# Cool joint used in old time construction.



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Two weekends ago I was in St. Augustine, Florida with my wife and son. Among other things, we went to a "living museum" about the history of the city. There was a woodsmith shop as part of the tour. the guy was pretty knowledgeable about the old ways of working wood, the tools, jointery, etc... He had one joint example that he said he made but I didn't have a chance to ask more about it. It's like a bow tie.

I'm sure this joint is not as unusual as it seems but I don't recall ever seeing it before. I thought it was pretty cool so I posted it in case anyone here knows what it is called, for one thing, and for the benefit of others who, like myself, are not familiar with it.


----------



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Pretty cool, technically speaking it's a dovetailed half lap joint but I'm sure there is a particular name for it which alludes me.

To bad ya didn't get a chance to pick his brain!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


----------



## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Steve I´v only used this joint on one job and that was a reconstruction of a traditional roof.It was cut into both ends of a post running from a wall plate to a purlin. The idea is that the post can not move in any direction a modern day version of the same post would be held in place with galv steel brackets and ring nails.

Tom I can see where you are coming from with your description of the joint but when I used it,it was taking the place of a stub nose tenon and the English translation of what it was called is a"Crossed tenon". billy


----------



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

That's very cool and looks fairly simple
I might have to knock out a couple of those while I'm dubbin' in the shop
.
.
.
.
.
did I say I love this forum??????


----------



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

FYI, the people who settled St. Augustine were Spaniards. So I imagine that they brought knowledge of this joint from Spain.


----------

