Prototyping Post and Rail Methods to Build Beds, Raised Gardens and Shelters

Welcome to "Prototyping Post and Rail Methods"

In this Instructable I design and build 7 "Prototypes" for buildiing woodworking projects using Post and Rail construction. The methods and "Standards" tested and then decided upon are now the "Base Line" for building projects for many years to come.

Video: Welcome to Prototyping for Post and Rail Woodworking

Projects on My Radar

There's this list of woodworking projects on my radar. Things to make for family, self and maybe throw a few on Etsy:

Small Projects

• Firewood Racks for inside and outside use
• More Raised Garden Beds for my wife
• A Class Project for a Woodworking Class I teach
• Sofa Server Tables and Bedside Tables

Medium Size Projects

• A Rustic Dining Table for our log home
• A Heavy Duty Mobile Workbench for my son
• A "real" Bed to replace our adult daughter's IKEA
• One or two "Dorm Room Lofts" for our grand kids

Large Projects

• I'd really like to build a Knock-Down Tiny Camper
• My logs asked for a Firewood Shelter
• A "Timber Frame" for an EZ Up Vented Shelter

All of those projects are Post and Rail

Post and Rail, their big sister Post and Beam and their big brother Timber-Frame all have in common "Posts" (usually 4) and Rails. The Posts are typically vertical and the Rails are typically horizontal but, as always, there will be exceptions. Sometimes the Rails are diagonal, like the grab rail on a stairway or the "X" shaped legs on the base of a rustic farmhouse style dining table. Sometimes the Rails are horizontal like the outer edge of a large dining table top or workbench.

Common Applications for Post and Rail

• Beds
• Bunk Beds
• Dorm-Room Lofts
• Raised Garden Beds
• Heavy Duty Workbenches
• Farmhouse Style Dining Tables
• Timber-Frame Style Small Shelters

Post and Rail are Best Build as "Knock-Down"

• Seasonal Structures
• Fabricating and dry-fit before assembly
• Beds, bunks and dorm lofts don't fit through doors
• Stuff not fitting through doors must be knock-down
• Projects built while RV camping must be knock-down

Post and Rail Can Be Built from Reclaimed or Sawmill Lumber

• There can be worm and beetle holes
• Dead worms can be entombed in clear epoxy
• There can be spalting and fungus cavities
• Kerf marks from a Sawyer's circular blade can remain
• Just a touch of waning can show on edges
• Steel is not just for breakfast any more!

The Dilemmas (Plural)

Before starting any new project I wanted to solve two dilemmas:

1. There's never been a consistent method for the Post and Rail projects built for both clients and self. Sometimes used Tongue and Groove; sometimes Spline Joinery; some were Festool Domino; some Pocket Holes, and others. I really wanted to find a method that will work for ALL of the upcoming projects on radar so I could do some initial set-ups, especially for the large power tools, and then stick with those settings.
2. We (my wife and I) RV camp the U.S and Canada for 2-3 months at a time. When we do I take 18V tools with including a Milwaukee Sliding Miter, Table Saw, routers and more along with bins full of drivers, bits and hardware. On the route I Google "Reclaimed Wood Near Me" or "Sawmills Near Me" ending up with rare finds like Sinker Cypress found at Live Edge Supply in Vidalia, LA or even closer to home at places like Beam and Board in Green Bay, WI and Kettle Moraine Hardwoods. But how do I transport these rare finds in an RV and, worse yet, any projects built from this stuff while camping?

Mission Mikro

Just as others deemed it necessary to name their missions (Desert Storm, Battle of the Bulge, and of course the most famous of all "Mission Impossible") AND since my name is "Mike" I dubbed this "Mission Mikro". I set out to come up with a series of "Standards" that could be applied whenever buying materials and when building the projects on my radar whether it be in my home workshop, on a picnic table in some National Park or a combination of both. This would be done by settling on a method for making Post and Rail Projects by "prototyping". Mission Mikro resulted in three "Mikros" (so far):

1. MikroBench
2. MikroRails
3. MikroPosts

Conclusions from Mission Mikro

I'm pleased to report that the outcomes from "Mission Mikro" exceeded my expectations! From the prototypes demonstrated in the Steps below I came to the following conclusions:

1. When in my shop the methods for making Post and Rail will include the use of Jet Shapers
2. If woodworking on the road the dados and tongues can be made using routers or can wait until returning home to make on the shapers
3. Other woodworkers wanting to apply these methods but don't have shapers can use stacked dado blades (in a table saw), routers in a table or, if need be, with hand-held routers
4. Since I don't have an artistic bone in my body there will be plenty of opportunities to fool casual observers
5. All methods tested can utilize the types of lumber I can get milled through our favorite female Sawyer and many of the unique pieces found on our RV trips by Googling "Reclaimed Wood Near Me"
6. The "Standard" widths and thicknesses for Flanges and Webs (see "BaseLine Prototype #1) will control my buying habits when visiting "Reclaimed near me..." and "Sawmills near me..." type places.
7. The I-Beam shape, as documented in the Steps below, when accomplished using dados and tongues, is amazingly strong and well suited for the scale and intended uses of the finished projects.
8. Even when attempting to adhere to the set of "Standards" listed for the BaseLine (Prototype #1), there is still flexibility for deviations to adapt to the "artistic license" of any woodworker, variations in materials and more.

Meet the Mikros

The MikroBench

In March of 2022 I published my first Instructable: Build a MikroBench from Two Stair Treads and entered that in the 1st Time Author Contest. That MikroBench was designed specifically for performing the Multi-Board Glue-Ups and Knock-Down Joinery associated with Post and Rail Woodworking. These workstations are mounted on old Harbor Freight Rolling Tool Carts in my home workshop and used daily. The MikroBench also solved the RV woodworking dilemma because it is portable, fits in the outer bins of our RV and performed exceptionally well on a recent trip to Gulf Shores, AL where I purchased reclaimed materials; mounted the MikroBench on picnic tables and then (mostly) completed the build of the Sofa Server that will soon be published as the Instructable "Build a Sofa Server from Sinker Cypress".

MikroRails

The MikroRail is a "standard method" for constructing the "Rails" for Post and Rail projects. The methods revolve around an "I-Beam" shape similar to the I-Joists now common to residential construction. A 3/8" deep by 3/4" wide dado is trenched into the Flanges and a matching tongue shaped on the ends of the Webs. Using a shaper, stacked dado or router, once properly set AND left at those settings, this method of joinery is very quick, very strong and very flexible to design modifications.

MikroPosts

MikroPosts are the "Post" component to Post and Rail projects. For this Instructable I only demonstrate the building of one MikroPost, in this case, using "Tri-Lam" joinery, aka a "Wood Sandwich" with the "Bread" being from some nearly rotting 8/4 red oak salvaged from our field, the "Meat" (PB&J for you vegans out there) from 5/4 taken from the same stack and "Tamed Gorilla" (glue) for the butter. Two mortises were created in these Posts, one via a drillpress method and the other via a router template. The Posts were then used to demonstrate knock-down methods for mounting the MikroRails to the MikroPosts.

That's my story and I'm stickn' to it! (Jimmy Buffett - Off To See The Lizard)

Welcome to my 2nd Instructable!

Tools

There were several Tools common to most prototype builds. Those are listed below including documentation on the initial setups.

• Two MikroBenches
• Two Jet 1 1/2 HP Shapers
• Jet 18 Bandsaw with a 1 1/4" TPI Resaw Blade installed
• Powermatic 8" Jointer
• SawStop 10" Contractor Table Saw with Guard Installed
• Dewalt 3-Knife Planer
• R&R Clamps
• Milwaukee 18V Router
• Milwaukee 18V Drivers and Impact Wrenches
• Hyde 3" HD Scraper

Initial Setups and Settings For Tools

MikroBench

The two MikroBenches were mounted on the red Harbor Freight Rolling Tool Carts via bolts through the integrated CNC routed holes in the MikroBench into holes already in the rolling tool carts. BTW this prototype project was a great way to continue testing and improving future builds of the MikroBench.

Video: Setting Up MikroBench for MultiBoard GlueUps

Jet Shapers

Shapers are not in every woodworker's workshop. I'm fortunate to own two Jet 1 1/2 HP Shapers. These Shapers were my go-to Tools when it came to running the 3/8" deep x 3/4" wide grooves and tongues. After testing various cutter sizes and spacing I settled on a 1/2" Cutter below the Spacer then the 3/4" Spacer then a 3/4" Cutter above that. This setup will allow for a Center-Line Tongue on wood thicknesses up to about 1 1/2" and offset Tongues on wood up to about 2" thickness. The initial setup of the Shapers and the calibrating for prototyping are demonstrated in the video below.

Video: Installing and Calibrating Cutters on Two Jet Shapers.

Alternates to Shapers

The I-Beam shape discussed earlier is created via the tongue and groove. Without those the shape would be very difficult to achieve, extremely difficult to dry-fit and would result in a lesser structurally-sound finished product. Although I made one prototype (Step #5: No Shaper Needed... ) using glue-ups to create the dado, it became obvious that a grooved dado is the better option. Since shapers are not commonly found in hobbyist workshops the following are alternative tools and methods for making the dados and tongues on MikroRails:

• A stacked dado blade mounted in a table saw is an ideal alternative. Plenty of power for a 3/4" stack to trench 3/8" deep; safe if done properly: costs a lot less then buying a shaper; and, with the move to 18V by the trades the used 110v saws should be plentiful on Craig's list to set one up and leave it. (I keep an old 110V jobsite saw set up with a 1/4" Flat Top Dado blade.
• A decent size router table loaded with a 3/4" bit should work but at slower feed rates; possibly two passes; but the shaft height might not provide as many options as with the shaper.
• If neither a Shaper or a "decent size router table" is available the Groove could be made with a 3/4" bit in a decent size hand-held router using an edge guide. This will be challenging at best due to the combination of the 3/4" x 3/8". A really good dust collection method will help and, considering the P = T + M + J formula, consider changing the Material to pine or cedar which will help dramatically when using a hand-held router.
• The tongues could be created using a Rabbet bit in a router table or a straight bit using the table fence to set the depth.

Materials

Since these were all prototypes I did not want to dig into the "good stuff" for wood or metal but I DID want to make sure the thicknesses of those materials was exactly as the prototype so all settings could be confirmed. I also wanted to test, especially the shapers, on various species and hardness of wood to make sure the combination of a 3/8" depth and 3/4" width for the dados and tongues would not be too much for a single pass. Other than that this was a great opportunity to use up a rack full of cutoffs from previous projects.

