Log bed building, from forest to furniture

      My love of woodworking was inherited from my father and developed in Mr. Maynard’s junior high wood shop.  Both of these men taught me how to plan, design, construct and finish everything from birdhouses to tree forts.  Upon moving to northern Michigan, a co-worker introduced me to rustic woodworking.  The first piece of furniture he showed me how to craft was a rustic cedar log bed.  Cedar log beds are a good first project for the beginning rustic furniture crafter. 

      

      When setting out to craft a queen size, rustic log bed, there are many choices to be made.  The choices of wood are as varied as the trees in the forest.  Whichever type of wood is chosen, ensure the logs are completely dry.  If they are not completely dry, the bed could fall apart as the pieces shrink.  The logs will vary in size based on the part they will play in the construction.  Logs used for the head and foot board post will need to be about six inches in diameter.  These logs should be ones that have character, such as limbs protruding or interesting knots.  The logs used for the rails should be a minimum of four inches in diameter.  The logs for the spindles should also have some character and be about two or three inches in diameter. 

There are several safety precautions that should be taken before beginning.  First, proper eye and ear protections are a must since you will be using hand and power tools.  Second, get to know the tools and their correct usage by reviewing the owner’s manuals.  Finally, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings to avoid injury.     

    Since the logs will most likely have some bark, the next step is to prepare the logs according to the desired style of bed.  There are many styles, such as bark on, hand-hewn, sanded and weathered, all of which bring out the wood’s natural beauty.  Since I prefer hand-hewn, semi-sanded logs, that is the method that will be discussed here.  The term ‘hand-hewn’ refers to the method of log preparation and processing.  With the use of traditional tools, combined with modern methods, production speed is greatly increased.  The process is accomplished in several smaller steps.  To start, a draw knife, which is a blade between two handles that is pulled or drawn across the logs, is needed.  In addition, a way to hold the log in place, such as a helper or shaving mule is required.  Although it sounds silly, a shaving mule, which requires no shaving cream, is an excellent way to increase efficiency.  Once the log is held firmly in place, the draw knife is used to remove the bark.  Care is needed at this point not to overwork the log and deform its shape.  Once all the logs have their bark removed, they are ready to be cut to the proper lengths.  Sanding will come later. 

      At this point, the logs are cut into the various lengths for each part.  The headboard consists of two post four feet in height, eight spindles thirty-six inches in height and two rails five feet in length.  The footboard is made of similar pieces; however, their lengths are two post three feet in height, eight spindles twenty-four inches in height, and the two rails are five feet also.  Two side rails are also needed to join the headboard and footboard together.  They each need to be seven feet long.  Once all these logs are cut, they must be sanded smooth either by hand or with the help of an orbital sander.

      In order to join the spindles to the rails and the rails to the post, tenons and mortises must be made.  Tenons are made with the use of a tenon cutter.  Tenons can either be formed using a draw knife or by mechanical means.  The most efficient way is the use of a tenon cutter, which shapes the end of the logs into round pegs.  The tenon cutter works like a pencil sharpener in that the log's end is turned until it is smaller in diameter than the rest of the log.  The side and head rails require a two-inch tenon on each end, while the spindles require a one-inch tenon.  The mortises are made by mechanical means via a Forstner bit attached to a drill motor.  Each headboard post needs mortises at twenty-six inches and another directly above it at forty-four inches.  The footboard post requires mortises at fifteen inches and thirty-two inches directly above it.  All four require a mortise at twelve inches from the floor, which is ninety degrees from the other two mortises.  The headboard and footboard rails require mortises on the top and bottom rails for each spindle.  It is critical that these top and bottom mortises line up with each other.  Measure and layout the location of the eight mortises, spacing them an equal distant apart.  Ensure that the drill is perpendicular to the rail, otherwise the spindles will not fit properly.  Drill the mortises approximately two-inches deep.

      With all the tenons and mortises completed, the bed is ready to be dry fit together.  This step is critical and cannot be skipped.  Make sure everything fits tightly and double check the dimensions.  Nobody wants their mattress to fall on the floor in the middle of the night.  If you find that the fit is too tight, then sand the tenon until the pieces fit together.  Once final adjustments have been made via sanding or cutting, check one last time for size.  The opening between side rails should measure less than fifty-five inches, since a queen size mattress measures sixty inches wide.  Also the dimension from headboard to footboard should be eighty inches, which is the length of a queen size mattress.  Once these dimensions are correct, disassemble the bed. 

Now it’s time to glue.  The glue of choice is Titebond Original Wood Glue.  The manufacturer states, “It provides a strong initial tack and fast speed of set to reduce clamp time. It also develops a bond stronger than the wood itself, offers excellent sandability and is unaffected by finishes.  Titebond Original is easy to use, non-toxic and cleans up with water.” (Franklin International).  Start by coating the inside of the mortises on the headboard rails with glue.  A small bristle brush works nicely for this job.  Place each spindle inside the mortise, use a soft rubber mallet if needed to ‘persuade’ each into its ‘home.’  Repeat this step for the other rail, being careful not to apply too much glue.  If too much glue is added, it can easily be wiped up with a damp cloth.  The post can be attached to the ladder assembly in the same manner.  Clamping or persuasion with the mallet may be required.  The glue will cause the wood to swell like a sponge, so work fast otherwise the tenon may not fit.  Repeat the above sequence for the footboard as well.  Once the glue has dried, finish with the top coat of your choice.

There are several ways to use the rails to join the head and footboards.  You could glue them; however, it would be difficult to move the bed later to another room or house.  That’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem.  One method would be to use lag bolts through the head and foot boards and cover the lag heads with wood plugs.  While that would work, it does take away from the esthetic beauty of the bed.  The ideal way is to use a crisscross of two lengths of aircraft cable from one corner to the other.  The cables run diagonally from one post to another using eye hooks. A set of turnbuckles in the centers is used to tighten the aircraft cables.

After following these steps, the new rustic log bed is ready to be enjoyed.  A good night's sleep never felt better than on hand-crafted furniture.