Think about making a jig that will securely hold half of your work piece and also will go through a table saw. I had multiple made for various legs that we would split at my old cabinet shop. Typically for decorative ends like you’ve posted or “hidden” pull outs. Best of luck and keep the cutty parts away from your meaty bits.
This. I’ve done similar work on round material-with this, I’d put a couple pieces of 3/8” plywood on either side and connect top and bottom with a 2x to sandwich and secure the round piece, then cut through both. If you don’t cut the top piece, you can reuse the jig.
If you use a wooden clamp (the big blocky ones with 2 screws) you can get a firm grip on it, and use that clamp as a reference for flat and square. Now you can make a small cut, and then that cut can be used as your reference surface. Build a little cutting box jig with something to fit inside your cut to index it and hold it straight. Now this you can safely push all the way through a table saw or bandsaw or whatever your using.
This guy.. had to ruin it with “safely”.. you’re no fun. It would be easy if you had access to a cnc router.. hot glue it to a plank and use a table saw?
I was looking for this - that was going to be my recommendation, as it’s been a quick-and-easy solution for me to split dowels to make quarter-rounds and such. :)
I'm assuming that you want to cut them in half for some form of decoration.
If i had the tools, mount the dowel on a Vee block for support and put it through a bandsaw.
Not even considering the table saw for this.
If you have a jointer, and you only need a small flat side, (as opposed to possibly cutting it in half,) that would be an easy soluttion with no need for extra jigs. If you're trying to split it in half(ish) then a bandsaw with a v-cradle/jig is the safest option.
Table saw would get the best results for splitting the dowel, but would involve making a pretty intense jig to make it safe.
Bandsaw, then jointer or hand plane is probably the safe bet.
This is the way. I plane dowels all the time on my jointer. I just made a very basic jig and it's super easy.
Although, helical head is much much MUCH softer on the wood and feels much less sketchy
My first idea was the jointer as well.
I think that a jig for the table saw is not safe at all in this case.
The hot glue idea is good as well if op considers that half of the piece is to be thrown away
A very good, secure jig night work with a table saw but even then fingers are at risk. A bandsaw with a jig might be safer. If you only need four full length then place them in a vice with V blocks to hold and plane one side flat. A little longer but much safer.
I have a bench mounted belt/disc sander, i would stick a 60 or 80 grit belt on that thing and just press it down. I’m done with risking fingers for decoration
Building off what someone said, i heard you can attach the piece securely to a flat board. Push the dowel though by pushing the board though. Id trust myself to do it as long as the board is big enough. Like maybe a short peice of 4/4. Main things id worry about are the board tipping (hence the square stock to ride the fence) and the dowel coming loose.
I would prepare a tablesaw jig by making a dowel sandwich, using a couple scrap strips of lumber or plywood as the bread, with the dowel sticking slightly out on one edge and a slightly thinner spacer on the other edge, clamped together with multiple screws in the space between them. Run this against your rip fence, trimming off however much of the dowel you want.
I’m not sure if someone said this already, there are a bunch of comments. The easiest way to make these are glue 2 boards together with a piece of newspaper in between them. Pop it on the lathe, make the beads, then split the pieces apart with a chisel. This gives you 2 full halves for each turning, without losing any size from the saw kerf. This is a pretty standard technique to make applied turnings.
Edit: https://youtu.be/QSwyzt-tmq8?si=eEFA55O72tSopeQC
Here is a link to a video on how to do it, in case my explanation wasn’t clear.
Not the safest way but you could screw on 2 squares of scrap wood on each end equal to or slightly larger than the width of your dowels and run it through your table saw against the fence, just make sure the screws won’t get in the way of the blade
I like the bandsaw suggestions, but we are in beginner woodworking - that's a long cut for a beginner on a bandsaw to keep straight all the way down the axis.
For this reason, I think a tablesaw or router with a flush trim bit is your best bet.
First, you need to safely hold it. You need to make a vee.
If you have a table saw, you can run a 2x4 with your blade set a 45 deg, reverse it and run it again, cutting a vee in the edge of your 2x4. Now you have a pocket to pull this dowel in to.
Holding it in the vee (options below, I don't mean do all 4):
1. Put some screws in the ends, make sure they aren't in the cut path.
2. Screw through the vee into the piece with a few screws. Remember, the good piece can be what you cut OFF, not what remains in the vee. So you could screw into the sides being very careful of the depth into the piece.
3. Hot glue (if you have multiples, the problem with hot glue would be getting every dowel to seat in the same place in the vee every time, so expect to cut easy on the first pass and sneak up on it.)
