Pegs & Auger Bits...

[Daburner87]

I'm thinking of using hardwood dowel rods from Home Depot for my pegs.   These dowels are 1 inch diameter.   Would a 15/16 inch auger bit be too tight or just right?  I plan to shave a little off the tip to go in smoother.  Definitely don't have time to make my own.  Any help on the subject appreciated. The timber framing class I took didn't discuss or go over this topic at all.

[beenthere]

Daburner
Be careful, as the dowels from Home Depot may not be round, rather they could be oblong shape due to differential shrinkage as a result of  some moisture content change after being machined to a round shape. 

Something to consider, and measuring some dowels to check the cross-section dimensions of HD stock may be a good idea, so you know. 

[Daburner87]

I will definitely do a practice piece before I do it on the actual timbers, but how tight are pegs supposed to be?   We didn't discuss this in class whatsoever, but from youtube videos etc... I see some very tight pegs being hammered in.    Would a 7/8" bit be too tight?  

[Jim_Rogers]

Putting a store-bought dowel into a green timber will cause the dowel to suck up moisture from the timber and swell up. Be sure you have it right first because you won't be able to push them out if it is wrong.
We normally wouldn't use 7/8" or 15/16" bits for 1" peg/pin holes. We use 1" and draw bore the tenon.
Jim Rogers

[Brad_bb]

In a hardwood frame I'd tell you to use a line to line fit, a 1" bit and a 1" dowel.  A good source for pegs is Northcott  (pegs.us)
You need to choose your head and tip configuration.  They can point them for you. 

I have bought from them and pointed them myself so they look hand done.  I have a post on here somewhere about how I did it.  I typically use white oak for it's strength and rot resistance for any that might be exposed to the elements.

For peg hole bits, use Wood Owl Ultra smooth bits.
Wood owl ultra smooth

[Larry]

Those Wood Owl Ultra bits are awesome. 

[Magicman]

Some dowel rods will also have grain runout/slope of grain. 

[logman]

If you get pegs from Northcott and you are using a Wood Owl bit be sure to specify you want 25 mm pegs.  The older Wood Owl 1" bits are actually 25 mm.  You can split the wood if you drive a 1" peg.  Someone told me that newer Wood Owl bits are now 1" but I don't know that for sure.  

[John Doherty]

If you have access to a table saw, rip some straight grained hardwood stock to a 1" x 1".  Then place in a vise and run over the corners with a good hand plane or spoke shave. In a bit of time, you will have a decent octagon. Check by having a 2x6 piece of pine with a 1' diameter hole.  Taper the end and one is done. Repeat...