Need 3/16" Maple Dowell

[rgand]

Anyone know where I can get a 3/16" hard maple dowell to fill and relocate the mounting holes in a neck?

I'm fitting a Squier Strat neck I had lying around to fit my FujiGen Tele. To get it to intonate, I had to flatten the heel of it because the original neck evidently wasn't standard and there wasn't enough adjustment in my saddles to compensate. The benefit is that now the neck has a Tele type flat heel so the pickguard fits nicely. The drawback is that the screw holes are off from the holes in the body.

I tried Stewmac, Allparts, ebay and did a general search online of various woodworking suppliers. No joy, there. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

 

[dmraco]

honestly why do you need maple? I filled the holes in a neck I have and I just picked up way the had in stock at hardware store. 

i think it was poplar.  I just used a dab of tight bond and put it in, cut and sanded flat.  Took 5 minutes.  Screws are nice and tight and it had not budged.

 

[rgand]

Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I could do that. The only thing that makes me hesitant about doing it that way is that the holes are not going back in quite the same place and may overlap the filled holes a little bit. Is poplar hard enough so that the screws don't migrate over into softer wood when screwed in? Having never filled a neck hole before, perhaps I'm a little over cautious.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

If the screw enters the wood where the dowel meets the neck, the glued joint will actually be stronger.
You should be fine.

 

[rgand]

It will be somewhere in that area. The holes need to move about 1/8". I found some birch dowels that should do the trick, then. Many thanks for the information. I'll get on it.

 

[fdesalvo]

Hey I think I can source some local.  Let me know if you need them.

 

[rgand]

Thanks for the offer but I got them on the way already. Be here in about 4 days.

 

[Cagey]

I found some birch dowels that should do the trick, then. Many thanks for the information. I'll get on it.

Birch is really hard. That or Oak would also work. Both of those are readily available as dowels.

 

[DangerousR6]

I found some birch dowels that should do the trick, then. Many thanks for the information. I'll get on it.

Birch is really hard. That or Oak would also work. Both of those are readily available as dowels.

Yip, Home Depot or Lowes usually has such items of wood dowels in stock, if you're in the US.

 

[rgand]

Thanks for the replies. I'm in the Central CA coastal area about 100 miles South of San Francisco. Kind of rural here, though. We still see a horse tied up outside the store once in a while.

I got confirmation that the order shipped today and I should be able to get going on it this weekend.

Is is a good idea to make a small file cut down the side to allow glue and air to escape when I tap them in?

 

[SoundAsAnOldEngineer]

I'm in the UK. I found a good source of Birch dowels from a shop that supplies materials for model aricraft and such like. They also have some very hard and very thin Birch sheets of 0.016" that make good neck shims.

 

[stratamania]

I would say a fine slot for escaping air is a good idea, especially if they are a tight fit. If they are not so tight you may not need to have one. Go by feel.

 

[rgand]

I would say a fine slot for escaping air is a good idea, especially if they are a tight fit. If they are not so tight you may not need to have one. Go by feel.

Thanks, that was kind of what I thought.

 

[dmraco]

Mine were birch.....lowes

 

[rgand]

Mine were birch.....lowes

Thanks for the note on that. Next time I'll head over there for them. It's only about 12 miles. Of course from here, everything's about 12 miles. :icon_biggrin:

Got some rattle can lacquer coming from StewMac to re-do the finish after it's done.

 

[bagman67]

On the plus side, Rgand, from where you are, everything is about 12 miles.  Out in the boondocks tends to be quiet.

 

[rgand]

On the plus side, Rgand, from where you are, everything is about 12 miles.  Out in the boondocks tends to be quiet.

Yeah. Everything is still 12 miles away even if you live in the middle of town. :laughing11:

 

[rgand]

I drilled the pilot holes today and they drifted off into the birch because it wasn't hard enough. The holes ended up about 1/16" off from where I need them. Now I need to drill the birch out and replace it with the right wood. I have found hard maple dowels in 3/16" and 3/8". To be able to drill out the birch completely, I need larger than 3/16" but I really don't want to go as large as 3/8". Anyone have a source for something in between?

 

[Cagey]

These guys sell 5/16" Maple dowel in various lengths, along with other diameters and species.

 

[rgand]

These guys sell 5/16" Maple dowel in various lengths, along with other diameters and species.

Thanks. I'll give them a call. Much appreciated.

+10 min: OK, I just called and ordered some. Thanks again.