best method to mitre cut board

[Marton Czebe]

hi group,

as my very first serious WW project, I'm planning to build a bed. I'd be keen on using the knowledge and experience of the group to avoid serious (and costly) mistakes.

The first problem where I'm stuck: How to cut 45 degree mitres on the ends of a 90 x 7.8 x 1.5 inch board, along the height of 7.8 inches with a 1.5 inch thickness?

Note that I'm almost a complete beginner, but still, I don't want to go with mortise and tenon joint.

The boards are beech, I have handtools, bandsaw, plunge router.

Should I take it to a pro with a router table, or are there other ways?

Thanks for your input: Marton Czebe

[Tom]

Marton wrote: >hi group,

How about a 7.25 inch circular saw and a guide? Tom Work at your leisure!

[TeamCasa]

Marton

Learn to do the mortise and tenon. Miters are not typically strong enough for a bed. You can also use the loose tenon joint witht the tools you already have.

Dave

[Preston Andreas]

I suggest you get the book, "Beds", by Jeff Miller and rethink your joinery. Consider making a knockdown bed frame. The knockdown hardware can be mortised into the headboard and footboard with your router. The only joinery will be on the headboard and footboard. Although best done with mortise and tenon (easily done with your router and bandsaw and a jig), you can also use dowel joinery. this eliminates weak miter joints and gives you a quality, traditional bed.

[Marton Czebe]

Thanks for your responses guys. My initial idea was to use pillars instead of bedposts and attach the siderails to those. I don't want a traditional siderails+bedpost bed. side view:

-- | | | | side rail sits on the rebate on the outside of pillar (7.8x7.8) below: | | -- |-------| | | ~4 inch high rebate ---| | | | | | |----------|

they'd be glued+dowel joined (the mitres as well) Would that be a strong enough joint, or shall I rethink my design?

thanks: Marton

[Preston Andreas]

At first it will be. However, it sounds like you have a crossgrain situation with the rails and the pillars. Over time, expansion/contraction and racking forces may well compromise the glued and dowelled connection between the rail and the pillar.

Preston

[George]

Dave is right. Learn to do a mortise and tenon. A bed is subject to way too much stress to use a weak joint. The mortise and tenon is the strongest. For the side rails, you should get special hardware made specifically for joining the side rails to the head and footboard. Rockler.com is a good source.

If you still don't want to use mortise and tenon, I would think a #20 double biscuit would be strong enough. If you are going to use screws, be sure to design it so you are not screwing into end grain as it will not have sufficient strength.

George

Marton

[Bill Rogers]

True. Well, mine is anyhow. :-)

Bill.

[bridger]

sounds really embarrassing. just about the time you get a good rythm going the nice bed that you so proudly showed off falls apart....

[dteckie]

I am trully humbled by the wealth of knowledge in this NG. Info you cannot get anywhere else. Kudos to all