mission style queen size headboard

[rickd]

hi,

here are a couple of pics of the mission style headboard i just competed:



i made the headboard using White Ash and finished it with Watco Danish Oil



now, on to the next bedroom project - a matching nightstand.

[Warren]

I'm impressed. I was gonna ask about plans but, I see your web site has that covered.

Nice work!

[bigfoot15]

Nice work Rick.
Great work on the website too. It looks like you've spent a lot of time on it over the last month.

[Popeye]

Ohhh that's super nice Rick. Got other matching pieces coming? Pat

[Stan]

Very, very nice. What flavor of Watco did you use, Natural?

[JTimmons]

Very nice, I am working on one like it for my wife too with a foot board.

[rickd]

Ohhh that's super nice Rick. Got other matching pieces coming? Pat

hi,

thanks to everyone for all your nice comments!

stan - the flavour of watco danish oil i used was 'golden oak'. pat, as for other matching pieces, yes, i am working on a nightstand right now. i have already completed this matching dresser for myself:



and, now loml tells me should would like a dresser too! so ....... i'm going to be on this style for a little while yet it looks like.

between this stuff and the website i started a few weeks ago, i'm almost feeling like a busy guy again - gotta watch that!!

[John Hunter]

Very nice!

[Turaj]

Nice work Rick! I really like choice of Ash and the light colour finish.

[lrogers]

Excellent job Rick. That white ash and golden oak stain is a winning combination.

[Pappy]

Beautiful job, Rick! Never been a fan of the mission style...Not the looks, just too lazy to make all those mortices and tenons.

[rickd]

Beautiful job, Rick! Never been a fan of the mission style...Not the looks, just too lazy to make all those mortices and tenons.

hi pappy,

thanks! me too - i'm just not very good at mortise and tenon - so, i don't use that method on mission furniture for attaching spindles. instead, i use 1" x 1.25" dowels to attach the spindles. in the case of this headboard here is what i did(sorry for the long explanation):

i measured and drilled matching dowel holes in the top and bottom headboard rails using my drill press. then, i drilled dowel holes in the end of each spindle. next, i dry fit the whole thing together and made any necessary adjustments.

after that - the gluing and assembly. to do this, i first started with the bottom rail and with the board clamped and the holes pointing up i put a bit of glue in each dowel hole. next, i pushed a dowel into each of the holes and tapped it in with a rubber mallet. then, i put a bit of glue in one end of the spindle dowel hole and pushed it down(or tapped it)onto the matching dowel in the bottom headboard rail. it doesn't have to be a perfect fit - just enough to hold it. the clamping at the end will pull everything together.

with that done and the bottom rail and spindles now upright, i put some glue into the dowel holes in the top of each spindle and pushed a dowel in each one. i then put a bit of glue in each dowel hole of the top rail, laid the whole assembly flat on my workbench and completed the assembly of the spindles with dowels into the top rail dowel holes.

finally, i used lots of clamps to clamp the whole top and bottom together. with some pre-planning and a bit of luck, this process can be completed for the headboard in less than 30 minutes - lot's of time to work without worrying about the glue setting up.

my apologies for the long explanation - but, that is the way i have been assembling the spindles on mission furniture since i began and i find it works just great for me. and besides, i never seem to have much luck with small mortise and tenon joints anyway.

i was shown this method during my first introduction to woodworking course and have used it ever since.

[Stan]

Gotta say, that combination really works (as others have mentioned).

[Ken Weaver]

Really nice work Rick!

[jhart]

Great job Rick. Those pieces really look nice.