Use of Corrugated Fasteners

Corrugated fasteners are metal fasteners that are made from sheet metal and have alternating ridges and grooves. The fastener is common in woodworking projects and ideal for use with mitre joints. Typically, you hammer the fastener over wood joints, holding together two pieces of wood. Alternatively, you can use a power tool with the corrugated fasteners.

Corrugated fasteners are made from 18- to 22-gauge metal sheets. Gauge refers to the thickness of the metal, and 22-gauge is about .03 inches thick, according to Russ Rowlett of UNC.edu. Despite its minimal thickness, the alternating ridges of the corrugated fastener make it sturdy and rigid. There are two different types of corrugated fasteners, those with angled ridges and those with parallel ridges. Angled ridges tend to compress the wood material; use these corrugated fasteners for joints that do not require as much hold as the traditional parallel fasteners. Use the parallel corrugated fasteners to hold together mitred wood joints. Mitred wood joints involve connecting two pieces of wood at a 45-degree angle. The corrugated fasteners are ideal at holding together these joints because they span over the two pieces of wood, locking them together. Use corrugated fasteners for smaller wood pieces and wood pieces that are not visible. For instance, use the fasteners at the back of wood picture frames or fastening together tabletops on the underside.

In addition to mitre joints and tabletops, use corrugated fasteners for simple wood shelves and other "rough" or unfinished woodworking projects. According to Extremehowto.com, corrugated fasteners can be used for other rough-framed projects where the finished appearance of the product is not crucial. To properly install a corrugated fastener, you hold together the two pieces of wood and begin by hammering the fastener into one piece of the wood. Ensure that the corrugated fastener reaches halfway into the wood's thickness. Continue to hammer in the fastener as your move into the other wood piece. Do not hammer the fastener with the wood grain because it will split the wood. You may wish to use two corrugated fasteners per joint.

Although hammering is a common means of adhering corrugated fasteners to wood joints, the process can be a bit tricky, since you must hold together the two joints while you hammer the fastener. Many power tool manufacturers have pneumatic corrugated fastener "guns" that drive the fastener directly into the wood. Consider using a corrugated fastener power tool for an expedited woodworking project.