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Step 7Headboard
A platform bed doesn't have to have a headboard. But the bed I liked had one -- and I had all of this beautiful free solid wood :)
The first task is to make a template. I had a very good idea of what I wanted. I knew how high the bed would float and how far above that the mattress would sit. So, using door skin scraps -- we glued together a template that would make the two sides of the headboard. See picture 1.
I don't have a cross section.... but, the headboard sides is made of plywood and end cap wood stuff epoxied together. The sides themselves were cut in three places -- lower (no angled portion) the lower top (angled portion) and the top. This was a design constraint so that the thing would fit in a moving van :P The sides were made as whole pieces -- then cut afterwards (for uniformity)
Cutting the angled area on the right angle -- according to the template
Want to see a cool trick? Place a true piece of wood on your table saw (you may need to move the fence). Then tape the angled portion of the template to the wood. Now -- using the wood as your fence -- feed the back side of the piece you wish to cut through the saw.
Now -- cut perpendicular to your angled cut at the base of the cut.
The end result is a board with the correct angle and a clean front edge.
Now we need to add our horizontal slats. To do this, a groove as wide as the slats was cut in the side boards. This was done by running the boards on the table saw (set at a very shallow depth). See 6th picture.
Next the slats (made by epoxying 1/4" plywood to the end cap wood) were placed in the groove and glued in place. To further secure the slats, blocks were nailed to the slats and side boards. See 7th Picture.
For even spacing, two spacers were made to ensure even gaps. See third picture.
Finally - the headboard was placed upright and clamped. As a final touch -- a top piece was added and a shelf (at the the base of the angled portion) was added. 8th picture.
The first task is to make a template. I had a very good idea of what I wanted. I knew how high the bed would float and how far above that the mattress would sit. So, using door skin scraps -- we glued together a template that would make the two sides of the headboard. See picture 1.
I don't have a cross section.... but, the headboard sides is made of plywood and end cap wood stuff epoxied together. The sides themselves were cut in three places -- lower (no angled portion) the lower top (angled portion) and the top. This was a design constraint so that the thing would fit in a moving van :P The sides were made as whole pieces -- then cut afterwards (for uniformity)
Cutting the angled area on the right angle -- according to the template
Want to see a cool trick? Place a true piece of wood on your table saw (you may need to move the fence). Then tape the angled portion of the template to the wood. Now -- using the wood as your fence -- feed the back side of the piece you wish to cut through the saw.
Now -- cut perpendicular to your angled cut at the base of the cut.
The end result is a board with the correct angle and a clean front edge.
Now we need to add our horizontal slats. To do this, a groove as wide as the slats was cut in the side boards. This was done by running the boards on the table saw (set at a very shallow depth). See 6th picture.
Next the slats (made by epoxying 1/4" plywood to the end cap wood) were placed in the groove and glued in place. To further secure the slats, blocks were nailed to the slats and side boards. See 7th Picture.
For even spacing, two spacers were made to ensure even gaps. See third picture.
Finally - the headboard was placed upright and clamped. As a final touch -- a top piece was added and a shelf (at the the base of the angled portion) was added. 8th picture.
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