# Need help with slotting multiple dowels at once



## Buhzie2 (Sep 21, 2014)

Hi there, new to the forum, glad I found it! :thumbsup:

So I've been tasked with making multiple slotted pine dowels for use as bird perches. I'm basing the design off of these perches: http://www.amazon.com/Living-World-Wooden-17-Inch-2-Pack/dp/B0002ASHJ4

I have to make many of these for a local pet bird store. They have as many as 100 per order, of varying lengths and diameters. The smallest diameter is 5/8" and the largest is 2".

I am planning to cut a 1/2" slot on each end. To cut the slots, I am just running the dowel vertically through my table saw which has two blades stacked, and this is leaving a nice size slot in the end of the dowels.

The big problem that I need help with is keeping the dowel in rotational alignment when I have to cut the opposite side. Right now, I am just eyeballing it, hoping that the slots line up when I make the second cut.

I need some way to keep the dowels in rotational alignment when making the cuts. I had an idea to make some long clamps to hold together the ends of multiple dowels at once, so that I could run them end on end through the saw and get multiple cuts at once, but this is proving to be easier said than done. The dowels aren't perfectly straight, and keeping them perfectly aligned with the clamps just isn't working. I figured that if I were to clamp both ends together and keep them in some sort of linear alignment, that I could run the ends of the clamps against the fence of my table saw and get multiple slots cut at once, but this just isn't working.

I need some way to register the rotational alignment of the dowels as I cut them. If I can cut multiple dowels at once, that would be great, but if I just have to cut one at a time, that's okay too. As long as I can ensure the alignment of the slots on both ends of the dowels, I'll be fine.

Do you have any ideas for some sort of jig I could make to accomplish this? Should I be cutting them with some other sort of system or tool?

Thanks for any advice!


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## tinstar (Mar 5, 2014)

I'm not sure how to explain this without a picture but I would make a jig using four boards 2" thick. Drill holes to recess a carriage bolt on either end and recess a hole for a washer and nut on the opposite board. Then you could load a number of the dowels between the boards side by side(two boards on one end two on the other) tighten the nuts to clamp the dowel ends, and run the 2x against the fence. You could then turn it around for a wider slot(if needed) then flip the whole thing over to do the other side without removing the clamps.


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## Buhzie2 (Sep 21, 2014)

tinstar said:


> I'm not sure how to explain this without a picture but I would make a jig using four boards 2" thick. Drill holes to recess a carriage bolt on either end and recess a hole for a washer and nut on the opposite board. Then you could load a number of the dowels between the boards side by side(two boards on one end two on the other) tighten the nuts to clamp the dowel ends, and run the 2x against the fence. You could then turn it around for a wider slot(if needed) then flip the whole thing over to do the other side without removing the clamps.


This is pretty much exactly what I tried, but it never really works out. The dowels aren't perfectly straight and getting them into alignment and then tightening the carriage bolts is harder than imagined. Plus, the boards never clamp down hard enough onto the dowels to hold them in place. They keep sliding in and out and rotating. 

I tried this by cutting boards from 3/4" MDF, recessing the bolts and washers on one board, and clamping it around the dowels with another board that has wingnuts and washers on the other side of the bolt. It just didn't hold well enough or keep things aligned well enough. Plus, the MDF started to warp as I clamped around 6-8 dowels and it meant that running that against the fence of my table saw would give me inaccurate cuts.


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## tinstar (Mar 5, 2014)

I see your point, although MDF will flex where a hard wood might not. You could use a double sided tape or stick on felt on the inside of your jig to keep the dowels straight. You could also add an additional board to the front and/or back of the jig, sandwiched in the middle and square to the other four, to act as a stop. Are the dowels a consistent diameter? You have come to the right place, I'm sure someone smarter than me will come along and solve this for you. Good luck!


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## Buhzie2 (Sep 21, 2014)

Tinstar, you're right, the MDF does flex whereas a hardwood might not. Maybe I should try it with some plywood instead. The dowels are pretty consistent in diameter, but there are some very small fluctuations. 

I sure hope someone has an idea for this. Such a simple task, but so complex at the same time! I wonder how the company that mass produces these goes about making them!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Make a jig with holes in the sizes*

Your sizes range from 5/8" to 2" Right?

Just drill a series of 5/8" holes in line on a 2 X scrap. Then saw down the centerline of the holes. You now have a slot that will compress when clamped or through bolted on each end. Your slot is only 1/2" deep so you won't cut into the bolt IF it's drilled above the 1/2" high blade. The dowels will be held securely in the jig.
Unfortunately, you will have to make a different jig for each diameter of dowels you have... :thumbdown:

For one at a time:


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

You did not ask about this, but I need to make a comment.

You state that you are making a 1/2" (wide I presume) cut in all of the dowels, including the 5/8" ones.

That does not make sense to me. I have sold many, many dowels for bird cages when I owned my store. 5/8" perches are for smaller birds and smaller birds are kept in smaller cages. These cages are made of smaller material. You do not want a sloppy fir of the dowels on the cages.

Traditionally the slots in the ends of the dowels are sized for the bird/cage size. You might want to double check the specifications with the store that is ordering.

George


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## Pauley (Jan 21, 2012)

You could do something like this...cut some scraps in whatever length you would need so that it would look something like this...(sorry for the poor drawing) you would need two of them. Make them just slightly smaller than the dowel, then you could screw them together. That would hold the dowel tight and you could rotate it so it would cut the same direction...


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