Bed jointing advice please

[Togalosh]

Hello,

I'm brand new to this sight & only just getting into my stride with woodworking..so I'm looking forward to picking up a thing or 2 from the experts.

My first head scratcher is how do you join the headboard of a bed to the side rails (?) so that it can be taken apart when necessary but so that you don't see any hardware or fixings? I'm planning on making a chunky oak bed.

I've seen 2 types of metal clips but am not sure if they're any good. Any help given will be very much appreciated.

 

[paultnl]

A through mortise & tennon with a securing peg would work no metal needed.

 

[Steve Maskery]

The metal hangers are a poor solution.

This is the way I tackle it, I've done a fair few beds this way and I see no reason to change.

The leg needs an embedded nut. I use M12. It's covered over by a 3mm veneer, so it's invisible from the outside.
The rail has a pocket routed in it, with a hole to take a 12mm stud.

I used to have an illustration showing this, but I'm afraid I cant find it. You can call me if you want to talk about it, phone number on my website. Any time up to 10.30pm.

S

 

[Richard S]

Hi Togalosh

I recently used these,
( http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cabinet-hardw ... 4-brackets ) for this project here, finally-something-i-m-not-ashamed-to-show-t53626.html and have to say they where easy to use and seem very sturdy, although this is only a spare bed and should not get too much use.

Richard

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I have made a couple of single beds that are glued together, they are small enough to move and fit through dorways if you use a removable headboard.

Pete

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've found the drawing:

 

[mtr1]

I've used worktop bolts in the past... might be worth a look, as there are no visible fixings from the outside, and you just drill a couple of holes and some slots. Just a stub tenon is needed on the rail to locate.

 

[Togalosh]

Thanks for advice guys.

 

[mailee]

Here you go Tagalosh this is the method I have just used on a set of bunk beds I built.

It is very similar to Steve maskery's method but I have used a 6" coach bolt pushed through the leg and a large washer and nut on the inside of the pocket. There are stub tennons on the ends of the rails which sit in mortices in the legs. The holes in the legs are then covered with a tapered plug which can be removed for disassembly. HTH. :wink:

 

[Sawyer]

You can buy special nuts for this; a bolt goes through the leg into the rail (as illustrated by Mailee), but instead of the routed pocket, the nut fits into a simple round hole. Looks very neat. Axminster do them, but I think that for what they are, they're very expensive.
Alternatively, if you do a tight mortice so it can't turn, an ordinary nut will work and save you several pounds.

All this leaves you with an unsightly bolt head in the leg. The solution? Countersink it and cover with one of these: http://www.martin.co.uk/orderOnline_ProductList.aspx
Or do something similar with wood.
Or, if you have a lathe, turn a patera, to a snug push fit in the countersunk bolt hole (don't glue it though, or you'll never get the bed apart!).

 

[mailee]

That is exactly what I did with the bunk beds. I recessed the hole with a forstner bit and then turned up some plugs in the same wood with a slight taper and pushed them in. Just prise them out if the bed needs taking apart.

 

[Wood Monkey]

Hi Togalosh

When I built my daughters bed I used a combination of dowels to align and provide support and 'half moon bolts' (well that's what I call them) to pull the rail and headboard together. You can see them in the build thread and it should become clear what I mean.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/bed-build-wip-completed-t30794.html

1 word of warning. They need more depth in the rail than I expected (my rail is 28mm), especially when I took into account the brad point on the forstner bit, so be cautious of this if you go down this route.

The bed has been in use for a few years and even with a 6 year old and her friends jumping up and down on it there are no creaks or movement.

Jon

 

[Mr T]

Hi

If you google on "bed blots" you will find lots of suppliers of these. They consist of a dowel with a threaded hole drilled in sideways,this sits in a hole drilled in the rail. A bolt through the bed end screws into the hole in the dowel. The main problem with them is drilling the two holes accurately enough for the bolt to hit the dowel hole precisely. If you can achieve this they work very well. A dry tenon, dowels or such like are also needed for strength. The bolt head can be recessed then covered with a woodend plug. A good supplier of wooden plugs is http://plugitdowel.co.uk/

Chris

 

[Togalosh]

Thanks guys..much appreciated.

Wood Monkey - where did you get those 1/2 round fixings?
Will you have to gouge out the fake tenons when dismantling the bed?

I'll not be posting pics now I've seen your work & spotless workshop ..jaysus !!

 

[Wood Monkey]

Hi

I wish I could remember where I got them. I'll rummage through my workshop note books to see if I wrote it down, but I recall finding them on the internet. One of the pro's on this site will undoubtably know the correct name for them and this should make the search easier. I seem to recall buying them as individual parts, i.e. 8 half moons, 8 studs and 8 bolts.

The screws under the fake tenons hold the bed head and foot together and are not supposed to come apart. To dismantle the bed I remove the nuts on the back of the half round bolts and the head board, foot board and main frame of the bed come apart. If I needed to break It down further I can remove all the slats and I'll be left with just head & foot board, 2 long rails and a pile of slats. You could move it in a family hatchback in this state.

Believe me, my workshop isn't always that tidy.

 

[Wood Monkey]

;-)
http://delivered2you.co.uk/Flatpack-Fixing-Fittings/Bed/Bed-Fittings

 

[Togalosh]

Nice one Wood Monkey.
Tah

 

[Benchwayze]

Wouldn't the Veritas workbench bolts work too?
expensive maybe, but I would think they'd be okay.
I made one bed using more or less the same system as Mailee

John

 

[Jacob]

A good cheat is to get hold of an old bed (cost next to nothing at auctions, freecycle etc) and recycle the iron fittings, usually "Vono". They are very good quality and last forever. Just need a handful of no. 10 or 12 screws to fix them to your head and footboards.
Or some old beds have recyclable massive screws and captive bolts better than anything you can buy new.