Replies

1. 
   dustymctevish | Mar 10, 2009 03:49pm | #1

   Take a look at Darrell Pearts book; Greene and Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop, it addresses all of your questions.  Very good book!

    

   DustyMc

    

    

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Mar 10, 2009 04:39pm | #2

   If you had a mortising machine, the square holes wouldn't be a problem, but I certainly think that making the shallow recess to cap a round functional peg would make perfect sense. 

3. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 10, 2009 04:43pm | #3

   Your solution of a square cap after using a dowel is used all the time.  No need to square up the entire mortice.  Just deep enough for the glue to get a bite, and make sure its a "tap in fit", meaning that it's nice and snug, so the glue line doesn't show.

   Have at it.

   Jeff

4. 
   Samson | Mar 10, 2009 05:28pm | #4

   Buy a single, inexpensive 1/4" chisel bit for a benchtop mortiser, like this:

   http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=41702&cat=1,180,42334

   Drill the 1/4" dowel hole.  Then use mallet taps to drive the chisel portion (leave out the bit) as far into the hole as you like (not all the way unless you back it up with a scrap as you will get blow out). 

5. 
   rdesigns | Mar 10, 2009 06:22pm | #5

   When you get ready to to make the square pegs, here's a tip for making them that will help with the fit.

   Make a stick 1/4" by 5/16". For each peg, cut a length of your stick about 1/2" longer than the actual length needed, and, with a chisel, carefully shave a little from each side of the wide part of the peg to form a low-angle taper on the end of each peg. (Easy to do with a bench hook: place one end of the stick against the back fence of the bench hook, and hold the chisel at a low angle to shave a low-angle wedge on the lower end of the peg.)

   Now, when you drive the peg in, be sure to orient the peg so that the wedged sides are against the end grain sides of the mortise, not the long grain lest you split the mortised piece by the wedging action of the taper.

   This method helps fill any gaps and creates a really tight fit.

1. 
   grant2 | Mar 10, 2009 07:02pm | #6

   Thanks all for some great suggestions. I never would have thought of driving hollow chisels alone. Still not sure what I'll do, but I'll do some practice holes to help me decide.

   Grant

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Mar 11, 2009 03:27am | #8

   I hand drive hollow chisels all the time for A&C work. They're pretty cheap and work fine for this. It may take a try or two to get the hang of driving it straight, and don't go more than about 1/4" at a time at first and clean out the chips regularly, both from the chisel and the hole. Way easier than trying to do it with a regular chisel.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

2. 
   GDH2 | Mar 11, 2009 07:24am | #9

   Novice question - how do you make 1/4 x 1/4 (or 5/16) sticks?Use a table saw?
   Slice 1/4" end off a board with or without the fence?
   And then slice that small length?Or cut deep grooves at 1/4 intervals on TS and then slice 1/4 off grooved surface using a band saw?Or...?
   Doug
   The Wood Loon
   Acton, MA

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Mar 11, 2009 02:20pm | #10

   I make my pins from scrap stock, about 3' long, on the table saw with a fine blade. It takes a bit of trial & error to get the fence set at the right spot to make the pin just snug. (A few thou' here one way or the other makes a difference.) Note that if you make them too big, you can split the workpiece since it'll act as a wedge. (DAMHIKT.) Once I get the saw set up for a particular chisel size, I'll usually rip a bunch and keep 'em on hand for the next time.

   If I want to chamfer the heads, I do that by hand on the belt sander, with the tool mounted upside down on the bench. Chamfer and then cut to length. I make the pins a bit short (if they're not through pins) and drive them into the workpiece through the center hole in a washer that acts as a depth stop so they don't get driven too far -- for some reason, they're hard to drive until just near the end where they, for some reason, sink about a half inch below the surface with just a tap! ;-0

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

2. 
   rdesigns | Mar 11, 2009 05:22pm | #11

   Table saw method.

   First thing is to make a carriage board about 42" long. This is simply a piece of 3/4" plywood or MDF  6" wide and 42" long. Then attach with screws a piece across one end that is  3/4" x 3/4" and about 7" long. Have one end of it flush with one side of the big board and let the extra inch protrude past the opposite edge. This will be a hook that will push, or carry, your stock safely thru the blade.

   For the peg stock, make a board about 30" long and 1/4" thick, and whatever width is handy. Next, set the fence 6-5/16" from the blade. (6" for the carriage board, and 5/16" for the peg width, or to put it another way, 5/16" more than the carriage board.) Seat the 1/4"-thick stock alongside the carriage board with the end against the hook, and the whole setup pulled back from the blade to start, but with the farther end of the carriage board firmly against the fence. Switch on the saw, and feed everything through at once. one hand pushing the carriage board, and using a pushstick in the other hand to steady the stock, most of which will be on the other side of the blade.

   You will, of course, cut off the projecting end of the hook piece on the first pass, but no matter; it will still carry the stock thru on succeeding cuts. Repeat your cuts without moving the fence. All pieces will be the same width. CAUTION: do not try to take cuts from the last little bit of the stock; when it gets too narrow, it becomes unsafe. Stop when there's about an inch or more left.

   Edited 3/11/2009 10:24 am ET by rdesigns

3. 
   Samson | Mar 11, 2009 05:47pm | #12

   I use handtools.  A small rip saw like a Western version for dovetails/tenons or a Japanese dozuki (either rip or cross cut will work, cross cut is just slower).  If you are not a good sawer, tweaks are pretty easy with planes, sandpaper, chisels and even carving/whittling knives.  The knife can also whittle the dowel (rounded) end!

6. 
   brad805 | Mar 10, 2009 07:44pm | #7

   Its not too hard to make a square peg with a round stub.  I make up square stock and using a 14deg router bit I chamfer the front of the stock.  Then using a plug cutter I make the dowel extension from the backside with a drill press.  So long as the dowel size is close to the size of the square peg, the plug cutter wings will clean off the backside of the square peg quite nicely.  After I cut it out I clean up the faces on a small belt sander.

   Just an idea.

   Brad