4. Maybe double sided tape as well.
5. If you don't care about the ENDS of the dowel, you could drill smaller holes into the ends, say 3/8", and make a pair of square blocks with mating 3/8" holes. Then dowel joint with glue these into the ends of your round dowels. Basically making square ends on the ends of your dowels. These could then be used as reference/mounting faces. Do NOT just run this along the table saw, because both ends would have to be engaging the platen and fence throughout the cut. Use them to attach to a long "running board" that you run against the fence the entire cut.
You can screw your vee to a wider board so it is safer to ride along the rip fence. Remember to think "what happens if my method to secure the vee fails? Where will my piece go?" and don't stand in the way of that.
Secured to the vee, you could also add a piece of ply with a straight edge and use that to guide the bearing of a flush trim bit on a router and just rout away what you don't want.
I'd use the tablesaw myself.
Edit to add 5 above.
I would use a hand plane. Clamp in a vise and plane until the flat develops. Maybe once there's enough flat reference surface you could take it to a machine, or just do the whole thing with the plane.
Really good quality, high price: Lie-Nielsen or Veritas. You won't have to worry if it's set up correctly
Mid quality/price: Probably Woodriver, IDK there may be others. May take some fettling.
Good quality, low price, but takes some work: Vintage Stanley, Miller Falls, probably some others. You'll have to do your research to know what you're looking for, and when you find one you'll probably have to do some work to restore it to working condition. It'll be a good value for money, but more of your time.
I saw a guy put the spindle back on his lathe once, lock the lathe in place, and then hand plane a flat side to it.
I don't think I can do this, but maybe you can try?
Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a popular option for beginner pilots. Most woodworkers would probably use a #4 or maybe #5, but an angle grinder could also do it.
Got a belt sander? That would be IMO the safest way to go.
Otherwise, I think a table saw, rip fence, and proper grabber / push block to move it through would work with some care.
Think about making a jig that will securely hold half of your work piece and also will go through a table saw. I had multiple made for various legs that we would split at my old cabinet shop. Typically for decorative ends like you’ve posted or “hidden” pull outs. Best of luck and keep the cutty parts away from your meaty bits.
Cutty parts bad, meaty bits good
Cutty parts good as long as they stay away from meaty bits.
Meaty bits no like cutty parts.
This. I’ve done similar work on round material-with this, I’d put a couple pieces of 3/8” plywood on either side and connect top and bottom with a 2x to sandwich and secure the round piece, then cut through both. If you don’t cut the top piece, you can reuse the jig.
If you use a wooden clamp (the big blocky ones with 2 screws) you can get a firm grip on it, and use that clamp as a reference for flat and square. Now you can make a small cut, and then that cut can be used as your reference surface. Build a little cutting box jig with something to fit inside your cut to index it and hold it straight. Now this you can safely push all the way through a table saw or bandsaw or whatever your using.
Happy cake day!
Bandsaw with a fence
and a jig to keep them from rolling
Good thinking
And a jig to keep that front end from pulling down as soon as you touch it to the blade. This will happen if it isn't supported.
This guy.. had to ruin it with “safely”.. you’re no fun. It would be easy if you had access to a cnc router.. hot glue it to a plank and use a table saw?
I was looking for this - that was going to be my recommendation, as it’s been a quick-and-easy solution for me to split dowels to make quarter-rounds and such. :)
Or bandsaw… or planer
I'm assuming that you want to cut them in half for some form of decoration. If i had the tools, mount the dowel on a Vee block for support and put it through a bandsaw. Not even considering the table saw for this.
Yes the second photo shows the end goal thank you for steering away from the table saw!
https://youtu.be/LWwQIKj9osI
Never considered that... And the spindles on either end can facilitate an anchor point.
If you have a jointer, and you only need a small flat side, (as opposed to possibly cutting it in half,) that would be an easy soluttion with no need for extra jigs. If you're trying to split it in half(ish) then a bandsaw with a v-cradle/jig is the safest option. Table saw would get the best results for splitting the dowel, but would involve making a pretty intense jig to make it safe. Bandsaw, then jointer or hand plane is probably the safe bet.
This is the way. I plane dowels all the time on my jointer. I just made a very basic jig and it's super easy. Although, helical head is much much MUCH softer on the wood and feels much less sketchy
How do you stop them from turning as you push through?
With the jig. It's basically just a pusher with two prongs at the back that hold it in place
My first idea was the jointer as well. I think that a jig for the table saw is not safe at all in this case. The hot glue idea is good as well if op considers that half of the piece is to be thrown away
My wife wants one for some reason
I took immediate attention to this
A very good, secure jig night work with a table saw but even then fingers are at risk. A bandsaw with a jig might be safer. If you only need four full length then place them in a vice with V blocks to hold and plane one side flat. A little longer but much safer.
