels will work out good. They can have some interesting coloring.

[lawrence]

http://youtu.be/dvhcr0j7VVo Here's another video I found of someone making a dowel.

Jim

That is a cool video-- very cool. That dude likes his festool and incra stuff (though I'm not sure what's up with the white gloves...)

Lawrence

[CarverJerry]

Some people just don't like getting dirty...... but gloves really do make it very dangerous around power tools.

CJ

[Dan-Woodman]

If you don't have a lathe, you can make a simple drilling jig by drilling a 2" hole about 1" deep with a forstner bit and then finish with a 1/4" drill in a 2" thick piece of scrap. Slip the dowel inside the 2" hole and your 1/4" drill in the 1/4" hole and drill into the dowel.
later Daniel

[ladjr]

I have been doing a lot of searching for a jig to make the 2 inch dowels. The best ones I have found which are simple to make are in "Router Magic" by Bill Hylton. The two jigs are " Dpowel-Making Fixture" and Dowel-Turning Jig. If you don't have a lathe either of these jigs will make your 2 inch dowels.

Leo

[Ilonaco]

That works fine Morton. I do that all the time.