upholstered headboard

[mound]

My wife would like me to make this headboard:



Pretty straightforward I think. Two questions
1. any special considerations for the guts of the side-pieces taking into consideration the upholstery? Or is it as simple as a piece of plywood (which the tacks are nailed into) and the rest of the thickness is made up by the foam and batting?

2. what kind of joinery to join the sides to the back? some sort of bed-bolt maybe epoxied into the side piece and fed through a channel in the back or something? (edit: or are the wingback sides and back just screwed together before any upholstery is applied, as opposed to remaining separate pieces?)

Also I assume those dark wood "feet" are simply screwed on and not integral to the structure.

Thanks for any thoughts!

[Bill Holt]

Sounds like you figured it out.

I would build it pretty close to the way you describe it.

[PaulC]

My only thought is to use solid wood (maybe 5/4?) instead of ply for the sides. The edge of the ply won't hold the tacks as well as solid wood, and I think 3/4" will look a bit thin.

[mound]

good call on the solid sides. I do have a scrap 10' 2x10 (KD construction lumber) that would work well in that spot.

Was mostly curious about if the sides and back were upholstered as a single unit, or individually and then attached.. I found one example where it was simple l-brackets around the back mortised into sides.

[MKepke]

mound said:

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good call on the solid sides. I do have a scrap 10' 2x10 (KD construction lumber) that would work well in that spot.

Was mostly curious about if the sides and back were upholstered as a single unit, or individually and then attached.. I found one example where it was simple l-brackets around the back mortised into sides.

---

It would be easier to make as 3 separate pieces, so that is likely what is done.

Furniture makers don't go for fancy construction on upholstered pieces..no one will see or pay for it.

But there is no reason you couldn't use full-length sliding dovetails :-)

-Mark