I’m planning to build the Greene & Greene style bed from FWW #231 (Feb 2013), pp 32-39, by Martin McClendon. The design uses small ebony plugs that are glued permanently in place. The design also uses four large (7/8 x 7/8 x 3/16″) ebony plugs that hide the bed bolts. These need to be removable to permit disassembly of the bed.
I would appreciate suggestions for good ways to secure the large pegs so they remain in place while also permitting them to be removed (and later re-secured) when the bed needs to be disassembled. A friction fit would be susceptible to failing due to wood movement. Perhaps a weak glue or a glue that can be softened by heat? Caulk?
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If the large plugs are proud of the surface, you could try using small pieces of double stick tape on the backs of them, contacting the bed bolts. You could put a small gap between the bottom edge and the bed, to allow a gentle prying to release the tape.
Personally I used swinging bed bolt covers for all my bed bolted beds, including the G&G bed .... but if you want the square plugs, fitted unglued, it may be best to make those plugs with a slightly pyramided wedge shape, so you can tap them in for a very tight friction fit.
https://d4c5gb8slvq7w.cloudfront.net/eyJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjg4M319LCJidWNrZXQiOiJmaW5ld29vZHdvcmtpbmcuczMudGF1bnRvbmNsb3VkLmNvbSIsImtleSI6ImFwcFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyMVwvMDNcLzI5MTMzNjA5XC9HLUctQ2hlcnJ5LWJlZC01LmpwZyJ9
With a wedged tight friction fit, it's very unlikely that wood movement from moisture changes would see enough shape-change in plug or hole to allow them to go loose.
Make a spare set (or even two spare sets) so that if you damage the plugs when removing them, you can just knock in some new ones after moving and reassembling the bed.
If the plugs are rounded on the outside, as per design, it'll offer nothing to get hold of to pull the plugs out, so you may have to put a screw into them to give a means to yank them out. You could re-use those screwed plugs and fill the screw holes with black wax or beaumontage - but that wouldn't necessarily leave them looking pristine. On the other hand, a neat screw hole filled with wax or beaumontage could be regarded as a "feature". :-)
Rare earth magnets glued, or even better. screwed to the ends of the plugs.
+1 on the magnets, an elegant solution...
https://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp?cat=173
Veritas sells tapered plug cutters. However, for a G&G style bed, square plugs may look better, and those are easy to taper. I like the idea of adding rare earth magnets - sort of like belt and suspenders.
How did the builder, and author of the article, solve the problem?
Thanks for the interest.
The article does not say how it was solved. The only discussion is about how to make an ebony plug and square up the hole, then "glue it in place." The discussion does not differentiate between the small permanent plugs and the larger plugs. I presume the larger plugs must be removeable in order to disassemble the bed, which I further presume is a requirement for anybody building a queen sized bed.
I use magnets all the time for that. works great. This is where i get mine.
https://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsaS7BhDPARIsAAX5cSDZza1xvVS8182Lgy01wPH6acMNdLVlq9zO7MnyVuck-GhiD1KbAoIaAj1YEALw_wcB
What I have always done (not liking the cheap looking metal bolt covers) is to trap a nut (I use either a T-nut or square nut to make sure it doesn't turn later) in the tenons of the head and foot boards, then rout a stepped groove in the inside of the side rail for the bolt, with semi-circular notch for the head of the bolt and washer, and room for the wrench. You could then make the plugs for show only. I'll attach a picture or two.
When I do this, I make the stepped side rail groove, sharpen a similar bolt, and use it to mark for the hole in the leg and foot or head board tenon. When all goes properly, then glue in the strip that holds the bolt in place.
Thanks to everyone for the good ideas!
I'm going to go with magnets, glued in place. I like the concept of screwing the magnets in place, but, as designed, the plug is only 3/16" deep. There isn't going to be enough material for a good anchor. Because the posts are only 1 1/4" thick in the direction of the bed bolts, and for strength I want to minimize the depth of the counterbore for the bolts, tweaking the design so I can increase the plug depth would not be a promising approach.
If you just drop the magnets onto the bolts you could use a small screw to make contact and control the depth.