Desk Repair

[24rory]

I just broke my moms desk and I'm now trying to fix it. The thing is though there is a part that I can't identify so I can't replace it in a new piece of wood. All I can see of it is that it is the large top of a screw, but it is used to tighten in what I can only describe as a plug that keeps the two pieces of wood together. Does anyone know what the piece described above is?

Thank You

[HayZee518]

go to this site www dot rockler dot com. what you are looking for is called a cross dowel. they are in the fastener section

[fixer_noob]

Can you help me to understand this rockler site page about cross dowels?

I don't know what I need to order to get cross dowels. I am planning a work bench. I'd like to get 2x4s or better yet 4x4s tightly bolted together. These seem perfect. Also they'd permit the table to be taken apart and reassembled without any harm to the wood, it seems to me. How do I tell this site what size of dowel I want, for example?

[fixer_noob]

There's another place that seems to offer the cross dowels: woodpeck. I don't think I can place the link in, but you can find it easily. These cross dowels seem like the bees knees for connecting, but I can't figure out what all the numbers mean. On that site, for example, how would I order the longest bolt and the strongest matching cross dowel? Thanks for having a look.

[HayZee518]

the cross dowel would have dowel length, distance from one end to center, diameter of the dowel and number of threads per inch of the internal thread. for bolt length figure out where you are going to drill for the cross dowel then just go from there to the top surface of the wood surface. for instance a framing support of 2x2. you'll have one horizontal member and an end member. the 2x2 is a thickness of 1 and 5/8 inch and you are going to put the cross dowel one inch from the end of the cross member so 1 5/8 inch plus one inch plus 1/2 inch for total length. your total length of the bolt will be 3 1/8 inches long.

[fixer_noob]

Thanks HayZee518!

[HayZee518]

Cross Dowels

Further information for you---