Can anyone explain square dowels to me...

[Moab]

...what a square dowel is?...Moab

[Justin P.]

I am more curious how they determine the appropriate age to be using a stick, square or not.  

[Gregory]

It's just a government mandate, and they have to pull something out of their.... hat..

[Moab]

Why the word “Dowel”?...Moab

[Jim Lad]

I note that the package says, 'When precision matters' and also, 'Random sizes'.  How precise are random sizes? 

 

John

[EricWilliamMarshall]

No, no one can tell you what square dowel is...

 

The word oxymoron jumps to mind.

[Dr PR]

If roots can be square, why not dowels?

 

The real question is how you make square holes to put the dowels into? I saw a drill once that claimed to make square holes.

[bruce d]

3 hours ago, Dr PR said:

If roots can be square, why not dowels?

I am still stumped by 'Pie are square'. Everyone knows pie are round; cornbread are square.

[VTHokiEE]

1 hour ago, bruce d said:

I am still stumped by 'Pie are square'. Everyone knows pie are round; cornbread are square.

It took me a second but I got there 😁

[Justin P.]

4 hours ago, bruce d said:

I am still stumped by 'Pie are square'. Everyone knows pie are round; cornbread are square.

Oh man, I almost fell of my seat laughing.  

[John Allen]

Real cornbread is made in a round cast iron skillet and can't be square.

[bruce d]

1 hour ago, John Allen said:

Real cornbread is made in a round cast iron skillet and can't be square.

Ever been to Oklahoma?

 

[BETAQDAVE]

11 hours ago, Dr PR said:

I saw a drill once that claimed to make square holes.

    I think those are just mortising bits.

[VTHokiEE]

3 hours ago, John Allen said:

Real cornbread is made in a round cast iron skillet and can't be square.

I‘m imagining that you don’t cut up your cornbread and a single serving is the whole skillet 😂.

[Jack12477]

38 minutes ago, VTHokiEE said:

a single serving is the whole skillet

Does that include the iron as a dietary supplement ? ☺️

[bruce d]

1 hour ago, BETAQDAVE said:

I think those are just mortising bits.

There is a 'trick' using a floating head holding a bit, I think it is known as a 'Rolo' or 'Rollo' or something that sounds like that. The biit has three flutes and it gives a square hole: four flutes, a pentagon and so on, always one side on the finished hole more than the number of flutes. I saw one used once and it seemed almost supernatural but it works! (google it)

 

You know, somehow this isn't as much fun as talking about food.

[Bob Cleek]

I guess if it's a round hole, the peg that goes into it is a "dowel," even if the peg is square. Square pegs do go into round holes, actually. It's a traditional fastening option. Drill the pilot hole and then take a suitably sized square peg, whittle the lower edges of the peg so it fits to stick in the hole and then give it a good whack with a big mallet. The square peg expands the round hole to a tight fit in the round hole, yielding what appears as a square peg in a square hole.  (The pegs should be of a harder wood species than the wood into which they are driven.) They are a characteristic decorative feature of Arts and Crafts furniture construction. Essentially the same principles as the treenail, although treenails are generally blind-wedged at the bottom of the hole and a wedge driven at the exposed end of the peg to lock them in place.

 

Edited January 24, 2020 by Bob Cleek

[mtaylor]

8 hours ago, Bob Cleek said:

I guess if it's a round hole, the peg that goes into it is a "dowel," even if the peg is square. Square pegs do go into round holes, actually. It's a traditional fastening option. Drill the pilot hole and then take a suitably sized square peg, whittle the lower edges of the peg so it fits to stick in the hole and then give it a good whack with a big mallet. The square peg expands the round hole to a tight fit in the round hole, yielding what appears as a square peg in a square hole.  (The pegs should be of a harder wood species than the wood into which they are driven.) They are a characteristic decorative feature of Arts and Crafts furniture construction. Essentially the same principles as the treenail, although treenails are generally blind-wedged at the bottom of the hole and a wedge driven at the exposed end of the peg to lock them in place.

