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Arts and Crafts Queen Bed

Project by Tim Pursell posted 156 days ago 580 views 5 times favorited 25 comments Add to Favorites
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Tim Pursell

168 posts in 188 days


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bed oak qswo joining arts and crafts mission

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Arts and Crafts Queen Bed Arts and Crafts Queen Bed Arts and Crafts Queen Bed Click the pictures to enlarge them

This was a very long drawn out project. I made the posts & rails, cut & fit all 66 sq. spindles, then got waylayed by other projects. For over a year! Once I got back to it I still had not figured out the best way to attach the sideboards to the Head & footboards. I wanted something very strong, but not obvious. My son had been playing with a handfull of “super” magnets one day & left them laying out. HMMMMMM?!? A little experimentation & EUREKA!! The “thru” tenons in the second photo are fake. They hide two 3/8”x12” bolts that connect to blind nuts morticed way back in the side rails. The fake tenon ends have dowels glued into shallow holes to center them in the bolt access holes. I installed T nuts & bolts (for adjustment) with the super magnets epoxied to the heads. That’s the third photo. They do not have to touch the bolt heads, just get close & they snap into place. Looks great & the bed is rock solid. The posts themselves are lock mitered 4” sq. with blocking glued inside at the tenon joints.

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com


25 comments so far

View Kipster's profile (online now)

Kipster

788 posts in 158 days


posted 156 days ago

Ingeneous jointery. I learn something everyday in LJ’s. thanks for the tip.

-- Kip Northern Illinois ( If you don't know where your goin any road will take you there) George Harrison

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

3700 posts in 624 days


posted 156 days ago

What a great idea!

And anyone who has the patience to cut and fit all those parts has my highest admiration.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View Critterman's profile

Critterman

447 posts in 215 days


posted 156 days ago

Another great project and great idea too….I seem to be saying that a lot about your projects…LOL Another Favoite, guess I’ll have the entire collection before your done…[GRIN]

-- Jim Hallada, Chesterfield, VA

View Dick Cain's profile (online now)

Dick Cain

4413 posts in 705 days


posted 155 days ago

Thanks for sharing this, & I love the beautifully colored finish.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

8031 posts in 227 days


posted 155 days ago

That is an outstanding idea with the fake thru tenons. The innovative ideas that surface here never cease to amaze me. A bed is on my to do list (along with a number of other #1 projects. My wife doesn’t seem to understand that there are only so many hours in the day. Everything is her #1 priority and she want its NOW). I have been debating how to connect the rails and posts. This looks to be rock solid, which is what I am after.

While I am a fan of arts and crafts furniture, I don’t know if I would have the patience and perseverance to cut this many mortise and tenon joints (I count 78). I can understand why you put it down and came back to it later. After awhile it becomes a mind numbing exercise.

thanks for the post.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View DocK16's profile

DocK16

394 posts in 492 days


posted 155 days ago

The finished product was well worth the wait. Beautiful fleck in the Q saw white oak. And a very ingenious idea on the joinery or should I say pseudojoinery.

-- DocK, WV

View jcees's profile

jcees

397 posts in 204 days


posted 155 days ago

Smoooooooooooth move, my man. Nicely done. Kudos for your outstanding solution. Good looking bed too.

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

View griff's profile

griff

305 posts in 167 days


posted 155 days ago

This is a great idea, I enjoy making beds and i`m always looking for a more solid and sturdy frame .

-- Mike, Bruce Mississippi = Jack of many trades master of none

View Dan M's profile

Dan M

59 posts in 350 days


posted 155 days ago

Fantastic! Now I just need to convince the wife that the current bed frame is a little ‘tired’ ... ;-)

-- Dan M, SW Suburbs, Chicago IL -- http://www.djay-crafts.com

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8268 posts in 394 days


posted 155 days ago

Great bed! Very nice “fit and finish”.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View Dano's profile

Dano

214 posts in 437 days


posted 155 days ago

Tim,

I always check out the pictures before the text an man you had me, I looked at the through tenons and was in awe as to how well they fit, then I read the text and you burst my bubble. Neat idea!

