Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Mar 18, 2003 05:48am | #1

   How many do you need to do? What shape do you need the shoulder be. How smooth does the square part have to be when you're done?

   For just one, I'd kerf as much of that waste as I could with a hand saw, then clean it up with a chisel and a file, or two files if the shoulders had to be radiused.

1. 
   PeteMoss | Mar 18, 2003 02:07pm | #2

   Hi Unk (if I can call you that),

   I only need one. It will be finished and visible. What it will actually be is that the squared end will function as a tenon through a square hole, but will stick through the other end about 2 inches and have a wedge driven through it, tusk-tenon fashion. I am wanting to leave the squared part as large as possible, so as to be able to chop the sloped hole for the wedge with as little problem as possible for my fat fingers.

   What I really envision then is on one side of the board it looks like a round dowel going in but a square one coming out on the other side.

   Thanks

1. 
   JTL | Mar 18, 2003 03:50pm | #3

   In this case it would be easier to start with the square and make it round!!

   Edited 3/18/2003 8:53:19 AM ET by JTL

1. 
   jackplane | Mar 18, 2003 04:43pm | #4

    Create a jig from a block of 2x2x length of dowel.Cut a "V" in it to hold the dowel.Hot glue or affix the dowel in the "V".Run the flat side of this jig along your tablesaw fence,ripping it,and then rotating for all four sides.Be careful backing the stock out of the saw;Blade ht. should only be as high as you need.If you're not comfortable with this technique,get someone else to do it.

2. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Mar 18, 2003 10:27pm | #5

   Hmm.  Not only do you need to make the dowel square, but you've got a big alignment problem.  The square end has to align perfectly with the round end.   Furthermore, the square and round mortises also need to line up perfectly.   There are lots of opportunities for getting visible gaps around the peg. 

   You could achieve the same appearance by making the peg in two pieces.   One is square cross-section, and the other is round cross-section.   Similarly, the mortise is done is two parts -- one round, and the other square.  You insert the square peg in the square hole and the round peg in the round hole.  The two pegs probably touch in the middle of the mortises, but they're not fastened together.  Glue is what hold them in the wood.  There's a couple good things about this approach.  First, you don't need to perfectly align anything.   Second -- where this post originally started -- you can just make a square post with whatever tools you've got: tablesaw, hand plane or whatever.

2. 
   Clay | Mar 19, 2003 11:10am | #6

   You should be able to file the flats on the square part faster than I can type this reply.  You'll only be taking off about fifteen hundreths of an inch at the centers of the flats.