Joinery

Both the permanent and the Knock-Down joinery varied with each Prototype which is documented in the Step for each. Most permanent joinery consisted of Taming the Gorilla (glue) and GRK Fasteners. The Knock-down joinery connections were all threaded metal tenons.

Prototype #1

Short Video: Review of Completed Prototype #1

Why a Baseline Prototype?

The definition of "baseline" says it all: "... an initial set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control". Having a "baseline" will force me to "think twice" when deviating from standards that have previously been verified. This is critical when trying to avoid time and accuracy issues caused by the need to reset bit heights and depths on the two Jet Shapers. Not to say these standards can't be deviated from, in fact they will, progressively, with each new prototype.

Common Applications

The Techniques used to build this Prototype #1 could apply to the following types of Projects:

• Bed Side Rails
• Portions of Bed Headboards and Footboards
• Bunk Bed Safety Rails
• Dorm-Room Loft Side Rails
• Vertical Heavy Duty Table or Workbench Legs
• Heavy Duty Workbench outer rim with clamp lip.
• Loft and Deck Rails
• Stair Railings cut to angle matching stairs

Research

Review Previous Prototypes

I started by taking a much deeper look at some I-Beam prototypes built years ago for client railing projects. At that time I frequently used "Spline Joinery" which involved the trenching of a 3/8" deep by 1/4" dado in BOTH the Flanges and the Webs then placing a DIY wood "Spline" in that cavity. To create the dado I used either a Shaper or an old jobsite table saw that stays set up with a 1/4" Flat Bottom Dado Blade. The advantages to this method are:

1. A 1/4" x 3/8" dado is easier to trench than a 3/4" x 3/8"
2. Only one dado tool and one bit setup is required
3. Splines are DYI so free made from scrap material

Video: Previous Wood I-Beam Prototypes

While Spline Joinery works extremely well there were a number of Projects in My Project Radar where it would not. Since the goal of Mission Mikro was to come up with a set of Standards for ALL Post and Rail projects needed to test other methods so I took a close look at some fully assembled panels that were intended for the side rails of beds, bunks or raised garden beds but wasn't all that confident in the strength. There were other limitations as well.

• Short Video: Previous Spalted (Species TBD) Rail Using Spline Joinery

Video: Previous Railing Methods Not Used

Still not content and considering Raised Garden Beds were on My Project Radar I took a 50 yard walk out to our own garden. That visit reminded me how many of the same methods used to build these (15 year-old) Natural Slate Panel garden beds were very similar to those used for building bed side rails, headboards, footboards, stair railings, loft railings and even the partial or full-height sidewalls of a timber-frame structure, all consummating as a Post and Rail style project.

Two of those were built using various forms of Post and Rail one with natural slate tile and the other with 2" thick concrete pavers. While they need a little bit of TLC they are in pretty good shape after 15 years of rain, sun, ice, snow and the constant hydrostatic pressure from inside the beds. I could see where the weak links were in each and would apply that knowledge for this prototype project.

Video: Visit Existing Raised Garden Beds in Yard

Last, but not least, I hopped in the truck to return to the "scene of the crime", a former client's home for whom I built the log home; custom rustic hickory stairs and railings; two rustic hickory adult bunk bed sets; and even their kitchen island top, some mirror frames and more. My goal was to see: "Would this new method for making railing components have worked for building railings and large (adult) bunks?"

Video: Walk Through Rustic Hickory Stairs, Stair Railing, Treads and Loft Railing

Video: Visit Previous Rustic Hickory Railing Project

Video: Visit Previous Rustic Hickory Adult Bunk Beds

Video: Visit Previous Upper Railing on Rustic Hickory Project

MikroRail Standards

After considering all of the above reviews; then applying a bit of SWAG; followed by a few preliminary tests I arrived at a set of "Standards" that will be the point of beginning when designing any new prototypes:

• Board Dimensions
• TOP FLANGE: 1" x 3" with a 3/4" wide x 3/8" deep Groove
• BOTTOM FLANGE: 1" x 3" with a 3/4" wide x 3/8" deep Groove
• WEB: 1" x 3 3/4" with a 3/4" wide x 23/64" Tongue
• Finish Dimensions
• Overall Width: 3"
• Overall Height: 5"
• Inside Clear Height: 3"
• Inside Lip: Equal Lips of 1" Each

Standard Deviations

Woodworkers were "deviating from standards" well before mathematicians reversed the words to "Standard Deviation" and made it sound more confusing. Please remember this BaseLine Prototype is only a set of "Standards" to use for original tool setups and settings (like bit depth, height...) or to return to after deviating. Here might be a typical deviation cause and affect scenario:

Deviation: Change Web thickness from the 1" Standard to 1 1/2"

Affects:

• Will the edges of the Shaper Cutters reach to make tongues?
• Will the added material thickness strain the Cutters?
• Will the reduction in Flange "lip" be an issue?

Solutions:

• See "Installing the Cutter" under Supplies where it was determined the shaper cutters for creating the tongues would reach up to about 2" thicknesses
• Only way to know about "added stress" is to test 1 1/2" in both soft and hard woods
• The reduced Flange lip will only be an issue if something needs to fit in that opening such as a 1" thick stiffener or 1" Styrofoam say in a garden bed.

Tools

The Tools used to build this Prototype were the same as those in the "Supplies" section above with the following additions and modifications:

Materials

Since this was a prototype I was not concerned about aesthetics but was careful to select some exact thickness 1" scrap boards:

• FLANGES: Hard maple @ 24" long with slight rusticity in colors and a section of waning on one corner
• WEB: A piece of locally-milled ash left over from an adult bunk bed built for a client. This scrap had already been used on a previous project to test some CNC setups so it was full of cavities

Phase 1 - Design and CutList

Drawing the MikroRail BaseLine Prototype

I wish Fusion 360 was available 20 years ago when I went through the SketchUp learning curve but now, at 70 ish, I use SketchUp so Sketchup it was. When all was said and done there was a 3D model with the CutList that is attached to this Step in both the .skp (saved in 2017 Version for wider range of compatibility) and, for the non-geeks, a printable PDF file.

• Please note that the attached .skp is the FINAL File which includes the modeling of ALL prototypes for this Instructable. You will want to click on the Scenes Tabs at the top of the screen (or to the left on some devices)
• This file should function in the free version of SketchUp Viewer

Phase 2: Shaping The Materials and Dry-Fit

I started by printing the CutLists and Sequences. These printed versions come in real handy for making notes especially when prototyping as changes to the design, CutLists or Sequences become obvious when actually working the wood.

Next I ripped the Flanges and Web then created the tongues and grooves on the Jet Shaper. After those were complete a dry-fit was done where the decision to go to 3/8" depth (from previous 1/4") was confirmed to make dry-fitting much easier. The boards stayed put. The only thing that didn't go well is there was too much of a gap between the edge of the tongue and the bottom of the groove. This I will tweak later by moving the Shaper fence in which cut a slightly deeper tongue.

Video: Cuts, Rips and Using Jet Shaper for Tongue and Groove

Phase 3: Joinery

Glue-Ups

Now that everything dry-fit it was time to do the glue-ups. This was done using the MikroBench from a previous Instructable, some R&R Clamps and Gorilla Glue.:

Video: Using R&R Clamps and Gorilla to Glue-Up a MikroRail

The key points demonstrated during the glue-up video:

1. Applying just the right amount of Gorilla Glue
2. Using "Gorilla Tolerant" glue brushes
3. Applying enough, but not too much, clamp pressure
4. Adding more clamps if/when/where needed
5. Checking "clear height" accuracy
6. Removing the Ooze after dry-time

Key points for removing the clamps:

1. Gorilla glue was used so needed to wait until the next day
2. While clamps were still tight used Hyde 3" HD scraper to remove any ooze in Clear Space
3. Loosened clamps, flipped I-Beam, snugged two clamps and scraped any ooze
4. Loosened clamps and removed I-Beam
5. Used digital calipers and/or Incra tool to confirm all dimensions
6. Used several "perfect" 3" test boards to confirm Clear Space fit
7. Noticed there was about 1/32 too much Clear Space so will tweak Shaper before next Prototype

Knock-Down Joinery

The methods used to install the threaded metal tenons are similar to those in Step #8 Applying Knock-Down Joinery other than an older, smaller PVC mounting jig was used.

Video: Mounting Tenons on The End-Grain of a MikroRail

Phase 4: Finishes

Finishes

Now that the glue had cured, cleaned up and the MikroRail removed from the clamps it was time to do the sanding, rout the roundover edges and apply a coat of varnish. In the video below I cover the "Sequence", the "when" of constructing an I-Beam shaped component. Things such as:

• Sanding Webs before glue-up
• When to roundover Vs sand
• Varnishing before glue-up
• Keeping oil-base brushes in water
• Okay to varnish the threaded metal tenons

Video: Sanding, Roundover, Final Cut-Off and Varnishing

Conclusions for Prototype #1

• Kinda funny because the Gorilla glue majorly oozed through the many cavities placed in the Web by a CNC router several Projects ago. Glue was all over the floor :-)
• The Clear Space, which is that space between the two FLANGES. It was intended to be about 1/64th greater than 3" which would be just enough space to snuggly fit some 3" stuff that will go in there on some other Prototypes coming up but that space turned out to be about 3 1/16". After this test I went back to the Shaper and made a very minor tweak increasing the depth of the Tongue which will, in turn, decrease the space between the two Flanges.

In the end I was more than pleased with the results:

1. The dimensions used will be ideal "standards" for the BaseLine MikroBeam
2. Set-Up times were minimal and become non-existent on future Prototypes where the BaseLine dimensions are used
3. Set-Up times should be minimal when BaseLine Specs are deviated from on other Prototypes so long as those stay within the height capacity travel range of the two Shapers.
4. I personally like the aesthetics of the finished MikroBeam
5. There are NO DOUBTS about strength & rigidity of the I-Beam shape. This is not something that can be proven quite yet since this Prototype is only 24" long. This will be reviewed when the Rails are built at longer lengths like the typical 80" for a Queen Bed Side Rail.
6. The 3/4" width for the Groove and Tongue feels much stronger than the 1/4" Spline Joinery tested on some older Prototypes. The added width also came in very hand for Dry-Fits since the two FLANGES held to the WEB without temporary supports.
7. The same 3/4" is such a common dimension there will be plenty of off-the-shelf materials that can be used as the WEB and all of my planers have 3/4" presets which will make custom shaping simple and accurate.

Prototype #2: Vertically Spaced Web Boards

Short Video: Quick View of Completed Prototype #2

The Web on the BaseLine Prototype #1 had been a single horizontal board. Using a single board will eventually limit the height of the Web to available lumber widths, typically 11 1/4", or would require multi-board glue-ups. I wanted to go the opposite direction with the Web boards placing them vertically and with spaces between each. This is a very common method used on loft and stair railings and on beds so the bedding can be seen through the spaces.

