I am almost done building the base of a shaker style workbench (reduced
scale, of course).

As I am new to ww, I attempted T&M but find the joints a bit too loose. Plan
to pin the tongues, but still would like to run all thread at least
lengthwise to help keep the joints tight. It may be overkill but I do not
want to go back later and fix.

Anyone have suggestions on how thick a diameter the all thread should be? I
would prefer the smallest diameter. Tongues are 3/4 inch thick, with 1/4'
shoulders.

Thanks for the advice...

Chris Carruth wrote:
I am almost done building the base of a shaker style workbench
(reduced
scale, of course).

As I am new to ww, I attempted T&M but find the joints a bit too
loose. Plan
to pin the tongues, but still would like to run all thread at least
lengthwise to help keep the joints tight. It may be overkill but I do
not
want to go back later and fix.



I do not understand 'thread' in this context.

But a loose fitting M & T joint can be fixed by gluing shims
(veneer works) to the tenon or using a thick epoxy glue to fill
the gap.

--

FF

I think he means threaded rod run the length of the stretchers.

Roger

wrote in message
oups.com...

Chris Carruth wrote:
I am almost done building the base of a shaker style workbench
(reduced
scale, of course).

As I am new to ww, I attempted T&M but find the joints a bit too
loose. Plan
to pin the tongues, but still would like to run all thread at least
lengthwise to help keep the joints tight. It may be overkill but I do
not
want to go back later and fix.



I do not understand 'thread' in this context.

But a loose fitting M & T joint can be fixed by gluing shims
(veneer works) to the tenon or using a thick epoxy glue to fill
the gap.

--

FF

It was somewhere outside Barstow when "Chris Carruth"
wrote:

Anyone have suggestions on how thick a diameter the all thread should be?

My bench has ties of 1/2" threaded rod going through it. Like most
bolts in timber they should be large, not because of the strength of
the bolt, but to allow the use of large nuts and washers, so as to
avoid crushing the timber beneath them.

Avoid long metal bolts running cross-grain. You'll get problems with
moisture movement in the timber.

There's little need for long tierods. For clamping a joint together
then a short tie bolt into a barrel nut can be just as effective.

When tieing a mortice and tenon, two bolts are better than one.
Although strength will be good, the rigidity of a single bolt that
relies on clamping forces into a small joint face will be low.

Remember to make the bench dismantleable for transport. Usually rigid
end frames with wedged tenons are bolted onto the long rails. Make the
tenons in the rails as deep as possible and use two bolts. When
planing, this is a joint that takes a lot of racking stress.