Bed bolts vs. Hex Head Bolt

[Andrew Nemeth]

Is there a real advantage to using the manufactured "Bed Bolts" found at Rockler and Woodcraft? They are almost $7.00 a piece and require a $14 square drive tool to install. A hex head bolt and a nut are a heck of a lot cheaper at the hardware store. Is there any reason I should not use the less expensive alternative? Again, I'm not trying to be cheap, but I'm just surprised by the price and don't really see any advantages.

-Andrew

[Thom Sturgill]

I bought bed bolts for my workbench. Its not the bolts, its the nuts that are special. They are round in cross-section and only require a drill to create the hole for them and no special tools to tighten since the nut can't move once the bolt is started. Using a hex (or better a square nut) requires cutting a mortise and using a wrench to hold the nut while you tighten the bolt head.

[Jim Becker]

The bed bolts also often have an end that comes to a point for easier insertion in said nut while you are assembling the bed. IMHO, they are worth the cost if you intend to use bed bolts.

[Tom Leftley]

I must confess I have no idea what a "bed bolt" is. Perhaps you could shed some more light on your problem before some of us foolishly rush in a recommend something that may lead you down the wrong path.
I will hazzard an educated guess that, yes, a hex head bolt would work in place of the one you are describing. If I am wrong with my suggestion, I will pay for the hex head bolt.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Its not the bolts, its the nuts that are special. They are round in cross-section and only require a drill to create the hole for them and no special tools to tighten since the nut can't move once the bolt is started.



All of the nuts i have seen packaged with the bed bolts are just square nuts. Is there something I'm missing?

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?Offerings_ID=12&TabSelect=Details

-Andrew

[Jim Becker]

Tom, a bed bolt is a fastener that is used to join the side rails of a bed frame to the headboard and footboard. They are typically about 8-9" long and sit in a counter-bored hole in the corner posts of the bed structure, penetrate into the end-grain of the side rails and the special nut in question is located in a recess on the inside of the side rail. While you can use plain old bolts and nuts, that forces you to make square mortises, etc. With the bed bolts available from various suppliers, many of them have a special nut that will fit in a round mortise (that you make with a forstner bit) and allow you to tighten the bolt to draw the components together securely. Some other component, such as a dowel is used to provide a secondary point of alignment in the joint.

Here's an image of one version with a square nut from Kennedy Hardware:

http://www.kennedyhardware.com/image.php?type=P&id=16142

This version WOULD require you to square up the mortise for the nut.

Here's an image of a round nut style from Axminster:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/images/products/M10BBBN_l.jpg

Personally, I happen to like the round nut versions as they provide a lot of strength without the extra work that chopping out a square mortise would require.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Jim,

I'd pay $7 for the second nut you posted a picture of. That seems like it might save me some time. It looks like that one can just be used with a standard hex head bolt (no extra wrench to buy). Do you know where I can find that style online (or locally in a reasonably sized city)?

-Andrew

[Scott Rollins]

Rockler has them They are called cross dowels:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=367

I have used them for my work bench as well as a bed. They work great. I have never used bedbolts. I epoxy a large washer in a 7/8" hole and use a hex head bolt. Never had a problem using this method. Be sure not to overtighten the hex bolts with your socket wrench! You will crush the wood fibers...this is the purpose of the washer and epoxy to distribute the load over a larger area.

[Paul Girouard]

The ones I used came with a "T" handle wrench .

If your going to use the bed bolts covers you may have issues with the size hole you need to bore for a socket to fit into .

The B/Bolts like Norm ( opps I mean ) Jim :D posted have a washer like area /wide flange along with a smallish head size.

So your issue may be the access hole size IF your using a Bed Bolt covers.

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/38177-01-80.jpg (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16983&filter=bed%20bolt%20covers) http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/99235-01-80.jpg (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16982&filter=bed%20bolt%20covers)

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/99251-01-80.jpg (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=13&filter=bed%20bolt%20covers)

Might be worth looking into first.





Your only talking about 4 each bolts right? Not a production run. If your building a bunch of beds for sale it all gets put into the selling price and / or other places / suppliers may have better pricing. Rockler has a lot of stuff but some of it is WAY OVER PRICED.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Paul,

I am not going to be using bolt covers. The plan is to cut a square hole and matching plug out of contrasting wood. The hole and plug will be a tapered fit so it can be pulled out later when the need arises.

-Andrew

[Mark Berenbrok]

I've used hex head bolts and nuts for two pencil post beds and two benches. Cost was an issue since each post on the bed requires two bolts. The bolt heads were recessed and hidden under brass covers. The holes for the nuts are easy. Use a 1" forstner bit to drill a hole to the correct depth and then use a plunge router to square up one "side" of the hole. (I know a circle only has one side, but you know what I mean.)

[Andrew Nemeth]

Mark,

Most applications I have seen use only one bolt per leg for a bed. Is there a reason to use two? I'm mortising each siderail into the headboard and footboard 3/4" of an inch and using the bolt to draw everything tight. Should i be considering two bolts per leg?

-Andrew

[Jim Becker]

Andrew, your question depends on two things...alignment (so you need either a stub tenon or a secondary index, such as a dowel or three...and strength. A larger bed may need more than one bolt for the latter, although if you design the joint well, you'll avoid racking even with a bed that, umm...gets frequent aerobic exercise. I think that getting all four corners aligned and tight, even with a single bed bolt, is the key to a good project result.

[Brian Klare]

Paul,

You would need 8 bed bolts, not 4, for a typical bed. Each post requires 2 bolts, one to each rail that joins to the post. I have built three four poster beds and have used bolts from the hardware store rather than the bed bolts. Drill your rail pocket hole with a forstener bit and then just square up one side where the nut and washer seat, takes less than five minutes per pocket. I used bed bolt covers and they cover the holes just fine.

Brian

[Andrew Nemeth]

you'll avoid racking even with a bed that, umm...gets frequent aerobic exercise.

Hey Jim, this is my sisters bed were talking about!!! ;)


I think I am okay on alignment, the mortise and tenon joint between the siderail and the footboard/headboard are quite nice. I may throw another one in there just to be safe. I don't really want to have to answer to my sister and her husband complaining about a squeaking bed.

Thanks again all,

Andrew

[Randy Klein]

I used a hex head bolt but with a square nut. All available at Lowes (but not HD for some reason). With the square nut, no wrench was needed to tighten the bolt, but I did use one of those magnetic pickup thingies to hold it steady while I thread the bolt through. It was extremely easy and much cheaper than traditional bed bolts. See pics below:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=75041&d=1194824835

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=75042&d=1194824854

[Mark Berenbrok]

Ditto what Brian said.

[Don C Peterson]

This wasn't one of the options you asked about, but I'm pretty partial to all wood joinery. Here's what I did with a set of bunk beds: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=63635&highlight=bunk+bed

The wedged through tenons are very strong, there's no wiggle or squeaking, and I personally really like the way they look.

[Trevor Eyre]

Is this just the bolt holding the rail to the headboard? Or is there some other type of joinery going on in there?