Heartwood oak rustic, wibbly wobbly structure pegs

[agg221]

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

 

I drill the hole in the plate and the hole in the wood the same size.

 

Alec

[SteveA]

I drill the hole in the plate and the hole in the wood the same size.

 

Alec

 

Probably didnt explain my question very well.... what i mean is:

How much bigger should the peg be than the hole? eg, 10% ish? 20% ish?

[agg221]

It doesn't need to be bigger - I drill the hole in the plate the same size as the hole in the wood. Driving the peg through the hole in the plate compresses the wood fibres so the peg fits the hole in the wood. When it relaxes over a few days it expands again, locking it solid.

 

Alec

[SteveA]

It doesn't need to be bigger - I drill the hole in the plate the same size as the hole in the wood. Driving the peg through the hole in the plate compresses the wood fibres so the peg fits the hole in the wood. When it relaxes over a few days it expands again, locking it solid.

 

Alec

 

Sorry but I'm confused!

You say the peg doesn't need to be bigger than the hole, yet the wood fibres of the peg are compressed when you bang it through the plate?

I really am confused!!

[muttley9050]

You need to make the pegs just before fitting. The wood fibres will compress and remain compressed for a while, they will slowly swell up once in the hole. Hence holes should be same size.

Make sure you choose straight grained knot free timber for pegs.

[SteveA]

You need to make the pegs just before fitting. The wood fibres will compress and remain compressed for a while, they will slowly swell up once in the hole. Hence holes should be same size.

Make sure you choose straight grained knot free timber for pegs.

 

I'm looking at cutting the pegs out of green oak, don't they need to dry out for a while. ie, in airing cupboard as mentioned earlier.

[agg221]

I'm looking at cutting the pegs out of green oak, don't they need to dry out for a while. ie, in airing cupboard as mentioned earlier.

 

Yes, but cut them as rough blanks. Not sure on the size of your structure, but say for convenience you opt for 13mm pegs.

 

Chop a bit of wood of a convenient length - assume your structure means you need 4" long pegs, cut it at something around 5-6".

 

Split it up - if you haven't got a froe then a billhook rested where you want to split it and banged on the back with a wooden or rubber mallet does a good enough job. Split it into square bits about 5/8" across and point one end up a bit so it just enters the hole in the plate, to act as a lead.

 

Stick the square bits as above in the airing cupboard for a few days.

 

When you are fitting your structure together, bang the pegs through the plate (known as a dowel plate) using a mallet. You would ideally do this in the morning, then fit them in the afternoon, or the next day.

 

The pegs, having been made dry and then freshly compressed will fit the hole fairly easily, although there will still be some grip. Over the next few days they will expand and grip tightly.

 

Alec

[SteveA]

Yes, but cut them as rough blanks. Not sure on the size of your structure, but say for convenience you opt for 13mm pegs.

 

Chop a bit of wood of a convenient length - assume your structure means you need 4" long pegs, cut it at something around 5-6".

 

Split it up - if you haven't got a froe then a billhook rested where you want to split it and banged on the back with a wooden or rubber mallet does a good enough job. Split it into square bits about 5/8" across and point one end up a bit so it just enters the hole in the plate, to act as a lead.

 

Stick the square bits as above in the airing cupboard for a few days.

 

When you are fitting your structure together, bang the pegs through the plate (known as a dowel plate) using a mallet. You would ideally do this in the morning, then fit them in the afternoon, or the next day.

 

The pegs, having been made dry and then freshly compressed will fit the hole fairly easily, although there will still be some grip. Over the next few days they will expand and grip tightly.

 

Alec

 

Ah! I think i get it now.... sounds like banging a square peg into a round hole, with the tapered point to help get it started. Something like this:

 

[SteveA]

Totally get it now....

[agg221]

Yep,video captures it. In my rather more basic version I tend to just stick my dowel plate over the top of the slightly open jaws of the vice.

 

Alec