Settlers Wrench / Scotch Auger

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Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
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Must admit that I somehow had it in my head this tennon cutter was to make pegs for filling holes in trees used for collectibg maple syrup.
On re reading the thread its not.
On the times I've worked on old UK oak barn timbers the page have neen octagonal but again they wre used more as a drawpeg just to pull the joint tight and not as the stressed part of the joint its self.
Theres a design shown on Youtube where they use a chisel set in a hole so its like a pencil sharpener. Think Izzy Swan showed it.
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
Theres a design shown on Youtube where they use a chisel set in a hole so its like a pencil sharpener. Think Izzy Swan showed it.

Yep, there are wooden ones as you describe but the ones I use (badly described by me earlier) are the Veritas Tennon Cutters shown here. They are very effective but quite hard to keep central.

 
Do you find it much better than just an auger and a knife for shaping the tenon? The chisel cutter seems the weak part of the design to me, though I see were it's going. If you're chiseling wood that's only a bit oversized anyway, shaping it down with a knife possibly isn't much work and then add a wedge to tighten?

@Stew , I have only used it a few times. My summer was cancelled by COVID and wildfires.

In my limited experience, it worked well, especially on green wood. I have had to clean up the peg-end with my knife sometimes. But that may be due to my unfamiliarity with the tool.

My friend has used it to create stools and camp chairs around his rural home. He took a cross section of trunk and drilled the holes at an angle to create angled legs. I thought that was clever. But it may have happened by accident. :)

What I like about the tool is its portability. I also like that if I have trouble drilling, I can insert a stick into the hole in the tool to gain greater mechanical advantage.

The tool arrives smelling of preservative oil. But that is not much of a problem. It also has a hearty leather sheath that I treated with Obenauf''s.

I look forward to using it more.

- Woodsorrel
 
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