Rustic oak bed project

[manxman]

Hi, I'm currently working on a Oak bed for myself, the basic idea is a rustic oak four poster king size bed, the head and foot ends will be jointed with mortise and tenons, while the sides will be fixed with bed bolts, and possibly a dry mortise and tenon, base will be made up of beech slats.

So far I have cut the timber for the foot, head and sides and finished it using a bandsaw / sander and two coats of matt osmo polyx.

I still need to buy the four corner posts, @ 100 x 100 x 2000 but am getting a wide range of prices, any suggestions?

pictures show the basic idea, the head should look more in proportion once the joints are cut. Where the top and bottom rails join the corner posts I plan to run the tenons all the way through then wedge them, while where they join the uprights i've allowed approx 40mm.

Can you see any potential pitt falls before I start machining the joints, this will be my first real project using m/t joints, timber is 8" x 1 3/4" approx

 

[manxman]

No comments, hints or tips? You don't like the idea?

 

[gc]

I assume its just the way the picture looks but it doesnt look very wide, how wide is the headboard in your picture as it looks more like a single bed to me. Sorry if its just the picture dont mean it in a negative way

 

[manxman]

I agree it looks like a single in the photos, but it's actually king size (1600mm wide). I think because the head is taller than it will be once the joints are cut and assembled it looks out of proportion at the moment.

 

[gc]

One thing to bear in mind is the internal dimensions of the bed for the mattress to fit into. I say this as i made a single bed and although mattresses are standard sizes and i left a small amount of gap all around so matress wouldnt be tight, however we changed from a fairly cheap mattress to a good quality one and there was not so much give in the framework of the mattress which resulted in the gap i left not really being enough (still fits just tighter than wanted).
With regards to the sides i also fitted bed bolts into the psts and used double mortise and tennons (dry).

 

[manxman]

Progress has been a bit slow on this one, mortice and tennons now cut for the head and foot. Not straight forward as it turns out due to the uneven/unsquare surface of the component parts and so not having a clear datum to work from (if that makes sense). However I'm happy with the fit of the head, just the foot needs a bit of fettling.
Next job is to measure and mortice the corner posts, and machine the tennons on the top and bottom strings of the head and foot. I was planning on having them all 2m high but now I'm thinking the posts at the foot will look better a bit shorter, plus one of the 100x100 pieces of Oak I have seems to have some sort of dark grit running through the grain so looks a bit grubby, keeping the foot posts shorter would mean I don't need to use it.

 

[AndyT]

This is a matter of taste, but I'll say it now in case you see it later and think 'if only I'd done that earlier'.

The timber you are using has very obvious transverse marks, presumably from a not very accurate bandsaw. I think the oak would look a whole lot better, and the bed more professional, if they were planed out and the surface made smooth. But then you are labelling this 'rustic' so perhaps you know that already.

Also, the burn marks on the end of some of your tenons indicate that either your feed rate is too slow, or that your circular saw blade is getting blunt.

 

[manxman]

I realise its not going to be to everyones taste but the finish on the oak is how I wanted it, I could have put it through the planer and that would have actually made the job a lot easier, but I like the texture of the unfinished finish, and also it makes it blindingly ovbvious that it is solid Oak not veneered and as I'm making the bed for myself it's me that has to be happy with the finished product.

Take your point on the saw blade though, it is the original on that came with the saw and that was over 10 years ago, so possibly due for replacement!

 

[undergroundhunter]

I like it but I think I would have planed and sanded it smooth, but that's just my taste.

Matt

 

[TheTiddles]

No comments, hints or tips? You don't like the idea?

Sorry, we were all busy being rude about some else's project! :lol:

It's got the rustic look, not my taste but there was a piece someone made here in the last year or so where they deliberately left the bandsaw marks on and whilst I don't like the look it did meet the bill, maybe have a look for it, see what you think. Perhaps it's the mix of what looks like a decent finish on a rough surface that doesn't sit well, maybe it needs to be more "natural"?

Aidan

 

[JanneKi]

That kind of bandsawed look is nowadays even available for parquets! I was quite amazed when one my friends got that kind of looking oak parquet that was on top of that shiny black.