"gregg" wrote in message
...
I'm working on some outdoor chairs and find myself in need of cypress
dowels. That is, if there is no reasonably available substitute for
doweling in cypress outdoor chairs. Even though widely available, I
don't expect maple, birch or oak would be long lasting. No luck in
finding a cypress dowel source and the only dowel maker I've found is
at Lee Valley and rather pricey. Can someone point me in the direction
of a cypress dowel source or a dowel maker that is not in the several
hundred dollar range? Thanks

gregg

know anyone with a small lathe? how about knocking the corners off a square
rod with your saw, and sanding, spokeshave, or chucking it in a drill press
and rounding it off?

depends upon if you need a few inches, or ten feet of it.