Plastic sliding joint

[Emp_ming]

Hi there

Thank you for letting me join your forum.

Sorry for my ignorance, but does anyone know if you can buy plastic sliding dovetail joints to screw/attach to make a frame?

I appreciate the suggestion of a plastic joint may be sacrilegious, but I am not anywhere near skilled enough to make a frame that can be temporarily put up and taken down without using such assistance....

Many thanks

Ming

 

[DoctorWibble]

Plastic connectors of many kinds are made. But mostly sold to trade/manufacturing businesses rather than the general public. If you tell us a bit more about what you're making someone will probably be able to come up with a suggestion.

 

[Mike Jordan]

Dear Empora Ming
Rather than be sent to the uranium mines I will tell you anything you wish to know.
Please give more details of the frame your highness wishes to construct.
Cringingly yours
Mike.

 

[Myfordman]

Look for "knock down" fittings also called KD fittings.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Hi there

Thank you for letting me join your forum.

Sorry for my ignorance, but does anyone know if you can buy plastic sliding dovetail joints to screw/attach to make a frame?

I appreciate the suggestion of a plastic joint may be sacrilegious, but I am not anywhere near skilled enough to make a frame that can be temporarily put up and taken down without using such assistance....

Many thanks

Ming

You are welcome here (as long as you're not merciless!).

It is a very general question though.

• What is your frame for?
• Are you going to make more things, or is this a one-off?
• How often will it be taken apart, and how strong does it need to be (same as the first question really!).

There are many, many different sorts of fixing, each tailored to meet a specific need.

If your application means taking apart and reassembly a lot, steer clear of both plastic and woodscrews, as neither will be durable enough. Metal fittings and bolts are much more suitable (knock down fittings as already mentioned).

But tell us more

E.

 

[Emp_ming]

Thanks all!!

I can already tell there are some decent characters on this board, shame I can't really contribute much in the way of woodwork!! (I'm a paramedic by trade and saw an excellent chain saw injury the other week - be careful of cardigan sleeves and the chain....!! But that's about it!)

I noticed this weekend that my daughter (Princess Aura!) is regularly accidentally knocking things off the table in the garden (toys, paints etc) so thought making a basic frame to go around the edge as a barrier would be good (bit like a snooker table), but would like to take it off to use the table properly, and for ease of storage thought a few sliding clips would be handy. I've got a couple of big grip things to keep it on.

I guess it would only be constructed a few times, but I'd like the option (saves more big things in the garage). Size, prob 70mm high, 30mm thick...

Cheers

 

[beech1948]

So a rectangular frame, 70mm high and maybe 1.2m per side (just a guess) or something similar.

Could you connect these pieces with hinges arranged such that it will fold down along the long side to simplify construction. You did say that you would use it only a few times a year and clamp it down. So hinges might work.

The hinges could be reinforced with say no.6 x 75mm ( or even 100mm screws or larger) screws instead of the small screws which normally go into hinges