Replies

1. 
   Splintie | Mar 03, 2003 12:53am | #1

   Jon, Jon, Jon...

   If you're going to mark up something twice to sell it to the customer, which would you rather use? <G>

   Short answer is nothing is wrong with the machine bolts, but take it further and slap the thing together with some sheet rock screws and use some MDO and applied polyurethane molding instead of raising panels... well, pretty soon you're working at "Norm" levels.

   It holds together and looks OK to an untrained eye, but the aesthetics went bye-bye.  

2. 
   IanC | Mar 03, 2003 12:58am | #2

   Jon,  I've wondered the same thing.  I've built three beds in our house and have used  3/8th x 5" hex head bolts in each.  No problems in several years of use.  The head and footboards are rock solid to the rails.  The beds are Shaker and Greene and Greene in style.  I hid the bolt heads with a  3/4" turned disc of matching wood, held in place with a small round magnet epoxied to the back of the disc.  Countersink the bolt head just deep enough to allow for the thickness of the magnet (about 1/8th in.).

   Ian

1. 
   Sprucegum | Mar 03, 2003 06:34am | #4

   MAGNETS!  Why didn't I think of that? I also made my own bolts but I used a hex-head(takes an allen wrench) so I make a smaller counter bore hole. Now I hope there is enough steel showing to attract a magnet. :-)It's not what you chew, it's how you chew it

2. 
   dirtstirrer | Mar 03, 2003 07:17pm | #5

   Ian,

       You're a genius!  Magnets!  Cripes, now I'm embarrassed at the way I've been doing it.  You ought to submit that to FWW for their tips.  Might get you a nice plane.

                    Steve

3. 
   UncleDunc | Mar 03, 2003 07:41pm | #6

   Attaching bed bolt covers with magnets is like inviting the children to remove and misplace them.

1. 
   IanC | Mar 03, 2003 08:29pm | #7

   I think it's more likely they'll take the magnets off the fridge. Anyway, the kid is grown and gone.

1. 
   IanC | Mar 03, 2003 08:47pm | #8

   That got me thinking, there are some pretty interesting bed bolt covers on our fridge. The clay kokopellis (sp?) might look great on a southwestern style bed.  Tacky?

3. 
   qldwoodie | Mar 03, 2003 12:58am | #3

   TXjon,

   About the only reason is that the cylindrical nut is automaticaly locked so you don't need to try to get a wrench on the nut when you're undoing it many years from now.  I've been using ordinary 3/8 X 6" bolts from the hardware store for 20 plus years, and haven't had any problems.  It's handy to be able to use a standard socket set with a ratchet drive, too!

   It's not that hard to make cylinder nuts out of 5/8 round bras bar stock if you have a tap (which probably costs less than a single one of those bolts you refer to).  However, it's tricky to drill the accurate holes in the rails for the cylindrical nut setup, so if you feel nervous about it, go with an ordinary nut and washer.  I plunge-rout a 1.5" X 3/4" groove in the end of the rail, at right angles to the line of the bolt.  (Stop it 3/16 or so from the outer surface, if you want the fixing to remain hidden). That leaves plenty of leeway for a less than perfect bolt hole, and room for an open-ended wrench to hold the nut while tightening/loosening.

   I counterbore the foot (visible) end posts so the bolt head is below the surface.  You can buy the fancy brass covers at whatever price they are now, or make your own (I've used wood as well as brass).  Where I live, I can buy key escutcheons for those old monster keys that have a cover which does the job nicely. They are about $2.50 each, and all I need do is drill out the brass rivet holding the cover to the escutcheon, and put a counter-sink in it.  Takes about 1 minute apiece.

   Cheers,

   IW