Bendy headboard and footboard!

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Kingsize headboard and footboard. Rails are 1-1/2" thick, 3-3/4" wide, 74-3/4" long (not counting tenons). Forty one slats in each, with real mortises in the rails and tenons on the slats. And now, a very nice bow in the glued-up assembly(s). :(

If the side rails were bowed, I wouldn't worry because I could 'pull' them together (or push apart) with plywood...but I can't figure out how I might counteract the bowing in the head and footboards. Now, it's not bad enough to throw out (yet), but I think it'll be noticeable once it
s sitting against a wall. Any suggestions? Or sympathy?

KC

[Jamie Buxton]

Call it a feature!
Tell 'em how hard you worked to build in that particular curve.

[Todd Burch]

KC, how bad is it bowed? Can you take a picture showing where/how it is bowed?

[John Preston]

I made something that bent, I think it was a headboard (frame and panel type), and what I did to fix it was to biscuit a piece of wood at 90 deg to the frame for the full width of the headboard. That makes a kind of tee shape where you put the board. (it increases section modulus for those of you engineering types) You should be able to do it on the back side of the footboard at the bottom and the front side of the headboard, and no one will think twice about it. That may not make much of a difference at the tops of the head and foot boards though. The only fix I can think for that would be to put a cap between the posts on top of the offending bendy areas. Offset to one side (front or back) will give you the most effect for the wood applied, but may make aesthetics a bit shaky. You might be able to do it to the back of the headboard and no one would notice if they have the headboard against the wall like normal humans. Also you could use a curved piece, tapered at both ends, and thicker at the middle. That would also provide a lot of stiffness if applied to one side. Try applying pieces with clamps, and then wiggling. That should give you a good idea of how much difference it will make. When glued it should be better.

[James Carpenter]

i did the 90 degree trick on a headboard once. Worked great and no one new the difference. I did add two though, one biscuited at the bottom of the headboard and one on the back towards the top using screws and glue.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Thanks for the replies. I haven't measured, but I suspect the bow is well over an inch (and probably closer to 2" over the 6'). I'll have a cap piece that goes on top all the way across, but it's only 3/4" thick x 3-7/8 wide and I think it will bow to follow the bend instead of straightening it out...but maybe not. I guess I'll put that on and see where I'm at.

KC

[Lee Schierer]

Adding the pieces at 90 degrees on the back side will help with the bowing, just make sure you bend the head board or foot board flat or slightly the other way before attaching the stiffener.

[Byron Trantham]

Kirk, you have my sympathy! I made a chest-of-drawers for my new grandson and after about two months the solid wood sides bowed in maybe 1/4 on both sides for a total movement of 1.2"!! I had a heck of a time getting the drawers back out. I used a block plane to remove some of the bow on the drawer rail spacers. The first two pretty much fit. I was working the third one and had to quit - just didn't have enough energy to finish. My brother-in-law has an electric planer and I borrowed it. I will go over tomorrow morning and hopefully finish the job. The crib I made for them has 72 stats that are mortised too. I don't what I'll do if THEY bow.

The big lesson for me was NOT to use solid wood for panels! :(

I wish you best of luck because I know first hand how much work went into those panels.