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Looks like a decently strong glued joint, no end-to-end joining at least. The dowels should add strength against pulling apart. Their look would be personal taste. Thanks, James. I always enjoy your videos!
I only clicked as you call it as it came up in my bell Icon, otherwise those joints have no practical application in the real world, I don't do that ticky tocky rubbish either
@@DuncanEdwards. It can hold the joint together without clamps when gluing. That's a practical use for some applications, although clamping is better for strength.
@@Bob-of-Zoid The dowels would hold the wood in place for the faces at the end of the joint. Since the dowels are between the two pairs of side faces, they could either have no effect on them, of if slightly over-sized, even push the side-faces away from each other. Depending on the direction of the stresses it would be under once built, it could work fine for a bit of work-holding and a decorative note.
It is a legit joint, as long as you don't have to secure the forward and backward movement. Even without glue it would be fairly strong resisting a pull or torquing movement. As someone else said, it is essentially the same locking mechanism as a bog standard padlock. Overall, it's mostly decorative, but the stength is there.
You'd need to think about there directions the joint would be stressed. I made a boo-boo yesterday using the handle-less chisel jig that James featured a few weeks ago (I am in New Zealand so the chisels took a few weeks to get here). I tightened the fixings that fit in the centers of the handle too much, without thinking of the side load that was placing on the end pieces, and one of the end pieces split. This was despite my making those end pieces thicker than the jig James was using, but I had just used glue and brads. BTW Those Narex chisels from Taylor Tools are excellent quality and beautifully ground. It took no time at all to polish the backs and for most of them I was able to go straight to a 1000 grit diamond stone.
I suggest an overhead scale and do a scientific experiment to see what joint type reigns supreme and have multiples so that you can average your findings.
This is a legitimate joint for some applications. Some luthiers (including me) will use it to lock the neck tenon into the headblock mortise on a guitar. It produces a strong joint that will last for decades and will reduce the probability of needing a neck reset at some point in the future.
So as an engineer, I would be inclined to say, *without having tried it myself, This is a pretty strong joint. The one that John Malecki tried is not, but in this case, the joint resists pulling and torquing. The only weakness is pulling straight up (if you were to place this joint flat on the table) but that’s actually remarkably hard to do without applying any torque whatsoever. So honestly, this, I think it’s legitimately a decent joint. And compared to doing a mortise and tenon set up. This is probably a little quicker and easier. And yes it does look kinda cool.
As an engineer... I would put two "normal" dowels in the end of the white board for a structural joint. As a woodworker... I like the look just because it is unusual.
This exact same 'joint' locking mechanism is used in guns to lock bolt and chamber while firing eg mg42. I am, of course, talking about stumpy nubs one, not the weird reverse swastika oddity in john's
Luthiers use this joint to attach a neck to the body of non-carved mandolins. They are always under the tension of the strings & yet perform perfectly.
Nice! I think the craft of making guitars and other stringed instruments (a person who does this is a luithier, what is the verb form of this word?) is fascinating. My daughter was engrossed in the idea of learning this as a trade, unfortunately there was nowhere for her to learn without a MAJOR relocation. It's a shame because she is a very gifted musician (she has picked up instruments she has never seen or heard played and became proficient enough to play songs within minutes) and has a verified genius level IQ...finding something she's passionate about and an outlet for her to explore that is such a challenge....
@@TheLovelyMissBeans Sorry, just today (May 19) did I notice your text. I would suggest that your daughter contact a luthier supply company called Stewart-McDonald. They have very good beginning courses on stringed instrument design & construction. They also sell some pretty good "kits" for making guitars, mandolins, violins, banjos, etc. specifically created for those who have never made one before. Quality is okay, certainly playable, and in building one, the student learns elements which equip them for later lutherie. Best of luck to you and your daughter. Give Stu-Mac a look.
As a structural engineer I see joints like this sometimes used in timber framing of buildings, in other words pieces that fit together they way they are normally being stressed but have small bits to provide mechanical interlock against small loads that might act in other directions. In woodworking it probably doesn't provide much strength beyond just gluing the joint together to start with.
In timber framing, the pegs or the holes they go in are usually tapered to pull a joint tight iirc. The pins in this joint serve no purpose other than looking reasonably nice.
@@arthurmoore9488 As Bill J mentioned - "In woodworking it probably doesn't provide much strength beyond just gluing the joint together to start with." Are you talking about foot/pounds per square inch of joint on a cabinet, or on an armchair or book case?
Also serves to hold work pieces in place during glue up, so it could save some clamps in a pinch… i think it an interesting technique and definitely learned from it.
@@totally_not_a_bot (the function of the pins may often be overstated, though loose pins in a hole serve little purpose so the taper or squeezing of a round pin in a squared hole - locks it all in, especially useful before the invention of glue (and drills) - some time around 5000BC.
I think it's cool as a cosmetic flair! It looks neat to me. The problem is only when it's used in a way that suggests it's something that it's not. If I saw this in a structural joint, I'd berate it and the crafter who did it. If I saw this as you suggested in a face frame. Or some other nonstructural, highly visible area. I'd give props.
