Ok, I love my support system (logicpic), but it's fairly expensive unless I get the stuff returned each time, which is sort of a pain.

I watch Duff, and every week I think "What the heck ARE those pink hollow dowels they're using?" They just go *snip* with a pair of scissors!?? and tah-dah, they're done. Does anyone know what those are?

Hmmm..I've only ever seen the wooden dowels attached under the seperater plate...I wonder what it is!

I think someone mentioned that they may be bubble tea straws. They are straws that are extra large to allow tapioca to go through it.

I think those are the Boba Tea Straws, a.k.a bubble tea straws. I hear a lot of CCer's say that they use them instead of the wooden dowel rods..


HTH

Yep, they are bubble tea straws. They are supoosedly more stable than woden dowels and certainly easier to cut. Duff probably uses them because most of his cakes are not standard sizes.

Mine are in different colors, but their available at Asian specialty stores much cheaper than what they go for online!

You're kidding me. Straws??

I'd have a hard time being brave enough to even try that, even though I know people use them...

Dang.

I use them all the time and I'll never go back to wooden dowels again. They're actually very stable. I still can't explain the physics of it even after DH explained it to me a gazillion times.

yes, they are boba tea straws. They readily found online or in asian food markets.

I do too

Alright. So I should give them a whirl?

Has anyone ever had a bad experience with them? My cakes are so stable with logicpic that I've never wanted to try anything else, but it's not cheap...

ok I found fairly big plastic straws in different colors but the package does not say bubble straws...............can I use these? And what is the benefit over wooden dowels? I always thought the wooden dowel system to be very sturdy?

Dis I read that the straws must be filled with tapioca?????????

Should you try them?

Hmm.... my opinion is why fix somethin that aint broke. If you're happy with your current system then why change? On the other hand, if you WANT to change then I suggest trying the bubble tea straws on a practice cake because using it commercially.

It's the same principle as wooden dowels. Only these are loads easier to cut.

Boba tea straws a.k.a bubble tea straws as already mentioned.
Here is a link to where I ordered mine online, but if you can find them in a local asian market, do so, because as mentioned, it can be more expensive online.

www.bobateadirect.com

If you don't use these, I've seen the plastic hollow dowels in Michaels. I know Elisa Strauss (Confetti Cakes) uses these. You just have to cut/saw them down to size.
I think the benefit of hollow dowels, such as the straws, is that it balances the pull/shift of the cake better and is more sturdy. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong...or explain better )

I'd like to try something *reliable* for heavy wedding cakes, because the between-the-cake support frames for logicpic (which are supersupersuper sturdy), are pretty expensive. I get them back a lot and they're reusable, but if there was a quick, easy, cheaper way to do it, I'd be willing to try it.

And, hey, you know...if it's good enough for Duff...

Thank you casualkitchen for answering my question and thanks to everyone else. I will try these straws on a practice cake first. U never know I may love 'em.

I've used McDonald's straws. I know! I heard about them from another decorator, so I gave it a whirl on a 3 tiered cake. Held like a dream. Grant it, I held my breath the entire time, but it worked. As I was taking the tiers apart to cut the cake, I was amazed at how stable it was.