A Timber Frame Vlog #7: Making Pegs for Timber Framing...The Quick Way!

There are many ways to make the pegs you need for timber framing. When choosing the species of wood that you want to use be sure that you are choosing a strait grained hardwood such as ash, red or white oak, hickory, black locust etc. You can make them on a table saw, you can make them by hand with a draw knife or you can pound them through a steel plate. Enjoy the video and if you'd like to see more timber framing how to videos, you can visit me at tradesmanoffgrid.comby clicking on the link at the end of the video.

[@Edgardocelectric007]

Every time I watch you I learn or pick up a trick or two. Keep up the work

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Edgar Acosta thank you

[@cavemandancer]

Thanks so much for making these videos. I will look forward to watching everyone.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+cavemandancer thank you, I hope you find them useful.

[@KamonPlays]

I found this channel when you uploaded the video response to Wranglerstar, and so far, I'm enjoying the content. Timber framing is something I find interesting, but have never tried, so I'm definitely liking the barn videos. I gotta say, seeing how cold it is, up there, really makes me miss the north. lol Keep doin' what you're doin'!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Ken Andrews the North is always here Ken, you never know, you might end up back someday.

[@Robert-ki9mb]

Very good idea, seems efficient.Keep up the good content!

[@tomchurchyard8489]

Hey there in cold Canada! nice and spring like here in UK loving the timber frame videos keep up the work and the videos..

[@mpccenturion]

Thank you! I really enjoy your work. Cheers!

[@mikefloyd613]

Came across your channel from your response to Wranglerstar. You just got yourself another subscriber. I like your down to earth and straight forward approach. Plus I like your content. Keep the great vids coming.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Mike Floyd won't be changing the approach, once my barn project is finished I'm moving on to a bunch of off grid style projects. I have a bunch of them planned out. Thanks for watching.

[@SWC44]

Jim, if I can remember I need 1300 Pegs approx, A Ton of all Arced Knee Braces!!,, Bob my Timberframer is a Certified Nut!, and a Brother I never had,, As he used to Mic them,, so we ordered from a buddy of his Of course does them on a CNC Machining Center,,

[@thomasarussellsr]

Wood nails, yeah. No rusting and shrinking of the fasteners due to metal loss with the rusting. also, no discoloration due to the rust staining the wood. I know this ain't McDonald's, but "I'm lovin' it"

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Thomas Russell I'm glad you like it. Funny how nails will rot wood away, they actually attract moisture to the material from condensation and the rotting begins. I use exterior screws now for everything.

[@frugaldrew5187]

I don't know why everyone I've watched do this make it so hard. Great video!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Frugal Drew thanks, a lot of this stuff isn't that hard it's more about having the patience to do it right. Glad you're enjoying the videos

[@SWC44]

Just found!!!!!! Loved and Subed! My story of 6000+ Timber Frame Red and White Oak Home to Come!!! Lots of Vids to Watch.. Thanks

[@MrCjswim]

Thanks again, Jim. I appreciate the time you take to do these videos. It has been a couple of years since you did this one but it has been helpful for those of us just getting to it. Hope your leg healed well. I do have a question about your scarf joints. (I know it was a different video) I think I saw you use a couple of different types and wondered why. Perhaps a question for a different time.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

The tie beam scarfs are meant to withstand a very heavy tension load whereas the scarfs on the top plates were designed so that I could put the plates on one at a time.

[@j.e.barrett1152]

We appreciate you!

[@therrienmichael08]

Thats a heck of a lot easier and exact than splitting with a froe, using a shaving horse and draw knife.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+michael therrien it works well.

[@johnbauby6612]

I love the way you lean on the table saw it is slowing down - while wearing baggy clothing. Did you learn that in carpentry school?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I love goofballs in the comments sections who just have to be jackasses to show how smart and whitty they are.

[@monk1100]

Another classic educational video into timber framing. Top man Jim. Is oak ok for the pegs. I have started on the post tenon 6 so far out off twelve. These are to connect into the plate beams. I have done the tenons at 3" Square from 6 x 6. Have I done this correctly and they will be 3 and a half in length. So when I fit them into the mortise I will do double pegs at 3/4" dia at high and low level is this ok to do. The plate sills are 6 x 4 posts 6 x 6 and the top plates 6 x 5. Thanks Jim

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

That sounds right. You should br fine with the oak. I'm assuming your tenon thickness is 1.5" so 3/4" pegs are perfect.

[@jayishere4373]

I use hickory for my pegs, don’t know if it makes a difference but they work well

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Hickory is a great wood. Any straight grained hardwood works very well. Black locust works great as well.

