Looking at an old timber frame barn in Vermont, I learned they used wooden pegs instead of nails for the main structure.

I found this out from a historical marker at the site, and it made me wonder if anyone still uses that method for strength or just for looks on modern builds.

4 comments

4 Comments

andrew_shah2mo ago

Saw a guy on YouTube building a whole cabin with just pegs and hand tools. He claimed the wood moving together makes it stronger over time, not weaker. Said metal nails can actually split old wood when it swells and shrinks. Makes sense when you think about it. That old barn is still standing for a reason. The method definitely wasn't just for looks back then.

zarat372mo ago

Old methods worked for a reason. Metal can fight the wood instead of moving with it.

tessalane2mo ago

Wait he built the ENTIRE cabin without a single nail? That's actually insane to picture. The wood just... holds itself together? My mind is blown thinking about all those pegs being carved by hand. No wonder those old places last centuries, they're basically one solid piece of wood.

dylan_ward21d ago

Built a birdhouse once with similar joinery and it fell apart before the birds even moved in.