The thing is, the only benefit I see to POTENTIAL strength added by dowels is the direct 'pulling' force applied to perpendicular piece.... if ONLY the dowels are glued, any sort of racking (maybe even just a pencil sitting behind joint direction, and force applied down) would snap whatever strength was achieved. BUT like the commenter said, there MAY be applications, I just don't see any that warrant the effort : /
I think I may try this…but instead of round pins, cut a square mortise and do square pins on a 45 to the joint. That might be cool…definitely not quick and easy though
The square pins were common inserts in structural joints made largely without power tools before about the second or third decade of the last century. There examples and illustrations in the book Manual of Carpentry and Joinery by J. W. Riley. I have a digital copy of the 1905 edition, they appear on page 165. I sure that the application described wouldn't be allowed under modern building codes.
I use that joint in a little fixture I built. I have the cross member against a wall parallel to the ground. I have the dowels glued into it. The tail board isn't glued and is pressed into place when I need it there, and it can be pulled back out later. It's basically a more complicated and convoluted dovetail for me. That's the only use I've had for it so far.
It's legit. It's the type of mechanical fixing often used in high stress engineering applications. Many engine tappets are locked in just with a similar idea using collets.
I've used this joint when building a post and beam frame from green oak. It is used to hold floor joists in place. The end of the joist sits in a housing in a principal beam and is doweled to lock it in place. This prevents it pulling out as the green oak dries and shrinks. It pulls the whole frame tightly together and stops any spreading that might be caused by the thrust of rafters or hips. It is normally a hidden feature as floor boards would cover it up.
Thanks for taking time to reply. I was meaning that I was hoping you would've done some testing on this joinery. Love your channel and your playful wit!👍
This is very similar to the joint recommended by Roger Siminoff for attaching mandolin necks to the head block as an alternative to a dovetail. I believe, thanks to Roger's work, Gibson has been attaching mandolin necks this way for the past 30 or more years.
Your subtle humor provides a nice touch to your analysis of this type of joint. I agree, it's pretty to look at, but probably unnecessary from a structural standpoint, if all the surfaces are glued together. Thanks James.
I agree with what you say at 2:18. If the fit is perfect, glue is more than enough to hold it in place. The placement of the dowels in this joint is statement about quality and perfection.
It's interesting seeing the joint used in that way. I recently built 16 picture frames of varying sizes and I put in a 1" dowel, 1/2 way into the joint from the back side of the frame at the center of the miter. I believe it added strength to the joint.
I've seen this technique used to reinforce acoustic guitar neck joints, quite some time ago. I think it was in a video where the guy was refitting a neck after a reset. The dowels were completely hidden from view.
I use it to secure the mallet handle in a three piece mallet head. Along with two location pins so the sandwich plates of wood are easy to take apart. Glue ups are easy and rough sanding too.
I am not an engineer or even close. So after reading all the previous replies Sure it is a real joint. I would have to say it is a pretty joint but not a practical joint. Maybe OK for a decorative application. Not click-bait though. You asked a legitimate question. Nor a waste of time. You promoted a lot of thought. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
Every T-Square I used in middle school and High School had that sort of joint. It was only when I got to college and had a mechanical one that they where not joined in that way. Keep in mind those could be any combination of wood, plastic, aluminium or SS.
Dovetails are much less trouble to hack out v.s that joint. Plus, crafts people like Rob Cosman will appreciate the joinery. Even if it's purely decorative.
I clicked because this was something similar to what me and my brother came up with to repair a damaged door a few weeks ago. We cut a block of wood about the same thickness as door then traced it onto door and cut out the section then inserted the block of wood along with plenty of glue. Next day we sanded it all flat and discussed drilling and driving dowels from the door thickness side to create sort of a key pin (like on a motor shaft) so it’ll never break out. I don’t have any doubts it would break. This was to repair a very old painted 4-panel door that was solid wood, otherwise we would’ve just bought a new door but old is always worth saving when you can.
I clicked because it’s your channel; the content often stimulates thought and creativity even if I’m not specifically interested in the project or idea you are presenting. In this case, it got me thinking about the best solution to the problem of joining two boards like that, which is probably a wedged tenon. However, I would probably design my project so I would never have to join two boards like that! The problem of misplaced local optimization in design is very real.
James I clicked just because it's your channel, a joint like that would be more decorative, it's not like a bowtie joint it's decorative but also has a function it's holding a split or a defect in the board
I'm proud of myself because I'd say I'm a level zero woodworker, and after your showed the joint, I said to myself that it wouldn't make a good joint structurally, but aesthetically.
And orientation of the grain. Wouldn't want it parallel with the edge it touches. Perpendicular would obv be "best", although rarely achievable I imagine. Never looked at the grain structure of dowel rods! 🤣😂
I like that joint. Given what we already know about good glue x surface area, it's clear that it would be a strong join, if glued all around. If strength is a factor, of course, the grain direction of the dowels should be 90deg to the joint. But it offers some nice 'look' options with contrasting woods. Thanks for showing it - I'll keep that in my back pocket [figuratively].
It’s like a woodruff key in engines. Yes, it would add a lot of strength. In fact with no glue at all, it would stop you separating the dark piece from the light, if the dark were the legs and the light piece the upright of a table for example. It gets the thumbs up from me for adding ‘additional’ strength. Of course, just noticed this was 7 months ago… maybe it was an April Fool…. 😮😊
The joint you made would be a strong joint in tension, anyone that has ever used an air line quick disconnect, that’s the same principle. Ball bearings are the locking mechanism and when you depress the collar, the balls are allowed to fall out of the grooves, and the airline disconnects. Good padlocks work in the same way, two ball bearings re pushed into the shackle and it can’t be shimmed. The dowels would work just like the ball bearings. If you build that joint and glue nothing, at least in a perpendicular tension test, it’d work
It's a very secure joint in those three directions. We all should've already known that. Sandwich it between two more boards and you've got a pinned mortise and tenon.
