Brass Cross Dowels

[Karl Austin]

Hi,

Anyone know where to get brass cross dowel fixings from? Can't seem to find them anywhere, they all tend to be the standard cheapo jobbies. They're going to be used in some oak, so I don't want them to stain the wood as steel would tend to do (or cheaply galvanized/plated would).

Thanks,

 

[big-all]

whats wrong with wooden dowels or pegs bought or hand made!!!!

i have some ally star dowels if you only need say 30 or so

 

[Karl Austin]

Hi,

Needs to come apart easily in the future as it's going to be a fairly substantial piece once built up (Not at all suited to the narrow staircase it'd have to go up/down).

Thanks,

 

[big-all]

star dowels wont come out easily at all

oak wedges are the only way for easy dismanteling if you dont want to use screw fixings
http://codesmiths.com/shed/furniture/chairs/gothic_chair/

 

[Scrit]

Depending on the style I'd tend to agree with Big-All: wedges and dowels. This was how a lot of Craftsman furniture was manufactured - the original KD flat pack, circa 1900! If you are making a style of furniture which is essentially modern and won't look right with wedges then I'd suggest either adding extra 3/4in square rectangles around the edges of tops, bases, etc and using brass countersunk screws to assemble (which is how a lot of pine furniture was traditionally built and some still is) or utilkising something like the metal KD biscuit joiners designed ny Knapp Verbinder in Austria and sold in the UK through Projoin in Dover, although you will need to buy a few hundred in a box. The metal they use is Marzak (zinc alloy) which I believe is relatively unaffected by oak.

Scrit

 

[Jasonb]

Axminster do big ones.

And I have bought the smaller zinc alloy ones from Isaac Lord

Jason