Best Way to Build these QSWO Bed Posts

[Nate Secrist]

Hi,

I want to build a queen-sized bed like this - using Quarter-Sawn White Oak.

It looks like these posts are 3-4" thick.

How would be the best way to build them?

Option 1 - Normal Glue-up to make the legs. Three 4/4 boards glued up - Disadvantage is that you wouldn't get the nice Quarter-Sawn flecking on the sides. I have done this many times.

Option 2 - Use a Lock-Miter bit to make a solid leg with 4 good QSWO faces with nice flecking.
How wide can a leg be using a Lock-Miter bit? Could a lock-miter bit be used to make a post this big?
I have never used one of these bits to make a solid leg with 4 nice faces.

Can anyone who has used a Lock-Miter bit tell me if this would work?

Any other ways you can think of to make a big, solid bed leg with 4 good faces?

Interested to hear your responses.

Thanks

Nate



http://www.dutchcrafters.com/product_images/pid_6609-Amish-Old-English-Mission-Vintage-Mission-Bed-7.jpg

[Kent A Bathurst]

The lock-miter is the traditional bullet-proof answer, but I always felt it was too complicated for my purposes - especially considering I don't have a router table, much less a shaper.

For me, on table legs - I glue up the 3 boards, making sure the boards are too thick [not too wide].

Then - resaw one or both faces for 1/8" veneer, and glue that to the edges. I take the veneer from whichever face looks the coolest.

I like beveled/chamfered corners, which works out well, because I can handplane chamfers on the corners pretty much right to the veneer glue line - it disappears as it is on-line with the chamfer.

Looks like I never took photos.......Oh, well - sorry about that.

[Prashun Patel]

You are not limited in leg thickness if you use a lock miter bit.
This is often done by making a core post and then lock mitering qswo around the core. In this case, you can use 1/2" or 3/4" for the qswo 'veneer'.

[Fidel Fernandez]

I do this to make any legs. It really works well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wfSBLyMSEQ

[Mike Cutler]

Here's a solution by Mark Singer.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?43101-12-foot-Wenge-dining-table&highlight=

A lock miter would certainly work, but so would a traditional miter if well fitted as Prashun Patel has suggested using a lock miter
.

[Larry Browning]

I have had very good luck using a spline running the length of 45deg joint. The main thing is that the 45 rip cut need to be exactly 45deg. I have never done this on something that long though (mine have mostly been 12" or or less).

I think Kent's solution may provide least amount of hassle though. Assuming you have a nice bandsaw to cut the veneer. I like Mark Singer's solution too!

[Phil Thien]

The problem w/ a hollow form (lock miter or plain miter and splined miter) is that the hardware to attach the rails to the posts may come w/ screws longer than a single thickness of your stock.

I think the lamination with veneer on two faces is a better bet.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I think Kent's solution may provide least amount of hassle though. Assuming you have a nice bandsaw to cut the veneer.

Larry - nothing more than a classic Delta C-frame. I have a rier block on it, but that isn't needed here - only cutting 3" or so.

I have all 4 sides jointed and/or planed. Resaw some veneer flat face glued, rough sides out. Joint again. End up under 1/8" be a bit.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I do this to make any legs. It really works well.

Yep. That's better than my fumbling description.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Here's a solution by Mark Singer.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?43101-12-foot-Wenge-dining-table&highlight=



Mike - I used that exact approach with the first set of legs I made. Worked OK, but the hang-up I had is the precision on the 45* faces - first time I had done something like thata, and I honestly did not do a real bang-up job. All turned out great in the end.

Then I went to the veneer approach I described - much, much easier and faster. I don't really see much of a difference int eh two - except this method puts the joint on the exact corner, and there is no veneer edge showing [assuming you don't want the chamfer].

[Marty Tippin]

Didn't I see an article in FWW (or maybe Wood) magazine sometime in the last 12-18 months about making a bed like that?

Seems to me they wrapped the QSWO around a core of poplar or some other less expensive material. You can use thinner oak (not quite veneer, but maybe 1/2" or 1/4"). Never tried it, but seems like a workable and money-saving solution to me.

Wish I had a more concrete reference to give you, but I don't save my old magazines...

[Marty Tippin]

Found the reference... It's a FWW Video Workshop http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/56992/build-a-mission-style-bed -- you'll have to be a member to view the whole thing. Also available on DVD with Sketchup plans.

Their method sounds like what has been described here -- core of poplar, with QSWO boards on two sides and a thin (maybe 1/4") veneer on the other two sides after jointing and planing the initial glue-up. The veneers are wider than the core piece, you then joint and plane them down to size.

