Replies

1. 
   jg0258 | Feb 04, 2011 09:35pm | #1

   I am guessing you want to make plugs for something like a Greene & Greene desk. Use a bench hood and a hand saw. Alternatively you can make a jig for the band saw to cut them if yo have to make a lot of them. I use a bench hook and a small wedge cut at 15º and just rotate the strip of wood to cut the pyramid. 

1. 
   DougFir1234 | Feb 05, 2011 02:00am | #3

   Yes, plugs a la greene and greene.

   I would like to make a round hole - make a shoulder on the plug and stick it in the hole with the raised part above the plane of the wood.   I was thinking small router / table / bit setup for this.  Use a length of stock do 2 edges then cut to length and do the other 2.  I would make it so it just fit the hole , but overlayed it so what you saw was a square i.e. the pyramid or some such g and g plug. 

   I don't want to make hand mortises - I could get  a mortise drill - i have a d. press.

   I guess the only way to get pieces that small is to cut/plane by hand.  As ya'll said you could run the angle on two side and cut each piece to length in some sort of mitre jig.  

   I know each piece is different - but what do I see on g and g furniture - plugs or through tenons?

   I've seen some pretty small ones 1/4 to 3/8"

   Thanks!

1. 
   jg0258 | Feb 05, 2011 12:12pm | #4

   If you are going to use Ralph?s method I recommend you clamp the plane upside down on a bench and just run the piece over the blade, it is easier. 

   I have both Darrel Pert's and Bob Lang's books on G&G, they both do them by hand. No router jig for this, too dangerous in my opinion. 

   You do not need to get a hollow chisel mortiser, just get the hollow chisel, or you can buy Lee Valley's square hole punches made specially for this. You can see them here

    http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=65380&cat=1,41504,41541&ap=1

   Your idea of making a dowel with a square head seems more difficult to me than making the square hole. Besides the plugs are only 1/16 of an inch proud of the surface that is too thin to make by machine and more difficult to do by hand. 

   The plugs served two functions on G&G furniture, one was decorative and the other was to cover the hole where they used screws. That's right the Hall brothers used screws to hold together their furniture. I guess we can be too anal sometimes about using only traditional joinery. I am not aware of any through tenons on G&G furniture, besides, a 1/4 or 1/2 inch tenon would be about worthless, don't you think?

   Anyhow, good luck and let us see your project when you are done. 

2. 
   [email protected] | Feb 06, 2011 06:12pm | #5

   Fastcap make premade one if they are purely decorative. 

2. 
   RalphBarker | Feb 04, 2011 10:22pm | #2

   Or, about 16 zips

   Another method is to use a block plane. Once you have the stock cut to size, zip-zip, zip-zip with the block plane, and one side of the pyramid is done. Repeat on all four sides, then cut to desired length with a small hand saw - dovetail, gents, whatever.A bit of chamfer on the bottom edges eases insertion.

3. 
   shadowrangler | May 03, 2015 09:53pm | #6

   Pyramid inlays

   I like using a jig on a bench sander. just push it in, sand it, flip it repeat and cut. works on all sizes and ready for finish when cut.