I always do the stacked construction, and have never had a problem until this weekend when I had 3 cakes to do! My cardboard cake circles didn't seem to hold up. So now I'm looking into getting plastic separator plates with plastic dowels. Is there a system that is good for the stacked construction? I find the plates and rods - but I don't know how they work with the stacked construction. Anybody have any place they prefer to buy their plates/dowels? Any good suggestions? I'd like to be able to reuse these over and over - the dowels that I found on the Wilton site seem to be disposable because you cut them to height - I'd like to be able to adjust them to height and then reuse them next time.... anybody know of anything like that???

If you buy the plastic dowel rods they can easily be cleaned and reused. I think the ones I get are wilton and come in 2 diameters.
If you or someone you know has a way to cut masonite (a kind of particle board), that's what I use for my cake plates. That way I can have it cut to the exact size/shape I need, and I can have a hole drilled in the middle for pushing dowels all the way through the cake. You have to cover it completely like cardboard because it isn't food safe, but it's very strong and works great.

What I'm wondering about is the plastic dowels - since I'd like to reuse them, rarely to my cakes end up being the same height - off a 1/8" here, or 1/4" from cake to cake... so I was hoping to find some 'adjustable' dowels that I could adjust the height on each time...???? is there any such thing?

Awesome! There is such a thing. But they say to not use as support???

What do you use to CUT your wooden dowels??? I struggle with this!

I have a small saw (similar to this one - http://www.handyage.com/cgi-bin/productfn/pdt_detail_lst.pl?SerialNum=689&cSerialNum=87%2C237,91 ) to cut wooden dowels. I have always used cardboards AND plastic plates in my cake constructions.

I use the Wilton hidden pillars that you are referring to and reuse them as much as possible. I have had a couple of cakes where they ended up taller than the tier I was using them on, and put fillers in like flowers and such, but then, I gues they truly aren't stacked cakes.........

I have pruning shears solely used for cutting wooden dowels.

Well, so far I've used a cutters in my husband's tool box - lol - but it gives it an angled cut - so I was thinking the same thing would happen with pruning shears? no?

I've lately been using just a box cutter - it takes awhile though.

I too use cardboard and wooden dowels and have for years. Saturday I had my first disaster and had a layer to start to slip. It was a huge cake and luckily I had time to fix it. My husband went with me (as I have a bronken leg, so now he is always with me -- I LOVE IT!!) which was great, because if I had been alone I wouldn't have been able to have gotten it apart and back together again!!

I think I am going to order the stress-free supports from this website --

http://www.weddingcakesupports.com/

It is expensive, but if it works it is so worth it!!

I'm a TOTAL fan of BakeryCrafts SPS system. It's sturdy, easy and cheap. I use the GC-4S legs, torte with the Agbay leveler and all my cakes come out 4" tall after adding the filling--the height of the legs. I haven't cut a dowel in years. I charge a $20 equipment fee and then I don't need to get anything back. love, love, love it!

I have the stress free system and love it!!!! Is the bakery craft system the one Duff uses?

What your are looking for is "stress free separator rings. They are stainless steel rings with adjustable legs. They are $130.00 for the starter set. which will do a 5 tier cake. The web site shows a woman standing on them so they are sturdy!!!! The web site is http://www.earlenescakes.com/Specinfoimages/rings.jpg The legs can be purchased in different lengths. My cake usually range from 3 1/8 to 3 1/2 the legs can be adjusted up to 1/2 an inch. Hope this helps!!!

BakeryCraft's SPS totally works for stacked construction. That's about 99% of all the cakes I do. www.LouisvilleWeddingcakes.com for pictures.
Be sure to order the GC-4S column.

To use the SPS:
Assemble bottom most tier on board/plate as usual.

Use the SPS plate to punch a hole in a cardboard the same size as the cake being placed on top of the bottom most tier. (Let's call that tier the middle.) Use a skewer (or similar) to enlarge the hole in the cardboard slightly. Place cake on cardboard and assemble as usual.

If there's a third tier on top, repeat.

Take the plate and center it on the cake (after the icing has crusted a bit) and lightly mark where the legs will go into the cake. Remove plate.

Jam the legs (columns) into the plate. The fit will be quite tight.

Push the plate and leg assembly into the bottom most tier.

Mark the middle tier and place the leg and plate assembly in it.

Now pick up the middle tier and place it on the plate that's now sitting in the bottom most tier. You do not have to get it centered. Just get the far edge past the center peg and slide it into place. You'll likely hear a little whoosh when the peg on the "receiving" plate catches the hole you punched in the cardboard. If your plate was centered in the bottom most tier, then your middle tier is centered.

Repeat with next tier up.

Notes: Always use the plate to punch a hole in the cardboard. You'll only forget once.

Always assemble the leg and plate system and insert into all tiers before assembly. You do not want to be pushing the leg and plate assembly into a partially stacked cake. It will cause a blowout.

Once you have a wee bit of practice you can stack up a six tier cake in no time!

The legs on the Bakery Crafts system are not adjustable to 1/8"-1/4" and you mentioned you wanted adjustable legs

The legs on the stress free system are what you are looking for.

That's what I don't understand - the legs say 4" but they sure don't look like 4" in the pictures. I don't understand how they work.

What's the stress free system with the adjustable legs? Where do you buy that? How expensive it it?

Generally BakeryCrafts pictures the multi-part legs. I don't know why they don't feature the 4" legs, but those are generally not in the pictures. That's why I always provide the catalog number (GC-4S).

I know that those who have the SFS (Stress Free System) love it, but there is no way I will even consider buying something that expensive that has to be returned. I also do multiple wedding cakes in a weekend so I'd have to invest a lot of $ and I am not gonna do it. Too much to keep up with, with all the reutrns. I generally have 3 wedding cakes per weekend and have had as many as 6.

SPS is easy--easy I tell you and sturdy. I deliver cakes stacked or at least partially stacked and have for years.

If you have to cut the legs you certainly can. If you need a cake with a separation, you just use the multi-part leg.

Where's the cheerleader emoticon???

Maybe adjustable legs aren't necessary??? I mean, my cakes are generally 'around' 4" but what if they're not exactly? Make up for it in icing??

That's what borders are for!

I think I'm convinced to give the Bakery Crafts SPS a try... I'll look in our book today about ordering! I'm so excited. Thank you for your input.

If you get into any trouble with it, call me. My number is on my webiste. Really. The first time I laid out all the pieces, I just went "huh?"

And take the collars off the plates and throw them away. They are useless. It will make sense when you see them.

I just purchased the COAST system from Pfeil and Holding. It can bu used with 4" legs to stack or up to 9" to make a separated look. You need a $50 minimum order but that is easy with cake supplies! I ordered every size place and 4", 4 1/2 and 7" columns so I am prepared for different looks.
http://cakedecostore.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?p_catid=266

I need them for a wedding cake soon but have heard many great things about his system!
Tracy

do you use any additional support? wooden dowels? or are the plastic columns enough?

The COAST system only uses the plastic columns, no need for any other. I wanted to get rid of the wooden dowels in my stacked cakes, the though of the wood in the cake just did not sit right...
Another CC member recommended this system to me in the thread I am attaching.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=124351&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0
Tracy

Duh.
www.LouisvilleWeddingCake.com

And no you don't need any wooden dowels with SPS.

You call?

very cute! That's me about SPS!