That joint will be strong, but only with the configuration you built. The dowels are not for adding strength, but are used as a key to lock the joint together. While there are other ways of doing a locking joint, this one's a neat trick.
I didn't click because of the pins. I clicked because you released a new video and it didn't matter what it was about. As to your question: "What is it good for?" I would think that the compound profile of the joint added by the pins would add marginally better racking resistance and marginally better resistance against pulling the glue joint apart, but it would add no strength against twist because absolutely nothing is changed about the profile on that axis. As for whether it would be worth the effort: probably not, except for decorative purposes as you stated. (Disclaimer: I did not calculate a thing. This is just gut feel based on watching the video.)
I think, considering the number of other, easier joints out there, it is mostly just for clicks and looks. However it does a surprisingly good job at displaying some of the operating priciples of roller locked/delayed firearms, such as the MP5.
I think it definitely works as a joint and I think of you had a plug driller and used face wood instead of end grain it would look even better. I’m not a big fan of exposed dowels because end grain is the weak link in the looks department for me… so I’d give it a try with some nice contrasting face wood plugs instead.
A similar joint is used in machinery to lock two pieces like a shaft and a pulley together - a set screw is drilled and tapped into the joint between them, like the dowels here, to prevent the inside piece (the shaft) from rotating relative to the outside piece (the pulley).
It looks a lot easier to do that a dovetail, but it's also likely not as strong as a dovetail. I wouldn't call it fake since the pins do interrupt the shear line to add some mechanical strength to the joint even if it's not a lot of strength. That 4-way joint you showed someone else trying was missing 4 pins to work properly. Each joint in his example only had 1 pin per joint when 2 are required.
Yes, you nailed it, it's decorative. Fun idea actually, I might use it for that purpose. But, it's not a "joint" in my mind, even if you do put glue on the dowels. The glue in the legit joint is doing the work.
First time I'm seeing this "join". I think there are faster, easier joins that are just as strong, or stronger (though that point is often overemphasized). I think it's main strength is in visual appeal, much like superfluous bowtie inlays, splines, dovetails (not that all are, but some are done for that purpose). This fits in the same category, like the example in the video as well. So, sure, it can stay. Use where visual appeal is the goal, the join is going to hold, especially if glued on all surfaces. Scott from Japan
It seems like a nice variation on a theme, shear strength through the dowel should be good, a little more decorative than a standard dowel joint if done well. I might be inclined to experiment with different shapes and sizes, it might make a nice, functional joint that looks like an inlay.
It looks like a type of joint that would be used in medieval timber framing where glue or metal fasteners was not an option. Not as elaborate as Japanese timber framing, but more English or European.
I love this. I learned this joint as a locked pocket joint for timber framing. I can't imagine using it as a face joint. It could be pretty though....😊
Engineering perspective: it's a M/T joint: glue / dowel / both prevent the "tenon" piece from exiting the "mortise"; once secured in the fitting, the combination of flat surfaces vs flat surfaces provides torque strength, and hence joint strength. The critical failure point is probably just past the depth of the mortise, where the lignin holds the grain together.
Looking at the joint from an engineer’s perspective… the dowels may act like a wedge to split along the grain. A regular joint without the dowels would try to split at the back of the joint but in this joint the splitting would occur near the dowels with a much shorter moment arm ( the distance from the front of the joint to the prying point ie; the dowel or the back corner.) Mathias does testing of this sort in a fairly unbiased manner so he might take this on someday. My trust is in the glue with the dowels just playing the part of the super model… all looks, but adds nothing else.
Idea: drill the pin holes slightly out of alignment, so that there’s a little more length on the tenon than there is room in the mortise (maybe 1/32-1/16). Then a tapered pin will draw the pieces into each other
Experimentation is important but when it comes to getting the job done, there's already quite a lot of excellent joinery out there, well tried and tested.
I only clicked since it was your channel also. In some regards it harkens back to Japanese joinery that uses a key to hold everything in place, but theres no pressure being applied to keep it in place if there were an opposing force being applied. Its like an attempt to a pegged mortise and tenon without , well, the mortise OR tenon. and without those other significant strengthening features, it will never count as anything more than a decoration .
I think this like most joints have a time and place. It reminds me of some of the Japanese versions of joints using a pin of some shape to fill in a gap and lock two pieces together. A more in depth analysis would be required to determine strength vs other joints for similar applications. It does look nice at least.
Because of the grain orientation of the dowel, the strength of the pin is only as strong as the lignin in the dowel (i.e. it is probably weaker than just using glue). If instead of a dowel, a plug was used and the wood fibers were oriented perpendicular to the joint, I think it would add significant strength.
Agreed. But the "significant" strength although it would surely exist, would only be overkill and beyond any neccesasy added strength you would ever ask of such a joint in the first place.
How exactly strength varies with diameter seems to be a complicated question. However some general conclusions can be made. If the dowels are glued, larger dowels would add additional strength. This because the dowel adds long grain to long grain gluing surface that is not present without them. Larger dowels add more long to long grain surface area making the joint stronger.
I thing the straight glued joint without dowels would probably be strong enough. Unglued, given that ordinary dowels are like matchwood, it would most likely become loose depending on the application. Some sort of hard wood dowel would probably be better. But as you suggest, looks is where it wins.
