Yes, I recognize that off the shelf dowels are far from perfect, and fully understand the disparate rates of change in wood, depending upon cross-section. But I don't recall that I've ever needed a 3' (or 2', or even a 1') length of perfectly straight, perfectly round dowel. Not in piano work anyway. Maybe when it comes to dowels, my work is a bit hackish............<div>
<br></div><div>But the thread started because of Jack's discouragement based purely on price, not on crooked, warped, or otherwise unsatisfactory dowel stock. His assertion then was that it was, essentially, a cost effective measure to make his own. My assertion is that it is not. As I said, I can see the utility, and I recognize the coolness of making these kinds of things oneself. I've done many such things. BUT, my sole argument against the process was that it was not, as was suggested, a cost effective alternative to high-priced Home Depot dowels.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Now, if you need a perfect Bubinga dowel............</div><div>;-]</div><div><br></div><div>WRM</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 9:55 PM, Jim Ialeggio <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com" target="_blank">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a>></span> wrote:<div class="gmail_quote">
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Bill,<br>
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Sometimes one needs a true round dowel. The dowels you purchase unless they are freshly milled will be out of round, sometimes significantly, because of unequal tangential & radial dimensional changes. As well, some mass market dowels are run on a 4 sided molder which does not produce a round dowel right off the machine.<br>
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One doesn't always needs a dead round dowel, but when you do it's not a cost thing...this is one of the only ways to get it.<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
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Jim Ialeggio<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Jim Ialeggio <br>
<a href="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com" target="_blank">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a><br>
<a href="tel:978%20425-9026" value="+19784259026" target="_blank">978 425-9026</a><br>
Shirley Center, MA<br>
<br>
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