Bed Rail Repair- ????

[Dave Tinley]

I have a client that needs bed rails repaired. They were made out of plywood and had cross rails attached to them. At each end there is a metal hook looking plate that hooks the rails to the headboard and footboard.

I plan to replace the split plywood with one by, maple boards.

My question is how have y'all mounted the headboard/footboard attachment plates ??
These plates were originally mounted inside a kerf in the plywood and then pinned with small pins.
I have no way to cut a kerf big enough to accept these plates.
Could I just route a recess on the inside of the board and mount the plate in the recess????
Thanks
Dave

[Ted Shrader]

Dave -

Sounds like your idea of routing (or use a chisel) a recess will work.

How do the plates attach to the rails? With screws or just the pins?

Also, is there enough room to make the rails a little thicker - i.e. closer to 1" finished? The rails on the beds I have made are right at 1" finished (by 7½" high).

Ted

[Todd Tolhurst]

If this is the type of plate I think it is, it fits into a rather narrow slot -- about 3/32", and perhaps 1-1/2" to 2" deep -- in the end grain of the rail. The pins are installed through perpendicular holes drilled into the inside face of the rails.

I cut the slot with a circular saw mounted horizontally in a fixture, with the blade fully retracted. The rail is placed flat on the fixture's base, shimmed to center the rail's thickness on the saw blade, and clamped in place. Start the saw and plunge into the end of the rail to the depth needed.

The kerf was slightly wider then the plate needed, but it worked out fine.

[Dave Tinley]

I took a 2 x 8 and notched a 3/4 groove have way thru it, then I clamped the 2x8 to my miter saw table.
I put the bed rail in the notch and lined it up with the blade centered on the edge of the rail and made a plunge cut to the proper depth. I had a friend support the other end. Worked great.

Dave