Common Applications

The Techniques used to build this Prototype #2 could apply to the following types of Projects:

• Bed Headboards/Footboards allowing bedding to show
• Bed Side Rails and Bunk safety rails allowing bedding to show
• Dorm-Room Loft rails, safety rails and footboards
• Loft and Deck Railings with boards spaced to meet Codes
• Stair Railings with boards spaced to meet Building Codes
• Vertical Spreaders required on SS Cable Railings

Benefits of Vertical Boards

• This is a great way to reduce the cost of even large projects by using scrap wood for the WEB Boards. Lengths of the Web Boards can be as short as 3 3/4", more commonly 10", like for bed Footboards and Sideboards, but also longer such as the 30" typical of bed Headboards and loft/deck Railings
• The vertical WEB boards do not need to be "vertical" at all. The web boards could have both ends cut parallel to each other and inserted in the Flange dado the same way except the thin filler strips would need to be cut at the same angles. A bit more challenging but certainly doable.

Safety and Code Considerations

Safety should always be considered whenever there are spaces between Web Boards. Because this was only a prototype I was just testing the concept and methods so these WEB Boards were placed about 6" apart. That said, there are serious safety issues, especially "entrapment hazards" for infants, if the spaces are too far apart. Please, please, please research "recommended spacing for railings". Personally I would never built children's bunk beds intended for sale. I have build bunks for family and commissioned "adult" bunks and still followed several codes and recommendations like those listed below. All of the loft railings I built were constructed to the Wisconsin Building Code and were inspected by a Building Inspector for compliance. Linked below are several places to research:

• Consumer Product Safety Commission - Bunk Beds
• Wisconsin Building Code (Railings)
• The NSTI Guidelines published for building furniture intended for children

Tools

The Tools for this Prototype were the same as those described in the Supplies Section

Materials

Since this was a prototype I did not want to burn through the good stuff so relied on scraps from the shed where I found a chunk of red oak with some live edge long enough for the Flanges and some red oak pieces that had been used previously for mortise testing on another project

Video: Digging Through Scraps Found Rustic Oak

Phase 1: Design, CutLists and Sequencing

The same Drawings from Prototype #1 were used as the starting point. The Flanges were left the same as the BaseLine and then vertical 1" x 3" x 10 3/4" boards drawn in place of the single horizontal Web Board giving a net clearance between the Flanges of 10".

Phase 2: Shaping the Materials and Dry-Fit

Initial Rips and Crosscuts of Red Oak Material

The first thing was to bring the very rough boards down to manageable sizes. Did this with the Jet 18" Bandsaw then used the two Jet Shapers to create the tongues and grooves.

Video: Resawing Oak Then Creating Dados on The Shaper

Using a Sled To Safely Make Tongues on Narrow Ends

Going back to the ultimate purpose for prototyping is to make sure things can actually be done in the real world. One of the concerns I had, before thinking about any future Projects involving vertical Webs, was how safe it would be to use a shaper on narrow end grain, especially on oak. As it turned out it worked fine using a "sled" I had purchased decades ago at a Woodworking Show. This will get even smoother when doing real-life projects since it will be worth spending more time to fine-tune the settings and hold-downs.

Video: Using a Sled to Safely Make Tongues on the Shaper

Cleaning Away Too Much Rusticity

The kerf on the boards was just a little too rough so, rather than having to sand later, I used a Powermatic 8" Jointer to reduce the saw kerf by just a little.

Video: Using Jointer to Remove "Just a Little" Rusticity

Fill the Dado Space Between the Vertical Web Boards

The vertically spaced boards were about 6" apart. I did not want to leave the dado empty between so grabbed some more scraps, cut, ripped and planed to make 3/8" x 3/4" filler strips.

Video: Making Filler Strips to Fill Dado Gaps

Dry-Fit

With the bottom Flange on a flat surface I was able to loosely place each Web Board in the dado. The change, mentioned previously, from a 1/4" deep dado to a 3/8" deep dado, made a HUGE difference as the Web Boards stood upright in the dado so the upper Flange could be placed on top of the Tongues to Dry-Fit the entire panel. This also allowed one last check on the 3/8" filler boards between. All fit well so it was disassembled then taken to the other room for glue-ups.

Phase 3: Glue-Ups and Joinery

Glue-Ups

Next the Flanges and Web Boards were placed in the R&R Clamps which were mounted on a MikroBench which was mounted on a Harbor Freight Rolling Cart. Since everything had been dry-fit earlier there was confidence enough to brush Gorilla Glue into the dados. Then, starting from one end, the tongue of each board was slid into the dado. The clamp jaws at that end were snugged just enough to hold that board in place yet loose enough to allow the next board to still slip in. This process continued gradually snugging the earlier clamps even more. Eventually all of the boards were in position and the clamps tightened using a 3/4" socket wrench. The Gorilla Glue oozing out is usually a good sign that the clamps are tight enough. BTW I DO NOT WIPE OFF THE OOZING GLUE! This only makes a mess. Much better to wait until the glue is completely dry then use a Hyde HD Scraper to easily pop off any residue.

Video: Multi-Board Glue-Ups Using R&R Clamps and Gorilla

Knock-Down Joinery

The knock-down joinery for this Prototype #2 is demonstrated in Step #8 Installing Knock-Down Joinery

Phase 4: Finishes

After the glue had dried the MikroRail was removed from the clamps and taken to another room for sanding and varnishing. Wanting to retain some of the Sawyer's kerf I was careful not to over-sand those areas. Sanding between the Web Boards was a bit tight where the "lifting" of the filler strips (pushed up by glue expansion) became an issue. A note to this affect was added to the "Conclusions" below.

At the last minute some Minwax Wood Filler was fingered into the minor voids not filled with Gorilla ooze and then the excess wiped with a wet rag. Another final sanding; a wet wipe down; an air compressor blast; then allowed to air-dry before varnishing with Minwax Polyurethane Gloss.

Video: Sanding, Roundovers and Filling To Prepare for Finishes

Video: Varnishing Then Sanding Then 2nd Coat

Conclusions for Prototype #2

Once the second coat of varnish was dry it was time to take a close look at the finished prototype and to organize both mental and handwritten notes in written form to return to in the future whenever using this method for building MikroRails. The video and bullet points below summarize my conclusions.

Video: Completed Prototype #2

• Just as reminder to self as to why do prototypes before the real-life projects is that the overall height of this MikroRail was near 12" which would normally fit in a 14" clamp BUT those clamps were mounted on a MikroBench and the Risers to TRAY2 got in the way. No big deal as it took less than a minute to remove TRAY 1 and TRAY 2 as they were attached with knock-down joinery
• The second issue was the narrow strips between the Web Boards. Because they were so small the Gorilla Glue pushed them up. Eventually I needed to place small clamps on each strip, something I'll need to figure a fix for when doing strips again.
• In the video I demonstrate how keeping a couple of clamps in place helps hold the material when Taming the Gorilla with the Hyde Scraper
• Even with the clamps several were up 1/64th" so, being oak and in tight quarters, was a bear to sand. I think I might consider placing the strips in using spacers at same thickness as Web Boards, glue then let dry then run through a planer or jointer for a perfectly flush surface.

Prototype #3: Diagonal Cut I-Beam Rail

Short Video: Review of Completed Prototype #3

Before going any further I wanted to make sure MikroRails could be used for diagonal applications. Rather than building a new prototype I used an older Cherry Prototype. The idea is whether the components needed to be cut at an angle and then go through glue-up or if they could be glued then miter cut. These tests also needed to confirm how the knock-down joinery hardware will be mounted and how the rails will connect to Posts.

Common Applications

The Techniques used to build this Prototype #3 could apply to the following types of Projects:

• Stair Railings
• Diagonal Table or Workbench Legs
• Diagonal Spreaders required on SS Cable Stair Railings

Tools

The tools used for Shaping the materials were the same as listed in the Supplies Section.

Materials

The only Materials used for this prototype was a re-cutting of an older prototype

Phase 1: Design, CutLists and Sequencing

No drawings were created for this prototype.

Phase 2: Shaping the Materials and Dry-Fit

Miter Cuts

The purpose of this prototype was see whether a fully assembled I-Beam could be mitered to an accuracy suitable for mounting that cut end to a vertical post such as where a stair railing meets the top and bottom posts. This is a location that will get a lot of scrutiny when others use the stairwell so, to me, this needed to be an absolutely perfect single-stroke cut.

Another consideration is how the diagonally-cut rail will be joined to the post to create a connection strong enough to meet both code and real-time use where, especially the lower post, has no horizontal support coming from any other direction.

Phase 3: Glue-Ups and Joinery

Glue-Ups

Because a previously build prototype was used there were not glue-ups.

Knock-Down Joinery

Joining a diagonally cut board to a vertical Post is not typically a simple task. Making wood tenons on the end-grain of a diagonally cut board or gouging the matching mortises angled mortises for "traditional" Mortise and Tenon would be a topic reserved for "Advanced Level" woodworking workshops. Making those same joints "knock-down" adds another layer of difficulty, Threaded metal tenons simplify the process for making tenons on the end-grain of boards by "mounting" a tenon rather than shaping it.

Mounting Threaded Metal Tenon on Angled End of Rail

To mount threaded metal tenons on the end grain of a diagonally cut board the same PVC jig that had been used to mount tenons on the 90 degree ends was used except the 1/4" peg was placed in a hole spaced for same. There was no difference in methods, time or degree of difficulty to mount a metal tenon on the end grain of a diagonally cut board as there was for mounting on the 90 degree cut Prototype #1. Images and videos throughout this Instructable will show how well the diagonal methods worked.

Phase 4 - Finishes

The prototype had already been finished in a previous Step

Conclusion

1. Since the I-Beam for this prototype was completely assembled it was similar to crosscutting a solid beam 3" high x 5" wide at a 30 degree miter, a capacity the 12" DeWalt Sliding Compound Miter Saw has and had no problem completing in the test cuts shown in the video.
2. Prototype #2 was 12" overall and later, in Step #6, a 10" rail is cross-cut, after glue-up and after Clear Coat epoxy were non-issues for the Dewalt Sliding Miter however both of those were 90 degree cuts. The capacity changes when an angle. Any final projects should consider, and calculate, if a single-pass cut can be made if that rail is to be cut diagonally.

