Baseball Bat Headboard

Baseball bats create a unique headboard and continue the room's theme.

power drill/drill bits
2 1/2" wood screws
circular saw
sandpaper
power sander
tape measure
carpenter's square
2 newell posts
railing
7 baseball bats

Steps:

1. To save a lot of building, I purchased the headboard posts and center rails at a homecenter store. Purchase two newell posts (stair rail posts) and a railing. Purchase seven wooden basebal bats (good luck with this step, I tried to purchase mine after the season and they were really hard to find).
2. A full-size bed measures 54 inches in width. The railing I purchased measured 96 inches and the post was 4 inches wide. So I was lucky, I cut the railing in half (48 inches) and with the width of the post, I came up with the perfect fit for my headboard, 56 inches...home run!
3. To attach the post to the railing, I first drilled pilot holes through the post . In order to use 2-1/2 inch wood screws, you need two types of pilot holes. The first one I used a smaller twist bit (the same size shank as the screw), then I drilled a larger one that would allow the head of the screw to be driven through the post . Make your pilot holes 2-1/2 inches from the top, then lay the rail at that mark and make an outline of the rail. Next, measure a bat and from the bottom of your top rail mark, measure down and draw the bottom rail mark (this is where the second set of pilot holes will be drilled). For a strong attachment I drilled a pair of pilot holes for each location.
4. To attach the bats to the rail, measure in from the end of the top rail three inches and make a mark (don't forget to find center of the rail). Now every seven inches, make another mark until you reach the end, which should be at three inches , assuming your rail is 48 inches long. Drill pilot holes at those marks and repeat on the bottom rail.
5. Drill pilot holes into the top of the bats and at the handle end.
6. Lay the rails on the floor, and using a power screwdriver, screw from the top of the top rail into all the bats (the wide part of the bat will be the top). Use 2-1/2 inch screws (if you don't drill pilot holes into the bat, your screws will likely break). Now attach the bottom rail to the handle of the bats.
7. With the bat assembly still laying on the floor, attach the post to the railings (with the railing marks still on the post, you should be able to line it up nicely ). Again, using 2-1/2 inch wood screws, make sure that the screw bites into the large pilot hole and is not loose.
8. Stain the post and the rails with a stain color of your choice (the bats can be left natural). Once the stain has dried, apply two to three coats of polyurethane . Once dry, attach the headboard to the frame of the bed using lag screws and washers . Game well played... take a nap!

Note: For the featured headboard, the trademark of the bats is kept toward the back. If desired, place them forward--especially if you have some cool autographed bats.

paint color: Over Yonder 4A-2

Headboard and Bed Sizing

Many people are unsure of how large to make projects, depending on the size of bed they wish to build. Headboards are generally made to extend two to four inches out from each side of a mattress (depending on personal preference and the amount of room space). If the headboard is to be attached to the wall, there is more flexibility for the width. If a headboard is to be attached to a metal bed frame, be sure that the headboard supports are placed correctly based on the width of your particular frame. For projects such as the platform bed, be sure to add at least four inches to the length of the mattress for the finished platform size.

Mattress Sizes :

Crib: 27" x 52"
Twin: 39" x 75"
Full: 54" x 75"
Queen: 60" x 80"
King: 76" x 80"