Sashimono Nail-Free Joint Example

thingiverse

After seeing this example of awesome Japanese Sashimono-style nail-free joinery, I built an example of a working joint for everyone to try. One of the primary advantages of a Sashimono joint is that because only one material is used in the joint, the thermal-expansion of the joint grows and shrinks with itself equally, unlike if it was joined with nails or screws which have a different thermal-expansion from wood (or other materials). The result is a joint that lasts basically forever, it never grows loose over time, never works itself free, etc. In this example, the square piece should be used to make a leg with the other two pieces on top of it, this way gravity will hold in and reinforce the two pins forever. The joint is held together by friction and compression in all directions, and for this reason the design is made to fit very tightly. After printing you might need to sand the parts a little bit to get them to fit, and use a fair amount of pressure to joint them right. This is by design. What holds it all together are the two square pegs in the elbow-piece which function as a butterfly joint to hold it all together. Simply brilliant. Enjoy.