Pulling heavy timber joinery tight by hand can be slow, imprecise, and hard on your body. We’ve all been there: swinging a heavy commander over and over again, waiting for a tenon to seat all the way into its mortise. There’s no need to wear yourself out and beat up your timbers. And forget about moving the ladder back and forth to set up a come-along and all the required rigging.
The Skorpio uses a reversible ratchet mechanism to apply controlled, gradual tension between timber elements — closing joints cleanly without beating up your material or wearing out your crew.
Just pound in the Skorpio and let the ratchet pull it in. Your joints will be tighter, your timbers cleaner, and your body less sore.
- The perfect tool for the precise assembly of heavy timbers, solid wood panels, CLT panels, and more
- Hot-forged hooks with riveted joints and untempered stop point to prevent the risk of shards
- Also, a clamp specially made for the Skorpio can be purchased separately. The clamp will grab perforated straps (like the Simpson MTS or STHD) for pulling your posts or stair stringers tight. See page 3 of the technical sheet for more info and send us an email if interested.
Built for Cross-Plane Work
The Skorpio’s knurled hooks grip across timber and panel faces, making it the right tool when the elements you’re pulling together meet at an angle — beams to posts, walls to floors, headers to stringers. Unlike the plate-based Geko pullers which mount flat to a surface, the Skorpio hooks bite into the timber face and pull across the joint regardless of the angle.
Hook Design That Works and Releases Fast
The Skorpio hooks are knurled on all four sides for maximum grip and transmission of force into the timber. The tapered shape seats firmly under tension and releases with a single hammer blow to the back of the hook — no prying, no wrestling it off the beam. Joints are held by riveted construction rather than welds, which eliminates the risk of stress fractures under load.
Adjustable Range for Heavy Timber
The Skorpio extends from 16″ to 28″ (400–700 mm), covering the gap range needed for most heavy timber and CLT assembly work. The reversible ratchet with slow-pitch thread gives you fine control over tension in both directions — tighten or release without removing the tool.
Where It’s Used
- Timber frame post and beam assembly
- Solid timber and CLT wall, floor, and panel installation
- Beam-to-beam and beam-to-post connections
- Stair stringer installation
- Perforated strap tie tensioning with CLAMP1 accessory
Product | Uses | Attach. Style | Adjustable? | Accessories | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CLT panels, load-bearing walls, timber frame joinery | Plates/ Screws | Multi-axis | Clamp1 for strap ties | Built-in Ratchet | |
Timber frame joinery, stairs, doors, flooring | Plates/ Screws | In-plane | Not Included | ||
Large CLT walls/floors, multi-story panels | Plates/ Screws | Cross-plane | Extra plates | Built-in Ratchet | |
Solid timber, CLT, beams, walls, floors, nailing straps | Hooks | Cross-plane | Clamp1 for strap ties | Built-in Ratchet |
CLAMP1 — Optional Strap Tie Tensioner
The Skorpio is compatible with the CLAMP1 accessory, which grabs perforated strap ties like the Simpson MTS or STHD for tensioning posts, stair stringers, and bracing. The CLAMP1 is also compatible with the Geko — one accessory works across both tools.
Materials and Construction
Zinc plated steel hooks with knurling on four sides. Zinc plated cast steel ratchet body. Ergonomic PVC handle. Electroplated finish for corrosion resistance on the jobsite.
Ships from our US warehouse in 1-2 business days, please allow a week for delivery.
Contact us for expedited shipping.
Click here for technical data sheets. Photos courtesy of Rothoblaas.
