Bed finally finished

[John Timberlake]

I have been working on a king sized bed for my son since August. And that doesn't count thinking about the design since May. So here are the final pictures. It is not in its final resting place, but my living room. Have to deliver it to my son next weekend.

The frame is walnut and the flat panels are 3/8" baltic birch ply veneered with avodire. Thanks to Steve Wargo for supplying the avodire veneer and doing most of the veneer work (I owe him some wood for this). The design was a combination of my son's wishes for frame and panel with opposing arches, items I have seen on Saw Mill Creek, and my own input. The verical dividers are mortised into the horizonal pieces. Panels fit into dados cut on a router table. Side rails are attached using typical bed rail fasteners (I have always used bed bolts on previous beds).

My son had asked for a carved coat of arms, but I decided that the marketry looked better and he agreed. Marketry includes walnut, yellowheart, purpleheart, basswood, maple, cherry, and mohogany. All the veneers were custom cut to about 3/32" (backs left rough) and cut using the technique that Craig Stevens uses - angled blade on a scroll saw. After the total design was planed and scraped flat, it was inlet into the already veneered top-center panel of the bed before assembly.

Finish is linseed oil and polyurethane. Then waxed.

Critiques are welcome. Only way I will learn. Thanks for looking.

50480 50481 50482 50483

[John Piwaron]

Wow!

I like the design, the execution looks good, and the crest is fantastic!

[Rick de Roque]

Great combo of wood. Its something your son will cherish forever. Nice job.

Rick

[Zahid Naqvi]

No critiques, only congrats for a great job.

[Jim Becker]

Wow...that's really something special! Thanks for sharing it along the way, too. Much appreciated!

[Matt P]

great job.

[Steve Wargo]

Wow John that turned out great. The colors are great and man that veneer work looks excellent. I really like the coat of arms. adds a lott ot the piece. Congrats on a great job.

[rick fulton]

John,

Fantastic design. Excellent choice of materials. Great contrast - the avodire just glows.
Thanks for sharing!

rick

[John Renzetti]

hi John, Great job, beautiful. I like the design and effect of the concave and convex curves of the headboard and baseboard.
take care,
John

[Alan Turner]

Just more good work coming out of SMC. Very impressive. How did you cut the shoulders for the curved horizonals? Are they really flat, but giving the appearance of curved joints, or did you pattern shape/route them on the radius?

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Nice work!
-Jeff :)

[Tim Martin]

Beautiful work!
It looks quite Grand and your son should be over the moon. Definitely an heirloom piece.
Is it all mortise and tenon joinery?
and when you say the finish is Linseed oil and Polyurethane, is it Boiled Linseed oil and say something like Minwax wipe on Poly?, regards.

[Rennie Heuer]

WOW. Excellent work.
I love the view over the footboard. Very striking.

[John Timberlake]

Just more good work coming out of SMC. Very impressive. How did you cut the shoulders for the curved horizonals? Are they really flat, but giving the appearance of curved joints, or did you pattern shape/route them on the radius?

For the curved horizontal pieces, I cut them approximately to size on the bandsaw and then used a plywood template and a straight bit with a bearing to finish the cut. I cut the tenon on these pieces by squaring them up to an assemply table I have. After the headboard was glues excluding the posts, I used the same assembly table to clamp a straight edge to the subassembly. Used this to get all the tenon straight and in line.

[John Timberlake]

Beautiful work!
It looks quite Grand and your son should be over the moon. Definitely an heirloom piece.
Is it all mortise and tenon joinery?
and when you say the finish is Linseed oil and Polyurethane, is it Boiled Linseed oil and say something like Minwax wipe on Poly?, regards.

Yes, mortise and tenon all the way. I did use boiled linseed oil. For the PU, I mostly used the Arm-R-Seal wipe on semi-gloss. But after three coats on the avodire, it still did not have a solid flat look. So I applied one coat of Min Wax PU because it is thicker and builds a lot faster. Then went back to the Arm-R-Seal because I think it gives a better look.

[Lincoln Myers]

Very nice work! Thanks for the pics.

-Linc

[Bob Nelson]

hi John, Great job, beautiful. I like the design and effect of the concave and convex curves of the headboard and baseboard.
take care,
John

I noticed the same thing with the curves. Nice touch. The contrast between the dark walnut and the light aviore looks beautiful.

Great work.

[John Schreiber]

A king sized bed fit for a king. It positively shimmers.

[John Hart]

Wow....stunning piece John! I had visions of a bed I have to build over the winter.....You just blew those visions right outta my head! ;) :)

[Jason Tuinstra]

John, the bed is stunning in detail. I can only imagine that the figure of the wood looks even better in person. Excellent job.

[John Timberlake]

John, the bed is stunning in detail. I can only imagine that the figure of the wood looks even better in person. Excellent job.

Jason, you are right about the figure of the wood. Pictures never do justice to wood grain. Steve Wargo had some excellent veneer that he shared with me (in exchange for wood). I still have enough to make a couple of bed side tables and a dresser with avodire drawer fronts, if I get the time. They have to wait for a dining table.

[Craig Walls]

Stunning!!