I love everything about wooden beds except for the creaking which typically comes from where the rails join the head and foot boards. In an attempt to eliminate, or at least minimize, this annoyance I joined the rails along the outer edge of the head and footboards using a single 16 degree though dovetail. To keep the rails attached I installed a pair of brass threaded inserts into each post and secured the rails with flat head stainless steel screws and finishing washers.
While I believe I did a fair job at cutting these, considering they were my first attempt at dovetails, they did not come out quite as tight as I had hoped but I found the pair of 1/4 inch diameter machine screws to be more than adequate at keeping them securely in place.
