Mission style bed bolt cover?

[Ken Platt]

Folks - I am still trying to decide between using a metal cover for the bed bolts on my son's bed, vs using a piece of wood designed to look like a faux through tenon sort of thing. The plans I am semi-following are from FWW here:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/videoworkshop/2012/08/build-a-mission-style-bed.

I wouldn't mind using metal hardware, though, if I could find something that matches, but all I can find are round covers, which don't seem to me to go well with the squared-off appearance of this bed. I looked around, tried searches, and rather to my surprise can't seem to find any sort of rectangular cover at all, let alone a mission style one.

Anyone have any ideas, or sources for something like this? Or something that could be adapted? I looked at some vertical pulls, but couldn't see how I would mount them since I have to screw the cover in from the front.

Thanks all -

Ken

[Dan Hahr]

I skipped bed bolts and went with the interlocking metal fasteners. The mortising takes a little planning, but it locks up tight as can be and looks very good with the craftsman style beds.

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/bed-rail-fastener?gclid=CKe6yLbIotICFUo7gQodceEOgQ

Dan

[Ken Platt]

Thanks, Dan, I used those on one of the other beds I've built (this is the third. One for each kid). I'm afraid I'm waaay past the stage where I can change the fastener system. I'm not really sure why I went with bed bolts this time, but that is what they used in the FWW plans, and I wanted to give them a try. I like the idea of being able to tighten things up if they get loose in time, but I'm starting to wish I'd just gone with those other gizmos.

[Lee Schierer]

Use the bed bolts and make your own wood cover. Attach a rare earth magnet to the back of the cover and design the bed bolt counter bore so the magnet will contact the bed bolt.

[John T Barker]

I'd say make your own metal cover. By my recollection copper and iron would both go well with Mission style and the wouldn't be hard to make. Flip through some books and see if you can't come up with a shape that seems Mission to you. You can chemically distress some cheap steel to look like iron. I just googled (image) "Mission hardware" and saw a bunch of knobs and escutcheons that you could easily adapt to look like a nice simple cover.

[roger wiegand]

I'd make wooden covers like the ones below (but thinner), out of some dark wood (ebony would be the exotic choice). You could size them to be a loose jam fit, or use a magnet as suggested above. I've made a half dozen beds, the first couple done with the metal hangers rack, creak, and wiggle after a couple decades. The ones made with M&T and bed bolts are solid as a rock, as well as being much easier to disassemble and move since the posts aren't permanently attached to the head and and footboards.
354582

[Jerry Miner]

If we are voting on this, I vote in favor of the faux tenon. Most in keeping with the style of the bed, IMHO. (and Lee's suggestion of the magnet is a good one!)

[Mel Fulks]

I too like the ideas of faux tenons and magnets. But to be in authentic spirit of Arts & Crafts style the fake tenon should be hand made and the magnet should be natural lodestone.

[lowell holmes]

I built a pencil post bed for a daughter and I used bed bolt covers similar to what is shown here.

https://www.paxtonhardware.com/product/bed-bolt-covers/bed-hardware

[Ken Platt]

Thanks all. I had found the site Lowell posted, but the wife vetoed those. So I guess it'll be the faux tenon.