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Thread: Star shape metal fixing.
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17th November 2023, 10:20 PM #1Senior Member
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Star shape metal fixing.
Hello Everyone.
Noticed this metal fixing in 1960's Fler chair Iin the process of refurbishment. Looks like star shaped nail to pin a mortise (my wild guues). Cannot say I have seen one before (and it is possible it's not a nail).
Does anyone know what I am looking at and ithe name?
IMG_5806.jpg
Thanks in advance..
Martin
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18th November 2023, 02:36 AM #2GOLD MEMBER
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is it steel? it looks like something that may have been forged in a die to get the star shape.
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18th November 2023, 02:38 AM #3GOLD MEMBER
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Look up "metal star dowel" on google. they don't look like they're steel, but the first listing of them that I see literally says "metal star dowels for pinning mortise and tenon joints", so a perhaps less common bit of hardware, but with enough appearances on a search to see that it's not rare.
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18th November 2023, 01:09 PM #4
They used to be used extensively in the timber window industry for pining the M & T joints on the bottom rail of the bottom sash and top rail on the top sash in double hung windows, they were made from an alloy metal very similar to the cam in those cam lock joiners
The person who never made a mistake never made anything
Cheers
Ray
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18th November 2023, 07:17 PM #5
Possibly "Monel" metal, which was used for boat nails etc. "Monel" - "Monel is a group of alloys of nickel and copper, with small amounts of iron, manganese, carbon, and silicon. "
According to this site ( Star Dowels | Metal Dowels | Brudaw Dowels | Fastenright Ltd ) the metal they use is "Zamak" - "ZAMAK is a family of alloys with a base metal of zinc and alloying elements of aluminium, magnesium, and copper."
Mobyturns
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19th November 2023, 05:03 AM #6GOLD MEMBER
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in the instrument world, there's a lot of use of zamak and zinc alloy to replace steel, brass and plated aluminum.
the connotation is not great when that happens, and even more obnoxious when manufacturers claim they switched to it because they think it "sounds better" than the original materials.
I could see it for something like this, thought. I don't know the history of the fastener, but would guess that the nature of it is to avoid splitting the wood, but also no end grain, no drilling, etc. It just goes in and pins things in every direction without splitting.
Using zamak or another castable or swageable material answers what I would've asked next, which is how are those manufactured from steel if they're steel.
The guitar parts are cast parts, so if this stuff can be extruded at some increased temperature, I wouldn't be surprised, but it's past my experience level.
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19th November 2023, 09:48 AM #7
It's very easy to understand the why! It's not so much about the production processes. Have a look at spot metals prices on the LME. Tin, Nickel then Copper - the most expensive non-ferrous metals (i.e. not precious metals). If they can save a few cents they will!
Go back to when the furniture item was made circa 1960's to 1970's when Monel was probably viable. Definitely not now at those prices.Mobyturns
In An Instant Your Life CanChange Forever
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20th November 2023, 06:50 AM #8
All the silky oak window sashes I’ve restored in Brisbane had these star pins though the MT joints.
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20th November 2023, 08:39 AM #9
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21st November 2023, 06:42 AM #10Member
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Must have used thousands of them as 1st year apprentice making clear oregan sashes for housing commission houses in the early 1960's.
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21st November 2023, 09:57 AM #11
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21st November 2023, 04:12 PM #12Member
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It was a long time ago but they wearn't steel from memory I would say some form of an alloy.
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21st November 2023, 07:20 PM #13
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21st November 2023, 07:29 PM #14
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21st November 2023, 10:23 PM #15GOLD MEMBER
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