CLOTHES PEGS

The wooden clothes peg is a triumph of design. The two timber parts are identical and the wire spring allows them to open and close with elegant simplicity

HISTORY

The wooden sprung clothes peg was created by David M. Smith of Springfield USA in 1853. It is one of 146 different peg patents filed in the US between 1852 and 1887.The design was improved by Solon E. Moore who, in 1887, added a coiled spring made from a single wire to keep the peg closed.

MAKING

7mm planks of beech are seasoned in the open air for 7 months, then dried in a kiln for 3 or 4 weeks to stabilise the timber. These are reduced to strips 9mm thick and machined on both sides to form continuous lengths of peg shapes before being cut into individual pieces.These are cleaned up and waxed before a spring made from 1.5mm diameter galvanised steel wire is fitted between the two sections.   

DRAWING

Timber is always interesting to draw with the subtle changes of tone and colour giving a varied texture. The individual fibres are visually different, both in colour and shape, and have to be carefully observed. The coiled spring catches the light as the wire rotates, bends and stretches. Interestingly, the side elevations are identical when viewed from opposite directions.

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