Bed Bolts, 6 inch

Bed Frame Hardware

• Sold individually
• Material: Forged Steel
• Color: Black
  
• Includes nut

• Length: 6"
• Length less head & flange: 5-3/8"
• Bolt: 3/8"- 16 Thread
• Head Size: 3/8" Square, 15/16" Diameter Flange, 5/8" Depth including Flange
• Nut  3/4"square

6" Bed Bolts provide a secure connection between rails and head/foot boards on antique rope beds. Tendon end of bed rail slips into mortise-cut in bed post. Once in place, bed bolt draws wood bed posts and bed rail tightly together producing a strong rigid joint. 

These well made bed bolts are strong, being made of steel. They have a 3/8"- 16 thread. This is a standard thread size however some vintage and antique beds have unusual or custom thread sizes. If the thread size is different than 3/8-16 it is necessary to replace the nut in the bed rail. For additional information please go to: replacing bed bolts.

Rope beds were used from Colonial times to the mid 1800's. Beds were roped on short wooden pegs which line the head, foot, and side rails. A feather tick, the forerunner of the mattress, was laid on the roping.

Longer Bed Bolts

• 7" Bed Bolts

How to Measure

• Overall Length includes head and flange
• Length less head & flange: 5-3/8"
• Measure depth of Head- channel. must-be deep enough to contain 5/8" head including flange.
• Measure channel less Head-channel: must-be long enough to accommodate bolt length less head & flange.
• Historically thread-size of old/antique nuts varied. Our bolts screw into a 3/8"- 16 nut,3/8 refers to bolt diameter, 16 refers to the number of threads per inch. If your bed has existing nuts It will be necessary to determine nut thread size. Nuts must be replaced if size is different than 3/8"- 16.

Installing Bed Bolts

Bed Bolts secure bedpost to rails. Insert bed bolts through bed-post into bed-rail and tighten with bed bolt wrench. Use a oval or round bed bed bolt covers to conceal bed bolts. Today these beds are adapted with spring supports to hold modern spring and mattresses.  

• It is easiest to tighten bed bolts with a bed bolt wrench.
• If the mattress needs to be lowered: attach spring supports to inside of rails. The spring supports will hold modern spring and mattresses.  
• Once installed: decorative brass bed bolt covers conceal head of bed bolt. 

Please go to replacing bed bolts for more in depth information