I have a question about jointery, help me pick.

[joseph dake]

I need to make a twin size bed for my daughter and my wife wants it right now, I like to make everything with m&t but with the time I am thinking of using a kreg jig. Should I hold my ground and do it my way or not?

[Pat Barry]

Do it your way for sure.

[Brian Kent]

Use M&T. Right now.

[Art Mann]

I assume you are talking about the pocket hole screw jigs? I like using my Kreg jig wherever I can but the joints aren't nearly as strong as mortise and tenon joints. Even if the strength were adequate, I don't think they look attractive and I will only use them in hidden places or for assembling shop cabinets and the like. I have a Dowelmax jig (expensive!) and use dowels in most situations. It is faster than M&T and almost as strong.

If I were you, I would just put your wife off a little and do it the way you want. It will be worth it.

[Jeff Monson]

For a bed I'd stick with M&T or a loose tenon for joinery.

[James Baker SD]

I'm a believer in keeping the wife happy. Do a pocket hole bed in BORG pine to keep your daughter off the floor, and then do M&T in nice wood for the real project. Use the pine for some other garage project later.

James

[John TenEyck]

Think outside the box just a little and just any one of these: http://woodworking.rockler.com/hardware/Bed-Rail-Hardware

John

[joseph dake]

I will be using those as the bed needs to come apart but for all the rest of it I need a good joint.

[Dave Anthony]

You might want to try loose M&T, depending on the tools available. If you have a router, you can easily make a jig that will let you cut accurate, repeatable mortises. A planer and a table saw can get you loose tenon stock that fits perfectly. As fast or faster than using dowels (though noisy) and plenty strong.

[Bill McNiel]

My guess is that you want to be proud of your work and have it possibly become an heirlom (sp?). Do it right. MT!

[Bill Huber]

I would go with the M&T or dowels if you need to do it fast. Dowels are faster then M&Ts and if you have the right jig are very easy.

[Mike Cutler]

Loose tenon joinery, done with a router. If you want to go "whole hog", a Domino, will be better than pocket screws, and probably faster in the long run.
I know some may disagree, but a pocket screw isn't really designed for a dynamic, load bearing, joint.

[Jim Matthews]

I'm sensing an undercurrent in this posting.

Is it possible that this project has been "in the works" awhile?
I am reminded of the deck rebuild I did in 2004 which I promised to deliver by Mother's day...
in 2003. Some of us take a little longer than we intend to gitterdun.

By way of compromise may I recommend this (http://obsessionist.net/post/1630944057/malm-bed-with-sultan-alsarp-storage-ikea-hack)article?

[joseph dake]

Yep it has been in the works for awhile. She has held it off also but would never admit it.

[pat warner]

Would use shallow tenons to register and KD joint connector bolts and nuts to keep the thing together.

[Alan Lightstone]

Would use shallow tenons to register and KD joint connector bolts and nuts to keep the thing together.
+1.
Or M&T.

I almost never use hardware in the furniture I build, and am usually happy with that approach when finished with a piece.

[Scott Vigder]

Or you could do Kreg joints and affix false through-tenon "caps" and tell her you did M&T

[Jim Matthews]

This is one of the fake-amentations I find genuinely offensive in woodworking.

It's the "autotune" of woodworking.

[glenn bradley]

I love my pocket hole jigs and they are great problem solvers when used on appropriate joints. Use M&T on your bed.

[joseph dake]

I don't understand what you mean by autotune. Btw I am building a storage bed with drawers so it will have stile and rails kind of. This is what I am asking about. I plan on using a metal connecter on the skirt board to foot and head rest.

[Art Mann]

Autotuning is a way of generating an electronic singing voice through the magic of computer processing. Here is a rather benign example created by somebody from the "Mr Rogers Neighborhood" children's TV show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFzXaFbxDcM