How would you make this?

[Dave Novak]

LOML wants me to make a bed. Can someone give me a little help deciding how to build an arched top for the head/footboards? I'm not locked into any particular design yet, but assuming the height of the arched portion of the top is 18", is there a better method than gluing up an 18" wide panel and cutting the arch out? I don't think my skill level would make bending the wood an option. Here's a rough (very) sketch of what I think I want to do:

Thanks.

[Dennis Ford]

I highly recommend that you laminate the arches from thin strips.

[Jack Wilson50]

Dave,

You would not have to glue up the entire piece 18" wide panel. You could stagger the boards, sort of the way you already have is drawn in and then bandsaw the curve. If you pick the grain carefully, it will hardly be noticable.

Good Luck,

Jack

[Tony Bilello]

Glue the boards and cut to rough shape with a band saw. Then get 1/2" MDF and cut it to shape and make sure the edges are are nice smooth and faired to final shape. Clamp the MDF under the rough cut boards and use your router with a flush trim bit to give a nice smooth edge.
Next, cut a few long strips 1/8" wide of the same wood you are making the headboard out of. Glue and brad nail the first strip onto the top of the arch. After the glue sets, come back and add a few more 1/8" strips with glue and clamps until you have the desired thickness. This will give a nice finished cap to the top and not show the edge grain along the arch.

[Peter Quinn]

You cannot make a strong arch top for a frame and panel system as you describe by edge gluing boards to 18" then cutting the arch. Near the base of the arch you will have very short lengths of long grain in the finished piece which are inherently weak. Your best bet is either a bent lamination, which is not as hard as you may think assuming you have a good bandsaw, or a three segment arched head joined with half laps, which is more noticeable from a grain perspective but can be accentuated from a design perspective rather than hidden. You can even incorporate keystones or other decorative motifs to hide these joints completely. A segmented arch will require less wood and have the benefit of greater strength.

[Dave Novak]

Peter, is this what you have in mind? The joints seem a little tricky, but I guess it's a good thing to challenge myself once in a while. Maybe I'll even try to make a more complex curve. Thanks everyone for the input.