Dan wrote:
>I need to acquire a bunch of 1" to 1.25" thick dowels and they need to be
24" in length.



A bunch is a rather nonspecific number, but I will suggest that making a dowel
turning setup is not very difficult.

I have a lot of options, as many of us do, but when I need fewer than about half
a dozen in a standard size and material, I big-box it.  For a larger number, of
size and material being non-standard, I make up a cutting setup. A plane iron, a
larger block with a hole, and a bit of fiddling, and a respectable dowel turning
setup in in hand. I have done this maybe once a year over the last couple
decades, and, with a little fiddling, have had good success.

There are a number of videos on line showing the general technique (Matthias
Wandel has one I think), but I first saw it back in the 1980's in either an ICS
or and Audels book. Think pencil sharpener.


I start with square stock, take the corners down with a #4 or a block plane, and
run them round. Fast, Easy. Can be pretty precise with a bit of work, usually
leaves a little helical surface finish. Turn the stock with a mechanical device
or with a hand crank or a barn auger handle or whatever.


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