Replies

1. 
   YesMaam27577 | Jan 30, 2009 02:49am | #1

   Certainly, the load bearing ability will depend somewhat on your choice of woods, but your plan seems fine to me.

   The 3X3 posts are probably strong enough to hold up my pickup. The 5/4 X 6 rails are stronger than needed for a grown adult -- let alone a 32 pounder.

   The slats will be fine too.

   But I'm concerned about things like racking and squeaking. With just the normal nighttime movements of one person, the pins and tenons will wear over time. And eventually the bed will not stand up straight.

   Multiple pins per tenon might help, but I have to wonder -- what's the advantage of no glue/no metal?

   Disassembly?

   Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.
1. 
   byrd48 | Jan 30, 2009 03:27am | #2

   Hi and thank you for your response. Disassembly is the reason I would not glue it, but you do bring up a good point, it might squeak, and would have to be tightly fit to avoid excess movement. I'll give it some thought and maybe see what others say, maybe it should be glued, at least parts of it.
   Thanks again

1. 
   davcefai | Jan 30, 2009 01:54pm | #3

   I can confirm that 6' long,6" wide rails planed down from 1" planks will easily support an adult in bed. (Don't know about 2).Can't comment about the squeaking. I glued mine.

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 30, 2009 04:46pm | #4

   Why no fasteners?  Beds, even twins must be disassembleable, at least removing the long rails from the legs.  By the time wooden tenon pins (I assume draw pins) would have been in for any length of time they would hardly be removable without drilling them out.   

   Bed bolts give lots of strength and are very traditional.  There are also a number of commercial bed rail joiners that would be strong and which could be fitted with them being completely invisible when the bed is assembled. 

   As far as the "joists" go, if you are using a box spring unit, you only need for a twin bed box spring to be supported on the side edges.   If you used just a mattress, you would want lots of bed slats, or the plywood support.  Of course, if you you plywood anywhere, it uses glue extensively. 

    

1. 
   byrd48 | Jan 30, 2009 05:40pm | #8

   I might have misspoken, by pinning, I meant the tenon would extend through the mortise piece and be pinned against the back face of the post with wedges.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 30, 2009 06:52pm | #9

   That makes sense, I had visualized it differently.   I assume you would run the wedges horizontally, with perhaps two wedges per rail.  I think the use of wedges this way would call for using rails of at least 5/4 lumber, since you need enough wood to leave shoulders on the tenons, and still have enough tenon thickness to give a firm hold on the wedges.   You have a bit of shin banger (perhaps 3") hanging out the ends of the bed since you do need a substantial amount of margin in length to keep the end of tenon from blowing out with the force of the wedging. 

3. 
   WillGeorge | Jan 30, 2009 05:00pm | #5

   I have no real idea on wood spans for weight. I am waiting for spring to finish two canopy beds for my little grandbabies. Twin sized beds..

   I have a small shop so my biggest problem has been room to cut the wood and glue-up's...

   My posts and rails are glued together Sapele and Panga-Panga laminations.

   In my opinion they are stronger than any solid board.

   I have moved them into the house and back into the cold shop several times. I have seen no problems with warping Etc...

   However the bed post seem to move a bit but I 'think' the canopy top will keep everything in control..

   And then again they are little girls. Not some teen football players!

   I would think the only problem would need looking into is a king sized bed for center support.

   I used the Lee Valley Bed Bolts and covers..

   http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&cat=3,40842,41269&p=40445

   OK so I did not have a 9/16 drill long enought to drill the holes for the bolts! I had to order one...

   But what do I know?

   
   

   ---

   Edited 1/30/2009 9:04 am by WillGeorge

4. 
   trialnut | Jan 30, 2009 05:24pm | #6

   byrd

   Not trying to hijack the thread but can you tell me where you have found the span and load calculaters for house and deck? I have been looking for one and so far have come up empty. I must be entering the wrong stuff into google.

   Thanks

   Rich

   The Professional Termite

1. 
   byrd48 | Jan 30, 2009 05:30pm | #7

   The span calculator I found for 2x lumber is at:

   http://www.awc.org/calculators/span/calc/timbercalcstyle.asp

1. 
   trialnut | Jan 30, 2009 08:17pm | #10

   Thank you. That is exactly what I was looking for. If you (or anyone else) know of one that calculates beams also I would be grateful.

   RichThe Professional Termite