Timber Connection Hardware for Strong, Accurate Framing

A timber connection is only as dependable as the hardware joining the members together. Hobson Connectors provide purpose-made steel connection hardware for timber construction, helping builders, carpenters, framing crews & construction professionals create secure connections across structural timber assemblies.

The Hobson range includes angled timber connectors & flat timber connectors across selected sizes, lengths & bolt-hole configurations. Hot-dip galvanised finishes feature throughout the verified range, providing connector options designed for practical construction environments where the correct dimensions, fasteners & connection detail all matter.

Working across the wider structural assembly? Explore Structural Fasteners & Bolts for supporting mechanical connections, Bolts & Fasteners for general fastening requirements or Measuring & Layout Tools for accurate positioning before drilling & assembly.

► Angled connectors for selected timber connections
► Flat connectors for straight connection arrangements
► Hot-dip galvanised steel configurations
► Selected M6, M12, M12/M16 & M16 options across the wider range
► Multiple lengths & dimensions for different connection details
► Bolt-hole sizing matched to nominated fastener sizes
► Built for professional timber construction & framing work

Selecting by connection type, dimensions & fastener size gives the installer a much stronger starting point than choosing a connector by appearance alone.

What Are Hobson Connectors?

Hobson Connectors are steel hardware components used to connect timber members within suitable construction assemblies. Rather than relying on a generic plate for every joint, the range provides different connector geometries & dimensions for specific connection arrangements.

Angled timber connectors introduce a formed angle where the connection detail requires members to meet across different planes. Flat timber connectors provide a straight steel connection plate for suitable timber-to-timber assemblies.

Bolt compatibility forms another important part of product selection. Verified Hobson connectors include holes designed around nominated bolt sizes, with options across M6, M12, M12/M16 & M16 configurations depending on the particular connector.

Hot-dip galvanised finishes feature across the current verified timber connector range, adding a protective finish to the underlying steel while maintaining the practical dimensions required for construction installation.

For trade buyers, the key specifications are straightforward: identify the joint, check the connector geometry, confirm its dimensions then match the bolt-hole requirement to the specified fastener.

Why Choose Hobson Timber Connectors?

Good connection hardware turns a structural detail on a drawing into something a framing crew can assemble accurately on site.

Hobson provides defined connector types rather than treating all timber joints as identical. Angled & flat configurations allow the hardware geometry to follow the intended connection arrangement.

Dimensional choice gives builders another level of control. Selected angled connectors are available across different lengths & widths while flat connectors include alternative plate lengths & widths for suitable connection details.

Fastener matching is equally important because the hole diameter is designed around a nominated bolt size. Choosing the connector & bolt together helps avoid arriving on site with hardware that doesn't correspond.

The hot-dip galvanised finish also makes material specification easy to identify across the verified range. Where project documentation nominates particular connector dimensions, fasteners or corrosion-protection requirements, those details should be confirmed before ordering.

The result is a more deliberate connection system where timber, connector & fastener are selected to work together.

Common Applications

Timber Framing Connections

Framing brings multiple timber members together & each junction needs hardware appropriate to its structural detail.

Hobson timber connectors can form part of suitable framing connections where a steel connector is specified between timber members.

Position, connector orientation & bolt arrangement should follow the project documentation rather than being determined solely by where the plate conveniently fits.

Accurate set-out before drilling also helps preserve the intended relationship between the connector & timber members.

Angled Timber Connections

Not every timber member meets another member across the same flat plane.

Hobson angled timber connectors provide a formed configuration for suitable connections where the joint geometry requires an angle connector.

Verified options include multiple dimensions, allowing the connector to be selected around the physical requirements of the joint.

Check length, width, bolt size & installation orientation before drilling the timber.

Flat Timber Connections

Where the connection runs across a common plane, a flat connector can provide a simpler hardware arrangement.

Hobson flat timber connectors are available in selected M12 & M16 configurations with different plate dimensions across the wider range.

Verified examples include 300 mm & 450 mm lengths with selected 50 mm & 65 mm widths.

The correct plate still depends on the structural connection being built, so dimensions shouldn't be substituted without checking the applicable specification.

Renovations & Structural Timber Repairs

Existing timber work often presents a different challenge from a clean new-build frame.

Repair & alteration projects may require new connection hardware where the structural design calls for members to be joined, strengthened or reconfigured.

Before fitting a connector, inspect the timber condition & establish the required connection detail.

Hardware shouldn't be used to conceal deterioration, splitting or other substrate problems that need to be resolved separately.

Deck, Pergola & Outdoor Timber Structures

Outdoor structures place connection hardware in environments where material specification deserves additional attention.

Timber connectors may form part of suitable deck, pergola or external framing details where the project calls for bolted steel connection hardware.

Exposure conditions, timber treatment, connector finish & fastener compatibility should all be considered together.

For related substrate & fixing requirements elsewhere in an outdoor build, browse Screws & Anchors.

Custom Timber Construction

Non-standard timber assemblies make accurate hardware selection even more important.

Custom framing, landscape structures & specialised timber work may require connectors with particular dimensions or bolt arrangements.

Measure against the actual construction detail rather than selecting the closest-looking plate from a product image.

