Bed upgrade – day 4
Before I assemble the footboard permanently, I need to install the bed rail fasteners.
Bed rail hardware
I bought Rockler’s 6″ bed rail fasteners. I noticed a lot of mixed reviews on them. After comparing them to their reviews, I realized that all of the bad reviews were from people that had installed the receiver plate upside down. When it is done wrong, the hooks hit one of the screws, and the plates don’t line up. Just flip the plate and it works perfectly.
Locating screw holes
They look pretty straight forward to me. I need to recess a pocket with deeper recesses where the hooks insert. I found an acceptable location for the first one and used a self-centering punch to mark the screw holes.
Marking the location
With the plate screwed in place, I traced it with my knife to mark the pocket location.
Setting the bit depth
I used a 1/4″ spiral up-cut bit set to the depth of the hooks to create the hook recesses first.
Routing the deeper grooves first
Then I set the bit to a much shallower depth and cut out the pocket.
Routing the rest at a shallower depth
Pocket routed
Using a chisel, I cut out the rounded corners left by the router bit, and adjusted the pocket where needed.
Squaring up the corners
I reinstalled the screws and tested the hook plate.
First one done
Both footboard posts complete
I repeated the process on the second footboard post as well as the headboard posts.
Headboard posts done as well
Sanding the finished areas to receive glue
I wanted to work on the posts while I could still fit them on my bench. Now that the hardware is installed, I can glue up the rest of the footboard.
Applying glue to the tenons
I applied glue to the tenons on the extensions and attached them to the posts.
Mounted the extensions first
Next I applied the glue to the side tenons on the footboard and slid the post and extension onto them.
Applying glue to the existing tenons
I don’t have clamps large enough to clamp up the entire footboard so I shot some brads through the tenons to prevent the joints from pulling apart while the glue was drying.
Brad nails to hold the tenons in place while they dry
I applied glue to the back side of the support beams and clamped them in place.
Attaching the support beams
Clamped and nailed
While the glue was drying I shot a bunch of brad nails through them as well.
Footboard assembled
This should all come together nicely once I have applied stain, but for now I will set this part aside and move on to the headboard.
Left side extension
Oh well, its past midnight again, and I have to be up at 5:00 AM tomorrow.
Right side extension
Midnight Woodworking 
This project comes at a great time as I am getting ready to make a Queen size bed frame, complete with head and foot boards. I read a lot of reviews on products that I am planing to buy. Sometimes the negative reviews will give me pause until I remember, you can’t please everybody, so I just go with the majority. Nice project. I can’t wait to see it stained.
I am glad I can help. I did a bit of research before selecting those connectors as well. They install easily with a router. I experimented with recessing them with the chisel, but I started splitting things where I didn’t want to…