Make Knock-Down Corner??

[Hotfoot]

One of my friends has bought a number of pieces of my art, and now wants me to make a Steel Canopy Bed that will be a simple design executed in rusty (her favorite "finish") 4x4" square tube . It'll have a fancy Plasma Cut Headboard with four inset little boxes for Prayer Scrolls (Hey, and this isn't even California!!)...She's a very Spiritial Person.

http://i40.tinypic.com/15cllra.jpg

My Question...This will be in their master bedroom in their Rammed Earth house (its pretty cool, her husband is an architect), and at some point in the future will no doubt be moved...so how do I make the most "invisible seam" corners that can be disassembled in the future so it can be removed? I've thought of "slip fit" of some type..Smaller tube inside piece with round head allen bolt attachment? Heavy "L" brackets inside with bolts? A "Drop-Down" into the vertical tube, with exterior 4" "L" bolt-on top? The seam must be as invisible as possible.

Its all my fault for bringing up the "make it removable" thing...but they would have thought about it 1/2 way through the project, and "get a Sawzall" probably wouldn't be a good answer...although I keep thinking that might be the best solution...then brackets could be fabbed by the new owner at that time.

Will I be able to much welding (with my little friend, the 125EZ) on site, or is warping going to be major headache? I didn't want this job, but it keeps coming back to me. Wide open for suggestions and advice, guys!

[CF1975]

Man, I would have to go with the smaller tube inside the 4" tube myself. There are more creative ways to do it, I'm sure. I think if everything is cut and finished right, the break would be in the shadows and nearly invisible.

[whateg0]

I second the smaller tube inside the second one. Curious, though, that the legs are the part that are the problem. Typically, the frame itself is the problem as they don't like to fit through doors. The one thing that I find that makes the tube in a tube thing difficult, as I see it, is that on a tube that big, to keep the tube from rocking on the other, it would take at least a few inches of overlap. Not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, it seems to me, if you have a little leeway on the design, that it would be easier to move if the crosspieces were detachable from the side, much like a regular bedframe. This way, you'd be moving sticks instead of big squares. Then if you recess the end piece by 1/4" you could still give it a finished look. Not sure if that makes sense either.

Dave

[MJL]

I second the smaller tube inside the second one. Curious, though, that the legs are the part that are the problem. Typically, the frame itself is the problem as they don't like to fit through doors. The one thing that I find that makes the tube in a tube thing difficult, as I see it, is that on a tube that big, to keep the tube from rocking on the other, it would take at least a few inches of overlap. Not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, it seems to me, if you have a little leeway on the design, that it would be easier to move if the crosspieces were detachable from the side, much like a regular bedframe. This way, you'd be moving sticks instead of big squares. Then if you recess the end piece by 1/4" you could still give it a finished look. Not sure if that makes sense either.

Dave

You could add some bolt on gussets.

[AnotherDano]

How good are you with tight tolerances and a file, Hotfoot?

Or, find someone with a good milling machine and make one of those 'impossible dovetail' joints, like some woodworkers play with.

www.offhand-manor.net/john/tie.../Impossible-Dovetail-Slide.doc



(Sorry guys--- I said "wood").

[Hotfoot]

Not that good! I'll be going for the tube-within a tube with little button head allen bolts in from the top and on the bottom, out of sight. I really don't like to screw with stuff like this, its not satisfying any "creative" needs I have.:(

[imwelding]

Did a job a few months back that was a 28 foot long steel support for a narrow snack bar/table that was freestanding next to a window with a view. Polished granite top or maybe it was solid surface.....but the architect called for 2 1/2" square at the top with 3" square legs attached to an Italian marble floor so no typical mounting plates.....I used 1/8" wall tubing except for the 2 1/2" square floor brackets which were 1/4".....clamped 8" long pcs inside the bottom of the legs and drilled through both with a "K" bit ( for 5/16" 28 thread)....then tapped the floor bracket and welded a 2 1/2" square 1/4" plate to the bottom with a single hole for a floor anchor bolt (made sure to hold the small tube 1/4" up in the big tube before drilling!)......then countersink the hole in the big tube for a 5/16" CS allen head bolt on the back side of the leg...once installed it was very sturdy and no exposed hardware.........have a safe and happy 4th....im