How to Make Sturdier Shaker Pegs

Household DIY Tips
on February 26, 2013
shaker pegs
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Store-bought Shaker pegs can shrink and end up fitting loosely in their holes. To keep pegs from falling out, Club member Frank May of Kansas City, Missouri, uses a wedge to expand the peg’s tenon. This method is often used in furniture construction. First, bore a 3/32-in. hole that’s perpendicular to the grain at the top of the tenon. (The hole prevents the wood from splitting.) Next, cut a kerf from the rear of the tenon to the hole with a band saw or handsaw. Cut a wedge that’s the same width as the tenon and slightly longer than the kerf (assuming the hole is deeper than the tenon is long — see photo). The wedge should be about one-third thicker than the kerf’s width. Finally, insert the point of the wedge into the kerf, apply glue and use a mallet to tap the peg into the hole. It’s best to try this on a few test pieces first.