Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Hello,

 

I am finishing up the Royal yacht Mary by Mamoli, and working on the masts and spars.  They are from basswood, all warped and break easily when you sand them thin.

I did some research in the books I have and a website from Gene Larson, on what type of wood to use for mast and spars.

They suggest the following: Sitka spruce, beech, lemon wood, lance wood, maple, cherry and red cedar. No basswood, the research says it is soft and warps.

 

I need the following dowel diameters and I have put them both in mm and inches.

8mm or 5/16"
7mm or 17/64"
6mm or 15/64"
5mm or 3/16"
4mm or 5/32"
3mm or 1/8"
2mm or 5/64"

 

In my area I checked these stores for ready made dowels:
Home Depot, Lowes, Michael's, hobby lobby and AC Moore and my local hobby stores - they all have basswood and do not have the odd sizes.

 

I checked on line and these don't have the odd sizes too.
http://www.nationalbalsa.com/
http://dlumberyard.com/index.html
http://www.hobbymillusa.com/
http://www.modelexpo-online.com/default.asp  (they used to have so much more)
http://www.woodcraft.com/

 

www.historicships.com
Does have the odd sizes but all of the wood is pricey.

 

Conclusion:  I can go to 3 stores on-line and buy here and there and pay a

lot for shipping OR have one (1) store that provides Everything.

 

Any suggestion of other places I missed that are reliable in the USA.  The NET has lots of places that sell dowels and Amazon is connected to many sites I have never heard off.  I need dowels that are not basswood.

 

Any suggestions is much appreciated.
Marc

Current Built: Zeehaen 1639, Dutch Fluit from Dutch explorer Abel J. Tasman

 

Unofficial motto of the VOC: "God is good, but trade is better"

 

Many people believe that Captain J. Cook discovered Australia in 1770. They tend to forget that Dutch mariner Willem Janszoon landed on Australia’s northern coast in 1606. Cook never even sighted the coast of Western Australia).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will not find the dowels in the more interesting species. Usually you  get birch or basswood in ready made dowels. For the any other species, you will need to get square stock and make your own dowels from that.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will not find the dowels in the more interesting species. Usually you  get birch or basswood in ready made dowels. For the any other species, you will need to get square stock and make your own dowels from that.

 

Russ

Russ,

It is what I thought I had to do.  I can use a 5mm dia. dowel and turn it into a 4mm spar and the same goes for an 8mm dowel into a 7mm mast.

I have an article on how to make a round dowel from a square dowel.  Will have to study this and use my files, chisels, sand paper to get the masts and spars. Thanks for the suggestion.

Marc

Current Built: Zeehaen 1639, Dutch Fluit from Dutch explorer Abel J. Tasman

 

Unofficial motto of the VOC: "God is good, but trade is better"

 

Many people believe that Captain J. Cook discovered Australia in 1770. They tend to forget that Dutch mariner Willem Janszoon landed on Australia’s northern coast in 1606. Cook never even sighted the coast of Western Australia).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marc, I'm afraid the sizes and wood species would be difficult to find. The only alternative is buy wood stock and create your own dowels. If you scroll around on MSW, you will find a video showing you how to make your own dowels from wood stock.

 

Montani semper liberi.  Happy modeling

     Crackers   :mellow: :)

Do you happen to know what the link is to that video?

Marc

Current Built: Zeehaen 1639, Dutch Fluit from Dutch explorer Abel J. Tasman

 

Unofficial motto of the VOC: "God is good, but trade is better"

 

Many people believe that Captain J. Cook discovered Australia in 1770. They tend to forget that Dutch mariner Willem Janszoon landed on Australia’s northern coast in 1606. Cook never even sighted the coast of Western Australia).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

avsjerome2003: thanks for the videos and the one that would work for me is the one with the vice and the saw blade and that would be for large diameter dowels.  All the other vid's are people who have elaborate work shops which I don't have and don't really want to have.

