No they don`t play out like conjunctions.They are harmonious, but more subtle. Like a soft melody humming away in the background.
However to be honest, I am not even sure how much they are really being felt and how much of their "effects" really is the result of something else in the chart.
So I tentatively say, they are being felt, bu subtly so, and of course the orbs need to be tight.
Especially with an axis like ASC-DESC, MC-IC, Vertex-Antivertex, SN and NN the conjunctions and squares will have the most obvious impact.
EDIT:
Also in my experience you will need a planetary trigger to an axis, too.