4 ms·

A few months ago, I built matching houseframe beds for my 2 year old grandtwins (https://www.woodshopdiaries.com/diy-kids-house-bed/ https://www.woodshopdiaries

A few months ago, I built matching houseframe beds for my 2 year old grandtwins (https://www.woodshopdiaries.com/diy-kids-house-bed/ https://www.woodshopdiaries.com/diy-kids-house-bed/). The best piece of advice I got from my dad before I started on this (for me) ambitious project was in question form: "Are you going round over all the edges? A 1/2 inch round leaves a bruise on a little one. An unfinished edge leaves a cut." He's been right. They're psycho 2 year olds who think monkey behavior is the best. I've watched them bonk multiple times on facetime. No cuts, just a rub at the bonk spot. We see this in product design all around us. Sharp corners cuts and hurts us. So we tend to round things over. And when we use software interfaces, I think the rounded corners engender a "this is safer" sub emotional response, and therefor more approachable.

mc32 5y ago
When I buy PC cases, I prefer the ones whose sheetmetal edges are rounded and not sharp. The sharp edged ones are knuckle cutters.
mauvehaus 5y ago
I hate to be that guy, but this is all but guaranteed to have problems with wood movement in the long term. Briefly: boards get wider and narrower as they absorb and release moisture from the air, respectively. The length remains constant. Anywhere you have a wide board (or glued up panel) affixed cross grain to another piece, you need to account for wood movement. The problematic joint in this case is where the side panels run into the posts that form the corners and support the "roof". Best case is that your grandkids live in an area with extremely constant humidity and nothing bad happens. In any other case, those wide panels are going to get wider and narrower as the seasons change and you'll either split a panel or the Kreg screws will work loose over time. Traditionally, there are a couple of ways of dealing with this. If you're doing mortise and tenon construction, you'd have multiple mortise and tenon joints along the width of the panel/length of the post. Only one is fitted tightly and glued. The remainder are left unglued and loose along the length of the post to allow the panel to grow and shrink in width. Table tops are traditionally joined to table bases using table buttons. Modern figure eight hardware or elongated screw holes are other equally valid options. On the subject of rounding corners, I try to avoid a super aggressive rounding for most furniture. I agree with your dad that this is a great place to put a heavy round over. Those beds are going to be a fort, jungle gym, and probably space ship over time. For anything that isn't going to be used quite so hard (bookshelves, for instance), I usually consider whether the client has kids or not when I'm deciding how much to break the edges. If there aren't kids, I shoot for my old boss's standard of "looks hard, but feels soft", if there are kids, I break them a little more aggressively than that, as much for the preservation of the furniture as the children. Sharp corners wear pretty poorly, and a little extra softening helps keep the finish and wood in better shape over time at the cost of some initial crispness. Anyhow, I hope the grandkids love the beds, and that everything works out without things loosening up over time. Just the same, maybe give them a little shake next time you visit to make sure :-)
- travisgriggs 5y ago
  Awesome response, thanks (glad you’re willing to be that guy). I’ll give ‘em a shake (and likely a tighten) next time. I didn’t have high hopes for the longevity of them; the parents are in school still. “Run these suckers into the ground and give ‘em away when you move” I told them. It was my first pocket screw build(s), so it was fun just for the learn of it.
analog31 5y ago
Another thing about rounded edges and corners is that they're less prone to breakage. I know this from both homemade furniture, stringed musical instruments, and the homemade speakers that I use for amplifying my instruments. A softened edge will take a knock without chipping. Glass optics (lenses, mirrors, etc.) will usually specify "protective bevel on all edges," and the fab shops know exactly what to do. The beveled edge is resistant to chipping.
- dotancohen 5y ago
  I noticed this when buying prescription Gunnar glasses. The frame and lens are excellent, I would say this is the second best pair of glasses that I've ever owned. However, they came from the factory with the lenses chipped at the corners in multiple places. I can post a photo if you want, I have them right here next to me. Now looking at them and comparing with my el-cheapo everyday-wear glasses, I see that the Gunnars have no bevel along the edges of the lens. I'll look out for this in the future. Thank you!

mc32 5y ago

When I buy PC cases, I prefer the ones whose sheetmetal edges are rounded and not sharp. The sharp edged ones are knuckle cutters.

mauvehaus 5y ago

I hate to be that guy, but this is all but guaranteed to have problems with wood movement in the long term. Briefly: boards get wider and narrower as they absorb and release moisture from the air, respectively. The length remains constant. Anywhere you have a wide board (or glued up panel) affixed cross grain to another piece, you need to account for wood movement. The problematic joint in this case is where the side panels run into the posts that form the corners and support the "roof". Best case is that your grandkids live in an area with extremely constant humidity and nothing bad happens. In any other case, those wide panels are going to get wider and narrower as the seasons change and you'll either split a panel or the Kreg screws will work loose over time. Traditionally, there are a couple of ways of dealing with this. If you're doing mortise and tenon construction, you'd have multiple mortise and tenon joints along the width of the panel/length of the post. Only one is fitted tightly and glued. The remainder are left unglued and loose along the length of the post to allow the panel to grow and shrink in width. Table tops are traditionally joined to table bases using table buttons. Modern figure eight hardware or elongated screw holes are other equally valid options. On the subject of rounding corners, I try to avoid a super aggressive rounding for most furniture. I agree with your dad that this is a great place to put a heavy round over. Those beds are going to be a fort, jungle gym, and probably space ship over time. For anything that isn't going to be used quite so hard (bookshelves, for instance), I usually consider whether the client has kids or not when I'm deciding how much to break the edges. If there aren't kids, I shoot for my old boss's standard of "looks hard, but feels soft", if there are kids, I break them a little more aggressively than that, as much for the preservation of the furniture as the children. Sharp corners wear pretty poorly, and a little extra softening helps keep the finish and wood in better shape over time at the cost of some initial crispness. Anyhow, I hope the grandkids love the beds, and that everything works out without things loosening up over time. Just the same, maybe give them a little shake next time you visit to make sure :-)

travisgriggs 5y ago
Awesome response, thanks (glad you’re willing to be that guy). I’ll give ‘em a shake (and likely a tighten) next time. I didn’t have high hopes for the longevity of them; the parents are in school still. “Run these suckers into the ground and give ‘em away when you move” I told them. It was my first pocket screw build(s), so it was fun just for the learn of it.

analog31 5y ago

Another thing about rounded edges and corners is that they're less prone to breakage. I know this from both homemade furniture, stringed musical instruments, and the homemade speakers that I use for amplifying my instruments. A softened edge will take a knock without chipping. Glass optics (lenses, mirrors, etc.) will usually specify "protective bevel on all edges," and the fab shops know exactly what to do. The beveled edge is resistant to chipping.

dotancohen 5y ago
I noticed this when buying prescription Gunnar glasses. The frame and lens are excellent, I would say this is the second best pair of glasses that I've ever owned. However, they came from the factory with the lenses chipped at the corners in multiple places. I can post a photo if you want, I have them right here next to me. Now looking at them and comparing with my el-cheapo everyday-wear glasses, I see that the Gunnars have no bevel along the edges of the lens. I'll look out for this in the future. Thank you!