Timber framing pegs being made by hand, by Carpenter Oak & Woodland

We produce a wide variety of peg types, to suit many different applications. All of our pegs are hand-cleft from the heartwood of English oak, and contain no sapwood, yielding a product of great durability and strength.

These pegs are used in the construction of timber-frame buildings, bridges etc. There is a wide variety of peg types, to reflect the variety of applications.

Drawn pegs

These have become our standard framing peg. A fully hand-crafted peg, made with cleft oak that is fashioned on a shaving horse with a draw-knife (hence “drawn”). They are gently tapering with an approximately hexagonal shaft. This is the type of peg that is used in the repair of historic timber framed buildings, as it closely resembles the original pegs.  All drawn pegs are 10”+ long.

Dowel pegs

These are die-driven, to yield an almost perfect cylinder of oak. They are most commonly used in locations where a constant diameter is required along the full length of the peg.

Square frame pegs

These pegs have a square section 5/8” x 5/8” (16mm x 16mm), and are designed for use in a ¾” (19mm) hole where location, rather than bonding is required.  An example of this is where the rafter is fixed to the purlin.  They are all made 6” (150mm) long.

Cleft oak tile pegs

In addition to aesthetic appeal, cleft oak tile pegs have a number of real advantages over galvanised or aluminium pegs: they are unaffected by salting or oxidation, or the bi-metallic corrosion caused by copper / arsenic treatment of modern battening. These reactions are causing tile – failure with increasing frequency, and can be avoided by using cleft oak pegs, particularly if used in conjunction with riven oak batten.

Although these pegs have obvious suitability for roofs visible from beneath, we find that more and more architects are specifying them for historically important buildings, not only for their “appropriateness”, but also because they perform better than their modern equivalents.

While a large range of sizes and patterns are held in stock, we can make to any size and pattern to suit individual applications.

Please note we are a trade supplier and that there is a minimum order value of £100, exclusive of VAT and delivery.