Hi:)  I don't post often, usually just reading everyone's great advice.. but I've been wracking my brain on an upcoming wedding cake that has me absolutely anxiety-filled.  I was hoping I could get some ideas/suggestions on support.

The bride wants extra-tall tiers so I'm doing 4- 2" layers for each tier and then each tier will be separated by a 2" "dummy" styrofoam tier.  So the cake is going to consist of 10" double barrel, 9" dummy, 8" double barrel, 7" dummy, 6" double barrel, 5" dummy, and 4" double-barrel.  

I plan on putting a smaller cake board between the layers of the barrel cakes (two layers on bottom, cake board, two layers on top)  and supporting each set of two layers as if they were their own tier and then putting longer wood dowel rods through each barrel cake to keep the cakes together and add center support.  I figured I cannot use SPS because of that middle cake board in the cake, and I'm nervous with straws supporting that much weight, that I'm opting for the wood dowels.  So am I tackling this all wrong or is there something that I'm just not considering?  I'm worried about this cake leaning seeing that it's so tall and/or collapsing from the weight.  Valium and advice appreciated. :)

AI would stack up to 4" in the extended tier and put dowels in it, go ahead with your idea of using smaller cardboard round :)

They way I'm reading is that you would be stacking the whole thing as a normal cake right? So no dowels in the extended tier except the long one that goes all the way through? I wouldn't do that

Thank you so much for getting back to me.  I probably did a horrible job of explaining.. actually I know I did:) lol   Each two-layer (so 4") I'm going to dowel like it's a normal tier (each will be on it's own cake board anyways) but I plan on putting a center dowel through each double barrel cake to secure the two together.   Normally, if I was doing regular 4" stacked tiers, I would run a center dowel through all of the stacked tiers, but since in this case, each tier is so tall, I was going to put center dowels in each tier rather than through all of the tiers.  I think this is what is throwing me... Is this a good plan or am I missing some ideas to avoid disaster? 

AOhhhhhhhhhh lol ok ok ok ok lol. You probably don't need a center dowel through all the cakes, but it definitely won't hurt and if it will give you peace of mind it's worth it

Aso you have an 8 tier cake with 4 size graduations and 3 two inch separations --

y'know I think I'd feel better with sps in my double barrel tiers -- I have used the straws and poly dowel (my drug of choice) and wood but if I did another one I think I'd like sps for rock solid no worries on those towering towers -- you'll have a sh*tload of height -- let's see -- 4x8 + 3x2 = 38 inches dangling above a 10 inch cake -- I vote sps -- stack on site -- no worries -- bring a step stool and some binoculars you're in the nose bleed seats -lol

except you'll have to use straws for the top tier -- I don't think they make sps that small -- for this 4" 2-tier I'd use bamboo skewers slid into that foam separation down below -- I wrote about this recently for these real narrow cakes -- I'll see if I can find it --

oh yeah -- leave a dowell sticking up out of the middle of the top of each tier as a handle -- for ease in stacking -- then clip it off as you stack

Aso if you have an interest in seeing how I handle long skinny tall tiers it's in a post started by Nicki161 entitled "help with handbag cake please" starts around post 8 and following -- so i wish you the very best with this and I'd love to see a picture

I would feel better with SPS, but how would I incorporate that with a board in between the layers?  Ooh unless you're suggesting going with SPS for each 4" section?   So one barrel tier would have 2 SPS plates.. one in between the 4 layers, and one on top where the spacer would sit?   Am I understanding that correctly?

I really appreciate the incoming advice..   K8, I will go look for that post now, thank you!

K8mephis, you gave me my "ah haaa" moment!  Thank you.  I'll go with SPS, 4" dowels for each tier (regardless if barrel)  Thank you!  I'm breathing easier!

Aawesome -- yes the 6 lower tiers all get a nice safe sps -- then the lower 4" tier gets straws & skewers or whichever doweling you prefer --

glad you're breathing easier and best to you!

Aknow what though? only the lower 5 tiers can get sps -- the other two will need other dowelling because I don't think they make 5" plates for sps -- maybe they do -- anyhow 5 out of 7 will provide a really good basis for the top tiers