# Reducing the diameter of wood dowl



## BBOSIDE (Dec 28, 2011)

I currently building chairs and I'm using 1" wood dowels as components in the chairs. 
The starting diameter of the Ash dowels are 1". 
I need to reduce the ends of each 1" dowel down to 15/16". 
The reduction lengths on the dowel needs to be 1" long. 
As it will be joining a 4/4" piece of stock. 
I do not own a lathe and have been sanding the ends with a sander. 
To reduce the diameter as you can image this time consuming and difficult. 
I also have no way to get constant results. So it fit nicely into the dowel hole. 
The starting lengths of the dowels are 24 5/8" and need to be reduced on each end.

All suggestions are welcome. I ask buying a lathe is my last option.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You can do it on the table saw with a round tenon method. 
Pretty easy.


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## Murdock (Aug 7, 2011)

+1 for the table saw have done it a few times myself


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## ksSlim (Jun 27, 2010)

Ditto tablesaw/round tenon. Or with hand tools, score the shoulder and use shoulder plane or chisel, turning dowel while holding tool.


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

I like that router jig!


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## Oldelm (Jun 11, 2012)

There is a tool called a hollow auger that was used primairily for wood wheel spoke. I picked one up at a farm sale about 15 years ago for 5 bucks. It works with a brace and does a good job if the cutter is sharp and you don't try to hog off a lot. Going from 1 to 15/16 is fairly easy. I checked e bay and saw a few, very pricey. I didn't realize I owned some gold. They do make a similar thing for making "rustic furniture". I do not have experience with those tools. I like the router jig also.


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## mtenterprises (Jan 10, 2011)

I have used all these methods. Router or table saw both work about the same way and work well, I'd use a large dia. router bit or my dado head. But the hollow aguer now that's the way to go. To get them to start you do need to put a slight tapper on the dowel, at least that's the way mine works. 
MIKE


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

any way you could chuck it in your drill press?


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Drill a hole in a piece of steel 31/32" or even better 61/64" twist 1" dowel through the hole. 
Cheap, easy and using the little bit of larger diameter allows you to have a tighter fit or sand it down to be perfectly sized.

Good Luck!


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## BBOSIDE (Dec 28, 2011)

Thank you all for your help. I will try it on my table saw with a stacked dado.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

I saw a guy do it on a bandsaw one time. Easy, cheap, and works a treat:










Start by adding a sacrificial fence on your bandsaw fence. Adjust your fence next to the blade(1/32 in your case). Slowly feed the dowel into the blade, rotating it clockwise. A stop block could be used to set the depth to your 1" requirement.


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