William Lai
01-13-2005, 6:05 PM
I am relatively new to the forum, and this is such a great resource and community, that I'll like to ask you for some help on a problem for a project I'm tackling.
I’d like to build a frame for a purchased murphy bed mechanism (see here (http://www.murphybedsonline.com/build_supremo.php?pageID=hardware)). The frame is basically a tall book case without shelves, 85 1/16” tall, 16” deep, and 65” wide. It’ll be secured against a wall, and the bed pulls down in front of this hoop. The issue is that the basement location where I want to put this bed is about 85 1/4 plus or minus 1/8" due to uneven floors. That means that there’s no way I can tilt up the case after it has been assembled, as I’ll need 86.55” for the diagonal of the case. I think the only way it'll work is assembling it upright in the room, and then slide it against the wall.
It seems like the biggest challenge is selecting a joint between the side and the top/bottom pieces that are a) securable while the case is upright, and b) that naturally lends itself to be as square as possible. Clamping will be a challenge, too, I think, so I’ll likely use glue as well as screw to alleviate any need for clamping.
Options I’m considering using singly or in combination:
- Biscuit joints to help with alignment
- Or are dowels a better choice?
- Pocket screws or confirmat screws from the side, to secure the case mechanically, as well as act as clamp while glue dries.
- Dado the side panels to help with alignment
- Nailing on a 1/4” back panel to ensure squareness and add structural strength
One thing I’m wondering is besides a dado, are there better joinery techniques that I can use that are more appropriate to the task? Some sort of lock joint? Any thoughts or ideas on how you’d tackle this is much appreciated.
Thanks.
I’d like to build a frame for a purchased murphy bed mechanism (see here (http://www.murphybedsonline.com/build_supremo.php?pageID=hardware)). The frame is basically a tall book case without shelves, 85 1/16” tall, 16” deep, and 65” wide. It’ll be secured against a wall, and the bed pulls down in front of this hoop. The issue is that the basement location where I want to put this bed is about 85 1/4 plus or minus 1/8" due to uneven floors. That means that there’s no way I can tilt up the case after it has been assembled, as I’ll need 86.55” for the diagonal of the case. I think the only way it'll work is assembling it upright in the room, and then slide it against the wall.
It seems like the biggest challenge is selecting a joint between the side and the top/bottom pieces that are a) securable while the case is upright, and b) that naturally lends itself to be as square as possible. Clamping will be a challenge, too, I think, so I’ll likely use glue as well as screw to alleviate any need for clamping.
Options I’m considering using singly or in combination:
- Biscuit joints to help with alignment
- Or are dowels a better choice?
- Pocket screws or confirmat screws from the side, to secure the case mechanically, as well as act as clamp while glue dries.
- Dado the side panels to help with alignment
- Nailing on a 1/4” back panel to ensure squareness and add structural strength
One thing I’m wondering is besides a dado, are there better joinery techniques that I can use that are more appropriate to the task? Some sort of lock joint? Any thoughts or ideas on how you’d tackle this is much appreciated.
Thanks.