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How stubborn you ask? Well the bed frame has three issues, but really only one and the other two are only a result of the first:

  1. The rails are too short. Not by much, maybe an inch. Maybe even less. Just enough so that our last two beds never rested naturally in the rails, resulting in my girl trying to figure out daily if she's getting big or if I buy cheap mattresses (neither is anywhere near the truth).

  2. The rails curve inward at each end rather than continue straight to meet the headboard and footboard. I imagine this was, and maybe still is, a nicer design, keeping the bed from slipping around. But since they are too short, they make a nice ledge for one end or the other of the mattress to lay atop and bend the springs, etc. (For those that can't imagine what I'm getting at, I found pictures and will provide in a moment.)

  3. The end connectors neither hook or bolt. There are no screws or small parts that I've noticed. The end of each rail (behind the curves) is a jigsaw puzzle looking tongue that fits into a corresponding groove/latch on the boards.

As promised, here are some pictures. I'm shocked I found some really good ones:

This person has the same problem as me. Notice the tilt.

This person has the same problem as me. Notice the tilt.

Same album as above. This one shows better the interlocking connector.

Same album as above. This one shows better the interlocking connector.

Our frame isn't quite so frightening and industrial, but this is a good shot of a similar design with no bed.  Our pegs are more tapered and our curves more subtle.
(source: cathousebeds.com)

Our frame isn't quite so frightening and industrial, but this is a good shot of a similar design with no bed. Our pegs are more tapered like the first two photos.

So now that you've heard my problem and even gotten some neat pics of other people's bed frames, here is what I've come up with so far, and I'm hoping to get more intel here:

Option 1:

Get the bed frames extended. This was the suggestion at another site last year and it proved to be a good idea but hard to execute. There was concern for the integrity of the rails, in terms of both their antique status as well as their actual post-op performance. None of the welders seemed more than casually confident, if that. I got more responses like 'Oh sure, I can give that a shot.' The last thing we want is to ruin our horribly short classic frame and crush our cat in a dangerous trip to the floor. But maybe someone can advise if this is the best idea and who I should lookup in the phonebook other than welder.

Option 2:

Lose the rails, keep the connectors. This was my nifty idea, which means it's either genius or the kind of bad idea I tend to fall for. Simply chop off the heads of the rails, just below the curve I would think, and have the iron worker weld on the appropriate connector for a modern frame. The problems I have seen in this are : 1) There is no going back, the current rails are scrap or installation art, 2) I don't know if the curve will be a nice touch or in the way but I am pretty sure cutting higher would be too much and I'd just have broken puzzle knobs, 3) I don't know if it will be sturdy and sound enough for either end of this abominator of an adapter, and 4) I have no clue what the appropriate "new" piece would be right for the new end.

Option 3:

Something else. I was pondering some sort of funky extender with just the puzzle bits, but I remembered I'm an idiot and that wouldn't get past the curves. Her mom suggested we pile on the bed slats so the bed rests on top, which was better but not great and did result in some loud clacking wake ups and cats going everywhere. Plus if there is some reliable or clever solution that lets us keep as much of the bed frame (or as little, if that's the way it goes) but modernized, I'd prefer that over having to deal with this again with the next mattress or surrender and have the headboard lean on the wall and footboard go in the garage.

Also, if anyone can tell me or point me to more information about this style of bed frame or bed rail, I'd love to get nerdy details. It will make however much this costs me in time and dough sound more romantic.

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  • Are these side rails iron or carbon steel? There's a big difference. Mainly, one you don't weld (no matter how much the welder swears he can weld it), one you do. If you really, really, really need to weld iron, you need to send it to Lock-n-Stitch and they have an elaborate system for preheating/postcooling. But it better be the turbine casing for the USS Nimitz or something... May 16, 2019 at 23:55

3 Answers 3

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It may be that the frame was originally designed to have slats span the rails, and not have the mattress (box spring) sit directly on the rails. This would have lifted the mattress up a bit, and possibly allowed it to ride over the bits that are giving you trouble.

This was one persons solution:

enter image description here

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  • This was also my mom-in-common-law's idea. I like the boards-to-floor touch, that might help. But the curves are curvy, like a mattress corner. If it had modern mattress lengths in mind, what would be the value of the mattress sitting on top of a curve? Nice pic for sure.
    – Anthony
    Mar 14, 2013 at 17:35
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I have a simular bed. Are you sure you're not putting the rails in upside down? My rails have the same curve but it faces the floor.

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  • I doubt it. For one, they have a bit of a conic taper, so that keeps them right side up. Plus flipping them over would mean the l-bend was pointless and not meant to secure the mattress. They could be on the wrong side and turned 180°, but we tried both and they clearly fit better how we have them. We ended up having a welder replace the angle irons and repainted, which i suspect had been done before ( though long enough ago that rust proof paint was an option.) I did find a blog of a guy who collects and restores the end pieces, if you're interested
    – Anthony
    May 27, 2014 at 21:40
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I would look for a blacksmith and sweet talk (business exposure on the Internet, bla bla) and then be ready to fork over cash.

A wrought iron replacement would look more period, plus you can sell the whole thing later as authentic colonial length bed(with the original rails)

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  • Just to be clear, you're suggesting I get a totally new (and longer, of course) set of rails? That is one idea that I hadn't considered (probably because of the forking you mentioned). But one reason I'm resistent is that retrofitting the boards would allow for doing a full-to-queen kit, while some awesome new-but-no-one-needs-to-know-that iron rails will condem the boards and my legs to full for the indefinite future. Will look for some blacksmiths for sure.
    – Anthony
    Mar 14, 2013 at 17:31
  • Apparently "fabrication" is another good keyword, though not one I would have thought of when looking to hire someone.
    – Anthony
    Mar 14, 2013 at 17:42

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