Any good ideas for fitting bed bolts?

[Andy Pullen]

I am looking for some inspiration for the fitting of the dowel nut type bolts used for assembling beds. I need a good way of being able to drill thru the corner post and into the rail yet still hit where the dowel nut is located reliably.
Only get one chance at this, any ideas.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Tintin]

Last time I went into bed shop where they use these, i found at least one bed where the bolt has split the rail end..and they hadn't even been used yet! Couldn't you use a different method?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Rather than drilling the end of the rail, it's easier to rout a groove, then rout a rebate over the groove to make a stepped channel, then glue a cover into the wider upper area. You are left with a square hole that is dead straight.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Woodcrafts]

As Tintin suggests why not try another method, such as bed connecting brackets.
Isaac Lord (among others) have a range. See isaaclord.co.uk and search under bed fittings and mechanisms.

 

[JonnyD]

I usually drill a hole in the end of the rail using a hand router with a high speed router dowel drill bit. The smooth plunge of the router allows the hole to be drilled exactly straight. I usually lay the rail on its side on the bench and use a doulble fence system on the router and hold the router on its side. If the hole isnt deep enough you can deepen it with a normal drill.

I think using the bolts is probably the best way to clamp a bed together and if done properley you shouldnt have any problems much better than bed brackets in my opinion.

jon

 

[Bodrighy]

Last time I went into bed shop where they use these, i found at least one bed where the bolt has split the rail end..and they hadn't even been used yet! Couldn't you use a different method?

Ours split the other night. The size of the bed frame, width and thickness plus the quality of the wood it surprises me that it took 4 years to go. Mind, as I get older it doesn't get quite as much stress as it used to :lol:

Pete

 

[Andy Pullen]

Well in the end I got my lathe and mill to work and made some 12mm thick semi circular clamping blocks let into the rail ends to run an M8 bolt thru. Fitted carefully that seem to work a treat.

Thanks for the input

Andy