Options to join thinnish pieces of round wood lengthwise?

[themiserlycrafter]

I have a small woodland and don't have any thick trunks like you see people use for table tops or chair seats and such.

I thought that I could improvise and make surfaces from placing chopped smaller trunks, about 4-8cm in thickness lengthwise and then joining them somehow. Sure it is not going to be a flush flat surface but it will be ok for the things I want it for like shelves or seats or a worktop to lay things on.

They are aspens about 11-20ft high and have stunted in growth due to growing so close together I think with some as close as only a ft or two. When I looked in the hedgerow I noticed recently what an aspen could grow to if unfettered as there is one probably as tall as a mature oak.

I am thinking I will be doing them a favour, the ones that stay standing at least! by thinning them out.

How could I join them with only woodwork joints, not with metal fastening and such?

Only way I can think of is with dowels. Any others or would that be the best way? Also how to make the dowels if I don't have that metal thingymajig that you hammer wood pieces through to make them? Just shaving with a knife and patience?

 

[Raymedullary]

Traditionally, joining lengthwise is done with a scarf joint of which there are several types, the simplest being two plain tapers joined. After that they vary in complexity involving shoulders/wedges/pegs etc.

 

[Mike G]

I'm not quite following..

Do you want to join these pieces end-to-end, or are you asking about joining them side-to-side?

 

[themiserlycrafter]

Traditionally, joining lengthwise is done with a scarf joint of which there are several types, the simplest being two plain tapers joined. After that they vary in complexity involving shoulders/wedges/pegs etc.

Looks like that one would require glue to set them? as there is no fastening mechanism from what I can see from the wikipedia image. Don't wanna use glue either. Trying to be as 'self-sufficient' as I can.

I'm not quite following..

Do you want to join these pieces end-to-end, or are you asking about joining them side-to-side?

Sorry, I was thinking to add that, side-to-side I mean so then I could potentially make surfaces to whatever area I liked.

As these thinner wooden trunks are generally, but not totally, straight they are not going to be completely flush with one another flush so whatever joint used would have to be able to compensate for that. From looking at other options dowel is still looking like the best so far as I could make the dowels longer or shorter to accommodate for the difference from piece to pieces and doesn't matter if there are small gaps.

 

[AndyT]

The Victorians had a fashion for "Rustic Woodworking" and published many books about how the amateur with only a basic toolkit could use wood from the garden etc to make lightweight useful furniture. This one for example - you can read it online or download as a PDF. I think you would find it useful.

Rustic carpentry : Hasluck, Paul Nooncree, 1854- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Includes index

archive.org

 

[themiserlycrafter]

The Victorians had a fashion for "Rustic Woodworking" and published many books about how the amateur with only a basic toolkit could use wood from the garden etc to make lightweight useful furniture. This one for example - you can read it online or download as a PDF. I think you would find it useful.

Rustic carpentry : Hasluck, Paul Nooncree, 1854- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Includes index

archive.org

Nice! bonus points for vintage publication to go with my vintage tools!

 

[AndyT]

...and readable for free too!

 

[Mike G]

.......Don't wanna use glue either. Trying to be as 'self-sufficient' as I can.......

Ah, well, then you're going to have to boil up a bunny, or some fish skins.

 

[Raymedullary]

There are some types of scarf that don't require glue (being wedged) but they are rather elaborate and only suitable for thicker structural pieces. They are an interesting look up though.

 

[slimshady]

Hi.
this sounds like a Bushcraft type exercise.
Rods of hazel (etc) (finger/thumb thick) laid onto thicker timbers that would be lashed with string to form a flattish surface.
et voila . . . . in theory you could hand plane the surface a bit to get rid of some odd bumps.
..
Alex,

 

[duke]

Or you could line your boards side by side till the desired width then add battens perpendicular ,drive some nails in , flip it over and do further clenched nails. Truly vernacular , no glue.

 

[themiserlycrafter]

Hi.
this sounds like a Bushcraft type exercise.
Rods of hazel (etc) (finger/thumb thick) laid onto thicker timbers that would be lashed with string to form a flattish surface.
et voila . . . . in theory you could hand plane the surface a bit to get rid of some odd bumps.
View attachment 36910..
Alex,

Looks like what I am going for however string is not sustainable within the surroundings!

Or you could line your boards side by side till the desired width then add battens perpendicular ,drive some nails in , flip it over and do further clenched nails. Truly vernacular , no glue.

Nails same as screws.

I was actually thinking along these lines though that I could do the same and dowel on the ends and make a frame and I could just lay pieces on top, like the image above if there is going to be other stuff weighting it down.

 

[Mike G]

Looks like what I am going for however string is not sustainable within the surroundings!....

Wire. Or if it is aesthetics-first strength/ durablity-second, then rushes, split willow, stripped bramble, nettle-stem.......whatever you have to hand.

 

[Windows]

Looks like what I am going for however string is not sustainable within the surroundings!

Since you have willow, maybe you want to try your hand at making cordage from willow bark?

 

[NickM]

Ah, well, then you're going to have to boil up a bunny, or some fish skins.

Or melt a horse or something like that.

 

[duke]

Looks like what I am going for however string is not sustainable within the surroundings!

Nails same as screws.

I was actually thinking along these lines though that I could do the same and dowel on the ends and make a frame and I could just lay pieces on top, like the image above if there is going to be other stuff weighting it down.

Ok , I get it now. What you are trying to create is a bushcraft solution to making things.
The dowels you need then must be pared down with an axe then a draw knife. Honestly I have no experience with roughing it in the bush other than a weekend or so. As Windows and MikeG said cordage from Willow and when it dries it will shrink and keep things tight.
For some reason a very similar thread had been started on another forum last year, curious was it you?
I think you need to latch on to a UK buscraft forum as there are a few that are interesting.