The Birth Of A Headboard

The other day, my Blushing Bride had the idea we needed a new headboard for the bed. So, out with the old and get ready for the new. The last headboard we had was one she modified and screwed to the wall.

This one, she was going to build from scratch. We had a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the shed from a never completed project years ago. Out of the shed it came, no small feat there. However we did it without injuries (that came later).

The first step is a plan or a pattern if you will. The pattern was made out of flyers from the Sunday paper.

Next the hand drawn pattern had to be transferred to the actual sheet of plywood for cutting. This is the part of the project set aside for me to hang myself. Here we have the language clashes and the do exactly as I say problems.

A close look (above) will show there are two lines, one followed the paper pattern and the other I used a paint stirrer to draw an arc that I can duplicate on the other end of the plywood sheet.

As you can see the two parts removed are fairly equal and match. Therefore, for the time being, I was allowed to live.

Having now extricated myself from the process you can see Blushing Bride cutting and fitting the first of two layers of foam to the headboard.

Here she is using a hot glue gun to secure the first layer of foam in place.

At this point, there are two layers of foam, a layer of polyester batting and a layer of cloth being mounted to the base with a heavy duty stapler.

At this point, the two layers of foam, the polyester batting and initial cloth covering are in place and all tacked down with heavy duty staples.

The headboard will again be mounted to the wall. This time using a cleat. A cleat in this case is a 1x6 cut in half lengthwise with the table saw blade set at a 45 degree angle. The cleat will be screwed to the 2x4 studs in the wall but allow left - right adjustment of the headboard.

A better look at the end of the cleat showing the 45 degree cut.

The other half of the cleat is mounted on the backside of the headboard. I mounted it on a line I drew parallel with the bottom edge of the 4x8 sheet of plywood. I also drew some vertical lines parallel with the sides of the 4x8 plywood sheet to use as reference points.

The cleat was placed just above the center line of the headboard so the majority of the weight would be below the cleat. I also added two other blocks near the bottom to keep the headboard parallel to the wall.

The cleat on the wall.

The headboard on the wall for a test fit. It is not finished at this point as it does not yet have the final layer.

At this point, Blushing Bride says "I can handle the rest of this...Lets put the bed back".

The bed is a king size Tempur-Pedic and the mattress weighs about a thousand pounds. Blushing Bride grabs one side and I the other. The next thing I hear is Oh-Oh I hurt my back. The injury I spoke of earlier. Not bad but that bed will stay in the middle of the room for some more days. The Blushing Bride spoke with the Doc and has plenty of meds to see her through.
A couple days later the outer covering arrived. It is a beige suede type cloth. Here it is draped over the headboard to view.

A closer view of the suede cloth.

Finally a finished headboard covered in suede cloth and hung on the wall.

No, a not finished headboard. Blushing Bride has determined the headboard need something to spiff it up. It has been decided by a higher power that the headboard needs tufting to set it off.

Putting the buttons in place. These buttons have the same cloth installed over them by Blushing Bride before they are mounted on the headboard.

Here she is putting a needle though the headboard, using a hole she drilled through the wood from the back. The planning is done from the backside, the hole is drilled from the back and the button is tied on from the back.

The needle has gone through the eyelet on the back of the button and she is trimming the thread. The thread used was heavy dental floss.

The thread is tied off to a small screw on the backside to keep from prevent pull through.

A finished, tufted , suede covered headboard mounted on the wall.

The headboard is finished and the bed is back in place.

Big Doggie Pacifier

Does a 115+ pound dog need a pacifier? Look carefully and you will see her pacifier, the white object, sticking out of the side of her mouth.

Here is a little better view. She doesn't chew them up, she rolls them around in her mouth, throws them in the air and falls asleep with them sticking out of her face.

Or sometimes she just wanders around looking like this.

Here it is, sans dog. They can be found in packs of two at your local Big Lots store. You have to look really hard to see any teeth marks. There are a few on the left side of the doorstop near the top.

Indiana Jones and Halloween 2010

My grandson wanted to dress as Indiana Jones for Halloween, so I told his mother I would come up with some appropriate armament for Indie.

Well, first thing is they do not make cap pistols like they used to. I guess the federal government now prescribes orange on the barrel so they will not be seen as "real" weapons. That being said, an entirely orange gun like Walmart sells and the orange greens ones sold in California also are totally lacking in style.

There are Japanese made replica pistols and revolvers out there that cost as much as real pistols and revolvers. But the kid is only seven and it's only for Halloween.

A plastic Model 1911 45 was not happening, no Webley revolvers, no Schofields and very few cowboy pistols unless I wanted a real collectors item.

Finally, I located a Broomhandle Mauser, made out of plastic, clicks when you pull the trigger and was relatively inexpensive. Also, only the front end of the barrel was orange.

I found a black leather belt at the Humane Society Thrift Shop and slightly modified a WWII holster for a Model 1911 to carry the Broomhandle Mauser.

Broomhandle jammed into holster. It does not fall out when shaken upside down but it can be drawn easily.


I attached a tie-down strap to the bottom of the holster and I will trim the black leather belt when he puts the rig on.

It may not be exactly what Indiana Jones carried, but he could have and he would have looked way cool; while being well armed.

It Runs In The Family

Bike helmet on and ready to roll.


Bike helmet on and ready to roll also.

These two are about the same age, but they seem to exhibit some of the same family traits; even though they belong in different legs of the family. Since their mother's are sisters, I will assume the traits in question were downloaded from the Nana.

Note, she has the chin strap fastened, he does not. His gang likes to live closer to the edge.

Disney Half Marathon Race Trip, October 2010

The view from in front of our room.

The other side of the water slides.


Some Nick character statues

placed around the area

known as the Mall.

Some of their

characters inside the Mall

posing for photos with any and all comers.

A closer view of the water slide from the pool area.

Ready for the Half Marathon. This picture is about 1900 hrs, just before it got dark.

This is the line of runners to get on the bus for transportation to the start area.

Wheel chair racers.

The Epcot Dome taken about midnight while I waited for "my" runner. To see any of the race required a $35 ticket to get into Epcot after 2200 hrs so I waited either in the car or out front of Epcot from when she got on the bus until she finished the race.

Finished and with medal at about 0100 hrs, ready to go home.

Some of the room art in our room.

More room art.

A Dora statue on the way to the Mall area.

The countdown begins, the big bucket is ready to dump Nick green slime.

Dumping green slime.

A shot of DownTown Disney.

The Bench, DownTown Disney.

A Restaurant on the water.

Front of the T-Rex Restaurant.

Lego Transformer.

Lego Dinosaur.

Lego lover.

Look, this Lego set is pink for girls.

Sometimes you don't want your picture taken.

Two year old Disney shopper.

A family or two of shoppers.

Star Wars Potato Heads.