The glued strength of this joint (without the dowels) is the same as a mortise and tenon joint with two of the faces subtracted. So yeah, it'll hold. I would say the dowels make it so you literally CANNOT pull the perpendicular piece straight out, no matter if you use glue or not. The 4-way version on the other hand adds literally nothing, gluing up the boards in that, erm, let's call it a swastika (sorry, but that's what the gaps between the boards look like). The dowels don't lock anything in at all, they just sit there. The boards pull apart in relation to the dowel holes, they don't "shear" apart, which is what the dowel key would prevent.
I see a lot about torque and pulling in one direction, but I think the way wood joints most often fail is by being loaded in bending. I think the dowels provide significant extra strength, because they restrict movement along the length of the white member. The key variable is the shear strength of the dowels. However, compared to a normal pinned mortise and tenon joint, the dowel is loaded along the wood fibers instead of across them. On net I think it's a toss up, I think it basically depends on the other geometry. If you're really curious, I'd be down to run some comparative analysis. Of course, a test is always better, but make sure to test a few different geometries and different load cases.
I think it fundamentally operates in the same way as a dovetail joint, but without the stress risers of the inside corners. As you pointed out in the video, success all depends on getting a good tight fit and sell as a hack method envisioned to make joinery easier, I don’t think it is the best choice.
Metalworkers do this often with grub screws at joins to prevent things from being able to unscrew. Seen it lots of times on the cutting edge engineering channel, most recently when Kurtis repaired his big lathe tailstock.
I think it would make a great mortise and tenon joint but without the glue. That way you would have an extremely secure joint in all directions and axis and you could still take it down.
simple answer, assemble it without glue and without the dowels, pull on it, then add the dowels and see if it's any harder to pull apart (I think it will be)
I’ve over thought this joint for the rails on a bed. Laminated corner posts with metal reinforced mortises, exposed tapered wood pin tips and off centered cam bolts to keep the joint tight and removable.
I would say it would help with sales of furniture and the like because of the way it looks. It looks super strong and would be more tempting to buy. It might work without glue for a temporary use. Something you planned to take apart and didn't require a lot of strength. Just hammer the dowel out when you want to take it apart.
It is a legit joint. The thought I have is it is offered as a fast joint but it really isn’t faster than the joint without the dowel. It is not faster than a dovetail. It might be easier because all the cuts are 90s. It does look cool so if you are after a cool looking joint and cannot cut dovetails, go for it.
This type of joint has been used in wooden boat building (deck beam installation where it will almost ever get seen) for years, it is even Lloyds approved!
Even the glued joint, including the dowel, is all endgrain to long grain. It would hold mostly because of the glue itself and not because there are any good surfaces to stick together. A square dowel or a rectangular shim of some kind would probably bring more to the table in that regard. A strong glue with tight joinery might hold it together very nicely, I believe endgrain to long grain isn't weak as long as there isn't a large amount of leverage being applied. But your piece there is fairly thin, where some of the clips you showed had thicker pieces of wood. The thicker the wood, the more the dowel can lock in the pieces mechanically. That's my thought at least 😎
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Looks like a decently strong glued joint, no end-to-end joining at least.
The dowels should add strength against pulling apart. Their look would be personal taste.
Thanks, James. I always enjoy your videos!
I only clicked as you call it as it came up in my bell Icon, otherwise those joints have no practical application in the real world, I don't do that ticky tocky rubbish either
@@DuncanEdwards. It can hold the joint together without clamps when gluing. That's a practical use for some applications, although clamping is better for strength.
@@Bob-of-Zoid The dowels would hold the wood in place for the faces at the end of the joint.
Since the dowels are between the two pairs of side faces, they could either have no effect on them, of if slightly over-sized, even push the side-faces away from each other.
Depending on the direction of the stresses it would be under once built, it could work fine for a bit of work-holding and a decorative note.
Straight face: "it was a turbulent 3 or 4 minutes!"
So refreshing! And the woodworking, too!
The humor on this channel is unmatched anywhere else! Thank you for an amazing blend of humor and a genuine desire to help the woodworking community
I second that!
@@ChrisHornberger I know that had me laughing so hard!
Lol I only click because it was your chanel
Ditto
Actually same.
Facts
Yup.
"Chanel". I dont think this word means what you think it means.
It is a legit joint, as long as you don't have to secure the forward and backward movement. Even without glue it would be fairly strong resisting a pull or torquing movement. As someone else said, it is essentially the same locking mechanism as a bog standard padlock. Overall, it's mostly decorative, but the stength is there.
You'd need to think about there directions the joint would be stressed. I made a boo-boo yesterday using the handle-less chisel jig that James featured a few weeks ago (I am in New Zealand so the chisels took a few weeks to get here). I tightened the fixings that fit in the centers of the handle too much, without thinking of the side load that was placing on the end pieces, and one of the end pieces split. This was despite my making those end pieces thicker than the jig James was using, but I had just used glue and brads. BTW Those Narex chisels from Taylor Tools are excellent quality and beautifully ground. It took no time at all to polish the backs and for most of them I was able to go straight to a 1000 grit diamond stone.
I suggest an overhead scale and do a scientific experiment to see what joint type reigns supreme and have multiples so that you can average your findings.
Sounds like a job for @projectfarm
@@LyleAshbaugh that'd make a great episode!
He should team up with CNC Kitchen for that test! Or Matthias Wandel!
@@evanbarnes9984
I just posted the link to this video on Matthias'
channel and asked if he's ever tested the joint.
