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Deleted member 174758
Probably the best decision, TBH. Stay safe, and if you do want to do the router thing, come back and I'll post my solution
First time with a router
- Thread starter Roger465
- Start date
Sorry mate, should have said, this is a replacement bed, so I already have a (standard double) mattress...
So... whichever method I choose for actually building the bed, what's the best way to cut the planks to give a precision flat end?
I have a hand-held circular saw and a sharp jack saw...
Oh, and is it possible to use the router in unskilled hands to smooth edges along the length of the planks etc?
I have a hand-held circular saw and a sharp jack saw...
Oh, and is it possible to use the router in unskilled hands to smooth edges along the length of the planks etc?
Do you have a square? If so align it across the wood and cut with the circular saw.
Do a couple of trial cuts and make sure the saw is cutting square.
You could use the router to round over or bevel the edges if you wanted to.
Do a couple of trial cuts and make sure the saw is cutting square.
You could use the router to round over or bevel the edges if you wanted to.
D4 orD4 OR D4 as strong or stronger than wood its self
i dont glue the legs on mines as it means you cant move it or easily recycle the wood
only ever glue the 1x1" baton to support the slats on the side rails
you can off course make head board and tail boards solid and glued but not the slats
i dont glue the legs on mines as it means you cant move it or easily recycle the wood
only ever glue the 1x1" baton to support the slats on the side rails
you can off course make head board and tail boards solid and glued but not the slats
Thanks yes I just meant glue for building the ends
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Deleted member 174758
How are you intending to joint them.
Well, the guy in the video used long screws and glue...?
I thought I might put some dowels in too - as always, I don't really know what I'm doing though
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Deleted member 174758
Sorry, haven't seen the video on the grounds that I would probably do proper joints (so not glued but joints and screws which I am dubious about the strength and durability of) - if not the joiners' union might drum me out 
Oh, I've no doubt you're right - mortice and tenons etc would seem to be the professional way to do it, but beyond me.Sorry, haven't seen the video on the grounds that I would probably do proper joints (so not glued but joints and screws which I am dubious about the strength and durability of) - if not the joiners' union might drum me out
I'm thinking the cross members of the ends don't take a lot of strain - my weight will be on the slats, thus the sides, and so ultimately downwards on the legs... hopefully!
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Deleted member 174758
I had a quick look at one video mentioned above (the one where the guy was talking about Dominos at the beginning...), so I think I can see what you are referring to. In fact the post by @Notch7 above, where he posted this image:
is really and truly the best arrangement for a simple bed frame. The ends of the legs are fitted into shallow mortises with a single bed bolt at each end. TBH glue on beds has a habit of cracking under the strains, and a glued joint can't be tightened to stop squeaking or creaking (when you roll over in bed...), so bed bolts are a very old and well-tried solution which also allow you to actually dismantle and move the bed upstairs, or dismantle and move house if you ever want to. As a technique they are several hundred years old and are commonly found in American Colonial beds made as long ago as the 1770s. If you want to hide the bolt hole neatly it is always possible to get hold of some rather ornate metal bed bolt hole covers like the ones on this site, which are still made, although admittedly they are far easier to source in the USA than here, with a very much wider range available. Having seen these on reproduction pencil post beds a few times I can confirm that they look good.. It is also be possible to source brass stamping blanks, drill a hole in them (say in the corner of a square blank, or just off the edge of an oversize circular one) and fix them in place to cover the bolt holes using brass dome headed escutcheon pins (loosely nailed so that the cover still swings). Simple and cheap
In terms of design you really do need to get the end of the bed rails to terminate in a mortise - this is both to stop the tendency of the rail to twist, and to transfer the load from the rail into the post - but with bed bolts and mortises there absolutely is no need for glue. In fact I reckon it will be counter productive. Without that small mortise you'll find the the bed droops, the bolts tend to undo themselves and that the rails will tend to twist in use - so the design is very practical, although you don't need to go to the massively deep mortises that your existing bed has - 20 to 25mm deep is adequate. I also think that Notch's suggested way is doable by a router novice such as yourself with a few good tools,
is really and truly the best arrangement for a simple bed frame. The ends of the legs are fitted into shallow mortises with a single bed bolt at each end. TBH glue on beds has a habit of cracking under the strains, and a glued joint can't be tightened to stop squeaking or creaking (when you roll over in bed...), so bed bolts are a very old and well-tried solution which also allow you to actually dismantle and move the bed upstairs, or dismantle and move house if you ever want to. As a technique they are several hundred years old and are commonly found in American Colonial beds made as long ago as the 1770s. If you want to hide the bolt hole neatly it is always possible to get hold of some rather ornate metal bed bolt hole covers like the ones on this site, which are still made, although admittedly they are far easier to source in the USA than here, with a very much wider range available. Having seen these on reproduction pencil post beds a few times I can confirm that they look good.. It is also be possible to source brass stamping blanks, drill a hole in them (say in the corner of a square blank, or just off the edge of an oversize circular one) and fix them in place to cover the bolt holes using brass dome headed escutcheon pins (loosely nailed so that the cover still swings). Simple and cheap
In terms of design you really do need to get the end of the bed rails to terminate in a mortise - this is both to stop the tendency of the rail to twist, and to transfer the load from the rail into the post - but with bed bolts and mortises there absolutely is no need for glue. In fact I reckon it will be counter productive. Without that small mortise you'll find the the bed droops, the bolts tend to undo themselves and that the rails will tend to twist in use - so the design is very practical, although you don't need to go to the massively deep mortises that your existing bed has - 20 to 25mm deep is adequate. I also think that Notch's suggested way is doable by a router novice such as yourself with a few good tools,
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@JobAndKnock what about the blind ones I linked earlier?
I'm (even more) confused now... if by "rails" you mean the sides of the bed, I'm planning to connect them to the legs using the brackets mentioned earlier - the glue would only be used to assemble the top and bottom sections of the bed, which I don't think should feel too much of the stress that's on the sides?
Well, got the thing today... stupid question I reckon, but how do I measure whether it's ¼ or ½? Is it just the hole in the chuck?
If it's been misdescribed, it's going back...