Making pegs

G

gvforster

Guest
The majority of my antique knowledge comes from reading and photos, with a little bit of "in-person" viewing.
What are some "period" methods of producing pegs to secure M/T joints. What are "period(s)" shapes.
The pegs I've seen appear square-ish and irregular. I assume these were split out (rived), but were these then tapered with a chisel prior to use?
What interests me especially are the pegs used to attach moldings to furniture.
Thanks
 
An interesting topic. From my observation the shape of old pins is caused by the wood around the pins distorting them from square over a long period of time.
I typically drill a hole slightly larger than the peg. I rip the pegs to 1/4" square, put a slight point  on the end and pound the peg in. It will split the wood if you put them in diagonally to the grain. Try it on scrap.
Mike
 
Dowel plates were a common method of making pegs and longer dowels. An iron plate has a number of holes drilled through it tapering from larger to smaller. A squarish piece is pounded through the holes in decending order until it reached the diameter needed, with each hole removing a little more material.

Lee Nielson Toolworks makes a dowel plate, you can see it on their website.

Of course, if you pound a squarish peg of relatively soft wood into a round hole in a harder wood, it will accomplish much the same result.

Just my thoughts on this,

Ralph
 
One of the pieces I made with Gene Landon at Olde Mill had pegged doors. Gene made 1/4" pegs by taking stock that was very slightly thicker than 1/4" and then planing both sides of one edge the stock with a 1/4" side bead plane. This produces a 1/4" "dowel" with a little lip on one edge. He then showed us that  one of the original doors at Olde Mill, (which once upon a time was an "old mill") was pegged with dowel pegs that had little lips on the edge. If you want authenticity, that may be the way to go.
Also I have found that drilling a slightly smaller hole, like 7/32" for a 1/4" peg gives a tight peg with no cracking of the frame or whatever else you are pegging.
Personally I buy 1/4" dowels from Woodcraft.

Howard Steier
 
I saw Gene do the same thing.  This feature - pegs made from side bead molding plane - is one of those thing that Gene frequently points out when showing original period pieces.  If this wasn't how the originals were made, it sure reproduces the effect nicely.

A couple years ago I planed some mahagony and walnut to just over 1/4" thick, and spent about 1/2 hour at Olde Mill making several years (lifetimes?) worth of dowel material.

On a side note, a friend found me a very nice Sandusky 1/4 side bead for making these dowels at home.  After getting it, and then looking at some of the other side bead planes I have, I realized the 1/4" refers to the width of the molded feature - which includes a 1/16" fillet.  I don't know if this was always the case, but it is on the 3/16", 1/4" and 3/8" side bead that I have.  So you might need to find a 5/16" side bead to make 1/4" dowels.

I think the planes that Bess let me use at Olde Mill were new planes made by Todd Herli, and those where probably labeled based on the size of the bead - makes more sense that way.

A special note to Howard: I've come to expect a good laugh at your replies.  What the story on this last one?  Is it over my head? (I realize I just left myself open...)


Tom
 
For those interested in making perfectly round pegs by the most unreasonably labor-intensive method possible, I suggest Rob Cosman's new video "The Wood Hinge Box". ;-) 
 
A word of caution:  Many stores (like ACE Hardware) sell wood dowels and they are undersize.  For example, a 1/4" dowel is 0.230-0.240".  The dowels at Woodcraft might be exact size but to be sure bring along your dial micrometer and measure.  If you don't care then just ignore this message.  (Some industrial suppliers do sell oversize dowels, e.g., a 1/4" dowel is 0.255")

Dennis Bork
Antiquity Period Designs, Ltd.
 
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