Tenons on headboard

[Michael Merrill]

I'm making progress on my king bed from solid maple and now it's time to join the main headboard panel to the two legs. I plan to use the same basic method that I used on the footboard which is router cut mortises in the legs and router cut tenons on the panel and bottom rail.

This photo show the the leg laying in position for some idea on the pieces and scale. The panel is 19 1/4 (H), 3/4 final thickness. The legs are 2 3/4" square.

http://home.comcast.net/~sm.merrill/Posted_photos/SawMillCreek/Dscf0664.jpg

My plan was to make the tenon and mortice on this section 1/2" wide, but the real question is the length??? I've markes out the location running the full length minus a 1/2" on each end.

http://home.comcast.net/~sm.merrill/Posted_photos/SawMillCreek/Dscf0667.jpg

Considering wood movement and other type issues would it be better to break the tenons into multiple pieces and not on long 18 1/4" tenon and mortise? If so where to break? Should I consider where the panel stock is joined?

I also wondered if I should use some other joining process with the tenon like maybe a brass rod insert from the back for more strength? or other?

The bottom rail is simple one tenon about 5 1/4" but a bit wider as it is 5/4 stock.
http://home.comcast.net/~sm.merrill/Posted_photos/SawMillCreek/Dscf0666.jpg


Hope these photos make it clear what I'm up to. Any help is appreciated.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Multiple tenons may be a wise move.

[John Hedges]

I made a king sized 4 poster bed last year out of maple and faced the same question. I made a double tenon to connect the headboard to the posts and glued the top tenon only and cut the bottom mortise a little long. If any wood movement occurs it will move below the mattress line and not affect the top of the headboard which is visible. Since you also glue the bottom rail you will have 2 glued up M/T joints on each post which will be plenty strong.

I went a little overkill and created another rail which was 1/2" wider than the headboard. I cut a channel into that rail which the headboard fit into and set it so that when it was glued there would be a 1/4" gap between the bottom of the headboard and the rail. This would allow the headboard to move down into the rail to allow for the movement. The headboard section is rock solid with this design.

[Michael Merrill]

John, interesting method I had not considered a tenon that wasn't glued. I guess in my case I would could have three the bottom rail and top panel tenon would be glued and let the middle one float.

One question is how much strength is added with a tenon that is not glued? Is this a situation that someother method like a dowel pin in the middle tenon with a vertical cut slot to allow for wood movement might help? It would help the joint be tight in the middle but still give the panel that vertical movement it may need.

One other question is depth of the tenon? Currently I marked out hte plan with a 3/4" deep tenon. So I'll have a 1/2" X 3/4" tennon in the 2 3/4" leg, I figured that is ample for strength. Sound about right?

[tod evans]

michael, on your glue tennons you need to run `em 3/4 of the leg thickness or a little more for strength, your blanks are 2-3/4 so go 2 to 2-1/4" deap with the tennons. i`m not afraid to peg glued bed tennons either, this can be done so they don`t show, like from the wall side....02 tod

[John Hedges]

I got the idea of the unglued tenon from Jeff Miller's book on beds (a great resource). The unglued tenon acts more as an alignment aid instead of adding a lot of structural strength (although it does add strength it is not as much as a glued tenon). That is why I added an additional guide rail (but as I said before this was probably overkill and not really needed).

I am not sure if pegging the unglued tenon would help much because, as you mentioned, you would have to cut the peg hole oversized to allow for movement. If you are concerned I would add an additional guide rail below the headboard, and glue those tenons. Here are a few pics to try to clarify (On the headboard I only used Curly Maple for the part that would show above the pillows)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/bed/PICT0246.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/hedgehog55/bed/PICT0202.jpg

[Michael Merrill]

Todd and John, thanks for the help you both brng up good thoughts on this. I'll try to make my tenons as deep as I can I'm not sure I've got enough material on one side to get much over 1 1/4" but I'll get as much as I can.

John I can't tell from you pictures, how deep were you mortises?

I like your bed, the cap in the contrasting wood looks great. And those long tapers must be fun to make.

My toughts on the pinning was to use something like a 1/4" dowel and then cut 1/4" vertical slot. This would allow the vertical movement that should be with the grain of the panel if it wanted to move. Still not sure I'll go to that degree.