Drilling holes for tapered Shaker Pegs
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I am building a coat rack using 4 inch Maple Shaker pegs. The pegs have dowel like ends that go into the hole and are over and under 3/4 of an inch. I am struggling with a way to have the entire dowel end seat into the hole for strength. I have tried wedges but they do not split the dowel. I have used many smaller pegs over the years, but these big ones seem to require a sculpted hole. Ideas apreciated.
2 August 2018 at 8:37 pm #549811The standard method is to use a tapered reamer. You could purchase one from Veritas or machinist sources, but something in the 3/4” size will be rather expensive and possibly the wrong taper.
Making one isn’t too hard, however. There are several tutorials on the web. One from JennyAlexander (RIP) is here:
If you don’t have a lathe, a block plane and patience will produce results. Attached find a picture of one I made by testing against some holes bored in a plank. I used an old compass saw blade for the steel, but any old saw can be used. The cutter is sharpened like a cabinet scraper.
As you use it, the reamer will burnish nicely to final round.
- This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Larry Geib.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.2 August 2018 at 10:06 pm #549815I was down in the shop and saw what I used to use for a reamer, which was just a piece of board cut to a taper with sandpaper glued to it.
Round the edges so you get more paper contact.
It’s slower, but takes 3 minutes to make and work fine.
25 September 2018 at 12:15 pm #549806Shaker pegs were a mass produced item in the shaker communities. The taper is a result of a taper socket in a lathe ( sort of like a Morse taper) that allowed them to be turned quickly with minimal chucking.
To duplicat the taper, the easiest way is to use a reamer.reamers smaller than 3/4” are readily available in hardware stores, but you”ll need to acquire or make a larger one. Veritas sells some, but I think the taper is too steep for most of the store bought pegs I have seen.
Making your own isn’t that hard and all you need is some scraper stock or an old saw blade and some wood scrap.
The pictures below shows a chair maker’s version I made from an old compass saw blade and a scrap of Douglas fir. Hardwood would be better. The blade just fits in a saw kerf in the wood and is a loose fit. Ir you have a lathe, forming the taper is easy. I made this one with just a block plane and persistence, checking the taper in some holes I drilled in a scrap piece of wood. Mine will taper and from 5/8” to just about 1 1/2”
The blade is sharpened like a cabinet scraper and produced a nice tapered smooth hole ready for glueing
Here is one tutorial for making a reamer
Get that link now. Jenny Alexander unfortunately just passed away.
Her is another link.
The gullet un front of the cutting edge is important. B
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