What's this joint called?

[andypa]

I'm drawing some brackets that I am replicating for some external woodwork on a victorian house and couldn't quite think what to name the joints that were used.

Is it a toe joint or housed brace joint or oblique thrust joint or what ??? :?

Not sure how strong it is, but it's more decorative than structural.

Cheers.

 

[CHJ]

Not an answer to you 'name' query but an observation.

If this is an external feature exposed to weathering is not the vertical mortise joint as drawn a natural water trap, should the bottom ledge not be chamfered to self drain ?

 

[andypa]

I've drawn how it was originally made in circa 1890. I think most have failed due to lack of maintenance, but I agree that the design could be improved. There are 18 in total and over half of them need replaced.

 

[G S Haydon]

I'm sure I will get picked up here but I would just call that a housing or a housed joint. There is a chance water could get trapped but the joint shown is very strong. The strength would be more important. A tight fitting joint that with the meeting surfaces coated in glue and external faces well decorated should ensure a durable joint. It's a strong joint and not just for decoration (IMO)
A coach bolt or two from the back of the brace would be a nice way to secure the joint.

 

[Jacob]

I've drawn how it was originally made in circa 1890. I think most have failed due to lack of maintenance, but I agree that the design could be improved. .....

Yes if it's only lasted 123 years it obviously wasn't too good to start with. :roll:
No seriously - the first rule of conservation joinery is to copy exactly what you see, especially if, as in this instance, it is very well made, looks good and has proved to be durable.
It's a "gallows bracket". More often the joint is not housed, so this is a refinement, and will be more durable.
Very nicely made joint - would survive quite well without glue as it's self locking under load. But they always did belt and braces so glue, or a peg through, would not be a surprise.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I like that style of gallows bracket. Out of interest was it from a decent quality town house rather than a cottage? It's just that the extra effort that's gone in smacks of a more up market property originally

 

[andypa]

Not a townhouse but a detached sandstone villa. Three gables and 2 dormers all have same hammer beam truss design and should look something like this sketch. All that exposed wood not great in the wet Scottish climate!

 

[Eric The Viking]

Is the tenon for the horizontal drawbored, fox-wedged (or just ornery-wedged)? The weakness in the design as I see it (ignoring the water shedding element), is that the main joint is under tension.

I made a shelf bracket a while ago in a similar way, with M+T at both ends of the brace, and IIRC a dovetail end on the crosspiece. All joints would thus tighten under load. But that had a shelf straight on top of it, whereas in this case the post continues up, so apart from a through, wedged tenon I can't see how you keep it tight and strong. Drawboring would put the load on the pin!

If not M+T how else should it be done?

E. (tyro in this)