: That doesn't work with oak. Oak has such large grain that when you get down
: to 1/8" dowel if even one grain separates (which it does easily at
: that size) then there is nothing else to hold it together.

: I will try balsa I guess, and if that doesn't work then I'll look at small
: green limbs. And if that doesn't work perhaps I'll use wire, although I
: really hate doing things that way.

: BTW, I am building a model baidarka. It is almost completely finished except
: for the ribs. That's why I need to bend dowel. If I make a full size
: baidarka I will be tempted to use flat stock instead of dowel, but I'll
: cross that bridge when I come to it.

: Paul M

You might try birch dowels, usually fairly easy to find.

Bill H.