Need help on a bed

[Ralph]

I am going to build a king size bed out of cherry. Rather than use veneer for the head and foot boards I want to edge glue boards to make up the head/foot boards. Do you recommend panels about 60" wide? If they are allowed to float will they then not split or warp? I'd appreciate some real expert advice. Thanks. R

[MadMark]

60" x 72" is a *BIG* panel. (30bf!) It'll weigh a *TON* and cost you a MINT to make. Lessee at $4/bf for cherry you'll have over $120 in materials.

As long as it has a way to "breathe" with the changes in humidity it should be OK.

M

[Glen]

If your name wasn't Ralph I may have been inclined to respond sooner to your subject line. Help with a bed vice 'on a bed'

Mark's right, Huge panel, big bucks, very heavy. I'll ditto marks reply about splitting. Be sure to keep your board sizes down and arrange them so grain direction/annual graowth rings are oppose each other to minimize warping.
As for expansion and contraction if you hold, or visualize a bundle of straws this is basically how wood is composed. It generaly wont get longer but will grow in girth. This is why panels almost always 'float'.
Sure you want to do this?

Glen

[Lou_williams]

I understand why you want to do this. Plywood in most cases just does not look like the real thing. But there is an option that will give you lots of improvements and the look you want.

Make your own plywood.

Take a nice stable base material, MDF, solid core birch plywood and apply a thin bandsawn layer of real Cherry. A thickness of about 1/8 would give you the look of real wood and the stability of a ply material. You must apply it to both sides of the substrate to keep the core from warping.

This approach would be more stable, not really a lot cheaper, may or maynot be lighter, but would give you the look of solid wood.

Lou

[Ralph]

I really like your idea about making my own plywood. This way I can get the bookmatch effect I'd really like to get. Why would I need a birch core if I put wood on each side? Wouldn't I get the same effect with regular G2S plywood?

[Glen]

Lou's got a good idea. I don't want to speak for Lou, but I would think a solid core would facilitate a tenon better.

Glen

[Ralph]

Good idea about the tenon; hope I can find the MDF around here. I live in the sticks of Michigan. Guess I better go out ice fishing now so I can think this through.

[Lou_williams]

You can use any plywood, but this is a lot of work and having a solid core ply gives you a base with no voids that could cause you issues when it does come to the joinery. MDF is stable and solid but if you go with that I might edge it with solid wood anywhere you would want to make joints. It is not real strong in a reduced profile.

Bhe solid core birch is very stable and would make an outsanding base for the cherry. It is more costly, but you were willing to go solid cherry.

Lou

[Ralph]

I've decided to go with the MDF board under the cherry. I plan on bordering it with 4"wide stock except where it meets 5" posters with turned tops; all of cherry. Lou, I really appreciate your help with the MDF idea; I really wanted the bookmatch effect and now I can get it. I've already bought half the cherry and have started on the design and am gluing up the posters. Thanks again.

[Lou_williams]

Glad to help.

Let us know how it all works out. It should be beautiful.

Lou