Good Questions: How To Attach an Antique Headboard?

Hello AT,

I recently purchased an antique iron head and footboard for my bed. trouble is, i don't know how to attach it. as you can see, the place available for some sort of frame to be attached is too high, and the wheels are tiny enough that neither head nor footboard can balance without support. i currently have my headboard against a wall, giving the illusion that it's attached. that only goes so far. i'm hoping an AT reader might have a suggestion.

Thank you, TY in Brooklyn

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Dear TY,

This is a tough one, because your headboard is in no way designed for the modern bedframe that you have (the slot on the antique is for an antique crossbar to fit into it). They simply won't attach together, so we would recommend stabilizing the antique off of the wall.

We would take the wheels off of the antique lay it flat against the wall and secure it in four places with metal strapping and screws that go into the wall. You want to pin it to the wall down on either leg and also as high up as you can without the strapping showing above your pillows.

Anyone else??

Comments (6)

It may be easier to buy antique bedrails from an antique dealer and use them to support your mattress & box springs. If they aren't long enough for your modern box springs, a welder can weld inserts of angle iron. That's what we did with a bed handed down in our family and it continues to be handed down.

posted by Carol in Denver on 2007-02-20 14:22:36

I'd either attach the headboard directly to the wall(if you want to keep it in original condition) or drill holes to attach it to the bedframe.
The latter is what my dad did with my antique (but not in the must-be-nice-to-it way) headboard when I got a new mattress that was too big for the original frame(until we fixed it, the bed was so high I HAD to use a stepstool to get in and out.)
The thicker mattress and box spring left a ridiculously small margin of headboard above the top of the mattress, and the construction of the headboard meant that my pillows were at EXACTLY the right height to slip through and down behind the headboard while I slept. So he drilled holes on the legs, bolted them to a cheapie bedframe at a better elevation(about an inch of leg below the bolts), and now my bed no longer looks completely ridiculous.
For the footboard, I am of little help- I put mine in storage with the rails and slats, figuring when I have a guestroom, I'll see if I can't substitute planks or a sheet of plywood for the box spring and just use the mattress(thereby bringing it back to a reasonable height. But maybe you could take off the wheels and give the legs a wider base that they can stand on? Could you somehow bolt the footboard to the foot ends of the bedframe's sides?

posted by Rachel on 2007-02-20 15:45:22

thanks for the great suggestions. i may try taking the wheels off. or maybe finding wood wedges to allow the head/footboard stand on its own. i'm a little hesitant to drill into the iron itself - that seems like quite an undertaking!

posted by ty on 2007-02-20 21:39:19

Use u-bolts to hold the headboard to a rinkydink metal frame. Works great.

posted by a. nonnon on 2007-02-20 23:36:32

drapt pin assembly seems to be the original connection.

(if image shows in your browser, use arrow keys to rotate)

http://www.wikiupload.com/download_page.php?id=85845

the file provided is a full 3D model that needs the following viewer to see the exploded assembly view.

(select eDrawing viewer only)

http://solidworks.com/pages/programs/eDrawings/e2_register.html

posted by ion on 2007-02-21 00:13:36

sorry,
meant draft pin.
also the wikiupload link requires you to click the download button and provide the security code above the input box.

posted by ion on 2007-02-21 00:19:25