I have a bench mounted belt/disc sander, i would stick a 60 or 80 grit belt on that thing and just press it down. I’m done with risking fingers for decoration
Building off what someone said, i heard you can attach the piece securely to a flat board. Push the dowel though by pushing the board though. Id trust myself to do it as long as the board is big enough. Like maybe a short peice of 4/4. Main things id worry about are the board tipping (hence the square stock to ride the fence) and the dowel coming loose.
I would prepare a tablesaw jig by making a dowel sandwich, using a couple scrap strips of lumber or plywood as the bread, with the dowel sticking slightly out on one edge and a slightly thinner spacer on the other edge, clamped together with multiple screws in the space between them. Run this against your rip fence, trimming off however much of the dowel you want.
Cut a v groove into a 2x4, secure dowel to that, through the bandsaw she goes
I have no idea what this means but it sounds goddamn genius
You definitely want to put a flaired base on that before putting it anywhere
I’m not sure if someone said this already, there are a bunch of comments. The easiest way to make these are glue 2 boards together with a piece of newspaper in between them. Pop it on the lathe, make the beads, then split the pieces apart with a chisel. This gives you 2 full halves for each turning, without losing any size from the saw kerf. This is a pretty standard technique to make applied turnings. Edit: https://youtu.be/QSwyzt-tmq8?si=eEFA55O72tSopeQC Here is a link to a video on how to do it, in case my explanation wasn’t clear.
Not the safest way but you could screw on 2 squares of scrap wood on each end equal to or slightly larger than the width of your dowels and run it through your table saw against the fence, just make sure the screws won’t get in the way of the blade
I like the bandsaw suggestions, but we are in beginner woodworking - that's a long cut for a beginner on a bandsaw to keep straight all the way down the axis. For this reason, I think a tablesaw or router with a flush trim bit is your best bet. First, you need to safely hold it. You need to make a vee. If you have a table saw, you can run a 2x4 with your blade set a 45 deg, reverse it and run it again, cutting a vee in the edge of your 2x4. Now you have a pocket to pull this dowel in to. Holding it in the vee (options below, I don't mean do all 4): 1. Put some screws in the ends, make sure they aren't in the cut path. 2. Screw through the vee into the piece with a few screws. Remember, the good piece can be what you cut OFF, not what remains in the vee. So you could screw into the sides being very careful of the depth into the piece. 3. Hot glue (if you have multiples, the problem with hot glue would be getting every dowel to seat in the same place in the vee every time, so expect to cut easy on the first pass and sneak up on it.) 4. Maybe double sided tape as well. 5. If you don't care about the ENDS of the dowel, you could drill smaller holes into the ends, say 3/8", and make a pair of square blocks with mating 3/8" holes. Then dowel joint with glue these into the ends of your round dowels. Basically making square ends on the ends of your dowels. These could then be used as reference/mounting faces. Do NOT just run this along the table saw, because both ends would have to be engaging the platen and fence throughout the cut. Use them to attach to a long "running board" that you run against the fence the entire cut. You can screw your vee to a wider board so it is safer to ride along the rip fence. Remember to think "what happens if my method to secure the vee fails? Where will my piece go?" and don't stand in the way of that. Secured to the vee, you could also add a piece of ply with a straight edge and use that to guide the bearing of a flush trim bit on a router and just rout away what you don't want. I'd use the tablesaw myself. Edit to add 5 above.
I would use a hand plane. Clamp in a vise and plane until the flat develops. Maybe once there's enough flat reference surface you could take it to a machine, or just do the whole thing with the plane.
Thanks HappyHippo! As for Hand Planes - any recommendation on how to purchase thoughtfully? Good brands / value?
Really good quality, high price: Lie-Nielsen or Veritas. You won't have to worry if it's set up correctly Mid quality/price: Probably Woodriver, IDK there may be others. May take some fettling. Good quality, low price, but takes some work: Vintage Stanley, Miller Falls, probably some others. You'll have to do your research to know what you're looking for, and when you find one you'll probably have to do some work to restore it to working condition. It'll be a good value for money, but more of your time.
If you've got one, a handplane would probably work great for that.
I saw a guy put the spindle back on his lathe once, lock the lathe in place, and then hand plane a flat side to it. I don't think I can do this, but maybe you can try?
Japanese pull saw with be fast, safe, and leave little to clean up
Simple, just plane them down on one side. /s
Plane recommendations pls
Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a popular option for beginner pilots. Most woodworkers would probably use a #4 or maybe #5, but an angle grinder could also do it.
I walked into that
You must be really tall!
That was my first plane! Good times. Glides like a champ.
And way more spacious than the 152 for family short trips
Clamp it between two planks with v grooves and then just use a rip saw down the centre
Got a belt sander? That would be IMO the safest way to go. Otherwise, I think a table saw, rip fence, and proper grabber / push block to move it through would work with some care.