I was also thinking Matthias
This is a legitimate joint for some applications. Some luthiers (including me) will use it to lock the neck tenon into the headblock mortise on a guitar. It produces a strong joint that will last for decades and will reduce the probability of needing a neck reset at some point in the future.
@johncowgill1588 But if you _do_ end up needing to remove the neck, isn't it a big impediment?
So as an engineer, I would be inclined to say, *without having tried it myself,
This is a pretty strong joint. The one that John Malecki tried is not, but in this case, the joint resists pulling and torquing.
The only weakness is pulling straight up (if you were to place this joint flat on the table) but that’s actually remarkably hard to do without applying any torque whatsoever.
So honestly, this, I think it’s legitimately a decent joint. And compared to doing a mortise and tenon set up. This is probably a little quicker and easier. And yes it does look kinda cool.
As an engineer... I would put two "normal" dowels in the end of the white board for a structural joint.
As a woodworker... I like the look just because it is unusual.
This exact same 'joint' locking mechanism is used in guns to lock bolt and chamber while firing eg mg42. I am, of course, talking about stumpy nubs one, not the weird reverse swastika oddity in john's
Luthiers use this joint to attach a neck to the body of non-carved mandolins. They are always under the tension of the strings & yet perform perfectly.
Nice! I think the craft of making guitars and other stringed instruments (a person who does this is a luithier, what is the verb form of this word?) is fascinating. My daughter was engrossed in the idea of learning this as a trade, unfortunately there was nowhere for her to learn without a MAJOR relocation. It's a shame because she is a very gifted musician (she has picked up instruments she has never seen or heard played and became proficient enough to play songs within minutes) and has a verified genius level IQ...finding something she's passionate about and an outlet for her to explore that is such a challenge....
Sorry I can go on...that was an interesting bit of knowledge, I find your craft fascinating as my child it seems....
@@TheLovelyMissBeans Sorry, just today (May 19) did I notice your text. I would suggest that your daughter contact a luthier supply company called Stewart-McDonald. They have very good beginning courses on stringed instrument design & construction. They also sell some pretty good "kits" for making guitars, mandolins, violins, banjos, etc. specifically created for those who have never made one before. Quality is okay, certainly playable, and in building one, the student learns elements which equip them for later lutherie. Best of luck to you and your daughter. Give Stu-Mac a look.
@@gamingSlasher I'd think it is also bending
This joint reminds me of the ball bearings that hold a padlock shackle in place.
As a structural engineer I see joints like this sometimes used in timber framing of buildings, in other words pieces that fit together they way they are normally being stressed but have small bits to provide mechanical interlock against small loads that might act in other directions. In woodworking it probably doesn't provide much strength beyond just gluing the joint together to start with.
In timber framing, the pegs or the holes they go in are usually tapered to pull a joint tight iirc. The pins in this joint serve no purpose other than looking reasonably nice.
@@totally_not_a_bot Huh, I'd expect that the pins would help resist pulling the wood straight out.
@@arthurmoore9488 As Bill J mentioned - "In woodworking it probably doesn't provide much strength beyond just gluing the joint together to start with." Are you talking about foot/pounds per square inch of joint on a cabinet, or on an armchair or book case?
Also serves to hold work pieces in place during glue up, so it could save some clamps in a pinch… i think it an interesting technique and definitely learned from it.
@@totally_not_a_bot (the function of the pins may often be overstated, though loose pins in a hole serve little purpose so the taper or squeezing of a round pin in a squared hole - locks it all in, especially useful before the invention of glue (and drills) - some time around 5000BC.
Yeh, I clicked --- and now I feel so *USED* !
I think it's cool as a cosmetic flair!
It looks neat to me.
The problem is only when it's used in a way that suggests it's something that it's not. If I saw this in a structural joint, I'd berate it and the crafter who did it. If I saw this as you suggested in a face frame. Or some other nonstructural, highly visible area. I'd give props.
The thing is, the only benefit I see to POTENTIAL strength added by dowels is the direct 'pulling' force applied to perpendicular piece.... if ONLY the dowels are glued, any sort of racking (maybe even just a pencil sitting behind joint direction, and force applied down) would snap whatever strength was achieved. BUT like the commenter said, there MAY be applications, I just don't see any that warrant the effort : /
I think I may try this…but instead of round pins, cut a square mortise and do square pins on a 45 to the joint. That might be cool…definitely not quick and easy though
The square pins were common inserts in structural joints made largely without power tools before about the second or third decade of the last century. There examples and illustrations in the book Manual of Carpentry and Joinery by J. W. Riley. I have a digital copy of the 1905 edition, they appear on page 165. I sure that the application described wouldn't be allowed under modern building codes.
You beat me to it! I made a similar comment above.
I use that joint in a little fixture I built. I have the cross member against a wall parallel to the ground. I have the dowels glued into it. The tail board isn't glued and is pressed into place when I need it there, and it can be pulled back out later. It's basically a more complicated and convoluted dovetail for me. That's the only use I've had for it so far.
It's legit. It's the type of mechanical fixing often used in high stress engineering applications. Many engine tappets are locked in just with a similar idea using collets.
Love the humor!
I've used this joint when building a post and beam frame from green oak. It is used to hold floor joists in place. The end of the joist sits in a housing in a principal beam and is doweled to lock it in place. This prevents it pulling out as the green oak dries and shrinks. It pulls the whole frame tightly together and stops any spreading that might be caused by the thrust of rafters or hips. It is normally a hidden feature as floor boards would cover it up.
