How to Make a Wooden Dowel for a Loom
- 1). Select a piece of wood that is the thickness of the diameter of the dowel you want to make. Cut it lengthwise on a table saw so you produce a square piece of wood, also known as wood stock, equal to that diameter and longer than the length of the dowel to be produced.
- 2). Cut the length 4 inches longer than the desired length of the finished dowel.
- 3
The left bit with the bearing on top, is a round-over bit.router bit s image by Michael Cornelius from Fotolia.com
Put a round-over bit equivalent to one quarter of the finished diameter into the router in the router table. For example, use a 1/2-inch round-over bit for a one-inch dowel. - 4). Use a straightedge to align the fence which is behind the router bit, so it is flush with the bearing on the top of the bit. Do the same with the lower cutting edge of the curve of the bit, making it flush with the router table.
- 5). Mark the wood with a start point about 1 1/2 inches in from the end and a stop point at the other end, so that the length in between is 1 inch longer than the finished dowel length.
- 6). Turn on the router. Slide the wood in toward the router bit so it makes contact at the start point. Push the wood stock along the router table until the center of the bit is at the end point. Slide the wood away from the router bit.
- 7). Turn the wood a quarter turn and do the next corner. Repeat for the remaining two corners.
- 8). Use a saw to cut off the square end at the start point of the dowel. Measure the length and cut the dowel to the finished length. Sand lightly and the dowel is ready to use.
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