After installation, some parts of cabinet furniture may have a slight slope in relation to each other. In order to prevent the body from loosening during operation, as well as to firmly fasten the structure to form a single ensemble, the parts are fastened together with special fasteners - steel ties.
Design
The chrome-plated intersection coupler is a detachable steel fastener made of a screw and nut in the form of a threaded cylinder. There is also a screw version with a plastic case in which there is a metal nut.
Each part is equipped with special slots. They are made for fasteners using any tools - keys, octagonal, hexagonal bits, various screwdrivers.
Intersection screed is used in fastening furniture walls based on chipboard, parallel to each other. Classic particleboard panels used to create furniture have a thickness of 16 mm. The metal screed is long enough to connect the two walls. When fixing several chipboard panels, other types of fastening are used. The most common sizes of intersection couplers are 8 and 6 mm.
Pros and cons
Intersectional furniture screed is the best way to fix chipboard material. Sometimes unscrupulous furniture collectors use ordinary self-tapping screws for these purposes, which as a result contributes to damage to the product due to pulling it out under the weight of the filled cabinets.
High-quality material connection is created by screw parts. But there were some negative points: with increased tightening, when the top of the nut bites into the surface, there is a chance of material damage.
In addition, screw hole preparation is required. Sometimes they have a diameter larger than the size of the head, so a special washer is placed under the part. This installation method negatively affects the appearance of the internal elements of the housing. There is a slight gap between the furniture sections due to incomplete screwing caused by washers.
Intersection coupler: installation
For joining the sections, the fastened parallel or stand walls are fixed to each other using clamps. Holes are drilled through and through with a diameter suitable for fasteners, at a distance of about 8-15 cm from any corner of the walls. An intersection coupler is inserted into the hole and the fasteners are twisted. Due to the relief located under the top of the nut, there is no possibility of turning during tightening, but in some cases it is necessary to fix it with a screwdriver.
It is worth considering that on the front side the coupler heads will noticeably stand out. In stores you can now find masking plates, but they are presented in a rather narrow range, and it is not always possible to choose a decorative plate for the required finish of particleboard.
If the installation order of the sections declared by the manufacturer is not followed, mounting problems may occur. This may not be the full opening of the cabinet doors, because of which you need to tighten the hinges.