Replies

1. 
   MBerger | Apr 09, 2007 11:20pm | #1

   I know Andy will have some good advice for you but in the meantime you might want to look at this article we published a few years back, which offers a primer on bed making.

   Matt Berger
   Fine Woodworking

2. 
   woodrae | Apr 12, 2007 08:05pm | #2

   Corky—

   ‘Better’ is a relative term, but even so, I would go with the traditional bed bolt. It’s one of the strongest joints used in woodworking. Bed-rail fasteners are OK, but they require careful mortising—including making multi-step mortises—and ultimately they rely on screws, which don’t have much holding power over time once they start to loosen. A bed needs to be sturdy, and bed bolts fit that bill with aplomb.

   Jeff Miller shows some great ways to go about installing bolts in the article Matt mentioned, including a very cool method for hiding the heads of the bolts. However, keep in mind that the connecting rail needs to resist twisting, and a stub tenon (just a shorter-than-normal tenon) is my preferred method. Jeff’s dowel method will work, but won’t be as strong as a stout stub tenon.

   The newer bed bolts with barrel nuts are a great way to go, as you don’t have to drill an oversize hole to accommodate a larger nut or a wrench. Still, I like the traditional bolts and find that it’s no extra sweat to drill an oversize hole with a Forstner bit on the inside face of the rail. If you orient the nut with its pointed corners facing the leg, it usually bites into the wood and no wrench is needed on the nut to assemble and tighten the joint. You can use just a socket wrench or a traditional bed-bolt wrench on the head of the bolt to assemble. (By the way, if I'm making the bed for a friend or customer, I make sure to supply the bed-bolt wrench when I deliver the bed. It's a nice touch.)

   As much as I like traditional woodworking methods, I’ve never been a big fan of traditional furniture styles. The classic method for hiding bed bolt holes is to nail or screw on a bed bolt cover, which come in a variety of metal finishes and look great if you want a classic Colonial or British pencil-post bed. If you want to modernize or simplify the look, you can try what I just did a few weeks ago on my own four-poster bed at home (see attached photos): Turn or carve a cover to your liking, and epoxy a rare-earth magnet in a shallow hole on its underside. The magnet will pull the cover into the bed-bolt hole thanks to the metal head of the bolt attracting the magnet. Simple; effective. Plus, I think rare-earth magnets are way cool.

   Good luck,

   Andy

   
1. 
   corky15 | Apr 13, 2007 04:45am | #3

   Andy, thanks for the advice. It makes my decision about bed rail hardware more informed and a bit easier. Thanks again.