Joint For Headboard

[Mike Goetzke]

This is a crude 2-D drawing of a raised panel headboard I will be making. Just look at the RHS. The furthest right member is a post that is about 3"x3". My thought at first was to cut a 3/4" stopped dado in the leg and glue in the full length of the raised panel assembly, but, now I'm thinking it may be best to use my Domino tenons instead (worried it may be hard to align such a long tenon on two sides).

Any thoughts or suggestions?



Thanks,

Mike

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/back_zps2numq3g3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mbg/media/back_zps2numq3g3.jpg.html)

[Alan Bienlein]

This is what I did on my recent bed build with the head board and foot board.
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[Jamie Buxton]

Your long tenon idea will work. Your domino idea will work. A butt joint guided by biscuits will work.

[Jerry Miner]

Your long tenon idea will work. Your domino idea will work. A butt joint guided by biscuits will work.

+1. This is a long-grain-to-long-grain joint (except at the top rail) so glue alone would hold it together. Mortise the top rail, then do whatever you want at the stile --you really only need alignment, so biscuits, dominoes, dowels, spline,...

[Frank Drew]

I'd have all four stiles tenon into the rails and then the rails, running full length, tenon into the posts; the end stiles would edge butt against the posts but with careful work there shouldn't be much of a gap, if any.

I did make a bed once that knocked down at the posts since they were ca. 9 feet tall and I never would have gotten fully glued together head- or footboard assemblies up the clients' stairs; I used bed bolts all around.