I’m designing a King-size headboard as a solid 2-ft. x 7-ft x 3/4″ piece of walnut anchored only at the bottom in a deep 6″ notch cut in the middle of two 2″ x 2″ posts. The posts will be placed about 4-ft apart and bolted to the platform bed frame. I plan on using wooden pegs or screws to secure the headboard in the notched posts.
I know that the headboard needs room to expand and contract. Am I providing for this by anchoring just the lower 6″ of the board securely in the posts? Or, will the lower 6″ also expand and contract enough to crack the posts?
– Lyptus
Replies
Is the grain running horizontally? If so, the board will move up and down (in reference with the bottom rail), and when you secure it to the side posts, make sure you create slots for the pegs/bolts/screws (whatever you are using to secure to board to the corner posts) to expand and contract. If the grain is running vertically, you need to allow the same along the bottom rail, and room to move into and out of the corner posts.
Did I understand you correctly?
Jeff
If I understand your plan, the whole headboard assembly looks like a big "H" with the cross-piece going thru the posts and continuing another 18" in either direction. If you make the slot in the post longer than the 24" width of the board, you'll be fine. You need just a bit of freeplay at the bottom, and most of it at the top. How much exactly? If you've got a moisture meter you can check the walnut now, and go to the Woodbin calculator to find out how much it's likely to expand. Or else you could just wing it...I'd guess that 1/8" at the bottom and 3/8" at the top would be OK.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
David..
I think or is that KNOW you know your stuff! I have sort of the same issue having never made a bed before. As in two canopy beds I am making. Twin sized with foot and head boards. I want them to last.
I was thinking of gluing cork to all the tenons so the beds would be quiet. Just little girls now but they will get older and heavier. Bed bolts will be used for the rails. Head and foot boards will be double tenons on all four 'sticks' attached to the posts. No hardware, just held into place by the main rails and the posts. And helpful support at the top by whatever I deside to do for the Tester on top..
Seems OK to me, but I always come up with strange ideas that sometimes do not work. I would think that the cork could be replaced whenever needed. As the girls, and the bed age.
My post are laminated so may not take the stresses of solid posts. I think may be a 'bit' stronger. All the wood is QS or Riff that I think is well into QW angles.
Edited 12/28/2008 7:16 am by WillGeorge
Will, I admit I never heard of using cork for that. It seems to me that bed squeeks come mostly from the mattress support slats and not the frame itself. As the wood ages, you might need to give the bedbolts an extra turn to tighten them up, but I'd be surprised if you had any other noises coming from the joints. If you're using double tenons on the head and foot boards, glue only one of each pair. The other tenon needs to be a bit free to move up and down the post.How is the mattress supported?David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
NO glue for the foot or head boards. Just held into place by the other structures and fitted joints.
All is take-apart to the original pieces.
Edited 12/28/2008 7:37 am by WillGeorge
Remember that little girls can be very active and will stress test the beds.The legs will get the biggest beating. The beds I made for my little angels (demons?) had 6' x 6" x 3/4" rails mortised into 2 x 2 posts. Head and tail boards were HDF mortised into the posts. The rail-post joints failed after about 5 years. Easy fix.However the bed legs were shop bought with a 1" x 1" round tenon mortised into the posts. Big mistake! These were a weak spot and I ended up inserting threaded metal rod to beef up the joint.I suggest you design for substantial racking forces. Incidentally noise was never an issue.
Love the reply~
My little China dolls remind me of me and my brother...
I was the EVIL child... My brother was so layed back if somebody in the neighborhood want to fight him he just went to sleep or said talk about it to my bigger brother... He was never hurt.. I stayed awake and got hurt ALOT!
I have made a test from scraps and thinks Cork may work but who maintains it after I pass on? Cork is a hell of alot tougher that I ever was!
David,The grain orientation is horizontal. The headboard is 24" wide x 80" long and the posts will be positioned 20" from each end of the headboard and extend about 6" above the bottom of the headboard. From your all's advice, it seems I should allow for about a 1/8" movement at the bottom. If I use slots for the screws or pegs in the posts, can I rest the headboard on the bottom of the notch and then screw it in or do I need to secure it 1/8" from the bottom of the notch? It's winter now so the headboard will likely only expand. - Lyptus
OK, I've got the picture now. (I thought that the headboard was entirely trapped in the posts, but it's free at the top).Assuming that your walnut is now at 8%MC and that it might go to 12% at some point, you're going to get 1/16" of expansion on those lower 6" of board. You should therefore position the bottom edge leaving 1/16" of space when you set the pins.The Woodweb calculator is very handy for such things:
http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/calculators/calc.pl?calculator=shrinkageDavid Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
Thanks.I'll see if I can borrow a moisture meter to check the initial content. With moisture in mind, I'm concerned that the slab headboard may warp over time. I want the headboard to appear as a slab with no edging. Should I secure wooden battens with slots for the screws on the back of the headboard to keep it flat? Any other suggestions?- Lyptus
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