I wanted this picture in last night’s post about drawboring, but couldn’t find it. So today, while sorting pictures for my trip to Colonial Williamsburg, there it was.
I am driving the tapered oak pegs into the drawbored mortise-and-tenon joints. You can see four more pegs lying on the bench; mine are not all that long, about 5″ or even less. They are the driest stock in the shop, shaved from riven stock, never sawn. There will be lots more of this.
PETER FOLLANSBEE: JOINER’S NOTES 
Peter: Beautiful carved work! The dry peg’s taper allows it to snake its way thru the drawbored interference hole. By sound and resistance, the taper teaches when you have gone far enough. Splitting out is also avoided because hopefully the tenon will contain a slight amount of moisture at assembly and the stile more. The moist drawbored hole will enlarge a bit as the dry tapered peg is driven home. Interference, peg taper and moisture content are the keys.The drawbored joint is the heart of joinery. And, that’s why you are called a joiner.