For bolted joints requiring supporting hardware, Nuts & Washers provides complementary fastening components.

Product Selection Guide

Begin With the Connection Geometry

Flat or angled? That distinction immediately narrows the connector choice.

Use an angled timber connector where the specified joint requires that formed geometry. Where a straight plate connection is required, check the available flat timber connector configurations.

Don't modify one connector style simply to imitate another.

The selected hardware should correspond with the connection detail rather than forcing the timber assembly to accommodate an unsuitable connector.

Check the Required Bolt Size

A connector can have the right external dimensions & still be wrong for the fastener.

Hobson identifies timber connectors by nominated bolt size, with verified configurations including M6, M12, M12/M16 & M16 across the wider range.

For example, selected M12 flat timber connectors incorporate holes intended to suit M12 bolts.

Confirm both connector specification & fastener requirement before ordering.

For dedicated structural bolt requirements, browse  Hex Bolts.

Compare Length & Width

Two connectors designed for the same bolt size aren't necessarily interchangeable.

Hobson's connector range includes different lengths & widths to suit different physical connection arrangements.

Verified flat M12 connectors include configurations such as 300 x 50 mm, 450 x 50 mm & 450 x 65 mm, while angled timber connectors extend across a broader selection of dimensions.

Measure against the specified joint rather than assuming bolt size alone determines the correct product.

Confirm the Finish

Connection hardware spends its working life in direct contact with the structure, making finish selection part of the specification.

Verified Hobson angled & flat timber connectors use a hot-dip galvanised finish.

Project exposure conditions, adjoining materials & fastener finish should still be reviewed before installation.

Where the design requires a different material or corrosion-protection system, follow that requirement rather than substituting solely on dimensions.

Match the Fastening Hardware

The connector plate & bolt operate as parts of the same joint.

Once the connector has been identified, confirm the corresponding bolts, nuts, washers & any other specified fastening components.

Diameter, length, grade & finish should meet the connection requirements.

Keeping complete connection sets together during site preparation can also reduce time lost searching for individual hardware during assembly.

Check Timber Condition Before Installation

Steel hardware can't compensate for timber that isn't suitable to receive the connection.

Inspect the connection area for damage, splitting, deterioration or other conditions that could affect installation.

Hole position should also provide the required relationship to timber edges & other fasteners.

Where structural condition is uncertain, resolve that issue before treating connector installation as the solution.

Angled vs Flat Hobson Timber Connectors

Connector geometry should follow the joint rather than personal preference.

Neither style is automatically stronger or more appropriate simply because it contains more steel. The connection design determines which geometry belongs in the assembly.

Expert Tips for Timber Connector Installation

Set Out Before Drilling

A few minutes spent positioning the connector can prevent an unnecessary hole in a structural timber member.

Place the connector against the intended joint & confirm orientation before drilling begins.

Check that bolt locations correspond with the construction detail & don't conflict with other hardware.

Accurate marking is especially useful where several identical connections need to be repeated across the project.

Keep the Drill Square

Bolt alignment becomes much easier when the hole follows the intended path through the timber.

Use suitable drilling equipment & maintain controlled alignment through the member.

A poorly directed hole can make connector assembly difficult even when every component is otherwise correctly sized.

Check the requirements of the timber, drill bit & connection detail before drilling.

Don't Enlarge Connector Holes to Solve a Mismatch

A bolt that doesn't fit is a specification warning rather than an invitation to modify the connector.

Recheck the connector part, nominated bolt diameter & installation requirements.

Unapproved modification can change the connector from the product originally specified.

Use components designed to correspond with each other.

Check Edge Position Before Tightening

Fastener location within timber matters before the spanner ever reaches the nut.

Confirm holes & connector position against the required edge distances, spacing & connection detail.

If the planned bolt position doesn't correspond with the design, resolve the discrepancy before installation proceeds.

For everyday tightening equipment,  Wrenches can support the assembly process.

Bring Connections Together Without Distorting the Hardware

Tightening should assemble the specified joint rather than force badly aligned components into position.

Make sure the timber members & connector are correctly positioned before final fastening.

If substantial force is required to pull the connection into alignment, check the underlying set-out rather than relying on the bolt to correct it.

This is particularly important across repeated framing connections where one layout error can be duplicated many times.

Keep Similar Connectors Labelled

Different plate dimensions can look deceptively similar when they're stacked together on site.

Retain packaging or separate products by connector type, dimensions & bolt size.

Clear identification speeds up installation & reduces the chance of using a shorter, wider or differently drilled connector in the wrong location.

Inspect the Finished Connection

Completion means more than confirming that the nut feels tight.

Review connector position, fastener installation, timber condition & overall joint alignment against the required detail.

Any damage or unexpected movement identified during assembly should be investigated before surrounding construction conceals the connection.

More From The Black Print

The connector may be the visible steel component but dependable construction comes from understanding the entire fastening arrangement around it.

► Fastener Guide Bolts Screws Anchors – compare common fastening types & where different systems fit into construction work
► Why Good Fasteners Matter More Than the Tool You Drive Them With – understand why connection hardware deserves the same attention as the equipment used to install it
► A tool is not just a tool. It’s a promise. – explore the role dependable equipment plays in everyday trade work