Prototype #4: Natural Slate for Raised Garden Beds

Short Video: Review of Completed Prototype #4

The idea for this prototype comes back to me several times a day when we walk the dogs. One of our routes takes us past the garden where there are four raised garden beds. One of those was built 15 years ago using the same natural slate tiles used in the foyer and on the porch of our log home. Another built a couple years later from 2" thick concrete pavers. The concept really, really works well for building most any Post and Rail project.

Common Applications

The Techniques used to build this Prototype #4 could apply to the following types of Projects:

• Raised Garden Beds
• Raised Planters - Single Tile versions
• Outdoor Benches with Tile, Paver, Wood or other solid top material
• Exterior Deck Railings
• Bed Headboards & Footboards
• Bed Side Rails using smaller tiles (6", 7", etc.)
• Table or Workbench Legs

Tools

Again the Woodworking Equation came in to play when thinking about how to incorporate Slate Tile into a project. Natural Slate Tiles only come in 12" x 12", or 12" x 24" sizes. Other types of tile, ceramic, porcelain etc. come in all sorts of sizes, great for beds. However, if intended for "exterior use" then the tiles should be rated for "exterior" which natural slate is and possibly some porcelain. Since I gave my tile cutting tools to my son I no longer have the Tool to cut tile. This was taken into consideration during the Design Phase to make sure the Project accommodated only whole 12" tiles.

Materials

Wood

Searching through the wood pile I found some green treated 2 x 4s

Slate Tile

Digging through a rack of leftover miscellaneous stuff I found a box with a few Natural Slate Tiles from projects 10-15 years ago. A few days ago I visited the local Home Depot and Menards to find neither carry the real rugged looking tiles like these old ones but they do carry natural slate in several tones. An employee in the Flooring Department at Home Depot that really seemed to know her stuff explained many of the Porcelain Tiles are also okay for exterior use and that the tags for each clearly state such.

Styrofoam

One of the concerns I've always had about slate or any tile is that they are brittle. It does not take much to snap them into pieces. While the Natural Slate used on the 15 year old Raised Garden Bed shown in the video and images above has held up remarkably well I think it would be a good idea to place Styrofoam between the dirt and the tile. This would also provide insulation in the spring when the sun beats down on the black dirt but the temperatures surrounding the bed might be in the 30's (Fahrenheit). For this prototype I picked up a cutoff of 1" pink Styrofoam while at Home Depots.

Adhesives

Despite what the labels may state, "For Exterior Use" and even that they might list "...tile.." under "adheres to..." , neither conventional wood glue or Gorilla Glue are up to the task of performing what an adhesive needs to do on a Raised Garden Bed:

1. The shear volume of adhesive needed would be prohibitive.
2. There is a 1/4" size difference from tile-to-tile meaning some will fit snug while others large gap.
3. The tile will not shrink but the wood will expand and contract for decades absorbing huge amounts of moisture.

Phase 1: Design and CutLists

Designing this prototype started by reviewing previous builds of raised garden beds. Two of the four raised beds built for my wife are log (to be covered in a future Instructable BTW) but the other two were constructed using Post and Rail methods. In one case the "rails" were built from 1/2" thick natural slate tiles with the other being from 2" thick concrete pavers. In the video linked in the Introductions I visited those 15-Year-Old beds to see what worked and what didn't.

Design Modifications to Previous Garden Beds

1. The tiles on the old versions were only locked in at top and bottom. Hydrostatic pressure was pushing the tiles out. The newer version should be designed to lock the tiles on all four sides.
2. The tiles on the Paver version were spaced about 1" apart theoretically to allow excess water inside the beds to escape thus avoiding pressure build up. That worked but then mice, voles and snakes were using that space to enter and build nests in the beds where the initial bedding was from mulch, leaves, sticks and other fill to eventually compost. This will be solved if the tiles are locked into the wood frame on all four sides.
3. The top board on the Paver version was kind of wide enough to sit on but not on the natural slate version. It would be nice if the top board ("Flange" would be wide and strong enough to support a human.
4. I had retrofit 1/2" PVC tubing into the Tile version so plastic could be placed over the bed creating a greenhouse affect. By beveling the top Flange at the correct angle similar bendable material could be installed permanently to support plastic or removable. Another material, a bit more expensive, would be fiberglass battens found in most sailboat sails.

Phase 2: Shaping the Materials and Dry-Fit

To be honest the Shaping of Materials did not go very well because I violated my own "BaseLine" Standards of 1" boards. By using 2 x 4s, @ 1 1/2" it was one fiasco after another. It would have been fine if I had taken the time to return to the 3D drawing board where the modifications to shaper settings would have been noticed.

For those reasons there are no videos and you will notice the Prototype #4 Slate Raised Garden Bed is being held together by Bessey clamps. That said I know what the issues were, through prototyping, and how they can be solved, in fact, I recently purchased the materials that will allow me to build a "real life" Raised Garden Bed from Natural Slate Tiles, a project I am hoping to document the build of for another Instructable.

Phase 3: Joinery

Glue-Ups

There were no glue-ups but when there are they will include a PL type product such as PL400 or PL Premium

Knock-Down Joinery

When I build the "real life" raised garden bed the joinery will still be knock-down so I can build, dry-fit and finish all of the components prior to assembly out in the garden or sale on Etsy if the wife, kids... don't need it. However the "threaded tenons" will be DIY, probably aluminum or stainless steel flat bar and probably tenons that are 8" or more long not the 3" used in the prototypes built here. That added strength is needed due to the extreme pressure placed on raised garden beds by the hydrostatic pressure, weather and the weight of the gardener sitting on the edge.

Phase 4 - Finishes

There were no finishes applied.

Conclusions for Prototype #4

Too many "issues" to list here but, again, I know what they were and how to solve.

This is one project I am really looking forward to building soon using slate, or other tile types, as the primary material for the Webs. One option I'm considering is a "real life" bed frame including the side rails, footboard and headboard built fully knock-down ready for tile but without the tile. It would be all sized and shaped for common tile sizes so the ultimate user (kids, Etsy buyer...) need only loosely set the tiles (of their choice and at their expense) in place then pour a couple coats of clear-coat epoxy as both the "adhesive" and the final finish. Stay tuned on this one!!!

Prototype5: Making Dados Without a Shaper

Short Video: Review of Completed Prototype #5

Figuring not too many hobbyist woodworkers own shapers I added a prototype alternative for creating the dadoes without a shaper, router or stacked dado. The idea was to glue 3/8" thick wood strips, spaced at 3/4" apart to the Flanges creating the same 3/8" deep x 3/4" wide groove as if gouged by a power tool. While I succeeded at joining the Web to the Flanges in a "groove" the process was cumbersome and is demonstrated here as an almost "what not to do" method. A few days later, after thinking it through I made another prototype using a different approach.

In both cases the MikroRails were structurally sound but it would be in the "eye of the beholder" as to aesthetics in that, no matter how good one gets at this, the joint will typically be visible even if both were the same species. To some the contrast might be invited as in the black walnut used against hard maple.

Common Applications

The Techniques used to build this Prototype #5 could apply to the following types of Projects:

• Bed Side Rails
• Portions of Bed Headboards and Footboards
• Bunk Bed Safety Rails
• Dorm-Room Loft Side Rails
• Vertical Heavy Duty Table or Workbench Legs
• Diagonal Table or Workbench Legs
• Heavy Duty Workbench outer rim with clamp lip
• Railings
• Handrails on Stairs
• Garden Beds using panels between the top and bottom Flanges

Tools

No shaper, router table or stacked dado blades on this guy. Just some of the more typical Tools listed in the Supplies Section like:

• A table saw for initial rips
• A table saw for after-glue-up rips or I used a bandsaw for texture
• Miter saw
• Clamps to do the glue-ups but small ones okay

Materials

Wood

As with all prototypes the search started in the scrap heap where I found a 3/4" x 3" x 22" piece of hard maple (for the Flanges) , a piece of Ash for the Web and a small scrap of black walnut to make the strips.

Phase 1 - Design and CutList

Actually the problem again became that there was no Design and no CutLists. Figuring I could simply do it on the fly using Prototype #1 as a guide. That did not work so well as you will see. Again, this is what prototyping is all about.

Phase 2 - Shaping the Materials and Dry-Fit

1. Used the planer to take down the 3/4" thick maple to 5/8"
2. Used 18" Jet Bandsaw to take 1 1/2" thick Ash to 1" for Web
3. Keeping some of Sawyer's circular blade kerf marks
4. A digital calipers was used to get very accurate thicknesses
5. Used planer to work black walnut down to 3/8ths thickness

Using the components shaped above I was able to "kinda" dry-fit. Not the same as with a dado because the 3/8" walnut strips were not attached yet.

Video: Making Dados Without Shapers, Routers or Dado Blades

Phase 3: Glue-Ups and Joinery

Glue-Ups

The glue-ups were challenging for lack of a "Sequence". I was able to use the clamps to snug the Web to the Flanges while the glue set but those did not attach to the 3/8" walnut strips to the Flange lip. For that I needed to add a bunch of small Bessey and Festool clamps which were difficult to maneuver. It was not pretty but eventually got the job done. The only advantage to this method was that the I-Beam glue-ups were completed in one session.

Knock-Down Joinery

Since I blew it by not first drawing it up and creating a CutList the clear space between the Flanges came out at only 2 1/2" inches which meant my go-to jig for mounting Threaded Metal Tenons would not fit. Since there would be no template the method of mounting threaded metal tenons would be the same as that shown in Step #8 where I demonstrated the mounting of a tenon without a template or jig:

1. Measure and mark center with a pencil
2. Use a pointed starter bit to predrill the center hole
3. Temporarily screw the tenon to the end-grain
4. Use a 7/64" Hinge bit to dimple all three or 5 holes
5. Removed the metal tenon
6. Use a 3/8" drill bit to drill a 1" deep excess bolt hole
7. Use the pointed starter bit to predrill for two screws
8. Place a #9 x 2 1/2" GRK in the two outer tenon holes
9. Send one mostly but not all the way home
10. Send the other fully home then returned to the first
11. If a DYI tenon use a 5/16"-18 tap to thread the center hole

Phase 4 - Finishes

Finishes

Same methods for sanding, routing with a roundover along edges and varnishing as with the other finished prototypes.

Conclusions for Prototype #5

1. It is possible to create dados via glue-up rather than routing a trench
2. The time it takes to do so is certainly much longer than running a dado with a shaper, router or dado blade.
3. Always, always, always have a CutList and Sequence
4. It might be better to build the Flanges with the strip glued to them first. Let dry, then continue as if that dado was created by a power tool.