Was surprised you took this no further. Would like to see tests that compare the strength of the glued joint with and without dowels. Thanks!
The "tests" you see on UA-cam may be interesting to the viewers, but are far to limited, with not nearly enough samples to provide any reliable data.
Thanks for taking time to reply. I was meaning that I was hoping you would've done some testing on this joinery. Love your channel and your playful wit!👍
This is very similar to the joint recommended by Roger Siminoff for attaching mandolin necks to the head block as an alternative to a dovetail. I believe, thanks to Roger's work, Gibson has been attaching mandolin necks this way for the past 30 or more years.
Your subtle humor provides a nice touch to your analysis of this type of joint. I agree, it's pretty to look at, but probably unnecessary from a structural standpoint, if all the surfaces are glued together. Thanks James.
I agree with what you say at 2:18. If the fit is perfect, glue is more than enough to hold it in place. The placement of the dowels in this joint is statement about quality and perfection.
It's interesting seeing the joint used in that way. I recently built 16 picture frames of varying sizes and I put in a 1" dowel, 1/2 way into the joint from the back side of the frame at the center of the miter. I believe it added strength to the joint.
As a mechanical engineer a round version of this is absolutely a thing, good way to transmit torque when you can’t cut a splined shaft.
I've used it to bush pinion bores when the stock bore is too large. holds fine .
I've seen this technique used to reinforce acoustic guitar neck joints, quite some time ago. I think it was in a video where the guy was refitting a neck after a reset. The dowels were completely hidden from view.
I use it to secure the mallet handle in a three piece mallet head.
Along with two location pins so the sandwich plates of wood are easy to take apart.
Glue ups are easy and rough sanding too.
I am not an engineer or even close. So after reading all the previous replies Sure it is a real joint. I would have to say it is a pretty joint but not a practical joint. Maybe OK for a decorative application. Not click-bait though. You asked a legitimate question. Nor a waste of time. You promoted a lot of thought. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
I'm not sure who you didn't roast in the first 60 seconds of this video! Love it!
looks like it might be fun to try
Every T-Square I used in middle school and High School had that sort of joint. It was only when I got to college and had a mechanical one that they where not joined in that way. Keep in mind those could be any combination of wood, plastic, aluminium or SS.
Dovetails are much less trouble to hack out v.s that joint. Plus, crafts people like Rob Cosman will appreciate the joinery. Even if it's purely decorative.
Looks like a strong joint to me. Has a good visual flair, and it's easy in that you don't need a doweling jig.
I clicked because this was something similar to what me and my brother came up with to repair a damaged door a few weeks ago. We cut a block of wood about the same thickness as door then traced it onto door and cut out the section then inserted the block of wood along with plenty of glue. Next day we sanded it all flat and discussed drilling and driving dowels from the door thickness side to create sort of a key pin (like on a motor shaft) so it’ll never break out. I don’t have any doubts it would break. This was to repair a very old painted 4-panel door that was solid wood, otherwise we would’ve just bought a new door but old is always worth saving when you can.
LOL "It was a turbulent 3 or 4 minutes!" Excellent!
I clicked because it’s your channel; the content often stimulates thought and creativity even if I’m not specifically interested in the project or idea you are presenting.
In this case, it got me thinking about the best solution to the problem of joining two boards like that, which is probably a wedged tenon. However, I would probably design my project so I would never have to join two boards like that! The problem of misplaced local optimization in design is very real.
"You clicked did'nt you." Dam he got us.
have used that type joint a few times in metal working, usually when bushing down pinions to smaller shafts.
It’s a cool design detail.
James I clicked just because it's your channel, a joint like that would be more decorative, it's not like a bowtie joint it's decorative but also has a function it's holding a split or a defect in the board
Strong or not, it’s a joint that makes me happy. I love that it exists.
Look at the bridgecity tool wall! NICE!
I think there is more strength than looks on this joint, James. I don’t like screws, I like dowels, this joint will add strength, no doubt. Cheers
I'm proud of myself because I'd say I'm a level zero woodworker, and after your showed the joint, I said to myself that it wouldn't make a good joint structurally, but aesthetically.
Strength contributed by the pinning will probably depend on the diameter of the pin.
And orientation of the grain. Wouldn't want it parallel with the edge it touches. Perpendicular would obv be "best", although rarely achievable I imagine. Never looked at the grain structure of dowel rods! 🤣😂
I like it. Would certainly add a nice aesthetic, much like Green & Green ebony square pins.
I can definitely see it for decorative interest like you said, but does seem like a lot of work. Interesting though! Thanks for the video!
I would hesitate to use that 4 way dowel joint (1:06) for anything decorative... 🤔
@@kaasmeester5903 Indeed, yikes!
I like that joint. Given what we already know about good glue x surface area, it's clear that it would be a strong join, if glued all around. If strength is a factor, of course, the grain direction of the dowels should be 90deg to the joint. But it offers some nice 'look' options with contrasting woods. Thanks for showing it - I'll keep that in my back pocket [figuratively].
It’s like a woodruff key in engines. Yes, it would add a lot of strength. In fact with no glue at all, it would stop you separating the dark piece from the light, if the dark were the legs and the light piece the upright of a table for example. It gets the thumbs up from me for adding ‘additional’ strength. Of course, just noticed this was 7 months ago… maybe it was an April Fool…. 😮😊
Sure is a pretty joint and would look great on cabinetry. Stay safe and keep up the great work James.
