GT hunter Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Anyone know where I can find wooden dowels that are 3 inches in diameter for a price far less than the close to $50 that I've been seeing on the internet thus far? I've only really checked Home Depot. Any and all advice is welcome. Thank you very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 thats a huge dowel. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudcat Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Anyone know where I can find wooden dowels that are 3 inches in diameter for a price far less than the close to $50 that I've been seeing on the internet thus far? I've only really checked Home Depot. Any and all advice is welcome. Thank you very much. how about a wood fence post they are 3 or 4 in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT hunter Posted January 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 how about a wood fence post they are 3 or 4 in I searched online at Home Depot and Blains and couldn't find round fence posts. But, this is definitely a step in the right direction. Thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cz75b Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 a couple of questions like what kind of wood, how long? glued up pine turned on a lathe would be easy for anyone with the lathe and the most basic turning skills or if someone started with a 4X4 they could turn it down rather quickly......decoy blanks in basswood would work the same, fins something 3 inches thick and turn it round....an easy turn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT hunter Posted January 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 a couple of questions like what kind of wood, how long? glued up pine turned on a lathe would be easy for anyone with the lathe and the most basic turning skills or if someone started with a 4X4 they could turn it down rather quickly......decoy blanks in basswood would work the same, fins something 3 inches thick and turn it round....an easy turn Unfortunately, I don't have a lathe. I guess I could build one with a drill and some spare pieces of wood or something like that, but at this time, I don't have one. My original dowel came from a spare table leg in Malaysia. Can't seem to find that style here in the US. Madison, WI to be specific. I am open to any ideas that won't kill my checkbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 cut down a small tree and dry the wood properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cz75b Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 how long of a piece are you looking for, how many and what kind of wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudcat Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Anyone know where I can find wooden dowels that are 3 inches in diameter for a price far less than the close to $50 that I've been seeing on the internet thus far? I've only really checked Home Depot. Any and all advice is welcome. Thank you very much. Try a cattle feed store or a fenceing place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 (edited) Try a cattle feed store or a fenceing place. Fencing posts, what we used to call peeler poles, are the centers of trash trees, grown quickly, and soft and prone to shrinkage. Some are pressure treated or dipped in preservative, which is supposed to give them longer life as fences. I think you'll be disappointed if you're looking for the same performance as you got from a Malaysian hardwood, which are typically very oily and stable. I don't know what you're using the 3" dowels for, but, unless it truly needs to be a round dowel, I think you'd be better off gluing up some stable wood into a blank that's the right size, and going from there. If it has to be a dowel, go onto some wood working sites online, and see if there are any turners in your neighborhood. Generally, hobbyist turners, and wood workers in general, are very generous and helpful. If you live in SoCal, and are willing to drive to the LAX area, I have a small lathe that will turn 3". PM me. Edited January 31, 2010 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT hunter Posted January 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 @ cz75b - I am looking to use three inch sections of a 3 inch diameter dowel to make no more than 10 or 12 lures. This is merely for my own education, curiosity, and amusement for part of a fishing lure design. I prefer a softer wood as I do not have the tools at my disposal that I used to. Again, any help is welcome! @ Mr. poulson - Unfortunately, I live up in the snow-covered beer-guzzling land in the northwoods otherwise known as Wisconsin. If I were in SoCal, I would definitely be interested in using a lathe and also inviting you out for drink to ask about other lure building advice! Thank you though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 How about shovel or rake hoe handles, some of these are quite fat and are turned round, just dock them off to length????Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom in Sweetwater Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Sounds like what you need is a hardwood stair handrail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudcat Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Anyone know where I can find wooden dowels that are 3 inches in diameter for a price far less than the close to $50 that I've been seeing on the internet thus far? I've only really checked Home Depot. Any and all advice is welcome. Thank you very much. G T Hunter call an ask one of does places/ work worker supply co 603-273-4418 hall lumber sales 608-863-7071 Stock building supply does mill work 608-846-5445 Senger lumber inc 608-356-6395 they are in or around madison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dan Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 G T Hunter call an ask one of does places/ work worker supply co 603-273-4418 hall lumber sales 608-863-7071 Stock building supply does mill work 608-846-5445 Senger lumber inc 608-356-6395 they are in or around madison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dan Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Try Mid-West Dowel. www.midwestdowel.com. They stock & make different types of wooden items. Paul Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT hunter Posted February 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Try Mid-West Dowel. www.midwestdowel.com. They stock & make different types of wooden items. Paul Dan @ hazmail - I will be running past blaines this week and will definitely check some out! @ mudcat - I will check these out. This is a lot of possibilities here so thank you very much! @ Paul Dan - I will check out the site you recommended in the morning. Thanks! @Tom in Sweetwater - Actually, I was looking at those for a spin-off design I've been thinking about on and off for three months now. To all: I am really shocked and grateful that there are this many people who are willing to help somebody with an absolutely blockheaded, numbskull idea that most people have written off as complete lunacy even though my first prototype was covered in teeth marks. I am going to run down the resources suggested and see what I can find. Thanks again you guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Just be sure to post some pictures of your tooth marked lure. Fish are always the best judges of a lure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT hunter Posted February 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Just be sure to post some pictures of your tooth marked lure. Fish are always the best judges of a lure. I already chopped up the original prototype to make the newer design that I am sure will work even better. Once it is built, I want to test it before I show it to anyone just in case it sucks. If it rocks like I think it will, I will definitely post pictures of the lure with the fish it caught!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeglk Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Anyone know where I can find wooden dowels that are 3 inches in diameter for a price far less than the close to $50 that I've been seeing on the internet thus far? I've only really checked Home Depot. Any and all advice is welcome. Thank you very much. try woodcrafters.you can find them online Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT hunter Posted February 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 try woodcrafters.you can find them online Thanks joe, but they didn't have anything I was looking for. Maybe for a future project? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Thanks joe, but they didn't have anything I was looking for. Maybe for a future project? Just ahd a flash!!!!!!!! Try some wooden curtain rods, the ones the slide the wooden/plastic rings along, they have to be at least 3" dia.Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 If you have a plywood plant in your area you might try there. They use lathes to shave off thin sheets of veneer and can only turn the logs down to around 3 or 4 inch cores. Believe they then sell them to places that in turn sell them for fence posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT hunter Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 If you have a plywood plant in your area you might try there. They use lathes to shave off thin sheets of veneer and can only turn the logs down to around 3 or 4 inch cores. Believe they then sell them to places that in turn sell them for fence posts. I actually just found something that works really well along with a physical way of making the lure stronger. I'm going to use those little nub table leg things in Home Depot. $4 bucks a pop but worth it for a lure like I'm aiming to make. Just gotta get that threaded bolt out, which hasn't been too hard yet. I'm using a 3/4 inch dowel inside of the three inch dowel and the 1.5 inch dowel as a connection glued tight inside both and then drilling through the whole thing for thru wire. When I finish, I will post picture of this beast! Might take awhile 'cause the nanny just got stomach flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
