biscuit joiner VS dowels

[jtomwoods]

I made a king size headboard this past summer. I opted to use a hand-held router and used mortise and tenon joints. My stiles were 4 in. square oak (mortises), and the rails were 2 in. x 4 in. oak (tenons). I made a small jig to center the mortises in the stiles and made about four or five passes with a plunge router. I made another jig to cut the tenons. This also took several passes with a plunge router. I thought about using loose tenon joinery, but I couldn't figure out how to rout mortises in the rails which were about 80 in. long. Nonetheless, loose tenons would have worked if I could have done it.
The headboard is solid as a rock.

[Ed in Tampa]

Hi,

If I'm reading this right you are talking about the joints between the head/foot board and the rails, and if so please thing about the following.

Rockler and other like stores sell several systems for doing this, all that allow you to take the joint apart. There are bolts (99277), bed rail hooks (38606) bed rail fasteners (30247) (28589) (28597)... all numbers from the rockler catalog page 66 current catalog.

I would strongly advise using a method that lets you disassemble those joints for anytime you might need to move the bed. That might be in the case of actual moving to another house or even if you need to get new carpet in the room. At least think about how you will get the bed into the room after you have made it... remember the story about the guy who builds this boat in the basement...

Ed

I second Reible's advice, there are many excellent connectors on the market made specifically for this purpose. If you glue the headboard and footboard to the rails that bed is going to be in that room until you either cut it apart or remove a wall to take it out.
Most of the connectors will make a stronger joint than is needed and they allow the bed to be broken down, moved and reassembled quickly and easily. Use connectors.

[charlese]

I am pretty sure dlbristol is talking about connecting the rails to the stiles(posts) for the head board and foot board only. Since he has plans for the bed he is making, again, I'm pretty sure it shows a "breakdown" system of removing the bed rails from the head and foot.

A note to dlbristol - since you are going to be making a Mission stile bed - have you given thought as to how the vertical slats will be joined into the head and foot boards? This is assuming you will be having slats something like the ones shown in this link. http://www.woodprojects.com/fd-726.htm

There are Mission style beds that have panels rather than slats, but the stiles of the panel construction also have to be joined to the rails.

Anyway, while you are thinking bout how to connect (join) the posts, also plan (give thought) to the connection joints of the slats or panels. You may also be able to do these with dowels. However if your plans show making a groove and fillers between slats - this is a favored method. You will need several clamps for this method.

This discussion takes me back to a headboard I made in pre-Shopsmith days. I cut individual mortises for the vertical slats in the top and bottom rails, then glued them in putting the top rail on last. I wouldn't do this again on a bet!!

[dlbristol]

Well, I am never sorry I ask a question on this forum! You guys figured out what plan I was using from my tortured descriptions of one joint. This set of plans comes with no specific instructions. They say study the plans until you know them and then plan your work. The thinking is if you problem solve, then you can always build. ( might be a bit optimistic in my case, but I like a challenge) . The vertical slats are still " in the thought progress" They are 1/2 in thick, so I don't think dowels are a good option. I have mortise chisels, so I can do them that way. I have done that on a rocking chair and aligning them on two boards was not easy. I have also seen the groove and filler method and it seems promising on the repeatability issue. My original question was about the head an foot boards. I am using the hardware on the side rails from Rockler. This plan has a 3/4 in dowel placed vertically in the side rail to provide a more solid place for the hardware screws. Totally new idea for me. #2 Daughter will probably move around as a missionary Doctor, so it has to be portable. Thanks guys!!!