| Project by Dorje | posted 601 days ago | 2887 views | 16 times favorited | 27 comments | ![]() |
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I finished up this Cherry (queen) platform bed yesterday…Poplar is the secondary wood. There is no headboard, I might eventually build one, but right now we wanted the platform. So, the two leg assemblies are pretty much the same. Legs are 2 1/2” square from solid 12/4 stock. Rails and stretchers are 1 1/4 thick, 6” wide and 8” wide, respectively. The stretchers join with the legs via mortise and tenon joints drawbored with walnut pins. Each tenon was notched in the middle, and cut into two separate tenons to allow room for expansion and contraction, versus, one 6” wide tenon.
This all took more time than I thought it would from the get go (story of our lives, eh?), but came together fairly well. I used this type of fastener to connect the rails to the legs:

Here are the mortises for the fasteners in the legs and ends of the rails:


Although, you don’t have to use a center rail and leg on a queen, I decided to do it because I used 3/4” stock for the slats.
I used this type of center rail hardware to make assembly dissassembly easy:

Here’s what that looks like installed on my bed:

And, the center leg; I used a 1” dowel to give the screw from above some long grain to hold onto. I used this same technique at the ends of the rails (though that took three at each end):

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































27 comments so far
trifern
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7890 posts in 646 days
posted 601 days ago
Very cool bed. I love the grain pattern on the footboard. Good job.
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.
Damian Penney
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1022 posts in 870 days
posted 601 days ago
Looks great Dorje, I used the same rail hardware on the boatbed. Love the cherry, really warm looking, what finish did you use?
-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso
Dorje
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1768 posts in 876 days
posted 601 days ago
I used Tried and True oil varnish – It’s really thick, so I heat it up and it’s a tad bit easier to apply. I really like the stuff…and low to no VOCs…
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
Mike Lingenfelter
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457 posts in 993 days
posted 601 days ago
Wow, nicely done! Now that you have the base done, you just have to do the headboard now :).
-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/
darryl
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1374 posts in 1205 days
posted 601 days ago
looks very nice, you did a great job.
a bed frame is on my list of projects.
-- ~ www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com ~ www.woodworkingdungeon.blogspot.com ~
Eric
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784 posts in 662 days
posted 601 days ago
Very nice! Great pics, too. I have a few questions:
1. With your split tenons, do you have 2 mortises or just one? How big is the gap between the tenons?
2. When drawboring, is there a tiny bit of space left at the end of the tenon (the top), between it and the bottom of the mortise? I think I’ll never really get drawboring (the mechanics of it) until I try it out. I understand the principle of it.
3. How are your cleats attached to the stretchers? We’ve had bed issues here in Malaysia (maybe cuz we’re so big compared to Malaysians?) that I’ve always been paranoid about understrength cleats/stretchers. In fact, when I built my son’s bed, the cleats are secured to the side stretchers with glue and about 30 screws! Ha! A sheet of 3/4” plywood sits on top of it, and I could probably jump up and down on it with no effect.
Thanks for sharing!
-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com
Scott Bryan
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20080 posts in 701 days
posted 601 days ago
Hi Dorje,
This is a nice bed. You can’t go wrong with cherry. I love the wood. The tapered legs lighten the bed and the walnut pins add a nice detail to the piece.
I have been assigned a bed (along with numerous other projects that are all #1) so I may borrow a few of your ideas if you don’t mind.
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.
Lee A. Jesberger
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3709 posts in 858 days
posted 601 days ago
Hey Dorje;
You’re doing some really fine work. The workmanship is superb, as is your attention to detail.
Beautiful!
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
cajunpen
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5970 posts in 945 days
posted 601 days ago
Dorje that’s a beautiful bed. The cherry is really nice and the finish just makies it look even better. That head and foot board will only make it better.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
Tom Adamski
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309 posts in 650 days
posted 601 days ago
Dorje,
The simplicity is great. It brings out the quality of the craftsmanship. I too use the Tried and True, but never thought about heating it up… the stuff is as thick as maple syrup…
Thanks for the tip.
Tom
-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.
Douglas Bordner
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3415 posts in 942 days
posted 601 days ago