Prototype #6: Using Firewood for Web Then Clear Coat Epoxy

Short Video: Review of Completed Prototype #6

I wanted to make a prototype that could be used as the Side Rails and Footboard of a bed. Learning from Prototype #2 (the Spaced Vertical Oak one) I knew not to exceed 12" overall height so it could be final-cut in a single pass on the DeWalt Sliding Miter. Even that 12" seemed a bit tall for a bed side rail anyhow so figured a finish height of 10" might be just right. On my way back to the cutoff shed I stopped at the firewood rack planning to "throw another log on the fire" but then hmmmmm? COULD FIREWOOD BE USED FOR THE WEB???

This, so far, is one of my favorites. Really liked the way it turned out. The plan was to see what could be done using those pieces of red oak firewood that had been covered and drying for several years. It then got interesting as the character of those pieces became apparent. It wasn't too long before I could see this was going to be fun and to realize entire bed frames could be made from air-dried firewood.

Common Applications

The Techniques used to build this Prototype could apply to the following types of Projects:

• Bed Side Rails and Footboards
• Raised Garden Beds
• Use cedar firewood
• Place 1" Styrofoam liner between dirt and wood
• Use exterior stain in lieu of epoxy
• Exterior Deck Railings - Solid or Spaced

Tools

A combination of the 8" Powermatic Shaper and the 18" Jet Bandsaw (loaded with a 1 1/4" TPI resawing blade) were the trick to make this happen. Trying to go right to the bandsaw to crosscut a very uneven chunk of firewood was not going to work. There needed to be a "flat spot", even if only a small one. How these two Tools tag-teamed it is demonstrated in "Phase 2: Shaping the Materials" below.

Materials

• Web Material: One piece of red oak firewood
• Flange Material: Two strips of Ash leftover from testing and calibrating the Shaper
• FamoWood Glaze Coat for the two-part epoxy
• Conventional Wood Glue
• Minwax Polyurethane Gloss for the varnish
• Solo Cups for pouring epoxy
• Water to keep oil-base brushes in :-) (see "Varnishing...)

Phase 1 - Design and CutList

Because this project will use the same shaper settings and methods used in the BaseLine Prototype #1 I was comfortable making just the following modifications on the fly, with no additional drawings or CutLists. At this point I wasn't even sure what the final lengths, widths and thicknesses I was going to get out of the single piece of firewood. As it turned out I was able to get the following:

• Web Board Thickness: Random thickness. Most 1" Some 3/4"
• Web Board Length: 9"
• Web Board Widths: Random width from 8" down to 4"
• Overall MikroRail Finish Height: 10 1/4"+-
• Clear Space: 8 1/4" between Flanges

Phase 2 - Shaping the Materials and Dry-Fit

Initial Firewood-to-Boards Steps:

The firewood added a few steps to bring the logs down to size and shape.

• Started by making an initial flat spot on a Jointer
• Used that flat spot to make initial flat spot on Bandsaw
• Back to jointer to improve and enlarge flat spots
• Back to Bandsaw to resaw into 1" thick boards
• Note use of blue sidewalk chalk
• Over to tablesaw to rip parallel edges
• Note blue chalk edge against fence
• Then crosscutting on DeWalt Miter Saw
• Demoed "Full Blade Stop" Safety tip
• Blue chalk against chopsaw fence too

Video: Using Bandsaw and Jointer to Shape Firewood

Creating Tongues via a Shaper

Because the tongue was on the short end grain a "sled" was used to hold each board into position for a "safe" pass through the Shaper cutter. Careful to keep the "Back" side down for consistency in the dado I marked the back of the Tongue with blue chalk. (Video shows this). After all of the boards had Tongues on each end I did a Dry-Fit. All went well so moved on to Phase 3 - Joinery

Video: Using Sled on a Jet Shaper to Create Tongues on End-Grain

Phase 3: Glue-Ups and Joinery

Glue-Ups

• Because I wanted to get a first coat of varnish on this project that same day I used conventional wood glue instead of Gorilla.
• Because of the intended very rough texture of the Web Boards there would be no opportunity to scrape or sand any oozed glue where the Webs meet the Flange so I was very careful not too put too much glue along the edges of the dado
• I scolded myself for not placing wood protectors between the R&R Clamps and the Flanges like I had on the BaseLine glue-up. Besides protecting the wood from red paint marks and pressure dents the single wood spacer, placed at the half-way point up the Flange, places ALL of the pressure of the clamp exactly where it should be. Since I did not put that board in there the clamps applied more pressure to the lower portion of the Flange meaning I needed to add several clamps, upside down, to the top of the glue-up to equalize the pressure.

Using the conventional glue allowed me to remove the clamps later that day to get a first coat of varnish on.

Video: Glue-Up of Prototype #7 MikroRail Built from Firewood

Knock-Down Joinery

Sequence Note: The next few steps are about preparing for and then installing knock-down joinery. Some of these take place AFTER the Two-Part Clear-Coat Epoxy pour demonstrated later.

A common application for this prototype might be the Side Rail or Footboard of a bed. In each case the MikroRail would be the horizontal section between two Posts. These applications would typically be an interior finished product subject to very close scrutiny of the connection between the rail and the post. This can be a real issue when dealing with a rail 10" tall.

One of the first steps to take to help will be to make sure the end of the rail is perfectly flat and perpendicular to the post. The best way to achieve this is a single pass crosscut on a miter saw. Since I had already tested a 12" panel on the DeWalt Sliding Compound Miter I knew we would be okay with this one at only 10" across.

In the video below the tape was removed then the rail placed on the saw bed. The Flanges, unlike a flat board, made it a bit unwieldy but which, as it turned out, was solved by the same appendage that caused the issue, the Flange. The lip on the Flange was ideal for using a small Bessey to clamp the rail to the chopsaw fence.

From a safety perspective I can not tell ya just how important it is, when only a very thin slice will remain, to wait until the blade has come to a complete stop before letting the saw return to its up position. This video makes it very clear just how well that works.

Video: Crosscutting an Epoxied 10" Wide MikroRail

Next the MikroRail was placed in the jaws of a MikroBench where I then go into a very detailed demo on how to install a Threaded Metal Tenon. This was the first time I had ever done one into Clear-Coat Epoxy. This was really cool. Could see the drill bits and then the GRKS going inside.

Video: Mounting Threaded Metal Tenons on One End of Firewood MikroRail

Now that the jig, tools and hardware were all within arms reach it was time to see just how long it actually takes to install a threaded metal tenon on the end of a panel. It took 2 minutes and 25 seconds! Even I thought that was cool! I've watched videos of woodworkers spending hours shaping tenons. Sorry, I know I invented this little guy, but even I was impressed! :-)

Video: Mounting a Threaded Metal Tenon in 2 Minutes 25 Seconds

Test Fitting To Oak Posts Via Threaded Tenon Joinery

Mortises are routed into the Post in a later Step "Installing Knock-Down Joinery" so here I test fit this finished Prototype to one of those posts to show how the Threaded Tenon Joinery worked.

Video: Test Fitting Prototype #6 To Oak Posts Using Threaded Tenon Joinery

Phase 4: Finishes

With all the depth changes in the oak Web boards this prototype said "Two-Part Epoxy Me". The steps taken to prepare for the two-part epoxy included some sanding, roundovers and then an undercoat of oil-based varnish are demonstrated in this video:

Video: Sanding, Roundover and 1st Varnish on Firewood

Sanding

In most cases sanding an area that will get two-part clear-coat epoxy is counterintuitive. It is that rough surface, gouges and inconsistencies that give the epoxy finish the 3D. For this reason there was no sanding of the oak firewood Web. (In retrospect, and mentioned in the Conclusions below, I wished I would have hit a couple of minor slivers sticking up sideways. After two coats of epoxy they were still just a bit sharper than I care for)

The two Ash Flanges did get sanded. Just as with most of my projects I only sand very, very lightly over the saw kerf, especially those created by the Sawyer's 5' diameter blade. This, to me, is a method for keeping rusticity but without being gaudy. Then, after a coat of varnish, another light sanding which will no longer remove the deep part of the kerf but will start to smooth the surface for a 2nd coat of varnish enough so that bedding or dust rags don't catch on rough kerf edges. If this were a client project I would have sanded again after the 2nd varnish then varnish a 3rd coat.

Roundover

Typically, and as I did here, I like to roundover AFTER sanding. If that process is reversed then it is too easy to sand away the roundover. The only exception is when the surface that the router bearing will ride on is very rough, as demonstrated in the video, AND I want to carry that shape into the roundover since the bearing will follow the roughness. Actually kinda fun when that happens.

Pouring of Two-Part Clear-Coat Epoxy

This project was ideal for Clear-Coat Epoxy. The very rough 3D surface of the firewood slices lend themselves well. These are the notes and videos associated with the epoxy broken down into two separate pours.

Varnish Before Applying Epoxy Clear-Coat

• The clear-coat epoxy materials, at least those I have been using, do not bring out the colors and tones of natural wood anywhere near as well as oil based varnish.
• Rough wood like this has a lot of fine holes and cavities that tend to produce gas bubbles during a clear-coat pour. For these reasons I applied several coats of Minnwax Polyurethane, an oil based finish. It really brought out the natural wood tones and sealed most of the surfaces that would off-gas later.
• This is where I was reminded I should have installed a long Bessey type clamp from side-to-side during the glue-ups to bring each of the vertical Web boards tight together. Because I did not the varnish oozed through to the newspapers below. All I could do was apply more and more varnish even coming back several times that evening to let more work its way down to close the gaps. The next day there were still some but that I will deal with just prior to the epoxy pour.
• In several "Applying Finishes" videos in this Instructable I demonstrate on how to keep using a brush full of oil-based varnish without cleaning it or using any chemicals. Simply place the brush, with varnish still on it, in a plastic cup filled to just above the bristles with water. (Filling any higher gets the wood handle too wet). This will keep the brush totally soft for days or weeks. When ready to varnish just slap the bristles against a piece of wood, wipe with a cloth and away ya go.

Two-Part Clear Coat Epoxy Pour

I had always wanted to try demonstrating threaded tenon joinery by showing the GRKs and excess bolt hole so the first thing I did was to place a large Forstner bit in Powermatic Drill Press then bore a circle most of the way through the Web on one end.

The next thing I did was turn the assembly over then applied blue painters tape to each of the joints between the Web Boards. This will prevent most of the epoxy from oozing through later. The same tape was used in a double layer on each end to create a "dam" to stop epoxy from flowing over the edge. Figuring both ends will later be cut off using a 12" sliding miter saw I was not concerned with trying to get the tape edge perfectly straight. After that I did the epoxy pour.

