Thread: what size dowels for isis wings?

dudes..it's been a while since I've been in the market for isis wings..i'm buying a pair without the dowels..what size dowels do you use? do you prefer bamboo or an acrylic/other material?

Call me weird, but I like heavy wood. I like throwing the wings back and away and having the dowels land in the same place every time so I can count on their position to pick them up again. I don't like using them non stop through out a song.

I use tilt wands in mine -- those narrow plastic rods that you turn to open window blinds. I like that they're sturdy but still flexible enough to do vibrations easily.

They come in lengths that are ideal for wings (the ones I use are 28"), you can buy them in clear plastic so that they won't be visible if your wings are made of a sheer fabric, and they're cheap, which is always a plus.

I use graphite kite spars. They're sturdy, lightweight, flexible and easy to cut to length.

The dowels should extend from the end of the wing to just about your wrist. Too long and they'll interfere with your ability to move your wrist. Too short and they're hard to grab and hang onto.

thanks for the feedback..anyone know the width of the sleeve that holds the dowel? I wrote the vendor but they haven't responded..I like the idea of plastic

I just replaced the sticks in my Isis wings this weekend. It originally had 5/8" plastic tubing inside, which made it hard to hold properly. When I went to the store, I tried out the different dowels until I found one that felt comfortable to hold between my index and middle fingers. I bought 5/16" dowels. I trimmed them with a scissors and ground down the tips to hemispheres on the sidewalk! The holes for the sticks is way too big, so I'll have to redo the seam though.

I once borrowed a pair of wings with clear plastic sticks, and I loved those. The sticks were comfortable and they had a little bounce to them.

Originally Posted by Ainsley

I use tilt wands in mine -- those narrow plastic rods that you turn to open window blinds. I like that they're sturdy but still flexible enough to do vibrations easily.

They come in lengths that are ideal for wings (the ones I use are 28"), you can buy them in clear plastic so that they won't be visible if your wings are made of a sheer fabric, and they're cheap, which is always a plus.

This is what I do, too. They have a lot of spring to them so you can make the wings vibrate with very little wrist movement.

vibrating wings, love it! so it sounds like it's common practice to just shop around and find the dowels you like..and re-seam the wings so they don't fall out?

I didn't reseam my wings. Even though the pockets are larger than the tilt wands I'm using, I don't find that that poses any difficulties in handling. I just slipped the wands in and sewed up the end of each pocket nearest the hand so that they don't slide out. I also reinforced the far end of each pocket with clear medical tape, as I find that the weight of wands or dowels tends to slowly tear through organza.