How to attach timber

[wjwren]

What is the best way to attach large (sleeper size) timber together? What are those black brackets called , cant seem to find them online. It's for a gazebo build.

[jas xjr]

i am not an expert or anything but that seems to be a clumsy way to do things.
there should be a way of making that without any fixings showing

[shawsky]

They are called flat straps, there's different thicknesses available, however as above it's not a nice finish. You'd want to joint the wood properly and then countersink or hide the screws.

[brrapp]

Always better to make a proper joint, like a mortice and tenon locked with dowels through it, but failing that, half joint it and use timberlok screws.

Edited by brrapp on Sunday 21st January 20:44

[V8RX7]

wjwren said:

What is the best way to attach large (sleeper size) timber together?

NOT like that !

Bolted together or better using an appropriate joint - ie halving joint

[CubanPete]

Proper joints and dowels.

[Chuggy]

If you don't have the skills for a M&J joint it will probably be ok but maybe try to make a feature of it. Paint the plate black and use black coach screws.

[Wacky Racer]

CubanPete said:

Proper joints and dowels.

This.

Dowels are the way to go.

[tumble dryer]

wjwren said:

I fear the latent ‘craftsman’ within us may have slightly diverted from the practical…

It’s a Gazebo.
It needs to stay up.

Me, I’d add a few diagonal corner braces. Something to hang your baskets from.

[samdale]

brrapp said:

Always better to make a proper joint, like a mortice and tenon locked with dowels through it, but failing that, half joint it and use timberlok screws.

Edited by brrapp on Sunday 21st January 20:44

This.

Simple, neat, effective.

Any metalwork like that looks a bit naff imo.

[ColinM50]

Google wooden gazebos and click images and there's hundreds. None bodged like the one in your pic, all with proper joints.

Here's one, not that I recommend this particular supplier, not had good experience of them but it shows the general design and and a better method of construction.



https://dunsterhouse.co.uk/atlas-open-gazebo-w6-0m...

[wjwren]

samdale said:

This.

Simple, neat, effective.

Any metalwork like that looks a bit naff imo.

That sounds/looks a neat option. Would it be best to use a bench saw for this and set the depth off that?

Any advice appreciated.

[wolfracesonic]

If your timbers are going to be a similar size to the ones in the picture you'd need a hell of a bench saw! For any half lap joints in this grade of work, use a handheld electric circular saw, set it to the depth you want and make a load of kerf cuts, smash out the unwanted pieces with a hammer and tidy up with chisel or block plane.

[samdale]

If you've got a bench saw big enough to cut sleepers, crack on. As above, lots of cuts with a circular saw. Last ones I did were in 4" fence posts and didn't have many to do. Just used a hand saw