During the pour several more advantages of the I-Beam shape and the dado were noted:

1. The Flanges create a built-in edge to pour against.
2. The tongue of the Web boards fills the groove of the Flanges with material, that combined with the glue already in that space prevents expensive epoxy from oozing through.
3. If the width and height of the panel stays within the capacity range of the sliding compound miter, in my case a 12" Dewalt, each end can be crosscut AFTER the pour so, as long as extra length was added earlier, the two ends can be cut to form a perfect 90 degree which will be flush with the Post

Video: Pour #1 of 2 of Clear-Coat Epoxy on Prototype

Video: Pour #2 of 2 of Clear-Coat Epoxy on Prototype

Conclusions for Prototype #7 - Firewood MikroRail

Video: Review of Completed Prototype #7 Made from Firewood

1. The two-part epoxy turned out great and would be ideal for a bed side rail or Footboard
2. I wasn't paying attention on one of the Web Boards and put it in backwards
3. Wished I would have used a long Bessey to bring the Web Boards tighter together while the glue was still wet. That tiny space between each board became a real headache when pouring and ended up with a lot of expensive epoxy oozing through to the newspapers under.
4. If this rail was for a real bed then plane the back of all boards, varnish and maybe one or two coats of epoxy to provide very smooth finish up to bedding AND that would have prevented ooze of epoxy from front pour
5. The Flange provides a built-in edge to pour epoxy up to
6. The height was ideal at a total of about 10". Easy to crosscut after fully assembled and poured because well within capacity range of miter saw and would seem to be good height for bed side rail or Footboard to hide the box spring but to let the top few inches of the mattress to be above Flange
7. Because of the finish height of 10" and because both ends were a perfect 90 degree and flush resulting from the one-pass miter cut I felt comfortable with using only one threaded metal tenon centered on the end grain rather then one at top and one at bottom. For shorter rails, like a Footboard, I'd be okay with the small 3-hole tenon but maybe if it were a sideboard I might go with the larger 5-hole version or even make a DIY longer version yet.
8. This was the first time I had ever crosscut a large area of epoxy. It was a non-issue. Leaves a frosted finish at the cut surface but no chip-outs.
9. Since there was enough depth between the Flange and Web there is space for the bearing on a typical roundover router bit so roundovers could be done after glue-ups if desired.
10. If for bed apply all coats of varnish on both sides and on Flanges. To keep 3D kerf on Flange light sand AFTER varnish then apply 2nd and maybe 3rd coat of varnish. All of that BEFORE pouring epoxy.
11. One of the firewood boards had too much roughness so the epoxy didn't cover it. Didn't want to burn through more coats of epoxy so left it as-is but next time plane or sand any high spots before epoxy.

Prototype #7: Posts From Triple-Laminated Red Oak

Short Video: Review of Completed Prototype #7

Got Posts?

With several MikroRail prototypes completed I needed to "dry-fit" and demonstrate how they would be mounted so I needed two "Posts"

• There were four posts in my shop, (2 tall and 2 short) made a few years ago using the "box" method where two 8/4 spalted/wormy maple boards where attached to two more but at 90 degrees to each other creating a hollow area inside the finished post for 12V lighting wires but that set is intended for a bed on my radar.
• There were four solid wormy maple beams milled several years ago, now air-dried indoors and ready to be worked but I didn't want to break up that set.
• Then there was a bundle of "Certified Jim Beam Distillery 19th Century Reclaimed" posts but those were a bit too short, intended more for a low farmhouse style coffee table, so those would not work.
• Short Video: Older Solid Post Prototype from Jim Beam Reclaimed
• An older "box method" prototype made from Butternut using spline Joinery.
• Short Video: Box Method Post Prototype Using Spline Joinery
• A solid ash post custom cut by a local sawmill
• Short Video: Custom Cut Solid Ash Post Prototype

Video: Posts in Shop Earmarked for Other Projects

Common Applications for Post Prototype

The techniques, modified in height and/or materials, used to build these Posts could apply to the following types of Projects:

• The two short Posts of a bed connected to a Footboard
• The two tall Posts of a bed connected to a Headboard
• Loft Railing Posts at corners or intermediary
• Corner Posts of a Raised Garden Bed (but from exterior wood)
• Farmhouse Style Dining Table Legs
• Heavy Duty Workbench Legs

The Sandwich Analogy

Making a Tri-Lam "MikroPost Sandwich"

Starting without a CutList or Sequence I threw on the headphones; put Pandora on to the John Hiatt Station; turned on the GoPro; grabbed a couple of air-dried boards salvaged from our field then started crosscutting, resawing, jointering, more resawing and planing. After an hour or so there were six boards sitting on the table.

Four of those were about 2" thick, those would become the "Bread" for making two "Tri-Lam MikroPost Sandwiches", a glue-up method where three boards become one solid post. The other two boards were exactly 3/4" thick with both surfaces parallel to each other and perfectly smooth via the jointer and planer. These two boards were the "Meat" (or the PB&J for the Vegans out there) for the "MikroPost Sandwiches". Those 6 boards were then taken into the other room where two MikroBenches were anxiously waiting for their next victim to Tame the Gorilla (glue that is).

After a few hours of set-time the oozed Gorilla was scraped away; the two posts removed from the clamps; taken back to the other room; where they were resawn again; the tops were beveled; edges shaved with a draw knife; lightly sanded; then varnished. By that same evening, sitting on the table, were two "MikroPosts".

Gotta tell ya this is what woodworking is all about!. It's still fun to step back and go "wow"!

Video: Status of Posts After Day1

The next morning the posts got another light sanding and a 2nd coat of varnish. A few hours of dry time and they were ready to demonstrate "knock-down" methods to connect MikroRails to MikroPosts Using MikroTenons

Too Nice for Prototyping???

After seeing how nice these spontaneous posts turned out I decided they were too nice to make multiple mortises for prototyping and that they could become fodder for another Instructable yet to be titled, maybe something like "Building Rustic MikroBeds on a MikroBench Using MikroTenons to Connect MikroPosts to MikroRails". My wife thinks that is a silly title so maybe more like "Build a Farmhouse Bed from Salvaged Red Oak" where these two posts could be at the foot of a rustic, Farmhouse style bed proudly supporting a Clear-Coat-Epoxied Footboard and Side Boards built like the prototype in the images above constructed from scraps of red oak firewood. TBD!

Tools

The Tools used to build these two MikroPosts were the same as those listed in the Supplies Section and on most of the previous prototypes. Again the "equation" rears his head, P=M+J+T™, with the Project being "clamping stiff boards (the Materials) together to get perfectly hidden joints". The right clamps (Tools) are critical:

1. Making "Tri-Lam Sandwiches" 4 1/2" thick from two very stiff 8/4 oak "bread" outers takes a HUGE amount of clamping force to end up with near-perfect, mostly invisible joints. These types of results could never be achieved using hand-tightened clamps, even the really good ones. This is why I have some 50+ R&R Clamps scattered around my shop. (again no business relationship or sponsoring connections). They come at a price but well worth it, especially for professional-level work.
2. An alternative to the R&Rs is Pipe Clamps, the types with very large turn handles. We used to couple 6 of those at 10' each to snug 60' log walls together. These things also have a huge amount of torque and a large surface area meeting the wood.
3. The expanding aspect of the Gorilla Glue then comes into play trying to push the sandwich apart while curing. This becomes evident when removing the clamps. No problem with the R&Rs because a long handled socket wrench provides plenty of leverage to break the grip of a Gorilla. Similar with the long handled bar clamps, but when attempting this with hand-grip clamps, even the really good ones, one will frequently need to use a Vice-Grip, channel locks or pipe wrench to remove the clamps.

Other tools that really strutted their stuff on these 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" solid posts and that deserve a standing ovation were:

1. The 18" Jet Bandsaw equipped with a 1 1/4" deep x 1 1/4" TPI wide rake blade. Making these 4 1/2" thick posts started with 5" wide boards with cumulative thicknesses exceeding 5" in the other direction. After glue-up the posts were still 5" x 5" +-. The finished dimensions in the design criteria had always been 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" for a number of reasons:
2. Although there are many articles about the cutting capacities of 12" sliding compound miter saws the reality is that, no matter the brand, the limiting factor is the washer holding the 12" blade to the saw eats up about 1 1/2" of the diameter leaving, guess what, 4 1/2" of cuttable area.
3. Multi-Board Glue-Ups should always be over-cut in length through glue-up since attempts to align 3 or more boards perfectly on both ends is impossible. If over-length initially then waiting until the glue is dry then cross-cut the ends for an absolutely perfect cut. This is even more valuable when one or both ends need to be cut as a diagonal like for stair railings or the "X" shaped bases on Farmhouse style table bases. The only way to get a "perfect" cut is in one pass. The only way to make one pass is to limit the thickness, at least in one direction, at 4 1/2".
4. Back to the 5" x 5" rough dimensions: The 18" bandsaw doesn't break a sweat reducing a 5" x 5" post to 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" AND with a 1 1/4" deep blade it doesn't bend even when close to the edge.
5. As you may have gathered I am all about "rustic". (My company name was/is "Door County Rustic, LLC). Not gaudy, over-thick or overly-live edged but just a touch of "rusticity". The 1 1/4" wide-rake blade on the 18" bandsaw emulates, as close as it can, some of the Sawyer's kerf that I try to maintain. This kerf also helps hide the joints made on the two surfaces where the two slices of bread sandwich the meat.
6. The 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw was the only new tool purchased after retiring. The previous two had earned their keep on jobsite-after- jobsite so they were put out to pasture replaced with the new one seen in the videos. I've owned Bosch and Milwaukee but neither have a "lock-down" like the Dewalt. (maybe patented???). The Dewalt has a button that can be pushed for quick up or down, unlike the others that need to be turned, often times for long distances, to clear. The Dewalt clamps hold flawlessly, a feature that allowed me to (safely) get back to woodworking much sooner after rotator cuff surgery. I also really like the "shadow" (vs laser) method for aligning the blade to a mark on the board (Milwaukee uses this as well) since it does not require calibrating after a blade change AND, if brought down close to the mark, even shows where the outer edge of the teeth will hit rather than just the main blade section.
7. The Milwaukee 18V Router, fitted with the very difficult to buy (not sure why) optional Plunge Base along with a Milwaukee 18V shop vac was the perfect combo for totally dust-free routing of the shallow mortises on the posts. Note: If searching for the plunge base make sure it is the one designed specifically for the 18V router. Several online sources show one that appears to fit but it is designed for a different Milwaukee router. The three tag-team since the vac is light enough to throw on a shelf behind the MikroBench that the posts were clamped to for routing; the nozzle tip that comes with the Milwaukee vac fits perfectly into the dust port of the Plunge Base (without duct tape like most other vac hoses) and then, with a high-amp-fully-charged battery) "suck" the PVC template even tighter to the Post to create the perfect storm for dust-free mortise routing. Something that could be done on the kitchen table in a condo just before guests arrive for dinner.

