Lie-Nielsen Dowel Plate Box
#11
Not fine woodworking, but made a simple box for my new dowel plate...



Andy
I am quickly realizing that I have NO natural talent... But I am trying to fake it.
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#12
Is there one mortise under the plate or one for each hole?
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#13
Phil S. said:


Is there one mortise under the plate or one for each hole?




This box is a great idea! Maybe I'll steal the idea -- though it would interfere with my side hobby of fishing around in the debris on the floor for fresh dowels.

I'd like to know the answer to Phil's question as well. Additional question: does the box have a bottom? It occurrs to me that it wouldn't actually need one.

Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
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#14
Seems like a single mortise supporting the rim would be all you need with an open back to extract the dowel you whack through the plate.
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#15
Andy, that’s a handsome mounting for your dowel plate. A few years ago I made a somewhat more utilitarian-looking version for my dowel plate as a rectangular tube, open at the bottom, using some scrap oak stair tread for the large sides. They’re joined by sliding dovetails to butterflied solid oak small sides. The cutoff in the picture from shows the cross-section of the small sides. Mine appears to be a bit taller than yours, and end-grain is up, but it’s the same basic idea.

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The plate is supported only at the perimeter, but I later found it beneficial to install a 2” wood block just under the plate with precisely located, slightly oversized holes to help maintain alignment while I pound. For most holes in the block, I used the next AWG-sized drill bit larger than the nominal on the plate, e.g., F, nominally 0.257”, below the 1/4” plate hole. Half-inch used 33/64”, and 5/8” was not oversized.

In the second photo you can see the alignment block below the two largest holes. And you can see a couple 3/16” walnut dowels I made for a recent project with smooth, burnished surfaces straight out of the die. They don't always come out like that, but it’s gratifying when they do.

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Have fun making dowels. And Happy New Year.
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#16
Great idea, nice looking dowel plate holder.

Steve
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#17
In my opinion these two dowel plate boxes are examples of fine woodworking gentlemen. I need one of those plates and this thread has inspired me to make one as well. Thanks
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#18
I made a similar thing for my dowel plate. Each hole is drilled separately to correspond to the correct size hole in the plate. This allows the dowel to be pounded straight down without any concerns about it getting skewed off to the side.
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#19
Sierramtns said:


I made a similar thing for my dowel plate. Each hole is drilled separately to correspond to the correct size hole in the plate. This allows the dowel to be pounded straight down without any concerns about it getting skewed off to the side.



I was struggling with why? My craftsman made plate just sits over a doghole - but the idea of a vertical guide makes a lot of sense.
Peter Evans in Sydney
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#20
I drilled individuals holes, but one open mortise would work to I would think.



Thank you!

Andy
I am quickly realizing that I have NO natural talent... But I am trying to fake it.
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