The joint you made would be a strong joint in tension, anyone that has ever used an air line quick disconnect, that’s the same principle. Ball bearings are the locking mechanism and when you depress the collar, the balls are allowed to fall out of the grooves, and the airline disconnects. Good padlocks work in the same way, two ball bearings re pushed into the shackle and it can’t be shimmed. The dowels would work just like the ball bearings. If you build that joint and glue nothing, at least in a perpendicular tension test, it’d work
Actually i like the decorative aspect enough to give the joinery a try. I'll be sure to letcha know how or if it can work in my project.
You are bound to impress non-woodworkers. That is great!
It's a very secure joint in those three directions. We all should've already known that. Sandwich it between two more boards and you've got a pinned mortise and tenon.
I would love to give this joint a go, its decorative and not a weak joint at all so I can see use for it most certainly. It will be fun to try it out.
That joint will be strong, but only with the configuration you built. The dowels are not for adding strength, but are used as a key to lock the joint together. While there are other ways of doing a locking joint, this one's a neat trick.
I didn't click because of the pins. I clicked because you released a new video and it didn't matter what it was about.
As to your question: "What is it good for?"
I would think that the compound profile of the joint added by the pins would add marginally better racking resistance and marginally better resistance against pulling the glue joint apart, but it would add no strength against twist because absolutely nothing is changed about the profile on that axis.
As for whether it would be worth the effort: probably not, except for decorative purposes as you stated.
(Disclaimer: I did not calculate a thing. This is just gut feel based on watching the video.)
I think, considering the number of other, easier joints out there, it is mostly just for clicks and looks. However it does a surprisingly good job at displaying some of the operating priciples of roller locked/delayed firearms, such as the MP5.
I think it definitely works as a joint and I think of you had a plug driller and used face wood instead of end grain it would look even better.
I’m not a big fan of exposed dowels because end grain is the weak link in the looks department for me… so I’d give it a try with some nice contrasting face wood plugs instead.
"After all, you clicked, didn't you?" Dang, he got us! 😆
"It was a turbulent three minutes." 😂
In wooden boat building, a similar concept is used in constructing the stem called a “stop water”.
I clicked in the expectation that you would be giving a definitive answer.
A similar joint is used in machinery to lock two pieces like a shaft and a pulley together - a set screw is drilled and tapped into the joint between them, like the dowels here, to prevent the inside piece (the shaft) from rotating relative to the outside piece (the pulley).
"If it is strength you seek: Mortise and Tenon you must use" (Spoken in my best Yoda voice in honor of the holiday yesterday)
It looks a lot easier to do that a dovetail, but it's also likely not as strong as a dovetail. I wouldn't call it fake since the pins do interrupt the shear line to add some mechanical strength to the joint even if it's not a lot of strength.
That 4-way joint you showed someone else trying was missing 4 pins to work properly. Each joint in his example only had 1 pin per joint when 2 are required.
I probably would not use it but it has an interesting look to it.
Yes, you nailed it, it's decorative. Fun idea actually, I might use it for that purpose. But, it's not a "joint" in my mind, even if you do put glue on the dowels. The glue in the legit joint is doing the work.
First time I'm seeing this "join". I think there are faster, easier joins that are just as strong, or stronger (though that point is often overemphasized). I think it's main strength is in visual appeal, much like superfluous bowtie inlays, splines, dovetails (not that all are, but some are done for that purpose). This fits in the same category, like the example in the video as well. So, sure, it can stay. Use where visual appeal is the goal, the join is going to hold, especially if glued on all surfaces. Scott from Japan
It seems like a nice variation on a theme, shear strength through the dowel should be good, a little more decorative than a standard dowel joint if done well. I might be inclined to experiment with different shapes and sizes, it might make a nice, functional joint that looks like an inlay.
It looks like a type of joint that would be used in medieval timber framing where glue or metal fasteners was not an option. Not as elaborate as Japanese timber framing, but more English or European.
I love this. I learned this joint as a locked pocket joint for timber framing. I can't imagine using it as a face joint. It could be pretty though....😊
This is very much like what i was designing on paper...but it's not quite the same👀!
Engineering perspective: it's a M/T joint: glue / dowel / both prevent the "tenon" piece from exiting the "mortise"; once secured in the fitting, the combination of flat surfaces vs flat surfaces provides torque strength, and hence joint strength. The critical failure point is probably just past the depth of the mortise, where the lignin holds the grain together.
Looking at the joint from an engineer’s perspective… the dowels may act like a wedge to split along the grain. A regular joint without the dowels would try to split at the back of the joint but in this joint the splitting would occur near the dowels with a much shorter moment arm ( the distance from the front of the joint to the prying point ie; the dowel or the back corner.) Mathias does testing of this sort in a fairly unbiased manner so he might take this on someday. My trust is in the glue with the dowels just playing the part of the super model… all looks, but adds nothing else.
Idea: drill the pin holes slightly out of alignment, so that there’s a little more length on the tenon than there is room in the mortise (maybe 1/32-1/16). Then a tapered pin will draw the pieces into each other
I thought the same thing.
Experimentation is important but when it comes to getting the job done, there's already quite a lot of excellent joinery out there, well tried and tested.
I only clicked since it was your channel also. In some regards it harkens back to Japanese joinery that uses a key to hold everything in place, but theres no pressure being applied to keep it in place if there were an opposing force being applied. Its like an attempt to a pegged mortise and tenon without , well, the mortise OR tenon. and without those other significant strengthening features, it will never count as anything more than a decoration
.
