I'm a carpenter, so I should know the answer, but I can't find a place to buy wood dowels. Any sizes, from 1/4" on up...

I have some wood projects, so I wind up making my own, which is not a quick process, using saws, blades and sanders.

maybe Chiang Mai?

It's not a lot of help to you in CR, but I've seen large bags of the small ones (1/4"or so) in MegaHome (Rangsit), so they are certainly available.

You could try HomePro or Thai Wasadu..

where are those places? methinks one is a big hardware store several miles east of C.Rai.

a Home-Pro in Chiang Rai? that sounds interesting.

I used to make square dowels as they did in medieval times. They work very well.

I used to make square dowels as they did in medieval times. They work very well.

Sounds interesting. You sound like one of those guys who puts a square peg in a round hole, ha ha.

I used to make square dowels as they did in medieval times. They work very well.

Sounds interesting. You sound like one of those guys who puts a square peg in a round hole, ha ha.

It works. I knew that some genius was going to come up with this comment. Ha ha.

No reason why poorly fitting dowels wouldn't work, it's the glue that does the job.

I remember a machine called a biscuit joiner.

To join the wood it made saw cuts in the end, you pushed in round pieces of plywood... the biscuits... then glued.

Would be simple to do by hand on small jobs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_joiner

Yes, I've heard the "better to screw than glue" joke.

I found a source for large dowels (7/8") though they're sold as walking sticks in stationary shop by old clock tower.

Am still making smaller ones using electric tools. Am going to visit the US later this month, and may return with some dowels. Customs officials may wonder what the heck I'm carrying those sticks for - are they disguised explosive devices? I was once stopped by a customs official, while leaving the US. I had a perfectly round avocado pit and he thought it might have been an explosive.

Going south from BigC-either turn left at the intersection for home pro or go through and wasadu is on the left just past intersection

One of them will have the short joining dowels

I've used the bigger bamboo skewers in the past

I used to make square dowels as they did in medieval times. They work very well.

Sounds interesting. You sound like one of those guys who puts a square peg in a round hole, ha ha.

Square pegs in round holes hold very well if you do it right.

There are several types of dowel cutters that fit into an electric drill. You might pick some up at a home center while you're in the states. HERE

Here's one type that I like. Some won't cut longer dowels but are still handy. I saw the wood to the length I want after cutting out the dowel. If I saw first the end grain allows my work piece to break in the process.

Have a good trip back.

Interesting about dowel cutting drill bits. I didn't know about those. However, for my project (axels for toy trucks) a short dowel won't apply. Even so, I've adjusted to realities here: am still making rough-looking dowels with cutter/sanding tools, and using small diameter aluminium tube for another application. Some other items I'm planning to bring back after my 2 week trip: Mexican-style hot pepper seeds, a tube of Goop (washing oil-stained hands and for taking off labels), and clothing and other things from thrift stores - some of which can be used for gifts for friends here, particularly kids.

What you looking at isa plug cutter and is used to plug prebored holes to same diameter in timber giving a better finish than filler, dowel isa completely different thing and is used in jointing.

If you are still looking for dowels, I looked everywhere and couldnt find any.

This week I was in Thai Wasadu looking for something else and found that they now have dowels there.

Go in keep to the right past the tools go towards the paint a couple of aisles down.

They seem to be carrying more things now than before.

What you looking at isa plug cutter and is used to plug prebored holes to same diameter in timber giving a better finish than filler, dowel isa completely different thing and is used in jointing.

That's your interpretation of what I'm looking for, but it's not my thinking. A dowel is a dowel is a dowel. I'm looking for dowels. Still haven't found 'em.

If you are still looking for dowels, I looked everywhere and couldnt find any.

This week I was in Thai Wasadu looking for something else and found that they now have dowels there.

Go in keep to the right past the tools go towards the paint a couple of aisles down.

They seem to be carrying more things now than before.

thanks Teezza. It's cool that Chiang Rai is slowly getting more home improvement items than it used to have. I found some light-yellow carpenters glue recently. Another thing I'm looking for is a small wood plane made of metal. I brought one over from the US years ago, but it's missing. I still have my two 28 ounce framing hammers with waffle ends (tho they each have new home-made handles) and a metal pry bar - neither of which can be found in Thailand. The hammers have titanium in 'em.

You really ought to check out Thai Watsadu. Make sure you go into the back section too. Lots of stuff there you couldn't get previously in CR