Maple Dowels

[badwin]

While walking past the wood dowel display at the local lumberyard I noticed that one of the Maple dowels had some amazing curl. 3/4 inch around and 3 ft long for only $2.32 Just though I would pass it on as this is really cheap curly Maple.
Brian

 

[mick]

I've bought several dowels and square stock while in the Big Blue Box Store. I always look at the hardwood section where they sell the small stuff and you'd be surprised what you find. My last buy was a three foot piece of 3/4 spalted poplar which made a dozen very nice pen blanks! It had spalted down it's entire length and is a uniform grayish brown on one side and natural colored down the other. They wiil make some beautiful two tone pens. I see Cigars in it's future!

 

[bmchan]

So lemme ask this: Do you have to stabilize these blanks?

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by bmchan
<br />So lemme ask this: Do you have to stabilize these blanks?

I would see no reason to stabilize such blanks. In particular, the dowel should be nice hardwood.

 

[BigRob777]

Mick,
I have some huge boards of black and blue poplar. Do you have any pics of the pens you made? I never considered using it for pens. I don't look for that kind of thing (curly maple dowels), but if I see it, it's mine.[]
Thanks,
Rob

 

[mick]

Rob, I just cut it up the other day. I might get one turned in a few days....I'll post it as soon as I do.

 

[jcollazo]

An interesting place for dowels is: http://www.midwestdowel.com/index.php