Thread: Building a bed

M&T joints are fine drawbored or not as you like. Drawbored would save the need for long clamps during the build. I take it you will use either bolts or some kind of knock down brackets to attach the long side rails as a solid made double or larger bed would be inpossable to get throuch a doorway if you ever need to move it. Have a look at some of the bed builds on this site for ideas and general construction methods. My last tip is start with the mattress and measure it. They are not all standard sizes. Good luck with the build
Regards
John

Made drawbored joints when I was a kid, working with my dad. They work well enough, but you need to get the offset in the holes just right or you can get either a loose fit or split timber. If you are keen, go ahead. I prefer to use glued M&T or similar joints, but you should do whatever pleases you.

Cheerio!

John

Originally Posted by orraloon

M&T joints are fine drawbored or not as you like. Drawbored would save the need for long clamps during the build. I take it you will use either bolts or some kind of knock down brackets to attach the long side rails as a solid made double or larger bed would be inpossable to get throuch a doorway if you ever need to move it. Have a look at some of the bed builds on this site for ideas and general construction methods. My last tip is start with the mattress and measure it. They are not all standard sizes. Good luck with the build
Regards
John

one step ahead of you. I've already selected the mattress I want and it measures 1530x2030. Was planning to add 50mm to give a little extra space

Originally Posted by RhysM

Originally I thought about pegged M&T joints purely for ascetics.

Do ascetics even have beds?

(aesthetics would be more appropriate).

Originally Posted by DonIncognito

Do ascetics even have beds?

(aesthetics would be more appropriate).

Bloody autocorrect. Haha. I was using my iPad on my lunch break.

Rhys,

As orraloon said, dont forget you may one day need to move the bed so it will need to be able to be dismantled.

Put the bed ends together with drawbored m&t by all means but the long bed rails would need to be knockdown joinery.

A good knockdown M&T joint that could be used for this is to make the m&T joint as per normal but dont glue it. Instead drill two bolt holes per joint through the bed end and into the rails. Intersect the two holes with two larger holes bored into the inside of the rails. You insert the bolt in through the hole and use the intersecting hole to place a nut on the end of the bolt. THe two bolts hold the joint tight in a similar way to the pin in the drawbored joint, except the bolts can be tightened if necessary in service if required. Don't forget though, before tightening the bolts, that if the timber has shrunk it is likely to expand again when the weather changes.

Fairly accurate drilling is required. With the hole for the nut in the inside of the rail, it only leaves the bolt head exposed. You can either use the bolt head as a feature or countersink it and cover it with a removable wooden plug either matching r contrasting with the main timber.

Just a thought

Doug

Originally Posted by doug3030

Rhys,

As orraloon said, dont forget you may one day need to move the bed so it will need to be able to be dismantled.

Put the bed ends together with drawbored m&t by all means but the long bed rails would need to be knockdown joinery.

A good knockdown M&T joint that could be used for this is to make the m&T joint as per normal but dont glue it. Instead drill two bolt holes per joint through the bed end and into the rails. Intersect the two holes with two larger holes bored into the inside of the rails. You insert the bolt in through the hole and use the intersecting hole to place a nut on the end of the bolt. THe two bolts hold the joint tight in a similar way to the pin in the drawbored joint, except the bolts can be tightened if necessary in service if required. Don't forget though, before tightening the bolts, that if the timber has shrunk it is likely to expand again when the weather changes.

Fairly accurate drilling is required. With the hole for the nut in the inside of the rail, it only leaves the bolt head exposed. You can either use the bolt head as a feature or countersink it and cover it with a removable wooden plug either matching r contrasting with the main timber.

Just a thought

Doug

Perhaps i I should have clarified myself. I'm planning on M&T joints for the head board and foot board. The side rails I'm planning on using something like these.

Tommo Metal Bed Brackets Accessories/Bed Brackets & Fittings The Bedroom Mattress & Bedding Co.

though I do like your idea Doug.