The Pegged Joint, Exposed

Driving a hardwood peg through a mortise-and-tenon joint does more than add a decorative element: It makes the joint stronger. Though the same technique can be used on other types of joinery such as box joints and dovetails, the pegged mortise-and-tenon is a staple in author Matthew Teague's furniture. In this article, Teague details the technique for standard and drawbored pegging, and gives tips for layout and design, including different ways to trim pegs to add decorative details on the ends. Included are directions for a shopmade punch that easily squares up holes for square pegs.

From Fine Woodworking #191