I think this like most joints have a time and place. It reminds me of some of the Japanese versions of joints using a pin of some shape to fill in a gap and lock two pieces together. A more in depth analysis would be required to determine strength vs other joints for similar applications. It does look nice at least.
Yes, it is legit; no, I wouldn’t use it and, yes it is useful for drawing clicks. Only my opinion. As always, James, keep up the good work. 🌞
So, no explanation at all.
Because of the grain orientation of the dowel, the strength of the pin is only as strong as the lignin in the dowel (i.e. it is probably weaker than just using glue). If instead of a dowel, a plug was used and the wood fibers were oriented perpendicular to the joint, I think it would add significant strength.
Agreed. But the "significant" strength although it would surely exist, would only be overkill and beyond any neccesasy added strength you would ever ask of such a joint in the first place.
I wonder if larger dowels would add more strength or not? I think larger ones would enhance the looks if nothing else. Nice video. Thank you.
How exactly strength varies with diameter seems to be a complicated question.
However some general conclusions can be made.
If the dowels are glued, larger dowels would add additional strength. This because the dowel adds long grain to long grain gluing surface that is not present without them. Larger dowels add more long to long grain surface area making the joint stronger.
Or using multiple small dowels.
@@SchemingGoldberg Good point I hadn't thought of that. Also multiple small dowels would look very cool.
I thing the straight glued joint without dowels would probably be strong enough. Unglued, given that ordinary dowels are like matchwood, it would most likely become loose depending on the application. Some sort of hard wood dowel would probably be better. But as you suggest, looks is where it wins.
Always interesting and informative. Not inclined to use it, but thanks for the lesson anyway. Keep 'em coming!
I might try it-with contrasting wood pieces and dowels that really pop like out of purple heartwood.
The glued strength of this joint (without the dowels) is the same as a mortise and tenon joint with two of the faces subtracted. So yeah, it'll hold. I would say the dowels make it so you literally CANNOT pull the perpendicular piece straight out, no matter if you use glue or not.
The 4-way version on the other hand adds literally nothing, gluing up the boards in that, erm, let's call it a swastika (sorry, but that's what the gaps between the boards look like). The dowels don't lock anything in at all, they just sit there. The boards pull apart in relation to the dowel holes, they don't "shear" apart, which is what the dowel key would prevent.
I see a lot about torque and pulling in one direction, but I think the way wood joints most often fail is by being loaded in bending. I think the dowels provide significant extra strength, because they restrict movement along the length of the white member. The key variable is the shear strength of the dowels. However, compared to a normal pinned mortise and tenon joint, the dowel is loaded along the wood fibers instead of across them.
On net I think it's a toss up, I think it basically depends on the other geometry. If you're really curious, I'd be down to run some comparative analysis. Of course, a test is always better, but make sure to test a few different geometries and different load cases.
I think it fundamentally operates in the same way as a dovetail joint, but without the stress risers of the inside corners. As you pointed out in the video, success all depends on getting a good tight fit and sell as a hack method envisioned to make joinery easier, I don’t think it is the best choice.
Metalworkers do this often with grub screws at joins to prevent things from being able to unscrew. Seen it lots of times on the cutting edge engineering channel, most recently when Kurtis repaired his big lathe tailstock.
I think it would make a great mortise and tenon joint but without the glue. That way you would have an extremely secure joint in all directions and axis and you could still take it down.
simple answer, assemble it without glue and without the dowels, pull on it, then add the dowels and see if it's any harder to pull apart (I think it will be)
0:48 The shade thrown, lollllll
Who is he referring to?
Reminds me of timber frame connections that the Amish use for joining beams, angles and posts. When done correctly, they can last for centuries.
I’ve over thought this joint for the rails on a bed. Laminated corner posts with metal reinforced mortises, exposed tapered wood pin tips and off centered cam bolts to keep the joint tight and removable.
I would say it would help with sales of furniture and the like because of the way it looks. It looks super strong and would be more tempting to buy.
It might work without glue for a temporary use. Something you planned to take apart and didn't require a lot of strength. Just hammer the dowel out when you want to take it apart.
I would think with the work involved, “quick” is not a word that comes to mind. Unique, decorative, interesting, yes.
It is a legit joint. The thought I have is it is offered as a fast joint but it really isn’t faster than the joint without the dowel. It is not faster than a dovetail. It might be easier because all the cuts are 90s. It does look cool so if you are after a cool looking joint and cannot cut dovetails, go for it.
This type of joint has been used in wooden boat building (deck beam installation where it will almost ever get seen) for years, it is even Lloyds approved!
I can use it as cosmetic front, but I'll would add some hide tennons behind to ensure stability
Hey James, glad to see you get out of that joint alive. 😂
Even the glued joint, including the dowel, is all endgrain to long grain. It would hold mostly because of the glue itself and not because there are any good surfaces to stick together. A square dowel or a rectangular shim of some kind would probably bring more to the table in that regard.
A strong glue with tight joinery might hold it together very nicely, I believe endgrain to long grain isn't weak as long as there isn't a large amount of leverage being applied.
But your piece there is fairly thin, where some of the clips you showed had thicker pieces of wood. The thicker the wood, the more the dowel can lock in the pieces mechanically. That's my thought at least 😎
“…a turbulent 3-4 minutes…” 😂 Thanks for a Friday belly laugh!