 

russ: I am doing the suggestion you made in a somewhat different way.  I did go to woodcraft.com to buy dowels from beech and maple and some of different imported hardwoods.  If I need a 7mm mast I purchase the 8mm and just sand it down.  That also goes from the 5mm to the 4mm.  I have some square dowels and I will practice what I have in several of my books.  From square to octagon to round.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

Marc

Current Built: Zeehaen 1639, Dutch Fluit from Dutch explorer Abel J. Tasman

 

Unofficial motto of the VOC: "God is good, but trade is better"

 

Many people believe that Captain J. Cook discovered Australia in 1770. They tend to forget that Dutch mariner Willem Janszoon landed on Australia’s northern coast in 1606. Cook never even sighted the coast of Western Australia).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing to keep in mind is that when dealing with store bought dowels of any wood species, it is very difficult to know if the grain is running the length of the piece or not. In many cases, they grain is running across the piece in some way and that is one reason why dowels like that are prone to warping etc.

 

By beginning with a piece of straight hardwood stock, it is easier to get the grain running all in one direction to ensure that the piece will not tend to warp. Of course having good stock to begin with helps.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing to keep in mind is that when dealing with store bought dowels of any wood species, it is very difficult to know if the grain is running the length of the piece or not. In many cases, they grain is running across the piece in some way and that is one reason why dowels like that are prone to warping etc.

 

By beginning with a piece of straight hardwood stock, it is easier to get the grain running all in one direction to ensure that the piece will not tend to warp. Of course having good stock to begin with helps.

 

Russ

It would be wonderful if I had stock of different wood, but, I don't have the means to cut it in length.  You see, I have the bare minimum on electrical tools.  Dremel, drill, scroll saw and a basic planner and router.  No table saw.  I may be able to ask on of the members in my club to cut me some square stock as some of them have very elaborate shops with every electrical tool imaginable.

 

I have always made my models with hand tools.  Takes longer but I have total control.  After the Royal Mary, the plan is to built the Statenjacht Utrecht from scratch.  So may have to invest in a miniature table saw.

MARC

Current Built: Zeehaen 1639, Dutch Fluit from Dutch explorer Abel J. Tasman

 

Unofficial motto of the VOC: "God is good, but trade is better"

 

Many people believe that Captain J. Cook discovered Australia in 1770. They tend to forget that Dutch mariner Willem Janszoon landed on Australia’s northern coast in 1606. Cook never even sighted the coast of Western Australia).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cornwall Model Boats have the sizes you'er looking for

http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/birch-dowel.html

Frank

completed build: Delta River Co. Riverboat     HMAT SUPPLY

                        

                         USRC "ALERT"

 

in progress: Red Dragon  (Chinese junk)

                      

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for the suggestions,

"riverboat" - wow I like the site and will use it for my next order.  That they ship worldwide at a reasonable price is even better.  Thank you.

"TBlack" - I checked Rockler after I ordered from Woodcraft, thank you.

"garym" - I went to that site and the dowels were  more money than the others, but I do like what they have.

 

Thank you all for the info which I will use after I run out these dowels.

Marc

Current Built: Zeehaen 1639, Dutch Fluit from Dutch explorer Abel J. Tasman

 

Unofficial motto of the VOC: "God is good, but trade is better"

 

Many people believe that Captain J. Cook discovered Australia in 1770. They tend to forget that Dutch mariner Willem Janszoon landed on Australia’s northern coast in 1606. Cook never even sighted the coast of Western Australia).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned a draw plate.  Micromark sells one for $27.95.  I got another version for less, but it was really a lot cheaper, not only less expensive.

I have found that the draw plate is the easiest way to make very small round dowels, but don't just take their instructions for use at face value.

I don't have any experience  with larger sizes, but I made a whole lot of 1/32" or so for the railings on a model of a Chinese Pirate junk, perhaps 75 or 100 useable ones.

 

The way I worked was first to take a 1/16" walnut, or sometimes basswood,  strip and round off the edges, either by running it through a larger hole to cut off just the square corners or by sanding off the corners. Then with repeated passes using sandpaper and the draw plate worked the material down to the size I wanted.  It did take a lot of passes, but the result was good.

Things to watch out for are cross grain and splinters that will break the workpiece. The best thing about this method it that it produces

very round dowels of regular size from end to end, though you might want to taper the yards later.

Instructions in some old books suggest using pine...after all a lot the masts and yards in the old days probably were pine... and splitting off your work pieces to get straight grain.

 

Chazz

 

Don't expect just to use the catalog procedure of running the work through smaller and smaller holes.  This might work on 1'8" or larger dowels (I haven't worked with this size), but sanding the work some between passes does a good job, and is buch easier with less breakage.

 

Chazz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The drawplate micromart sells is for wire.  Jim Byrnes makes a drawplate that is designed for shaving down wood dowels. 

David B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...