Thanks Dave, for dredging up this question and many thanks to Chip for writing a reply with plenty of info. Neil from timberlinx just came by last week and dropped off a box of the threaded rod connectors(A475). We are using them to connect the top of a main floor post to the bottom of a second floor post with the threaded rod passing through a beam. This is a spot where the timberlinx really shine and offer a big savings in labour(two simple shoulders and two square end cuts vs. two m & t).
I can relate to Chip's experience as someone who also started joinery in the mid eighties in the traditional mode -at a local living history museum. I built my first solo frame using my own horse to harvest trees from our county forest and all the principal timbers were squared with axes... while I sometimes meet clients who share my love of traditional timberwork, sometimes it's the timbers they want, not the joinery... Connectors can help lower the bottom line in that situation.