[@metroplexchl]

Dumb question....I am using a bunch of 6"x6" and 8"x8" white oak beams that have been dried already to build a workshop. If I have a 1" peg hole diameter, wouldn't I use a 1" diameter peg?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Chris Mccollum yes. So on your 8x8 members you will have a 2" think tenon, that will call for a 1" peg. On your 6x6 timbers you will use a 1.5" tenon with a 3/4" peg. Good luck with your project.

[@mintymintygogo]

Hi Great content- I’m using 8x8 larch beams and posts using 1.5 inch tenons on all the joints including the wedged dovetail. This is what the customer specified but you make a reference to 2 inch tenons on your tie beams - I’ve already made the tenons 1.5 inch. It’s a big two storey barn so hope it’s gonna be ok!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Good morning. Hopefully, it will be fine. When customers specify anything on the engineering side, it's a good idea to find out if it's their design or if they were going by what looks good to them. If you have housings that will be a bug help. Good luck.

[@mintymintygogo]

@@TheTradesmanChannel thank you so much for responding! Yes the tie beam sits onto a 1 inch housing in the post. There are three ties beams. I haven’t made the central one yet so I’m intending to make a 2 inch tenon for that one after watching your channel.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Excellent. You're asking the right questions.

[@exroyalcanadian]

Great vid, not sure where you are but it's cold in NE Ontario as well.....brrrrr

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+exroyalcanadian I'm looking at Canada from my shop window. I live about a mile from the St. Lawrence river as the crow flies. Was a cold weekend for sure.

[@rightcontractingncsf4561]

Thanks for this video. I do it similarly. One thing: I usually rive the stock first with an axe or a froe and mallet first, so that I don't get grain runout. Grain runout would weaken the pegs. What do you think? Or do you check for straight grain before you start sawing?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Nunchuck Swordfish that's a point I should have mentioned and excellent for you to put out, I look for strait grain first to avoid the grain run out. I was riving at first and tried a few on the table saw next and noticed that as long as the grain is strait then I was able to avoid runout, thanks for the input.

[@Nrhat123]

You need to put them young kids to work making them pegs. Set them up on an old work station with that draw knife then a plate for them to drive them threw. That way they can also be part of this barn build... Maybe even have them put there name on the pegs that they made.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Sorry it took so long to respond. I let the kids drive pegs and things like that and they have fun doing it. Still on the fence about having them in the videos very much as I am not sure I would be doing the right thing putting my family out there. Kids are the most important thing in this world and I am a very protective father.

[@SWC44]

Good 4 You.

[@seanhazelwood3311]

I'm glad to hear your views about kids on youtube. I never post vids or photos of my son online in any way. Some people think they're cute or being proud of their family. I think it's close to putting my son in harms way.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Sean Hazelwood i agree. They make it into a couple here and there but I feel the same way. I don't allow anybody to put pics of my kids on Facebook because there are names and places there. A lot of sick people out there.

[@therealsparkman]

Love your videos. Question. You set your table saw blade to cut the pieces into 1" square stock, then once they were all done, you angled the blade to 45 degrees and moved the fence inward, but didn't say how much to move it. Do you just kind of wing it?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I do just kind of wing it. On my big table saw I made reference marks to set the fence.

[@lorenwilson8128]

Sorry this comment is so late. I just ran into your channel. You are way too comfortable around that table saw blade. Make a jig to push the peg stock through the saw. Use the sliding fence with a piece of 1 x 2 on the face and a slot for the blade. That keeps your fingers away from that blade. You could even make another jig for cutting the 45° faces without getting your hands near that blade.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

You are absolutely right and I should be more careful. Being too comfortable with what I'm doing landed me in the hospital back in May for two weeks after shattering my right ankle.

[@jackdile533]

Do you have pockets in your concrete slab for your posts?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Jack Dile no I do not. I gave it some thought at first and then I decided against it due to the moisture you always seem to get where concrete and wood meet. What I'm doing is making angle iron brackets that will attach to the posts and then anchor the brackets into the slab with expandable concrete anchors. Thank you for the question.

[@silversurfer233]

Why do most Americans sound like Kermit the frog?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Silver surfer I like that. Kermit the Frog? I put it down to no character. Thanks for watching.

[@silversurfer233]

TheTradesmanChannel 2017 On a serious note..you're doing a gr8 job..both with the build and videos too. Keep up the good work buddy. Regards from across the pond.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+Silver surfer thank you. You guys across the pond are funnier than hell. Always enjoy the comments from you guys.