The wood is really splendid, the finish is warm and beautiful, and it will only age to a better and more mellow hue. I agree with Scott about the leg conformation, and like the subtle chamfer at the top of the legs. How did you mortise in the hardware on the long rails?. It’s got to be tough to secure that long a timber and work endgrain.
Really looks good, Dorje.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
Dorje
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1768 posts in 876 days
posted 601 days ago
Eric- It’s just one big mortise. Splitting the tenons was an along-the-way decision. The twin tenons are pinned right in the center of each of them. I think I cut out 1” between the two. Also, if I understand the question re: the space at the end of the tenon…then, yes, the mortise is about 1/16”-1/8” deeper than the length of the tenon. That would be standard practice, whether you draw bore or not. The cleats were affixed like yours! Glue and screws!
Scott – most of my ideas are not really mine, just a composite of borrowed ideas…
Douglas – I can’t recall exactly how I did it! It was a couple months ago now, but I know that I routed out the mortise on the end grain with the rails in the face vise, the ends pointing up at me at an angle. I think I used the plunge router with a fence to waste the bulk of the mortise to the right depth and cut out the rest with a chisel. Getting the right depth so the rails would lock into the legs and close up tight took a little fussing around with test mortises.
Thanks for all the comments guys!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
GaryK
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9496 posts in 867 days
posted 601 days ago
Very nice simple clean lines. Great contruction.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
Tony
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808 posts in 909 days
posted 600 days ago
Thank for posting this – it has given me some inspiration on a project I am currently working on.
Simple clean lines, but nice detail – a winner
-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)
jm82435
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502 posts in 621 days
posted 600 days ago
I don’t remember seeing the cross dowel technique to avoid screwing into endgrain before. Hopefully I will remember that trick next time I have that issue. Great looking bed. Thanks for posting.
-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever...
rikkor
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11338 posts in 753 days
posted 600 days ago
That is a very good explanation of how you built the bed. It looks really nice.
Dorje
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1768 posts in 876 days
posted 600 days ago
Thanks guys – now I’m wondering what Tony’s thinking!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
Jarrod Zion Murphree
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347 posts in 602 days
posted 599 days ago
Dude, that is a sweeeeeeeet bed, and that second picture looks like it could have been in a Thos. Moser catalog… Wicked nice job.
-- Jarrod, Taos, NM http://jzmurphree.wordpress.com/
Bill Butler
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73 posts in 642 days
posted 597 days ago
Nice work, love the crisp lines. It is inspirational for me as I too am looking to make a bed frame and I now have a ton (quite literally) of cherry.
Can you tell us about the finish you put on. It looks great.
Thanks,
Bill.
Dorje
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1768 posts in 876 days
posted 596 days ago
Bill – the finish is Tried and True varnish oil…
http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
damnHippie
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29 posts in 654 days
posted 592 days ago
Great work man! Good craftsmanship.
-- 10 fingers, 2 eyes, and healthy lungs. for now. :P
Joe Brumley
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63 posts in 661 days
posted 589 days ago
Dorje, that is a really beautiful piece. I love the simplicity with no headboard. I bet it adds a nice aesthetic to the room without overwhelming it. Also makes for a more restful environment. All of the pieces sound like they are very stout but look very well proportioned. I have been toying with building a platform bed for quite some time now and this has given me some more inspiration.
-- Joe, Indiana, http://www.crookedshack.com
Napaman
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3421 posts in 956 days
posted 589 days ago
very nice…thanks for all the extra picts and descriptions…i love the wood…and the legs…
-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...
Steffen
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251 posts in 914 days
posted 546 days ago
Very nice Dorje…I have a bed on my list of projects. I love simple yet beautiful furniture.
-- Steffen
John Gray
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1723 posts in 764 days
posted 543 days ago
Super nice!!!! Love that cherry.
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
matt garcia
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682 posts in 551 days
posted 539 days ago
Yes, I have a platform bed in my future. Yours is awesome!! Love that cherry, and the finish looks very clear, not too yellow like Armor Seal, or Tung oil. Just a beautiful bed!!
-- Matt, Houston Texas
Sonny
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110 posts in 732 days
posted 341 days ago
very nice and clean…..........