As bought.
How to set up an antique iron headboard and baseboard?
by
Thr29650559
+3
I got said items via craigslist. There were no railings, just the top and bottom of the bed.
I sanded them down and spray painted them with Rustoleum in a hammered bronze color. I have a twin bed on its own frame, which is narrower than the iron pieces by maybe 4". In the third picture you can see where the side railings originally went. It looks like there was a vertical bar that fit into that heavy-duty holder-thingy at the level of the lowest horizontal bar. I need a method to get the whole thing free-standing. It doesn't have to support the weight of the bed since that's already on its own frame. I just want something very very stable so it doesn't wiggle or screech every time I move when I'm trying to sleep, and that won't gradually get looser. Even if the two iron parts weren't connected to each other, if they were stable, and it's something I can do with hand tools (and no welding equipment or skills), that would be fine. Very very low budget, too. Any ideas would be gratefully considered!
(Please excuse my lack of knowledge of what to call the various parts. I tried googling them but got nowhere.)
Terry in Omaha
After painting.
Are there any holes in the headboard and footboard where screws might go in? That would indicate you need rails. You can buy rails separately. I did it for a full sized bed.
Nope, no holes.
You can easily attach the headboard to the wall by measuring the diameter of the tube on the side. Go to Homey Depot and tell them what you want to do. There are metal 1/2 round thingies that will surround the pipe and screw into the wall. You may need to put a sleeve into the drywall to hold the screws.
As far as the footboard, that's trickier. Are there wood slats on the bed frame you're using? I'm sure you can find a way to wire or attach the footboard to the bed frame that way. Good luck!
Thanks! I'll check it out.
there were iron rails that fit into the slots. If I were you and you have any antique malls or better architectural salvage you may be able to find a pair. This is the only thing that is going to give you true stability. You could also place a wanted ad in Craigslist. Good luck,it is a pretty bed.
Thanks - I will check with the antiques dealers.