Thread: Need help building Bed Frame

mtmaeger,
Hi and welcome to the site.
The most common method is bed bolts that join the side rails to the head and foot. There are other knock down hardware fittings that do the job also. Use google and look at some bed making to get an idea of what you want to do. This site has a big list of bed builds to look at too so do a search.
Queen Bed. Mostly by hand tools. - Woodwork Forums
That is one I did last year and you will see I used a hammer lock fitting so it comes apart with a tap from a mallet.
Some others from this site
Building a Queen Size Bed - This is how I did it... - Woodwork Forums
Southern Myrtle Bed - Woodwork Forums
Queen Sized Bed - Jarrah - Woodwork Forums
I looked at some to get ideas to build mine and there are plenty more on here too so go for it.
Regards
John

I just finished a bed, using bed bolts to fix rails to head/foot. The rails have tenons cut at the ends, and these fit into shallow mortises on the posts, bolt fixes the rail to the post.
I ordered bed bolts from here -
Bed Bolts, Bed Wrench, & Bed Irons - Horton Brasses Inc.

This is the tried and tested 'way of olde' to do it.... it is rock solid, and the bed collapses down by taking out four bolts.

I notched out the legs to accept the side rails so the weight is on the timber rather than the bolts.

In the side rails, I bored a hole up from the bottom (nearly all the way through, but not quite) about 2" from the end.

I inserted some hardwood dowel, actually, I used a piece of broom stick. I drilled a clearance hole through the leg & up to but not through the broom stick dowel. The I screwed coach bolts into the broom stick dowel.

This put the screw into some cross grain and not end grain which has no hold strength.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f40/ki...ughter-134361/

Steve

So I guess with the bed bolt option I would route the slot in the side rail and the have to line them up and drill the hole for the bed bolt? I'm not sure I feel completely confident with that but it certainly an option. I just feel like its going to be hard to line up. Are there any suggestions for a less experienced wood worker?

The track of the bolt should be easy to draw with a pencil, rout a groove over this at the point where the bolt thread with go through the nut, use stop blocks to control the groove. Use a drill press to drill the hole for the bolt in the post, then clamp the rail/post in final configuration, and use the square hole on the post to guide your (long series) drill bit to make the hole in the rail for the bed bolt....
Practice on some offcuts first....

Hafele have a bed bracket that allows you to just drop the side rail into place. For someone starting out it might be an easier option, the brackets are sturdy, lock in well and give a good result. I've used them for a number of beds and prefer them to the bolts.

johnc is right - for a beginner the brackets are probably an easier option. Nothing beats the solid feel of a cross bolted mortice and tenon joint though.... I doubt a stronger joint is possible....

Originally Posted by mtmaeger

Any ideas on the footboard would be much appreciated. Here's what I want the headboard to look like (see above)
Thanks for any and all of your help

unfortunately, I can't see you picture.

For the footboard, maybe not have one. I really like sitting on the end of the bed, a footboard would get in the way
also, it's easier to change teh sheets on a bed without a footboard