Squeaky bed

**Neo** · 1st May 2003, 12:23 PM

G’Day Team,
I’ve been avidly reading this forum for the last couple of weeks and I’ve learnt heaps – so thanks to all for your past contributions!
My bed squeaks!

And not only when it’s performing it’s job as a ‘Workbench’ but even when you simply roll over. It is a four poster pine bed with mortice and tenon bed-head and –foot. The rails are connected to these using bed brackets (A in pic attached) which make moving the thing a piece of cake but, as far as I can determine, are the reason it squeaks.
Over the years I have thought of lots of ways to fix it more permanently and now we have settled in one place I can implement one of them. I reckon the best way is to use knock down fittings like those below. The bolts (C) go thru the posts and engage the nuts (B) fitted into the rails - 2 bolts/nuts per 150mm rail. (BTW these pictures come from the Timbecon online shop)

So my questions are:
Has anyone had any success in reducing (preferably eliminating) squeaking in a bed with this method?
Or is there a better way to do it?

Thanks in anticipation

**Wood Borer** · 1st May 2003, 12:46 PM

Get married and that should fix it!

Sqeaking is obviously caused by parts moving relative to each other so I expect if you can stop the movement the sqeaking will stop.

- Wood Borer

**ubeaut** · 1st May 2003, 01:57 PM

The squeek is more than likely the action of wood rubbing on wood so the easiest way to stop it is to lubricate all touching timber joints with some wax. It may not even be the frame that is squeeking but the base or slats. Wherever you have timber to timber contact that is not glued rub a candle stick on the joint where the timber touches. This should fix the problem.

You will probably find where the squeek is coming from when you pull it apart as the offending surface will be well worn and shinny form the burnishing action of the 2 pieces rubbing together.

The alternative fixings would probably be too light for a 4 poster of any size. They are more for the likes of futons and lighter beds and will bend pretty easily.

Hope this helps.

Cheers - Neil.

PS Try to crop images before posting it on the BB. Then I won't have to do it.

**Neo** · 20th May 2003, 10:08 AM

Thanks Neil,
I’ve been away for a while and finally got to pull the bed apart last night. The wax made a very slight difference on three of the joints but the other one had greater clearance and so more movement. So I cut up a chux wipe and placed this between the post and rails and it worked!! Though it looks a bit dodgy with blue chux sticking out at each corner so I will get some self-adhesive felt and stick this on the end of the rails. Should do the trick nicely.

If it doesn’t then I’ll dowel the @#$%^&* so and so when we move into our new place and worry about getting it apart when and if we ever move into our dream home.

And how do I crop pictures on the forum? When I posted the pic it was cropped closer than you have cropped it.

Cheers

Pat

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