Driven hooks??

[Duchess]

I have a 500hundred year old oak framed cottage and want to know if I can use driven hooks into the main timber? I am presuming it is pretty dense piece of wood and a few hooks won't damage it??

 

[Feltwell]

I think you'll need to drill it first, old oak can be very hard. I presume you're not going to be putting any great loads on said hooks so I can't see them doing any great harm. Some nice handmade blacksmith ones would look good............

 

[Duchess]

That's exactly what I was looking at, I have brought some lanterns what with the power cuts in this weather so not a lot of weight, thanks... I wouldn't want to do any harm to my wonderful beams

 

[philpjuk100]

I have found that holes need drilling with a good drill bit used slowly and that it helps if the screws are lubricated.

 

[philpjuk100]

My wife while sat in a chair in the living room thats not usually sat in noticed a piece of bronze in a crack in a beam,we dug it out and it looks like a small seal.We have cleaned many coats of varnish from it and have now replaced it in the crack.We have lived here six years and only just found this although we discovered two bronze finger ringd in a crack in a beam in the kitchen!.

 

[Penners]

looks like a small seal.

What a wonderful find! Can you train it balance a ball on its nose?

 

[Penners]

want to know if I can use driven hooks into the main timber?

Unless your main timber is incredibly small in section, you won't cause any problems. I presume your driven hooks have square, tapered shanks? If so, drill a hole a bit smaller than the across-flats dimension at the thicker end. When you hammer in the hook, don't be tempted to welly hell out of it - lubricate it (as Philip suggested) by rubbing it against a bar of soap (nothing less than Cussons Imperial Leather will do! :wink: ), insert it into the hole and when you can't push it any more, start to drive it in with your hammer. Use lots of small blows, rather than a few mighty ones!

Just think very carefully about where you insert the hooks, because once they're in, you'll need to tractor to pull them out again!

 

[philpjuk100]

OOPS! as the last place I put hooks in a beam was in the kitchen I lubricated them with Aldi margarine!

 

[Feltwell]

(nothing less than Cussons Imperial Leather will do! :wink: )

Your levels of opulence are clearly far above mine Penners. Wrights Coal Tar Soap here, the smell is lovely!

 

[Penners]

OOPS! as the last place I put hooks in a beam was in the kitchen I lubricated them with Aldi margarine!

Peasant!

 

[Penners]

(nothing less than Cussons Imperial Leather will do! :wink: )

Your levels of opulence are clearly far above mine Penners. Wrights Coal Tar Soap here, the smell is lovely!

I was making an assumption on the quality of toiletries likely to be found in Her Grace's bathroom. Personally, I'm a splash-it-with-water-and-wipe-it-off-on-the-towel man.

 

[DJH]

Wrights Coal Tar doesn't have coal tar in it any more blooming swizz...

Doug

 

[philpjuk100]

Peasant? PEASANT?? I am an artisan and live in an artisans cottage!.

 

[Feltwell]

Wrights Coal Tar doesn't have coal tar in it any more blooming swizz...

Doug

I'd noticed that as well. Blame the EU Doug.....

As European Union directives on cosmetics have banned the use of coal-tar in non-prescription products, the coal tar derivatives have been removed from the formula, replacing them with tea tree oil as main anti-bacterial ingredient. Despite this major variance from the original recipe, the new soap has been made to approximate the look and smell of the original product.

 

[Penners]

live in an artisans cottage!.

Just so long as the artisan doesn't mind.

 

[Zebra]

Personally, I'm a splash-it-with-water-and-wipe-it-off-on-the-towel man.

Ha ha! Yes, me too (except the man bit). Around twice a week or so, since living here.

 

[Lime]

want to know if I can use driven hooks into the main timber?

Unless your main timber is incredibly small in section, you won't cause any problems. I presume your driven hooks have square, tapered shanks? If so, drill a hole a bit smaller than the across-flats dimension at the thicker end. When you hammer in the hook, don't be tempted to welly hell out of it - lubricate it (as Philip suggested) by rubbing it against a bar of soap (nothing less than Cussons Imperial Leather will do! :wink: ), insert it into the hole and when you can't push it any more, start to drive it in with your hammer. Use lots of small blows, rather than a few mighty ones!

Just think very carefully about where you insert the hooks, because once they're in, you'll need to tractor to pull them out again!

If that is so, wouldn't it be better to use something that can be removed at a later date?
Stainless cup hooks for instance?
Anything that won't corrode in oak or get jammed in must be better than a permanent addition/disfigurement in 500 year old timber surely?

 

[philpjuk100]

I used a bit of flat "black" steel,bent into a hook shape with two holes drilled for two japanned roundheads with a bit of matt black on them,you really cannot see them now the wicker baskets are hung from them!