Shaker_Four_Poster_Bed.pdf

Shaker 4-posted design Bed

The bed presented here is a variation of a Shaker 4-posted design, often called a

pencil-post bed because of the thin octagonal posts. The bed looks good in

contemporary homes, but its origins are in the Middle Ages, when canopied beds

came into use. At that time, woven tapestries were often draped over a heavy

frame for both decorative and practical effect because they kept the occupants

warm in the absence of efficient heating systems.

Our plans accommodate a queen-size mattress without needing a box spring. If

you want to use a box spring, position the framework to yield the proper bed

height.

Materials List

Pencil-post bed

Key No.

Size and Description (use)

A 4

2 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 80" cherry (post)

B 1

1 x 16 x 60 3/4" cherry (headboard)

C 2

1 1/4 x 6 1/2 x 60 3/4" cherry (end rail)

D 2

1 1/4 x 6 1/2 x 80 3/4" cherry (side rail)

E 2

1 x 5 x 58 1/4" poplar (end support rail)

F 2

1 x 5 x 79" poplar (side support rail)

G 2

1 3/8 x 4 x 80 3/4" poplar (side support)

H 14

3/4 x 5 x 60 3/4" maple (slat)

Misc:

8 No. 6021 bed bolt covers

8 no. 6010 bed bolts

1 No. 6012 wrench from

Paxton Hardware

7818 Bradshaw Rd.

PO Box 256

Upper Falls, MD 21156

4 No. 31823 cross dowels from

Woodworker's Store

21801 Industrial Blvd.

Rogers, MN 55374

4 1/4-20 flat head screws

1 1/4" No. 8 flat head screws

2" No. 8 flat head screws

Watco Danish Oil Finish

4/0 Steel wool

varnish

The Posts

Begin by preparing the blanks for the bedposts.

Glue up stock if necessary, then joint, rip and

crosscut the blanks to 2 3/4 in. wide €

Use a long straightedge to lay out the tapers on

each side of the posts ( Photo 1 ). The taper on

the inside edge of the headboard posts begins

15 in. higher than the other tapers. This allows

for a square joint with the headboard.

Lay out and cut the mortises in each post at this

point -- it's easier to do this now, while the posts

are straight, than after the tapers are cut. The

quickest way to cut the post mortises is by using

a plunge router with a 1/2-in.-dia. straight bit.

Clamp the workpiece between bench dogs, and

use an edge guide on the router to make the cut

( Photo 2 ). Cut each mortise in two or three

passes to avoid overloading the router. After

making each cut, use a sharp chisel to chop the

mortise square ( Photo 3 ).

1 Rip and crosscut the post blanks, and

use a long straightedge to mark the taper.

Also mark the mortise positions.

To make the bed easier to move, its joints are

bolted together rather than glued. This

construction requires that you bore a hole

through the mortise bottoms and bore a matching

hole into the tenons on the rails and headboard.

Use the drill press to bore the 3/8-in.-dia. holes

through the rail mortises and the 1/4-in.-dia.

holes through the post mortises for the

headboard.

2 Cut the post mortises before sawing the

tapers. Use a plunge router or bore out

the mortises on the drill press.

Use the band saw to cut the tapers on each post.

Note that the tapers are also marked on the

posts' ends ( Photo 4 ). Cut two tapers, then use

the marks on the ends of the posts to draw the

tapers on the newly sawed surfaces. Also, use a

roller stand or have a second person help you

when sawing the tapers. The posts are simply

too long to saw without support. Use a sharp and

finely set hand plane to smooth the cut surfaces

and to refine the tapers ( Photo 5 ).

3 Clamp the posts firmly to the bench,

and chop the ends of the post mortises

square using a sharp chisel.

Next, use a Forstner or multispur bit to

counterbore the bolt holes on the outside surface

of each post ( Photo 6 ). Then use a countersink

of each post ( Photo 6 ). Then use a countersink

to recess the holes for the headboard screws.

Cut the 3/8-in.-wide chamfers along the tapered

edges of each post using a chamfer bit in the

router. The chamfers on the inside post corners

run the length of the post, while the remaining

chamfers are stopped just above the point where

the rails join the post. Use a sharp plane or chisel

to cut the chamfers at the top of each post.

4 Saw two tapers, then use the marks on

the ends of the posts to redraw the tapers

on the sawed surfaces.

5 Smooth the sawed surfaces and refine

the taper with a hand plane. Set the plane

to take a fine shaving.

6 Counterbore the bed bolt holes and

headboard screwholes in the posts. Use

a Forstner bit in the drill press.

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