Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Dowel Holder that Folds Away

                                                




Always looking for a piece of dowel or metal rod? A large collection of wood dowels and metal rods can get messy when it comes to storing and organizing.

 This dowel organizer will help keep them tidy. After easy access and  picking your piece the dowels can now be tucked away.

How to make

I used 2 inch diameter plastic tube I found in the plumbing department.
At the tablesaw a stop block and mitre gauge are setup to cut plastic tubes  7 inches in length. 


The next thing to do is to plug one of the ends, to do this I used my holesaw. The inside diameter of the tube is 2 inches and the hole cutter I will be using is 2 1/16".



The plywood for the plugs is 3/8".




The plugs are tapped in using a rubber mallet. The fit is very tight so it will take some pounding. When they are in they will be very difficult to get out.





To drill the holes accurately a scrap 2x4  block is made to hold the tubes.  




3/8" plywood is used for the base.



I first made a test piece to see what I liked and what would work. It took me a few tries but was well worth it. When I found what I liked I transferred the measurements onto the new plywood.



Nuts and bolts are used to assemble the tubes to the plywood. A stick is also bolted to the centre of each tube which will allow it to swivel together.








It is difficult to show in photos how it works so check the video. It swivels good and now my dowels are sorted and easy to see. When I am finished the holder  folds up and is neatly tucked away. 





See how I built the hinges for the cabinet here.