-- Dan in Central Oklahoma, Able to turn good wood into saw dust in the blink of an eye!

View ND2ELK's profile

ND2ELK

1955 posts in 179 days


posted 155 days ago

What a beautiful bed. You did an outstanding job on it. Thanks for sharing.

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

View grovemadman's profile

grovemadman

541 posts in 177 days


posted 155 days ago

Nice bed, I’ve been wanting to make one like it for some time. I like the color of the finish you chose! Your nightstands on your next post are great too!

-- --Chuck

View Tim Pursell's profile

Tim Pursell

168 posts in 188 days


posted 155 days ago

Scott Bryan, count again there are 66 sq spindles two tenons on each—thats 132 mortice & tenons right there. The rails, top & bottom are tenoned in each end, thats 8 more. Then the side rails have BIG tenons pluged int each leg—-4 more. An even gross. Phwew, Im tired just counting them, no wonder I took a year off!! lol

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com

View JLYoung's profile

JLYoung

16 posts in 187 days


posted 155 days ago

Very nice bed. Love the heavy legs and the great joinery idea. That one never occured to me while I was building mine. I looked at the traditional bed bolts with the little dangling cap but covering it with a fake through tenon is stroke of genious. How to you like the lock miter bit. Any problems getting the setup right to make a tight joint? I’ve never used one but was considering it for the Stickley “quadrilinear post”. Any tips on it’s use?

View kordwood's profile

kordwood

8 posts in 156 days


posted 155 days ago

Beautiful work. Nicely proportioned, wonderful finish and the sideboard attachment solution ingenious. Was this your own design, from a plan or a hybrid of both?

-- David in sunny Cleveland, Oh

View Tim Pursell's profile

Tim Pursell

168 posts in 188 days


posted 155 days ago

The lock miter bit is tough to set up … but only the first time. make sure all your stock is exactly the same thickness and save some cutoffs. The next time you need to use the bit make sure your stock is a perfect match for the first run & use the old scraps to guide the setup. If for some reason you need to use a different thickness use the original guide pieces to get close & then save the new cutoffs for the next time. I have 3 sets now & setup is a breeze. I only use the lock miter on the larger pieces now, it seems overkill on anything 1 3/4” or smaller. A simple 45 is plenty strong if it’s fit tight & glued up right.

It is totaly my design. I just took the elements I liked in other arts & craft furniture & put them together.

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1704 posts in 402 days


posted 155 days ago

What a great bed! And, great idea on the through tenon cap!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

View cajunpen's profile

cajunpen

5291 posts in 471 days


posted 155 days ago

That is one sweet looking bed – the design, finish and neat joinery all come together to make one sturdy looking, beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

View Grumpy's profile

Grumpy

4097 posts in 256 days


posted 154 days ago

Nice job on the bed Tim. I am about to make my grandaughter one, with drawers underneath. Can’t believe how much wood is needed.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

View schroeder's profile

schroeder

453 posts in 531 days


posted 153 days ago

A work of art Tim! – Wonderfully executed as always! – My Mother in law just asked me last night to build her a craftsman bed, so….I’ll be stealing a few ideas from you! (working on the “copy is highest form of flattery” theory). Thanks for posting this project!
Schroeder

-- The Gnarly Wood Shoppe

View Bill Nelson's profile

Bill Nelson

32 posts in 137 days


posted 136 days ago

great looking bed,the bed sure would go with my daughter’s dresser,hopechest and night stands wy son-in law made her

-- Bill in Mich

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

2201 posts in 385 days


posted 135 days ago

Tim;

Great job. The bed looks fantastic!

Where can I buy some of this EUREKA. I sure could use that!

Very nice project.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

View Zipsss's profile

Zipsss

74 posts in 519 days


posted 135 days ago

Great idea with the magnets. Nice looking bed.

-- Zipsss

View James Early's profile

James Early

23 posts in 53 days


posted 46 days ago

Another great project, Tim. I had the same idea to use magnetic “faux tenons” on a project I am doing. I’m glad to see and hear that it works well.

-- -- Jim E., Oswego, NY. Create, have fun, and work safely!

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