Where to Buy Metric Wood Dowel Rods Online for Masts & Spars

[Warpipes]

Hello All,
I have three kits from Caldercraft's "Nelson's Navy" line and I've been searching the internet for metric diameter dowel rods as backups in case I make a mistake or two with the dowels that come with the kits (currently building HMS Snake). I live in the USA and my internet searches have not resulted in finding a single supplier of metric diameter dowels. Can anyone provide me with a link to a supplier? Thanks for any assistance.

 

[Y.T.]

You can get Imperial ones and sand them down to any size by rotating them in the drill in one hand and piece of sand paper in the other hand.

 

[Jimsky]

Hello All,
I have three kits from Caldercraft's "Nelson's Navy" line and I've been searching the internet for metric diameter dowel rods as backups in case I make a mistake or two with the dowels that come with the kits (currently building HMS Snake). I live in the USA and my internet searches have not resulted in finding a single supplier of metric diameter dowels. Can anyone provide me with a link to a supplier? Thanks for any assistance.

I suggest you acquire dowels from your favorite store (or online) you can convert the metric system to imperial using the chat below.



Here is online calculator

Metric and Imperial Conversion Charts and Tables

Metric and imperial and currency conversion calculator. Online charts and tables to convert currency, temperature, length, area, mass and volume

convert.french-property.co.uk

 

[Warpipes]

I was hoping to buy them already sized without having to spend time reducing them from Imperial sizes, but I may have to resort to that eventually.

 

[Warpipes]

I was given this site on the Model Ship World forum:

Wood Dowels Building Materials | Cornwall model Boats

I will consider buying a few from them even though they are in the UK rather than turn my own from Imperial sized stock. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Don Case]

You're going to have to taper them anyway so starting with Imperial is not a big step. As an aside, I've found that dowel sizes aren't that accurate. They seem to be trying to split the difference between Metric and Imperial.

 

[Warpipes]

With a micrometer I measured the dowels that came with my HMS Snake kit at several points along their length, and also rotated them since they are never perfectly round. The averages I got were:

Stated Measured
2 mm 1.99 mm
3 mm 3.02 mm
4 mm 3.97 mm
6 mm 5.95 mm
8 mm 7.98 mm

All the dowels measure so close to their nominal value that the difference is entirely negligible. Caldercraft apparently provides accurately sized dowels.

And yes, they have to be tapered down from the center section to the ends, but at least that center section is already the correct diameter if one starts with metric dowels accurately sized. Now that I have performed this little exercise, I will probably contact Richard or John at Jotika and ask about getting some spare dowels from them.