how to attach dowels to MDF & FG

OMG this is getting pretty frustrating.  I seen on another post that the guy uses hot glue so I have tryed and tryed and all it does is break off when I go to stretch the fleece.  I got tired and liquid nailsed the dowels and still broke off when stretching the fleece.

What am I missing here, what is the best way to get the dowels to stick to the wood and the mdf without breaking!?

Quick response is greatly appreciated as I am trying to do this right now. lol.

Thanks guys!

no the dowels aren't breaking, they are coming off where the hot glue and where the liquid nails was used

What kind of fleece material are you using?  Is it really rough or hard to stretch?  I would use something not so difficult or something really flexible along the lines of "panty hose" type material.

And yea, let it completely cure; whatever glue type product you are using.  Also, like sawhit mentioned, create the pothole effect, by drilling in a few millimeters to allow the dowel to have a way to anchor itself down for added support and strength.

What did you try that allowed it to work?

Got shots?

I tryed uding the hot glue in a different way that ended up holding it better.  Right now what I did was drill the holes as sawhit4 said and I filled the holes with hot glue and put a couple of nails to anchor the dowels into the mdf, not sure how it is gonna hold on the FG though as that is where it ends up coming off first.  Lemme snap some shots quick should have them up in about 5-10 min

heres a couple pics

i cant belive liquid nails didnt hold.  Must have been something wrong with it.  Like maybe someone on the fiberglass that wouldn't allow it to cure.  I used that stuff to glue a box together once, but then had to knock out a wall of the box to redo it.  I first tried a regular hammer but it wouldn't budge, so i got a 3 pound sledge and gave it a good wack.  It knocked a hammer shaped hole in the box after a few hits.  I ended up having to cut the side out.  But i allowed it to cure for two days before i touched it, so that was probably it. 

Good luck with it this time.  You're project looks sick.  I cant wait to see it done. 

you have to let the glue dry first...LOL

but honestly...you dowels are too vertical....put them at slight angles to the ring...cause it is not the force of you trying to pull the fabric down that is causing it break free it is the force from side to side as you try to wrap the fabric that is breaking the glue...set the dowels up like a tri-pod as opposed to a hydropole and you will be much better off...if this dosent work use thinner more stretchy material, it is a door pod correct, you should be using panty hose for your initial stretch then...

i am still not sure why every one wants to add boat loads of weight to the project by using fleece, or some other heavy material...it does look like your using a grill cloth of some sort though...but you still may want to try pantyhose anyway...that is what i pretty much build everyone on my pods with, and if i can usse it on a box i will too...best material out there...you hardly have to glue it, it is light as air, and serves its purpose..

and typically the dowels are broken out after the first layer or two of resin has cured, so drilling "divots" into the panels is not really the best idea in my opinion.also i would have used much thinner dowels those things look like they are 1/2" thick..

Nice work around, glad you got it to work.

Keep up posted, don't forget to take shots of it as you glass.