What is a Dowel?
A dowel is a type of round pin which is used to attach things to each other. Dowels can also be used to make things like racks, curtain rods, and so forth. As you might imagine, dowels are made from a wide assortment of materials, and they come in a range of sizes, with and without tapered ends and a variety of other features. Most hardware stores carry a formidable dowel selection, and you can also order dowels for specific purposes or machine them, if you have access to a metal or woodworking shop. One common choice of material for dowels is wooden. Wooden dowels are often used in woodworking to reinforce joints in furniture, and they are also included in flat pack furniture to allow consumers to quickly assemble the furniture with minimal construction skills. You may also have seen wooden dowels in bird cages as perches, or used as curtain rods for drapes and curtains. Some people also use dowels to construct drying racks, or they mount protruding dowels in convenient places for han
A dowel rod is just that, a piece of wood shaped into a cylinder. They are mass-produced in various wood species, and can be found at any home improvement or hardware store, nominal lengths of 36″ or 48″, and various diameters. 1/8″,3/16″,1/4″,5/16″,3/8″,7/16,1/2″ and on up to 1 inch and even as large as 2.25″ or 2.50″ (closet rod or handrail). Early furniture makers started using dowels instead of cut tenons, it really increased production by reducing cutting tenons and drilling mortises. Dowel pins are commonly used today in furniture joints, although some are made of a soft imported wood and lack ‘hardwood strength’. They are also commonly used in pinning table leaves. Hit your local hardware or home improvement center, and be sure to purchase of the correct ‘hardwood’ or ‘softwood’ species that best suits your needs.
