Securing square pegs

sorethum1 | Posted in General Discussion on April 26, 2003 07:30am

I’m making a mission style footstool of my own design. It’s kind of a modified shaker style, three boards, one centered stretcher. I want to join the legs at right angles to the top using a 1/8″ deep groove in the underside of the top, dowels from the top into the ends of the legs, screws into the dowels, and square caps in the holes that I will pyramid. I’m only using 1/2″ true width, so I may not have much depth for the caps with the screws inserted. I’m concerned the caps will pop (as so many round pegs do) when the wood moves. Should I make the caps longer, avoiding the use of the screws? (The screws are intended to go directly into the end of the dowels, which are used to get better grip than just going into end grain.) There may be enough hold for the legs without the screws. I also thought I’d use the same wood (white oak) on the caps so that movement would be similar. Hope this is clear. Thanks, Todd

Replies

sorethum1 | Apr 27, 2003 12:53am | #1
Anyone?

JeffKurtz | Apr 27, 2003 01:28am | #2
Sorry Sore, I'm not quite following your description. Granted, I'm not the sharpest pencil in the pack, but I'll bet one or two others are having the same experience.

A picture or drawing?

Jeff

Alan | Apr 27, 2003 01:37am | #3
Todd,

I'm not sure I'm correctly visualizing what you have in mind. Do you mean the "legs" are wide, solid boards that you're going to put into a dado on the underside of the top, which is another solid board? If so, IMHO the screws would be overkill. With a snug fit between the legs and the top, glue and dowels would be plenty strong enough. All that joint really needs to do is hold the top onto the legs. The same is true even if the legs fit into rabbets along the ends of the top.

If I'm visualizing correctly, the greatest strength will be needed in the joints between the stretcher and the legs. It's the stretcher that will hold the piece square and keep the legs from splaying.

If I'm not right as to the design, can you explain a little further? (I can be very dense.)

Alan
BG | Apr 27, 2003 12:55pm | #4
Sorethum1,

It sounds like your trying to provide as much strength as possible to a cross/end grain situation where you can't use much glue? Therefore, your dadoing, doweling, putting screws in the dowels, and maybe square pegs on top of the dowels that cover up the screws?

Have you thought about making thru tenons on the legs and morticing into the top?
pauld | Apr 29, 2003 03:58am | #5
Sorethum,

If you're having challenges with plugs popping loose, perhaps your counterbores aren't deep enough. Whether you're using a tapered plug cutter, dowels, or whittled pegs, they want to make contact all around their circumference, and the fit must be just loose enough so you don't end up with a glue-starved joint, but not so loose that you're trying to use the glue as a gap filler.

If all else fails, you can always rip a slot in the ends of your plugs, then glue and tap in five-degree wedges; after the glue has cured, trim flush.

Have fun!
Paul