Curtain pole "thingy"

Woodfit, Isaac Lord, have them So does Screwfix (I think).

(can never remember the name though).

try giving Isaac Lord's trade counter a call. they are very helpful people.

I think its called a dowel screw.

Yes it is screwfix 12823 0r 12400

Paul

Thanks folks - have found what I wanted.

Keith

Strictly speaking "dowel screws" are asymmetric. One's a woodscrew, the other's a machine screw thread. They're the things used with wingnuts to make demountable bits on furniture, or with brass acorns to hold coffin lids down.

ISTR that they were also used on naff 50s/60s style tapered legs for coffee tables, radiograms (and Dansette record player types of thing) etc. You could buy sets of legs of various lengths and mounting plates which splayed the legs. A bit of Fablon 'neatly' finished off the job.

They were also used for divan bed legs (tapered too!), with casters.

They weren't necessarily asymmetric (or even asymimperial(!) ) - various combinations of ends were available, although in actual fact, the "dowel" bit suggests a wood-to-wood connection, i.e. a woodscrew to woodscrew.