How would you fix?

[CrealBilly]

I built this bed 8 years ago, before I had my sawmill and could saw my own lumber. It's is made out of 5/4 very low grade WO, that I bought from a local sawmiller. As you can see the lumber was not kiln dried but I did air dry it for a good year and 1/2 in my shop before I worked it into the bed. The panels are floating T&G and are obviously now dry Since the panels have shrunk, I need to tighten them up. How would you go about do it? I don't want to trash the bed it's grown up 2 daughters and will become my granddaughters bed when she gets old enough for it.

Good lesson here... only use good grade kiln dried lumber for furniture. Or let it acclimate to the house or climate controled shop and get a good moisture meter (none of which I did)

Thanks

 

[TracyP]

So why would you want to fix it? That is like re-doing antiques. If you redo them, are they really antiques anymore?

 

[DaveO]

The best way I can think of to make it right again would be to cut the top and bottom rails from the posts. Free the panel slats, adding a spacer to take up some of the side to side gapping (or your saw kerf might make up the difference). Then you could re-attach the rails to the posts using loose tenons and space them a little closer together to make up for the gapping at the top.

Man you got a whole lot of shrinkage going on there. You might want to do the reconstruction in the summer so you don't end up with any expansion issues once you tighten everything up.
Dave

 

[CrealBilly]

The best way I can think of to make it right again would be to cut the top and bottom rails from the posts. Free the panel slats, adding a spacer to take up some of the side to side gapping (or your saw kerf might make up the difference). Then you could re-attach the rails to the posts using loose tenons and space them a little closer together to make up for the gapping at the top.

Man you got a whole lot of shrinkage going on there. You might want to do the reconstruction in the summer so you don't end up with any expansion issues once you tighten everything up.
Dave

I think you can see it clearer on the footboard.

There is a ton of shrinkage, air dried oak at least I was smart enough to float the panels else I'm sure they all would have split. I don't want to try and take the bed apart I remember those tendons were glued in place to withstand a explosion. I like your Idea of floating tendons - I didn't think of that... Thanks Dave

 

[FredP]

I'm dealing with the same issues.:gar-Cr you could cut out the back side of the dadoes turning them into rabbets remove the panels and glue them to some 1/4" plywood and add to the ends whatever is needed then put them back in the headboard from the rear. you might have to add some strips to the top and bottom rails to make up for the length loss.:widea: or you could buy a lathe and make spindles to replace the slats!:gar-La;

 

[CrealBilly]

Prozac. its whats for dinner!

Come on out and run the sawmill for a while you'll forget all about your troubles

 

[FredP]

Come on out and run the sawmill for a while you'll forget all about your troubles

:rotflm: after lookin at the closups I had another thought but lost it..... oh yeh thats it! could you cut out the panels and build em into a picture frame? fixing can be more mind boggeling than just starting over sometimes.:gar-La;

 

[merrill77]

I would push the slats to the edges, leaving a gap in the middle. I'd then fill the gap with something, maybe just in the groove, to keep them from moving back (leaving a little space for movement, of course. I'd then put a fake stile in the middle, so it would look like it was designed to be two separate floating panels. last I'd add some trim around the inside edges of both panels to cover the edges completely, particularly at the top where you can see the panel tenons.

my 2c
Chris

 

[CrealBilly]

Thanks Chris that's another option that I didn't think of

 

[CaptnA]

Jeff how much total gap do you have at the top and bottom of the tenons? You might be able to put a collar/accent piece ( or just a spacer) in the mortises.

 

[Robert Arrowood]

Could you set the panels at even gaps and cut a contrasting wood to fill them with?:dontknow: Or leave it like it is that way you grandaughter can really say that was her moms bed that paw paw made:gar-Bi.

 

[CrealBilly]

Jeff how much total gap do you have at the top and bottom of the tenons? You might be able to put a collar/accent piece ( or just a spacer) in the mortises.

gap is approx 3/16" top and bottom and 1/4 on the sides

 

[Rob]

Could you just push all the slats together, and add trim all the way around to hide the gap? Gluing the trim to the frame would allow the slats to still be free floating. Maybe use a darker wood to make it look like a design accent instead of a fix.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Surround it all with bead or cockbead molding.
Or wait a couple more years for them to shrink to a 'fall out' size.
Or, if you're in a hurry; let my grandson sleep in it one night!

 

[LeftyTom]

Surround it all with bead or cockbead molding.
Or wait a couple more years for them to shrink to a 'fall out' size.
Or, if you're in a hurry; let my grandson sleep in it one night!

Options 1 is fastest. Option 3 I am not sure about :rotflm:

 

[CaptnA]

I looked at a similar piece that had a bit more gap. This worked and might on yours okay. If you put a piece of 3/16" fill (just a thin strip of wood) in the bottom mortise, it will raise the top to be about normal. You will have pieces at the bottom that sticks up proud. This can be covered with a 3/16" piece of matching trim (another thin strip of wood). By raising the bottom the mattress/boxsprings will effectively cover the adjustment. Least on the one I checked. If you look yes, it has been modified. With the headboard up to a wall, except for a thin strip of wood on the bottom of the outside at the foot board there isn't anything to notice unless the bed is taken apart. Looking forward to seeing what you wind up doing!

 

[CrealBilly]

here's what the footboard looks like with the panels separated in the middle and pushed all the way down, a 1/2" x 1 3/8" gap

 

[PeteQuad]

OK just thinking out loud, but I suppose you could try putting some kind of beading all the way around and in between the panels, sort of framing them. Would be a lot of work though...

 

[FredP]

7_ 3/16" [roughly] strips fit between the panels to space them apart whatever thickness to make them flush with the panels and a top and bottom trim to hide the tenons. you would have to do both sides of the footboard and the one side [or both sides] of the headboard. walnut would look great and we all know how much you like walnut!:gar-La;

 

[cpowell]

The center gap filler is pretty easy. Cut a panel piece to fit into the center gap. Make the insert piece almost as thick as the frame so it appears to be a frame member. Shorten and round the tongue on your insert piece and glue the backside of the new piece to the tongue that is exposed in your pic. Once dry you can glue the back mating piece onto your new piece. The glue will simply hold two center pieces together so eventual moisture movement will not cause a problem. A sharp hand plane will allow you to make a good fit pretty quickly.

If you want a design detail/accent then you can use a secondary wood but it may be easier to use oak and STAIN to match the original. :gar-La;

Depending on your finish, gluing on a top and bottom molding strip could be a challenge. If it's poly then sanding in place to get a FLAT glue surface will be a PAIN. A side rabbet plane would be nice here if you had one http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=60012&cat=1,41182

DaveO's idea sounds extreme but may very well be the easiest solution once you go for it. If your original tenons are long then you'll have a good surface for long grain glue up on the new false tenons.


Chuck