I've seen posts where people use the BBQ skewers. I bought some for a stacked cake coming up, but they look so skinny. When you use them do you just use more than you would if you have dowel rods?? Also, can these be used down the center of the two tiers to prevent any sliding or other things so I don't end up on the 'disasters' board??
Hey another person from Iowa Howdie...I would like to know how they use those to..I would think they were not strong enough cause they are so skinny..
I am from Muscatine all the way across Iowa from you...I am on the ILL. border and you are on the nebraska one..
I can break those things very easy, but not wooden dowel rods, those things are strong!
Are you talking about the bamboo skewers for kabobs???
No way would I use those in place of dowels--they bend way too easily and they soak up moisture fast (you're supposed to soak them for a few minutes before putting the food on them to BBQ). In order to get the proper safety effect from them, you'd have to put 20 or 30 in a layer if the top tier has any weight to it!
A true cake dowel CANNOT be easily bent. If you take a 3/16th inch dowel and try to bend it in half, you can't--without breaking it. You can't easily bend the plastic dowels, either.
If real dowels aren't an option for you????, then I'd suggest a bunch of McDonald's heavy milkshake straws over the skewers--at least they don't absorb moisture.
My real suggestion is to get real dowels if you value the time, money, and energy you've put into your cake. No one really likes to post in the Disaster Forum.....
Rae
Hmm, I just remember people saying they use those.
I guess I'll be buying the dowels and making kabobs with the skewers. 
I used to use skewers all the time that I drive through the entire cake for added support (NOT for holding up cake tiers..) for a stacled cake that has to travel stacked (like when a customer is picking up) I now use Bakery Crafts system (which is very strong) so no longer use the skewers. But I never had any issues with them obsorbing moisture or breaking. The ones I used werent super thin though..about a 1/2 inch. I bought them at a local gourmet shop/Williams Sinoma type store. Not the grocery store ones.
I use skewers as well in my cakes for support but I can't be 100% that they are bamboo and not just wood. I've never had aproblem with them breaking, splintering, giving way or anything. THey've worked great every single time.
Edited to add: I've never used them for more than a 2 tiered stacked cake. I've used them for scuplted cakes also with no problem but they weren't massive or extremely complicated.
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