Replies

1. 
   RickL | Oct 14, 2007 02:25am | #1

   Sure have. Ever hear of timber rivets?
   http://www.structuremag.org/archives/2006/March-06/SF-Timber-Rivets-March-06.pdf

2. 
   Ray | Oct 14, 2007 04:14am | #2

   Sure, had an old friend in Maine whose house was built using them.  I believe it was built around 1830.

3. 
   dherzig | Oct 14, 2007 06:39am | #3

   Jim Kingshott in his DVD describes them and shows how to make them. He says that they were from old ship building and showed one from Nelson's ship.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 14, 2007 07:18am | #4

   To ALL...The real reason I posted this is because 'I screwed up' AGAIN!I am making a rocking chair for one of my little granddaughters.
   She is very fussy for a little one and I'm sure she may notice my mistake..Well, all went well till the glue up.. NO I DID NOT DRY FIT THE PARTS! Dumb ME!I messed up the the angled tenons for the front arm rest support. The tenon was a 'bit' smaller than the mortis in the arm... I am using all through tenons.So I made a cut horizontal and vertical at the center of each arm tenon and drilled a hole about 1/3 of the 1/2 inch tenon.When I was in China (more than a few times) I remembered seeing a old chair that looked like it used wooden 'nails'? I could be wrong..I got out my little Mini Lathe and cut two, tapered pins with a shaft a 'bit' larger than the hole I drilled. Well, after a bit of 'fussin' with the pins for a 'fit' I hammered them into the center of the slots (with glue). The pins were made with a square top.I sharpened my chisel and cut the top of the pins to form a 'square/angled top'.. The fit looks perfect!The rocking chair is made of mostly riff sawn oak and quartered sawn for the rockers..I sure hope the arms do not fail in 100 years!I know this is NOT fine woodworking but it saved me from doing it over.Yes, I should have used wedges but the mortises were not angled for it and I had to finish the glue up for the rest of the parts. As assembled no way to redo the parts because I ran out of matching wood!I think I may do this again just for FUN!

1. 
   dherzig | Oct 14, 2007 03:48pm | #6

   I would disagree with you. That is DEFINITELY "fine woodworking " in the truest sense. As the sign in my shop says, "I do not make mistakes. I make variations."

2. 
   Jfrostjr | Oct 14, 2007 03:52pm | #7

   Great solution! Congratulations.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

4. 
   SteveSchoene | Oct 14, 2007 11:19am | #5

   Often used in wooden shipbuilding, they are often pronounced trunnel, and sometimes spelled that way too. 

5. 
   frenchy | Oct 15, 2007 01:36am | #8

   WillGeorge,

        standard stuff in timberframing.. Most traditonal timberframes don't use any metal fasteners wood trenails (One e not two as in treenails)