Heartwood oak rustic, wibbly wobbly structure pegs

[SteveA]

I need to construct something to train our climbing & rambling roses.

 

Wanting to have it a) long lasting and b) cheap ....so I'm looking to use a selection of fallen oak branches.

 

I'd like to join where the branches crossover each other with wooden pegs, but I havent got any pegs made up or ANY seasoned wood.

 

Would hornbeam be good for pegs?.... or ash?....or something else?

[agg221]

Be aware that only the heartwood of your fallen oak branches will be durable. Some branches from an oak that has gone 'stags head' would work fine. They will also probably be seasoned enough, as would a bit of oak firewood (which is what I made most of the pegs for my extension from!)

 

I wouldn't use ash or hornbeam outside, they are really not durable.

 

Alec

[SteveA]

Be aware that only the heartwood of your fallen oak branches will be durable. Some branches from an oak that has gone 'stags head' would work fine. They will also probably be seasoned enough, as would a bit of oak firewood (which is what I made most of the pegs for my extension from!)

 

I wouldn't use ash or hornbeam outside, they are really not durable.

 

Alec

 

Yes it's all heartwood oak - really looking forwards to fitting it all together. So should I just use green oak pegs? cheers

[agg221]

Yes it's all heartwood oak - really looking forwards to fitting it all together. So should I just use green oak pegs? cheers

 

Not green, but I understand some people prefer 15-20% mc anyway as it isn't quite so brittle (although I'm no expert this is certainly consistent with what I've found). If the branches were standing dead for long enough to be stripped to heartwood and are only a few inches thick (proper bleached stags head stuff) then I would expect them to be dry enough for outdoor use.

 

Alec

[SteveA]

Thanks Alec. Think I'll start making some pegs right now and bring them indoors to dry out.

[delabodge]

wack them in the airing cupboard for a few days they will lose moisture quickly,then finnish to true size needed! I dry all my chair stretchers this way.

[Big Beech]

my chair, which i haven't posted a picture of, is made from bone oak with a Yew seat and back. i used 3" carpenters mates screws then made plugs and glued them in!

[agg221]

wack them in the airing cupboard for a few days they will lose moisture quickly,then finnish to true size needed! I dry all my chair stretchers this way.

 

I agree with this. For this sort of job I would reckon it is better to lose a little bit of extreme grip in exchange for not risking splitting the wood. As such, rather than the traditional shaving to shape I would split out square-ish bits, taper up one end a bit to form a lead and dry them in the airing cupboard. I would then drill a hole in a bit of steel plate, put it with the hole over the plate and just before use, bang them through with a mallet. This slightly compresses the wood fibres so that when you tap them into a matching hole in the wood they expand again over the next few days and lock solid.

 

My new extension roof is held together using pegs made this way (for location rather than structural load) and they are much easier to get in to thinner sections without risking splitting.

 

Alec

[delabodge]

thats excatly how I make them alec, forgot too mention the plate thing, its how I make the tines for the occassional hay rake I make too.

[SteveA]

I agree with this. For this sort of job I would reckon it is better to lose a little bit of extreme grip in exchange for not risking splitting the wood. As such, rather than the traditional shaving to shape I would split out square-ish bits, taper up one end a bit to form a lead and dry them in the airing cupboard. I would then drill a hole in a bit of steel plate, put it with the hole over the plate and just before use, bang them through with a mallet. This slightly compresses the wood fibres so that when you tap them into a matching hole in the wood they expand again over the next few days and lock solid.

 

My new extension roof is held together using pegs made this way (for location rather than structural load) and they are much easier to get in to thinner sections without risking splitting.

 

Alec

 

Cheers guys. Like the compressed peg solution. How much smaller should the hole in the plate be in relation to the peg?