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Thread: Bed Build

  1. #46
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    Your precision is amazing. Another question out of curiosity. It seems you use a pencil to mark your lines...so many articles recommend a knife. Do you knife then highlight with pencil, or just throw all prevailing advice to the wind and go your own way? Maybe you don't own a knife?

  2. #47
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    Thanks Phil! All of the above really, I knife the line when I know I need the knife lines to prevent chip out. Tenon shoulders and stuff like that I usually just use pencil. The pencil I use is .3mm so it's pretty narrow.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  3. #48
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    Here is the cutout on the front of the beam;


    This is tapered along the sides, but not along the length.





    Now standing on it's own and allowing me to test the strength of various parts in real load. Once the crossmembers are in I should have a better picture of how strong the entire assembly is, but so far I'm happy. I am debating a center leg, I have been trying to avoid it, but if the crossmembers do not remove most of the flex in the center beam I will build a center leg. The beam can carry my weight dead center, which realistically is something that it would never have to do with a mattress on the bed, but I prefer to overbuild that risk a cracked beam down the line a bit.





    Cutting the tapered sliding dovetails terminating the ends of the crossmembers.



    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  4. #49
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    Moving along, not as many photos of the process this time around, I've been working like hell to get everything wrapped up....since very soon it needs to be put to use;

    Cutting the bridle joint for the center support leg. I decided after some testing to add this leg. I could probably have done without but no need to risk a cracked joint after a few years of use to save a short period of effort.



    Then onto cutting the rabbets to house the slats. I'm amazed at how sturdy these are in use at only 3/16 depth. I can stand on one slat right in the center and they do not flex significantly.

    I'm able to seat and finish two corner joints, leaving the opposing two able to be opened to allow the slats to fall in. But that left side is what the finished corner joints will look like;


    In order to leave this so that is can be broken down in the future I decide to glue the wedges only. Removing them would likely be a real PITA but still considerably easier than fully glued joints

    A very minor gap which will be filled before I apply finish.



    Finished leg joinery. I'm very happy at how strong these joints are and how securely they seat due to the taper.



    Close up of the inside of the leg, the crossmembers are terminated into side beams with tapered dovetails and also seen are the rabbets of the legs. These help to maintain the secure feeing of the legs by resisting prying and also help to seat the crossmembers.

    Tusk tenons;



    Next I'll be cutting/fitting the slats and it should finally begin to look like a bed.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  5. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    Naively it seems that the tenon would have more strength here if oriented in the other direction. I'm guessing it was done this way mostly for the convenience of how you're orienting the pins? I'm also not claiming its not irrelevant but it stood out as an interesting data point so I thought I'd ask what drove the design consideration

  6. #51
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    No worries, that's a great question.

    It's possible that the tenon would be stronger, but the housing would be significantly weaker. Basically the goal of the tusk tenon is to leave an I-beam like cross section in major beam. The tenon is not subjected to bending forces, and the combination of sloping haunch and square haunch should give it plenty of shear strength.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  7. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    It's possible that the tenon would be stronger, but the housing would be significantly weaker. Basically the goal of the tusk tenon is to leave an I-beam like cross section in major beam. The tenon is not subjected to bending forces, and the combination of sloping haunch and square haunch should give it plenty of shear strength.
    Fair enough, I was thinking mainly of the shear forces on the tenon, but the concern about the main beam is indeed likely more interesting here.

  8. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post

    A very minor gap which will be filled before I apply finish.


    If that's a gap in joinery, then I'm gonna need some help with the joints in my gappery.

    Btw, the ebony is tremendous. It adds these little, great, sleek points of interest as one scans the frame. The wood's black-hole blackness works really well with that earthy simplicity of oak. And you're darn right: I'm loving seeing the variety of ways you're making wood stay attached to other wood. I suspect your sketch-ups can take almost as long as your builds.

  9. #54
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    LOL, thanks Barry!

    I originally had hesitations with using ebony, but ended up pretty happy with the contrast. One of those 'on a whim' decisions that you wonder if you will like in the end. I like it. I usually go for lower contrast. Glad you also enjoy the look!
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  10. #55
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    Here's what my past few days have looked like, and also a setup for crosscutting. I would normally use my router table for this quantity of work, but the option was unavailable due to a sleeping baby upstairs Oddly enough the sounds of hammering do not wake him up, but I'm hesitant to see if a 3hp Hitachi motor will.


    A total of 38 slats, so 152 rip cuts and 152 cross cuts.








    Photos to follow of the install. I'm down to pegging the slats into their respective places with bamboo pins.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  11. #56
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    Brian l'm still really enjoying your thread! I really admire your precision joinery and the beautiful planed surfaces you achieve. Now that I can see the larger view of your bed frame, I also appreciate elegance of how the joinery (most of which I'm not familiar with) all fits together.

    Thanks for posting.

    Best, Mike

  12. #57
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    Outstanding. I love the joinery on this one.

  13. #58
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    I've heard running a vacuum will help a baby to fall asleep. Personally, I'd be interested in knowing if a 3hp Hitachi motor chewing through a bunch of wood would do the same.

  14. #59
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    Thanks Gents!

    I've been kicking around the idea of posting up some sketches when I start a project, but, to say the least, my sketches leave a bit to be desired. I basically draw in rough scale and then detail the joinery before I get started. They're useful to me, but most people who see them ask me what they're looking at.

    Phil, the vacuum cleaner does work like a charm....hmmmm...gives me new leverage for trying to convince my wife about a bridgeport mill for the garage. 'Iron sculpture' has not been convincing, so maybe 'white noise machine - advanced level' might do the trick.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  15. #60
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    Moving forward, some of the last part of the assembly and then onto detail work;


    These are being located with bamboo pins;
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

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