Poly Dowels? Are They Strong Enough?

Decorating By cakeandparty Updated 14 Oct 2013 , 12:28am by maybenot

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cakeandparty Posted 5 Jan 2012 , 4:13am
post #1 of 11

I have a 5 tier cake. Each tier is 5" high, and I am using 1/4 inch cake drums under each tier. Will poly dowels be a strong enough support the weight? Bottom tier is 18" square, next is 16" round, then a 12" square, then 11" round, then a 7" square.

10 replies
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CWR41 Posted 5 Jan 2012 , 4:44am
post #2 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeandparty

I have a 5 tier cake. Each tier is 5" high, and I am using 1/4 inch cake drums under each tier. Will poly dowels be a strong enough support the weight?




If you're talking about Wilton 3/4" diameter Plastic Dowel Rods,
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E3127EA-475A-BAC0-5F98F056B4A6DC92&killnav=1
yes, they're strong enough.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeandparty

Bottom tier is 18" square, next is 16" round, then a 12" square, then 11" round, then a 7" square.




The problem I see with this is that your 12" square tier won't fit on a 16" round tier--it needs to be on a 17" round or larger to avoid having the corners overhanging.

Here are the right angle measurements if you want to consider other sizes:
4" 5.66
5" 7.07
6" 8.49
7" 9.9
8" 11.31
9" 12.73
10" 14.14
11" 15.56
12" 16.97
13" 18.38
14" 19.8
15" 21.21
16" 22.63
17" 24.04
18" 25.46

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cakeandparty Posted 5 Jan 2012 , 5:55am
post #3 of 11

Thanks for the help, I will change the sizes, my poly dowels aren't wilton, they are ck but same thing I think, hollow.

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BREN28 Posted 5 Jan 2012 , 5:35pm
post #4 of 11

cakeandparty,

i use the poly dowels also,they are like the wilton plastic dowels but with a smaller diameter. they take up less space than the wilton one's,and are just as strong or sturdy.

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cakeandparty Posted 6 Jan 2012 , 12:09am
post #5 of 11

Ths is the biggest cake I have ever made, I was just feeling the weight of the second tier so heavy! The CK brand has skinny dowels to put inside the wide ones I think I will use those too!

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KoryAK Posted 6 Jan 2012 , 6:59pm
post #6 of 11

Yes those dowels will work fine - but you can switch to an SPS system for even more security if you are worried about it.

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cakeandparty Posted 7 Jan 2012 , 11:01pm
post #7 of 11

too late to switch now, cake is due tomorrow. Is there a guide on dowel placement for maximum support? I am assembling at the hall.

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CWR41 Posted 7 Jan 2012 , 11:12pm
post #8 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeandparty

too late to switch now, cake is due tomorrow. Is there a guide on dowel placement for maximum support? I am assembling at the hall.




This might help:
http://www.wilton.com/cakes/tiered-cakes/stacked-tiered-cake-construction.cfm

You can use fewer poly dowels than shown in the illustration.

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icer101 Posted 7 Jan 2012 , 11:50pm
post #9 of 11

These are poly dowels. I have used the smaller ones. They are like the wilton wooden ones. You cut them with scissors. They did work great in the cake i did. I see they have a bigger size also. They would be more like the wilton plastic dowels. they would be great also. I got my smaller ones from another site when i ordered some other things.hth

http://www.globalsugarart.com/cat.php?cid=1168&s=&name=Poly-Dowels%20Cake%20Supports

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Cakepro Posted 13 Oct 2013 , 6:12pm
post #10 of 11

Hi all,

 

Old thread, I know...but I'm considering switching from old-school wooden dowels (which I love because I know they're fail-safe) to the 1/4" poly dowels, and in searching for reviews, came upon this thread.

 

Are these sturdier than drinking straws?

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maybenot Posted 14 Oct 2013 , 12:28am
post #11 of 11

AThe poly dowels are "stronger" only in the sense that they're harder to bend, but bending isn't really an issue with stacked cakes. Vertical pressure is the issue, along with slippage.

In reality, the WIDEST diameter hollow column that you can use is your best friend when stacking a cake. You get more surface contact with O than with o. You displace more cake with the thinner dowels and ultimately need more of them.

Regular drinking straws are a good compromise, but I prefer my larger diameter bubble tea straws as the best choice.

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