Bed Post Design Help Needed

[Leigh Betsch]

I'm kicking around different options for bed post designs. I'm considering a 5" square posts. I can see several options to make a post like this:
1) laminate several 8/4 pieces of stock (I'm a bit short of 8/4 for this)r
2) Use 4/4 stock and build a hollow post. Would a hollow post be strong enough for a bed post? What would be the best joint to use in the corners of a hollow post, I'm thinking mitered corners would look the best as long as they would not open up.
3) Make a post out of MDF and veneer the sides. Would a mdf post be strong enough, or would it not support the bed rails very well.

Any advice or other options would be appreciated.

[Jamie Buxton]

One looks bad to my eye; the seams are too obvious.

Three can work if you make your own thick veneer. If you use standard sliced veneer, the corners must be knife edges. You can't round them at all. And the corners are pretty fragile. Any little ding will go through the veneer, or fray it away from the substrate.
A variation on three would be to use veneer for the field, but run solid lumber right at the corners. You get to break the corners, and the solid lumber is much stronger than veneer-over-MDF. Of course, you still get visible seams.

Two can work very well. That's how the Stickleys made posts with quartersawn lumber on all four faces. The seam between planks is right at the corner, and you never notice it. You can make the joints be simple miters, or you can do lock miters. The lock miter isn't any stronger, but it makes the glue-up easier.

[Ray Schafer]

There was someone a short while ago who made some bunk beds with some very interesting posts. I will try to find it and post a link.

Ray

[Ray Schafer]

Here it is:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?referrerid=5960&t=68898

[Leigh Betsch]

Thanks for the input. I think I'll go with the 4/4 and a hollow post. The bunk bed post looks pretty interesting if I can work the reveal into the post design, else I'll probably go with a lock miter, kinda been waiting for a reason to buy a lock miter bit.

[Ray Schafer]

Yeah ... the lock miter. I think that is the way to go. They are too cool.

[Andy Pedler]

5" square posts sound humongous! But probably your headboard/footboard design is going to make it look great. Just seem big to me. I'm building some bunk beds and the posts wound up 2-7/8" square. I went with the laminated 8/4 approach, since the beds are going to get painted anyway. As tedious and stressful as I found laminating to get to my thickness, I'd definitely look into some other means of making a 5" square post.

I'd love to see the design. Or the finished project when it is done.

Andy - Newark, CA

[Frank Drew]

I would strongly advise against MDF posts.

Barring finding 20/4 material (practically impossible from commercial sources), you could use one of the methods already mentioned to hide your lamination seams.