[Jeffrey Martel]

The lock-miter is the traditional bullet-proof answer, but I always felt it was too complicated for my purposes - especially considering I don't have a router table, much less a shaper.

For me, on table legs - I glue up the 3 boards, making sure the boards are too thick [not too wide].

Then - resaw one or both faces for 1/8" veneer, and glue that to the edges. I take the veneer from whichever face looks the coolest.

I like beveled/chamfered corners, which works out well, because I can handplane chamfers on the corners pretty much right to the veneer glue line - it disappears as it is on-line with the chamfer.

Looks like I never took photos.......Oh, well - sorry about that.

I basically did that recently. But I glued up 2 pieces of 8/4, and I used 1/16" veneers since I don't like a heavy 1/8" chamfer.

305181

[Rick Lizek]

http://beavesbench.com
Here is a variation of the lock miter without the lock miter and uses tape. It's been done with packing tape.
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/merle_clamp.html
A few MLCS Merle band clamps tops it off. It really does work and is easier than you think. It will work with the legs for the bed you pictured.

[Mike Schuch]

I used lockmiters to do similar posts on my staircase for newel posts. They turned out great! I actually slipped the hollow posts over steel 2 x 2 tubing bolted to the framing under the stairs. They are extremely solid... I feel sorry for the person that tries to take out the railing some time down the road. :D After using an 1/8" round-over bit on the corners of the posts the seams disappeared.

It took me a solid day to get the shaper spindle perfectly perpendicular to the shaper table and the lock miter adjusted. After that I can configure and tweak a lockmiter setup in about an hour. I am very pleased I went the lock miter route and feel confident using them in the future. If you are up for spending a bit of time dialing in your lockmiter setup I would recommend going this route. If you just want quick and easy; one of the other suggested methods will be quicker. The poster that mentioned the posts will be hollow and that might have some effect on fitting the bed together has a good point. I guess it jut depends on how you plan to construct these joints?



Option 2 - Use a Lock-Miter bit to make a solid leg with 4 good QSWO faces with nice flecking.
How wide can a leg be using a Lock-Miter bit? Could a lock-miter bit be used to make a post this big?
I have never used one of these bits to make a solid leg with 4 nice faces.


You can use a lock miter to make pretty much any width post you want over about 2". I first used a lockmiter on an end cabinet to join the exposed plywood end with the face frame with no noticeable joint... worked great!

You can make a post any length you want as long as you have appropriate stock support on either side of your shaper. Keeping the stock firmly next to the table and fence is also critical. I used some scrap wooden sticks clamped to the table and the fence to keep the stock firmly against the bit. Trying to do a lock miter of any considerable lengths is very difficult without guide blocks. Those posts look to be around 4 to 5 foot long. They should not be a problem for a lock miter.

[Cary Falk]

I made a bed with posts similar to these. I mitered the corners and held them together with biscuits:eek:. There is that ugly B word.:D If you need a solid post for hardware then wrap it around a wood core of your choice.

[Rod Sheridan]

Nate, I don't think there's a "best" way to make the legs.

I've made them often with a lock mitre cutter in the shaper, and using home sawn veneer to hide the seam.

Both work well, the veneer method is easiest...........Regards, Rod.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I basically did that recently. But I glued up 2 pieces of 8/4, and I used 1/16" veneers since I don't like a heavy 1/8" chamfer.

2 pcs of 4/4 sandwiching a cheap inner filler costs a lot less than 8/4.

[Jim Andrew]

Before I got a Unisaw, had a hard time making tight fitting miter joints, but now the saw is so accurate I can make a post like that that fits very well. I use biscuits to help me keep the corners flush, and also to help me with the glue up. I would put some blocks in the proper places so that it is solid where you need to add hardware. Also would add blocks where the mortises go.

[Rick Thompson34]

Lock miter with a secondary wood core. It's a little setup-intensive, but it's a great way to get face grain all the way around. I did this with a bed made from quartersawn Sapele -- cut a single board and wrapped the grain all the way around. Well worth the effort if you're doing it for yourself. If it's a paid project, make sure you get paid for the extra effort.

Rick

[Jeffrey Martel]

Buying extra 4/4 instead of using 8/4 that I already had costs more as well.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Buying extra 4/4 instead of using 8/4 that I already had costs more as well.

Cleaning up "The Pile" is always a good move. I was, of course, making a general comment on cost of materials.