New member...king size bed

[Pete Hotard]

Hey guys, new to SMC. Have enjoyed reading everything so far, and quickly realize i know very little about working wood. Anyway, I have built a few things, Farmhouse table, stand up linen cabinet (both for friends) and I'm currently working on a bed for my wife and I. The more I learn about wood working, the more of a perfectionist I become, and the more I change up the original design I had planned, hahaha. I keep running into small road blocks, but I enjoy finding ways to overcome them. The only complaint I have is that we don't have a single hardwood dealer in Mobile, AL where I live, which is ridiculous because of the amount of hardwood that comes in and out of the Port of Mobile. Plenty of hardwood distributors, but no one that sells to the public. Had to go to Lafayette, LA to buy a piece of 8/4 red oak 10"x14' and rip it down and laminate it together to make the legs. Anyway I included a few pictures of what I have done so far. Pretty happy with my first attempt at stop chamfers with lambs tongues on the legs.







As you can see im very limited on workspace in my small rental home. Built this bench with moving in mind. Built a nice top with a cheap base, so that when I move to go to Nurse Anesthesia school in July, I can take the top with me and it can be stored easily if I am forced to live in a place that doesn't have room for my entire bench.

[Troy Turner]

Pete - Welcome aboard! Project looks good so far. I see a lot of hand tools. Something I've yet to add to my arsenal. Keep up the good work and keep the pics coming. Looks like it's going to be a nice bed...and sturdy

[Joe A Faulkner]

Welcome Pete. I admire your ingenuity. Despite the lack of dedicated shop space, it looks like you are making great progress. The headboard looks like it is coming along nicely. Keep us posted.

[Jerry Olexa]

Looks great!!! Like your attention to detail...

[Pete Hotard]

Well I have made a good bit more progress since the first post. Got all 4 legs attached. Doweled them for alignment and then firmly attached them with some lags. Would have liked to have joined them in a more traditional manner but I started this project before my skills allowed me to even think of forming a M&T or other traditional form of joinery. Laminated up some 1x4 stock for the cap on too and it will all get capped with a 1x6 with nicely rounded edges. I'll try and snap some pictures of the finished product along with the rails after my shift ends at 7:00. It's coming along. Hope to start finishing it by the weekend

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Nice work. Love the leg treatment.

[glenn bradley]

Coming along nicely. Love all that fresh air in your shop.

[Sam Whit]

Coming along nicely. Love all that fresh air in your shop.

Being three hours north of him, I bet he has awesome A/C in his shop right now. I know I do!

[Pete Hotard]

Haha, yeah i opted against fluorescent lights and went with one large open skylight....and yeah sam, it was a little chilly today. still got stuff done though!

[Bobby O'Neal]

Looks great! I like your work station.

[Marty Gulseth]

Hi Pete,

Well, color me impressed. Nice work!

Regards, Marty

[Tom Lindsay]

Pete,

Nice job so far! I like the chamfer details on the posts! I am also in the process of making a frame and panel bed, though you're farther ahead than I am. How are you fastening the frame and panel to the posts? Are you using tenons on the headboard rails mortised into the posts? Or, are you also creating a shallow channel in the posts to recess the whole frame and panel assembly into the post? I was considering doing both, though just using the tenons would be a little easier to deal with.

[Pete Hotard]

Pete,

Nice job so far! I like the chamfer details on the posts! I am also in the process of making a frame and panel bed, though you're farther ahead than I am. How are you fastening the frame and panel to the posts? Are you using tenons on the headboard rails mortised into the posts? Or, are you also creating a shallow channel in the posts to recess the whole frame and panel assembly into the post? I was considering doing both, though just using the tenons would be a little easier to deal with.

Tom, If I were starting this bed right now and had not built anything yet that is what I would do. Either rout a groove on both the leg and panel to fit a spline into or cut some tenons into the panel to mortise into the leg. But because I started this project before I gained much skill, M&T joinery was not even thought about. Instead of starting over I drilled some holes and used some 4.5" "Headlock" screws and filled the hole with pegs. I did dowel the legs into the panel but simply for alignment purposes. If I do another one I will also cut tenons on the tops of the legs to mortise into the top "cap" piece.

Thanks for ally your compliments guys. Undid the last clamp on the last piece this morning. Rails are finished and just have to finish the head and footboards, install hardware and put it together!

[Dan Hahr]

Call up Brian Gibson at United Plywood. I've ordered wood from him in Pensacola and they deliver to all the local cabinet shops. Not sure if you can go into their warehouse but you can refuse an order. Check the bf and realize they add in a shrinkage factor. Set up a cash account. I think they charge 20 bucks to deliver.

Dan