Drawplate

 

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Finding a dowel with a diameter less than 1/16" is nearly impossible!  So what do you do if you need one say 1/24" in diameter -- you make one.  Being a bit cheap - I tried dozens of ways to make a small diameter dowel before finally deciding to breakdown and buy a drawplate.

A drawplate is a tool that has been around since the Roman times - it is a simple tool made up of many holes each one a little smaller than the previous sized holes.  Usually made out of metal plate, each holes edge act like a razor, shaving the wood down a little more with each successive pass through the drawplate.

There are many different types and sizes of drawplates available including: Square, Half Round, Triangular, as well as round.  They can be used to draw many different materials as well -- wire, plastic, wood, etc.

Drawplates are a very useful tool and should be included in every miniaturists' tool box.

Drawplates are very simple to use -- they have two sides, a side to draw (stretch) a malleable material (like wire) out - this side has a depression larger than the hole.  And a side to cut material down, like wood -- this side is the side without the depression.

You simply start with a hole that fits the item you have and progressively draw it through the holes (several times each) and then moving to the next smaller sized hole and repeating the process until you get to the size you want.

You can even get draw tong pliers to help the process along.  Personally I made a pair of pliers with hard rubber attached to the jaws which hold the end of the dowel as I pulled it through the holes.