Materials

Wood

Three years ago I built a log home for a client. They did not want the wood from an oak tree we needed to take down. I took it to a local Sawyer at that time, had it sawn into 8/4 then brought the boards home. They had been stickered ever since, not covered, outside. A few months ago I noticed they were starting to mold so brought them in the shop, ran them through the Grizzly planer just enough to remove the worse; then kept them indoors ever since. One of these, about 6' long, 2 1/4" ish thick and 11" wide was used for this Project along with a very grayed 6/4 board that I thought, but not sure, came from the same tree.

Adhesives

• Gorilla Glue (original type)
• Gorilla Glue (white wood glue type)

Finishes

• Minwax Wood Filler (small tube)
• Minwax Polyurethane (oil based) Gloss Varnish

Joinery

• Joinery Hardware: None (The joinery hardware will be part of the MikroRail)
• Joinery Mortises Template: A PVC Template was used to demonstrate two methods to create the 3/8" deep mortise for Threaded Tenons
• The first method used multiple 1/4" diameter holes CNC placed on the PVC template to insert a Snappy 7/64 O.D, Self Centering Hinge Bit to "dimple" for a Forstner bit. This method of mortising is demonstrated below.
• The second method used a rectangular shaped cavity on the same Template to guide a 1/4" upspiral solid carbide router bit to create a rectangular shaped 3/8" deep mortise to accommodate the goofy-looking overlapped-circle laser fabricated threaded metal tenons. This method for mortising is also demonstrated in Phase 3: Joinery
• When viewing the video note how there is literally NO DUST from the mortise routing. This is because of a very unique method of making the router template, one I hope to someday do an Instructable on. A "dust pocket" is created 1/2" deep and about 3/8" wider than the surface the router guide bushing rides on. s

Design Considerations

Normally one would design before building but I did not. Having done this many times before I just grabbed a board and started sawing knowing I wanted a final measurement of 4 1/2" x 4 1/2", a very common dimension for my stuff, and whatever length could be gotten out of the available chunk of salvaged wood.

The logic behind 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" was:

• They don't look like "store-bought" 4 x 4s or 6 x 6s. (3 12" or 5 1/2" respectively)
• The Equation: P = M + T + J™: The DeWalt 12" Sliding Compound Miter saw, the Tool in my shop, for cutting this type of Material has a 4 1/2" cut capacity. Anything larger than 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" will hit the washer holding the blade in place so would require a "flip then saw again" 2-pass process, a method that does not always result in a "perfect" crosscut.
• Three rough-sawn 8/4 boards will almost always yield a total of 4 1/2" after initial jointering and planing; then glue-ups; then resawing. The video under Phase 2: Shaping the Materials demonstrates that process from beginning to end.
• Personally 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" just seems to look good for bed posts and railings in a semi-rustic environment. Not too bulky like so many log homes and yet not so small to look out of proportion
• Since 4 1/2" is a common dimension the jigs and templates I make on a CNC for mounting joinery have holes for doweled stops or 1/4" slots to attach the jig to the piece and then clamp during routing of mortises. This is demonstrated in Phase 3: Joinery

Better Late Than Never?

Although the Posts had already been completed I grabbed the laptop, pulled up SketchUp and drew, what is referred to in the Trades as, an "As-Built", a design based on the way something had already been built. Doing this, while still fresh in my mind, will give me (and attached to this Step for anyone else) the Design, CutList and Sequencing I used. Those drawings, words, dimensions and the step-by-step video below will provide reference for anyone, including me in the future, for building similar Posts. (The .skp MikroPost file is attached below).

Video: MikroPost #1 - Drawing the Post, CutList and Sequencing in SketchUp

Shaping the Materials Before Glue-Ups

Bringing Rough-Sawn 5/4 and 8/4 Boards Down to Useable Size

The first thing that needed to be done was to bring the hard-to-handle 8/4 board and the very rough 5/4 board down to useable sizes. Eventually I will make a "Board Sandwich" with the two outside boards at +- 2" thick becoming the "bread" and then the inside board at 3/4" thickness as the "meat" (or for the vegans in the crowd the "peanut butter and jelly aka PB&J".)

Starting with the 8/4 Board (The "Bread")

Eventually these two boards will become the "bread" for the sandwich so only one surface of each needed to be perfectly flat.

• This started on the 12" DeWalt Sliding Compound Miter Saw which has a capacity to slice through a board this depth and this thickness without breaking a sweat.
• When boards are this thick they are "unpredictable" relative to potential "twist" so I made multiple passes from front-to-back gradually working the blade down making the board "weaker" so it didn't have any strength left to pinch on the saw blade.
• Then a couple of passes on the 8" Powermatic Jointer to create an initial flat spot so the board would play nicely with the fence on the bandsaw
• Next over to the 18" Jet Bandsaw with a 1 1/4" TPI resawing blade where the flat spot created on the jointer moments early allowed the board to sit flush against the fence. Here I ripped the board to 5" widths. This is a half inch wider than what the finished Posts will be. This, to me is HUGE when glue-ups are involved especially on rough-sawn lumber that has not been fully squared yet.
• As you might notice in the video the first pass got out of control at the end for lack of an outfeed table. Before the next pass a Rigid Flat Top outfeed table was placed there and adjusted to support all subsequent passes.

Then the 5/4 Board (The "Meat/PB&J")

This board will become the "Meat/PB&J" so both surfaces need to be perfectly flat and parallel to each other.

• The surfaces of this board were so gray I still didn't know what species it was other than, by its weight, figured it was hardwood. One end was crosscut on the Dewalt then measured and cut again on the other end still to an oversized length.
• After those two cuts it could be confirmed as red oak.
• A few passes of one edge on the Powermatic 8" Jointer to help ripping it in a moment
• Then used the Jet 18" Bandsaw to rip this board using the same 5" settings as on the 8/4 stuff
• As the "meat" both surfaces of this board will need to fit tight to the inside of the two pieces of bread so this board needs to have a perfectly flat surface on both sides and those two sides must be parallel to each other
• Blue sidewalk chalk was applied in a "S" pattern for the full length of one surface then that surface faced down on the Jointer. This will indicate when all low spots have been touched by the blade.
• In the video watch the chalk disappear with each pass through the jointer
• Once the chalk was (mostly) gone I knew I had a flat surface
• Mistake Made Here: I stopped making passes on the jointer leaving one end with a small area of blue chalk. That showed up after the glue-up as a gap between the Bread next to it. I could have prevented that by making another pass or two but at the risk of not having 3/4" thickness or I could have applied very heavy thickness of Gorilla Glue to fill that void.
• Next the boards went to the Grizzly 15" Planer for the initial passes. This is a very heavy duty planer. It can take off about 3 times the material per-pass than a finish planer but it does not have a preset for thickness stop so I used a fine measuring tool to check it after each pass until it was almost 3/4". It is very easy to take off too much so stopped there and took it to the DeWalt 3 blade planer that has a preset to stop at 3/4".
• Blue chalk is ALWAYS kept facing down since that is the flat surface from jointer
• The last few passes were made on the DeWalt Planer to reach an exact 3/4" thickness.

Video: Bringing Rough-Sawn Boards Down to Workable Size

Shaping Materials After Glue-Ups

Sometimes sequences need to be deviated from. This was one of those cases. When building Posts from multiple boards it often is better to oversize all of dimensions including lengths, widths and thicknesses. The Posts were sized to 5" x 5" x 31ish initially then taken into the other room for glue-ups. The steps and videos below will show the Posts coming back into the workshop after the glue had set and the Gorilla tamed.

Resawing the Posts from 5" Down to 4 1/2"

Although the "meat" center was blending in with the bread and getting harder to notice (with the help of a Gorilla) I still wanted to make sure it stayed centered. This meant a series of resaws at one thickness then another at final thickness.

• The 18" Jet Bandsaw was set to 4 5/8" then the Posts resawn on one surface, turned 90 degrees then resawn again.
• The bandsaw was reset to 4 1/2" then each of the Posts flipped 90 degrees then 90 degrees again
• When done all four of the surfaces had a "rough-sawn" texture created by the 1 1/4" TPI heavy rake blade.

Video: Resaw Posts to Final 4 1/2" Thickness AFTER Glue-Up

Cutting Final Post Length

The decision as to which end should be the "top" will depend on the ultimate use for the post. If this was going to be for a loft railing or a bed post then the "character" might best be at top where it will be seen more often. On the other hand if the post were to be part of Farm Style table base, especially where the leg is tucked way under the table top, then the character might be best at the bottom since the top will be hidden by the table top.

After surveying the best end to be the Top and Bottom of the Post they were each brought to the miter saw

• These slices will be very thin so again the reminder to let the miter saw blade come to a complete stop before letting it lift back up. This was demonstrated several times in the video.

Beveling the Tops

Compound miters allow for mitering or beveling, just a matter of how the blade is set. I chose the "miter" method setting the blade to 45 degrees. The video shows how a mark was placed at 1". (Later I wished it had been 1/2" to 3/4"). The video shows how marks were placed on the yellow saw bed to help with the remaining miters. There are better ways to do it and would have done so if the project was intended for a client. Again the blade was allowed to come to a full rest before allowing it to lift due to the small triangular cutoffs that could go anywhere if not. When all was said and done there were four posts with beveled tops

Video: Crosscut Posts To Final Length and Bevel Top

I wanted to get a coat of varnish on before calling it a night so went directly to Phase 4: Finishing. The Joinery can come after varnishing in this case.

Phase 3: Glue-Ups and Joinery

Lots of woodworkers say they hate Gorilla Glue because of the mess and ooze. I say "One man's junk is another man's treasure". Gorilla glue is the best thing since sliced bread, in fact if ya need to put a loaf of sliced bread back together the best method of "Bread Joinery" would include Gorilla Glue. In the two videos below I demonstrate "Taming the Gorilla".

