What do dowels do

So buy a bundle, then get to work this weekend. Pursue your own idea or adapt a design from one of the five highlighted dowel projects below! We love the approach Danish furniture makers We Do Wood took with their coat rack, pictured here.

With nothing more than some boards and a set of dowels, you can make something similar: Drill a series of holes into a reclaimed wood board, then slot pegs into some of the holes.

This flexible storage solution is clearly influenced by—but a lot more attractive than—pegboard. Cut dowels of varying diameters into 2-inch-long pieces.

If the tool on the end is still in good shape, detach the worn handle and replace it with a dowel of appropriate thickness. Much less expensive than buying a new tool handle! Dowel a cake. Ever wondered how towering layer cakes stand up?

Dowels, my friend. Inserted into the body of the cake, they provide hidden support for the layers to ensure the cake remains stable until it's eaten.

Make sure to use clean, new dowels for this, in the interest of health and safety. Katie Marks writes for Networx. Looking for a Pro? Call us at Cord, twine, or rope dispenser depending on thickness Attach a dowel to a wooden disc or piece of scrap wood, and you have a handy dispenser and organizer for spools of twine and similar materials.

Hanging, drape, or tablecloth weight Dowels are great for weighting the bottom of textiles, often fitting neatly into a bottom hem without the need for modifications.

Place heavy blocks of wood over the dowels to hold them in place as they dry. If desired, apply a protective coating of clear acrylic sealer. Bundle and tape thin dowels together before cutting them with a miter saw. Use a wood block as a stop to prevent the middle dowels from moving.

A bookcase outfitted with dowel rods makes a handy and attractive gift-wrapping and crafts supplies station. Drill pilot holes in the dowel and the cabinet using a bit that is the same diameter as your shoulder hook. Then insert the hooks into the holes. Conceal the screwheads with wood filler, then cover with paint. Organize spools of thread by sliding them over dowels that have been inserted into holes drilled into a 1-inch-square dowel base. Use drill bits that are the same size as the dowel diameters for the holes and a rubber mallet to tap the rods into place.

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