Bed rails

[sandfarm]

My wife bought a solid wood headboard and metal frame years ago, before I came along.
She said that she wished she had bought the foot board and rails also.
So, I decided to make the foot board and rails to match.
Our master bed is from the same company and solid cherry also.
Except the rails. I noticed this week that the rails are made from plywood.
Question for bed makers:
Would you make the rails from solid cherry or cherry plywood?
I can see that the plywood may not warp as quick as a solid rail.
I even thought of gluing two solid linear pieces together to make stronger but don't know if it is necessary.
Thanks,
Joe

 

[Brian Patterson]

Plywood works But it might need brace piece to keep it stable - you can buy Cherry ply and add veneer to the edges.

 

[Jeff]

Dimensions of the master bed that you want to add rails and a footboard. A few pictures will help too. Is the bed a double or queen?

Choose From:

• 80" Length: The wooden part of the bed rails measures 80"L X 5-1/4" X 7/8"D. Hooks protrude 1" out from side rail at top and bottom. Total length of each rail is 82" (including hooks.)
• 82" Length: The wooden part of the bed rails measures 82"L X 5-1/4" X 7/8"D. Hooks protrude 1" out from side rail at top and bottom. Total length of each rail is 84" (including hooks.)

 

[mkepke]

I think either would work well. Personally I'd probably use solid cherry because that's what I have and a half-sheet of cherry ply would just knock around the shop.

The rails are normally connected to each other and a center support, so significant warping not much of a concern.

-Mark

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Years ago I replaced the rails on a queen size bed. I glued two pieces of 3/4" stock together, then planed it down to 1 1/4". They're still holding up.

 

[JimD]

It is important to remember that solid wood is stronger than plywood. So if you use plywood, you need to make it beefier. The main dimension that counts is the width, not the thickness. The width (height) is raised to the fourth power in the deflection equation, the thickness is not raised at all. I do this by feel but it is possible to calculate the deflection to get a feel for what will work. Here is a link to some formulas (warning, it gets into engineering jargon): Bending, Deflection and Stress Equations Calculator for Beam Supported on Both Ends Uniform Loading | Engineers Edge | www.engineersedge.com. For two adults, I would want something about 8 inches or more wide by 1 inch or more thick. I also add a support for the platform (I make only platform beds) which is glued and screwed to the rail. Usually that is a 2x4 or 2x3. That adds some stiffness too. If it was plywood, I would add at least an inch to the width and use doubled 3/4 plywood. I cheat on what I want sometimes based upon the wood I have. The issue is just deflection, not breaking. If it deflects too much, you can add a center support. So it isn't something where you have to remake the bed.

 

[JohnnyR]

I've made three beds. All using 4/4 walnut or cherry 6-8" wide. They've all held up great, and if you've seen me you would know that I exert tremendous loads. One of those had a rail that deflected in the middle but using locking end attachments for the stringers holding the mattress it worked out fine.

 

[sandfarm]

Thanks.
I have solid cherry and I will go with that.

 

[Jeff]

Thanks.
I have solid cherry and I will go with that.

Dimensions of the master bed that you want to add rails and a footboard. A few pictures will help too. Is the bed a double or queen?