Taming a Gorilla Part 1 - Applying Gorilla Glue

1. For large pieces like this I use Gorilla only along the outer edges so it can ooze outwardly to fill any voids
2. For the inner area I used conventional "white" glue. Less expensive and dries faster
3. Always use "Gorilla tolerant brushes". Some brushes get "eaten alive" by Gorillas. Ask your woodworking store which brushes can hold up to Gorilla
4. Gorilla glue expands. The larger the area the greater the expansion. This means the clamps get "tighter" during curing of the glue. Many a time I've had to use a Vice Grips or Channel Locks to turn the wood or plastic handle on Besseys, Jets and other hand tightened clamps. Great clamps but hard to get off of a Gorilla. This is just one of the reasons I prefer the R&R clamps. They are tightened with a 3/4" socket wrench; moved rapidly with a 3/4" socket in a cordless impact driver; the long handle of the socket wrench provides plenty of leverage to convince the Gorilla to give up its grip.
5. Don't follow the glue manufacturer's suggestion to wet the surface first. In this project it got "wet" from the white glue next to it but otherwise it seems there is a longer "set time" when moisture is NOT added giving me more time to adjust pieces if needed AND the bubbles seem less honeycomb which means a better filler for gaps at a joint.
6. Apply enough but not too much. Brush every bit of it from the inside towards the outside as shown in the video. Make sure every inch of the edge is covered with glue.
7. Never wipe off Gorilla Glue when its wet. It will only get worse. Best is to let it dry then deal with it later. Even drips on the floor, just let them dry and they'll pop right off with a scraper

Video: Taming a Gorilla Part 1: Multi-Board Glue-Ups to Make Rustic MikroPosts

Taming a Gorilla Part 2 - Removing Glue-Ooze

1. Used a Hyde HD 3" Scraper as shown. The red handled one. Not sure why but nothing can come close to this little guy for scraping dried Gorilla glue off the surface of the board. I think it's just the right angle and stiffness on the blade.
2. When scraping the dried, oozed glue leave a clamp or two on. This holds the work piece so you can get momentum to slide long stretches of ooze off. The video makes this very clear how the momentum of the scraper does wonders.
3. Wear gloves for this part as I've had dried glue come up and the sharp edge cut my hand
4. If there are pets in the area clean up the shavings before they eat them.

Video: Taming a Gorilla Part 2: Removing the Clamps and Cleaning Up Gorilla Glue

Knock-Down Joinery

The initial intent was for these two Posts to be "prototypes" for demonstrating how different sizes and shaped MikroRails (coming soon) connect. But the posts turned out so nicely that I didn't have the heart to mortise multiple cavities for the different MikroRail applications. Instead I decided these two Posts will become part of a future Instructable, TBD, probably as the two Posts at the foot of a Farm-Style Rustic Oak Bed.

One of the MikroRail prototypes was getting close to what could be the Side Rails of the bed and/or the Footboard. That prototype was 12" high so only one Threaded Metal Tenon on each end would be plenty. If that mortise was located at the center of each Post then these MikroPosts could be used for both demonstration and then later for the real thing.

With this in mind I created a single mortise in each post BUT using two different methods resulting in two different shapes.

1. A rectangular mortise 3/8" deep x 3/4" wide x 3" high created with a hand-held Milwaukee 18V router with a guide bushing using a CNC routed PVC template. This method demonstrates how woodworkers familiar with routing can make the shallow mortises.
2. To demonstrate how non-routing folks can create similar mortises using a Forstner Bit the same template was used to punch 3 "dimples" with a "Hinge Bit" to provide a contact point for the sharp point on a 3/4" Forstner bit to bore 3 overlapping circles to 3/8" deep.

Both methods take only a few minutes and are equally as effective. The video demonstrates how different shapes of threaded tenons will react to the two shapes of the mortises requiring a few taps of a hand chisel to adapt.

Using the Dual Method PVC Templates

The PVC Template created on a CNC router serves either of the methods. In both cases the template has two slots at 4 1/2" apart. Placing a 1/4" piece of plywood in each of those strips allows the Template to slide over a 4 1/2" Post.

The Forstner Bit Mortising Method

• One section of the Template has five 1/4" holes. A 7/64" Snappy Self-Centering Hinge Bit mounted in the chuck of a 12V Milwaukee Driver was used in each hole to create a "dimple"
• The jig was removed then the Post placed on the table of an 8" Wen Benchtop Drillpress table where the sharp pointed tip of the 11/16" Forstner was steered into position via the dimples.
• All three holes were drilled relying on the depth stop to 3/8" depth
• The Post was removed from the Drill Press
• If a drillpress is not available a hand-held drill, not as accurate, will do the trick

The Router Mortising Method

• A different section, an area with a full-thru rectangle, but on the same Template was mounted using the same plywood grabbers. In this case, because a router will push the Template from side to side during routing, a Bessey Clamp was used to snug the Template to the Post but well out of the way of the router bit.
• A 1/4" upspiral router and matching guide bushing mounted in a Milwaukee 18V router connected to a Milwaukee 18V vac was used to follow the pattern on the Template to create a mortise.
• Each pass was set to 1/8" deep so three passes were made using the turret depth set of the router
• When the Template was removed there was not a spec of dust! Some of this had to do with the great dust collection system integrated into the Milwaukee router but another was not quite so obvious. This little trick to making router templates works wonders and, hopefully, will be the subject of another Instructable in the future.

Preparing for The Threaded Bolt

The final knock-down connection from MikroRail to MikroPost will be made via a 5/16" bolt. There are many different ways this will happen depending on the "artistic" touch applied by the woodworker. Some of these will be demonstrated in the MikroRail Instructable while others are Project-Specific so will show when actual applications are demonstrated. Again anticipating that these post will become those at the foot of a rustic bed I decided the finish on the opposite side of the Post will be " Fake Tenon about 3/8" thick x 2" wide by 8" tall. That "Fake Tenon may be mild steel flatbar "beat up" with a grinder for rustic appearance then painted black or it may be from wood to match as if the MikroRail was coming full through the post. Some of these final details still TBD but the preparation will be the same either way:

• The stop-collar of a 3/8" Kreg-Style two-stage drill bit was set to a depth to allow only the smaller tip break through to the other side of the 4 1/2" post.
• That Kreg Bit was placed in the center of the mortise then drilled until the collar stopped the bit leaving an 1/8" hole on the opposite surface of the Post
• The sharp tip of a 1" Forstner bit, mounted in a small drill press, was guided by the 1/8" hole to create a 1" diameter by 3/8" deep countersink which will provide a recess for the head of the 5/16" bolt and a washer which, in turn, will be hidden by the steel or wooden removable (for knock-down) "Fake Tenon"

Phase 4: Finishes

The finishing of the surfaces on these posts was the same as used on the rail prototypes other than I used a draw-knife to shape the edges rather than a router. Just seemed to be more appropriate.

Knock-Down Joinery Via Threaded Metal Tenons

All of the Post and Rail prototypes are designed for Knock-Down Joinery. All of those will be via Threaded Tenon Joinery. Because I use threaded tenon frequently for both personal projects and in workshops I have small quantities made and tapped for me by a local small-order laser fabricator. In this Step I first demonstrate how to create the mortises in the Posts in preparation to receive threaded tenons and then provide several demos showing how tenons are mounted to the MikroRails.

Supplies and Material

There are a couple of items needed for installing knock-down joinery"

• Threaded Metal Tenons
• GRK Fasteners - Usually #9 x 2 1/2" Multi-Purpose
• T-25 Star Bits for the D=GRK #9s
• 7/64" Hinge Bit - Mine are usually Snappy brand
• A starter bit. Not sure brand or size. Any will do.

Tools

There are two methods for making the mortises for threaded tenons:

1. Drill Press Method using Forstner Bits
2. Router Method using a Template and Template Guide

Mortising Posts for Threaded Tenon Knock-Down Joinery

Before mortising for the bed side rails I needed to know about where the mortise should be on bed posts. so took a quick visit into our log home to check out a bed in the guest room.

Video: Measure Bed In Home to Set Rail Height on Posts

Creating the Mortises Via Drill Press

Some woodworkers own and a very comfortable using routers for just about everything. Some are not. This is one of the benefits of threaded tenon joinery in that the mortises are only 3/8" deep so quite easy to bore with a drillpress or and even a hand-held drill.

The process starts with a template that has 1/4" holes placed by a CNC. A 7/64" Hinge Bit is placed in each of those holes to dimple. These dimples are the key to preventing the Forstner bit from jumping, an especially tough task on a hand-held drill. Next the post is taken to the drill press where I demonstrate the drilling of 5 overlapping 3/4" holes to a depth of 3/8".

Video: Using a Drillpress to Create Mortises for Knock-Down Joinery

Creating Mortises Using a Router with Template and Template Guide

This method can easily be done with a hand-held router.

• I use a Milwaukee 18V with their optional Plunge Base.
• The PVC template for this step is the same template used for the mounting of tenons, as shown in previous Steps
• The router is equipped with a 1/4" Upspiral Solid Carbide router bit
• The router is equipped with a template guide bushing to match
• An 18V Milwaukee shop vac is used attached to the Plunge Base

This router method, once one gets used to routing this way, is so slick and, using the Milwaukee plunge base connected to the vac and a very special custom-made template (it has a hidden "dust pocket below the surface) makes this a virtually dust-free process. Not a spec of dust! The mortises are absolutely perfect in three passes at 1/8" per pass

Video: Using a Router To Create Mortises for Threaded Tenon Joinery

Installing Threaded Tenons

Installing Threaded Metal Tenons on Rails

In this example Threaded Tenons are installed on Prototype #2, the tall, space, vertical web MikroRail. A fabricated 5-Hole Threaded Tenon, the goofy shaped, multi-circled type, was shown how it can be done without a template free-handed using a temporary holding screw to mark then remove then predrill then install permanently with GRK #9 x 2 1/2" Multi-Purpose fasteners.

Video: Installing Threaded Metal Tenons on Rail Prototype 2

Threaded Tenon Joinery

When building stair systems for log home clients I began experimenting with a method of joinery allowing me to build; dry-fit and apply finishes for railing systems all while still in my home workshop before those components were taken to the jobsite for installation. Later I started building other commissioned and personal projects using the same system.

This method for "knock-down" joinery not only worked it worked extremely well. My customers suggested: "You should patent that!". So, as a "Bucket List" item, did just that. A year later the U.S. Patent office issued two patents:

1. Utility Patent
2. Design Patent

Having patents and selling them for millions are two different things so, until some big woodworking conglomerate comes along and realizes this system is ready for prime time, I use enough for personal projects and for class projects in the workshops I teach to warrant having a small-order laser manufacturer fabricate and tap small quantities. I also make my own when needing a custom size, shape or material.

Again, I am retired, so had and still don't have any intentions of returning to the business world to personally have manufactured or promote the patented Threaded Metal Tenons for retail sales. That said, because I have small quantities fabricated, I place the laser-cut tenons for sale on my Shopify Store along with some hard-to-buy-in-small-quantity related hardware and custom mounting templates. If you are a Content Creator, furniture manufacturer or woodworking retailer interested in licensing please PM me here at Instructables.