 

 

 

Now you did it, Bob.  We're going to have comments about square pegs in round holes. At least it won't be cornbread. 

[Dr PR]

Here is how to drill a square hole.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjckF0-VeGI

 

My Dad loved cornbread and thought the "pie are round, cornbread are square" joke was funny. But Mom made cornbread in a cast iron mold that made sticks that looked like an ear of corn - really corny!

[Bob Cleek]

1 hour ago, Dr PR said:

Here is how to drill a square hole.

 

Gol-lie! I've never seen one of those before! I learn something new every day.  

[DelF]

Getting back to the more serious topic...

17 hours ago, John Allen said:

Real cornbread is made in a round cast iron skillet and can't be square

Here's my cast iron skillet, in which I could make square(ish) cornbread (if I knew what cornbread was ).

 

 

Derek

 

 

[Jack12477]

12 hours ago, DelF said:

if I knew what cornbread was

Cornbread is a Native American quick bread made from cornmeal. See Cornbread

[jud]

On 1/25/2020 at 12:59 AM, DelF said:

Getting back to the more serious topic...

Here's my cast iron skillet, in which I could make square(ish) cornbread (if I knew what cornbread was ).

 

 

Derek

 

 

How does that cast iron do on ceramic top stoves? Used lots of cast iron on electric, gas and wood stoves, bought and used a ceramic top, built in, stove in a house I once owned, never touched it with cast iron so have no experience there. Current electric kitchen stove is nearing replacement time, like cerrmace tops but like the cast iron better. Experience tells me iron and ceramic stove tops would not mix well, is that true with today's ceramics?

[DelF]

Hi Jud

 

It’s an induction hob. I’m not sure if that’s the same thing as a ceramic hob, but in any case it works fine with cast iron. It also works with stainless steel, so long as it is a magnetic grade. I have to say, it’s the best hob we’ve ever had, by far. Efficient, even heating  and dead easy to clean. 
 

Hope that helps

 

Derek 

Edited January 27, 2020 by DelF
Typo

[Edwardkenway]

Just looking at your cast iron skillet Derek, and wondered how do you keep it as clean as that?😁 because no matter what I clean mine with it still looks like I've just took the steak out🤔

[DelF]

We just ‘season’ cast iron ware when it’s new by rubbing in cooking oil then heating it (without food). From then on it seems to be almost non-stick when you wash it. Before I tried it I thought the seasoning trick was an old wives tale, but it seems to work. 
 

I wish you hadn’t mentioned steak - I could just eat one now and it’s only breakfast time here!

 

Derek

[Maury S]

Season it by heating oil (i.e. Peanut oil) and wiping it with a bunch of table salt after each usage.  We never wash one in soap and water.

Maury

[lmagna]

After the original seasoning, many of the foods you cook in cast iron cookware will self season at each use if you don't cook foods with high acidic content and avoid cleaning with hot water and soap as you may be used to with normal cookware. If you do need to touch up the seasoning then do the process again in the oven or cheat by using this stuff:  https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-SPRAY-Seasoning-8-Ounce-Yellow/dp/B00J9QVVG8?creativeASIN=B00J9QVVG8&linkCode=w61&imprToken=SrHRv7x3mfqwNo4eohR5JA&slotNum=0

if you need to.

 

Or you could save some money by just using this instead: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Brand-Happy-Canola-Ounces/dp/B07P5V4DCR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&fpw=alm&keywords=canola+oil&qid=1580223283&s=home-garden&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNUtCMlI0TjkyQVY2JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODQwNDE4Mk82QlUwUjNBVk03WiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzg0MTI2MjZSQzExMzlNVE4zViZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= 

Edited January 28, 2020 by lmagna

[Bob Cleek]

I've never been able to successfully educate my wife about the proper care of my cast iron cookware or my high-carbon steel chef's knives. She throws everything in the dishwasher. God knows I've tried, but to no avail.

 

I've given up and just stored them separately and care for them myself before anybody else in the house can get their hands on them. I quietly retaliate by leaving the toilet seat up.  

[AON]

I am waiting with baited breath for this hillarious topic to come full circle.... with corners.