Bed bolts hold the posts and rails of pencil post or poster beds together. Each bed bolt is made from 3/8" diameter steel and has a square head with a built in 15/16" washer or flange. Each is supplied with a square nut.

Bed bolts are installed as shown in the diagram. The nut is mortised into the inside of the rail, in a square hole, to prevent the nut from turning. Once installed, the hole is usually plugged.

The insertion hole in the post should be at least 1" in diameter, and 3/4" deep, so that the bolt head sits below the surface of the post. The remainder of the hole should be more than 3/8" in diameter, and many customers drill a 7/16" hole for good clearance. If this is not possible and the bolt has to stick out of the post, we offer several covers that are domed.

Install bed bolt covers to hide the hole the bolt sits in. Since beds will need tightening periodically, it is most practical to select a cover that is held on by a single screw. Then, the cover can be swung up and the bolt exposed for tightening. Bed bolt covers come in a variety of styles and finishes, from quite decorative to very simple. Larger covers, held on by 2 screws, are most often used on antique beds, where the hole is large and there are marks to cover.

Although a square bolt can be tightened with a 12 pointed socket wrench, many customers find it easier to use our bed bolt wrench. In fact, many of our customers who make and sell beds provide a wrench with each, as over the years, the customer may need to tighten or dismantle the bed. The T shaped wrench, BW-3, has a 3/8" square recess, and fits nicely over the bolt.