How to Use Wooden Dowels
Wooden dowel rods are extremely versatile objects. They can be made from birch, oak, maple, cherry, walnut, mahogany and many other types of wood and can range in size from 1/8 of an inch to 3 inches in diameter. Their length can also vary from six inches to 12 feet. The size you need depends on why you are using the wooden dowel rods. You can use dowel rods in everything from baking cakes, to staking plants in your garden, to making furniture or even as a safety measure in sliding glass doors.
Instructions
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Determine what you need wooden dowel rods for. If you are staking plants in your backyard, consider rods made from any kind of hardwood. Consider the height of your plant and select an appropriate length of dowel rod with a 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch diameter. Bury the the base of the rod so that one quarter of the rod's length is buried in the ground approximately three inches away of the plant and use plastic ties or garden tape to gently fasten the plant to the rod for the support it needs. For example, push a 12-inch rod three inches deep into the ground.
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Select oak, walnut, mahogany, cherry or birch dowel rods for furniture and other woodworking projects, such as a creating a chair from dowel rods. Follow your furniture plans for the diameter and length of dowel rods needed for the project. Use a circular saw or handsaw to cut the rods to the lengths you need.
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Select birch dowel rods from 12 to 36 inches long and 1/4 of an inch to 3/8 of an inch in diameter for use in a variety of craft projects such as building architecture models, model log cabins, mobiles or roman blinds. If creating models, purchase small dowel rods that measure 1/4 an inch or less in diameter and about six inches in length. If using dowel rods for roman blinds, select a thicker diameter that is equal in length to the width of your blinds.
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Alternatively, dowel rods can be used as inserts into cardboard in between cake layers to create homemade tiered cakes. Sharpen the ends of the dowel rods with a knife so that they are pointed and can press into the surface of the cardboard and yet still provide plenty of support for the heavy cake layers.
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Choose a hardwood dowel rod approximately 1 inch in diameter to secure a sliding glass door. Measure the distance between the door and the wall. Write this measurement down and take it to your local hardware or home improvement store. Locate wooden dowel rods in the lumber section of the store and select one that is about 1 inch in diameter. Enlist the assistance of an employee to cut your dowel rod to fit within the length of your sliding glass door frame, in the channel or groove that runs along the floor. Take your dowel rod home and lay it down in the sliding glass door frame so that the door cannot be opened from the outside.
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References
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