Introduction:
Prepare to embark on a tantalizing adventure into the world of finishing your furniture. We’re about to explore the passionate art of attaching panels and various items to the seductive slots found on your BDSMDIY.com furniture. Get ready to swoon over the fusion of t-slots, panels, and fasteners as they come together in a riveting union. So, let’s dive into this suggestive journey of quick connections, flirty fasteners, and alluring attachments!
Before getting started, let’s discuss the t-slot. It’s a handy track found on almost every aspect of all BDSMDIY.com furniture. In conjunction with the strength of these self-contained trusses, the t-slot is one of the key functionalities you can use to your benefit. There are 3 methods that you can use to help customize and finish your furniture in a fun and alluring way:
- Front-facing fasteners – these bolt through your finishing material from the outside, passing through and into a t-slot where they thread into a t-nut on the inside.
- Rear-facing fasteners – these clip or bolt into a t-slot, then screw into or attach to the back of your finishing material. This is the best option if you don’t want your fasteners visible – i.e.: with an upholstered face, you may not be able to access the front of the wood panel that has been upholstered.
- T-slot mounted panels – this method requires material to be cut to a precise size, and then to have the aluminum material assembled around it, securing the material tightly inside the frame. This leaves the aluminum structure visible.
Part 1: Visible (front facing) Fasteners
Step 1: Choosing material
Your first decision will be to choose a material. We will use a plywood footboard as an example. Assuming it has already been finished, you will want to drill holes just big enough for the threaded part of your through-bolts to pass through, but not so big that your fastener head will also pass through. This size of t-slot generally uses an M8x1.25 thread, but you can also use the Imperial equivalent. We recommend sticking with the same standard that your bed was built with.
Step 2: Choosing your bolts
Next, you will need to determine the correct depth of your M8x1.25 bolt. Generally, you can add 5mm to the thickness of your material. SO for 19.5mm (¾”) plywood, you would need an M8x1.25x25mm bolt. You can add as many or as few as you’d like, but you will want to drill holes in the plywood ¾” from the edge. For a footboard, you would likely need one near every corner, as well as one in the middle of the longer spans.
Step 3: Choosing your t-nuts
Lastly, you can use a drop-in t-nut, which can be sourced from any supplier, as long as it matches the 1.5” or 40mm profile. A drop-in t-nut allows you to place it into the t-slot without needing to disassemble the end. Economy t-nuts can only be placed if the end is undone, which can be a pretty time consuming process if you have a number of parts to remove to free up the end.
Step 4: Attaching your panel
Once the t-nuts have been placed, you can then slide your bolts through the holes in the plywood, and line them up with the t-nuts you placed in the t-slots. It’s a bit of a puzzle to get them all threaded, so we recommend just getting each one started and leaving it loose, until every bolt is threaded. Then tighten them all down at once.
And voila! You now have a simple footboard! This process can be used to clad any surface on your furniture where there is a t-slot available.
Part 2: Hidden (rear-facing) fasteners
Step 1: Choosing your material
The rear facing option gives you a more refined finish, allowing you to keep the front of the panel free from holes or visible fasteners. An example of this would be a plywood panel that has been upholstered with leather.
Step 2: Choosing the interface
There are a number of ways to connect to the back of a panel, but for simplicity, we will describe using a 90 degree corner bracket. You can also find twist-in or cam-in blocks that mate with the t-slot, then allow you to attach them to the panel, or you can even 3D print interfaces that clip into the t-slot and then connect to the finishing panel with a simple screw.
Step 3: Attaching the interface to the t-slot
The bracket attaches to the inside t-slot with an M8x1.25x10mm bolt and matching t-nut. The second face of the corner bracket would then face the back of the panel. Generally 4-6 of these would be sufficient to hold a panel in place, but sometimes they get more stress than a simple panel would, so add more according to the need for the specific application.
Step 4: Attaching the panel to the interface
Once you have placed the appropriate number of brackets, you can then place your upholstered plywood panel facing out, and while holding it in place, screw through each corner bracket into the back of the panel.
Interested in other ways to connect panels? Send us a message and we can suggest a handful of other ways to accomplish the same goal!
Part 3: T-Slot Mounted Panels
This is the simplest and most inexpensive way to finish a panel, but requires the structural members to be partially disassembled to install. This is best done when building your furniture, and you will find cut sheets for each area that can receive a panel in the assembly instructions. Note that you can customize the height of some spaces (i.e.: the height of the headboard and footboard bar can be raised or lowered to any height), so be sure to consider that before having any materials cut.
Step 1: Choose your panel material
The most common options are plywood, plexiglass, or metal plate, but other fun alternatives are heavy stainless steel mesh, which make great panels for the under bed cages. The recommended thickness of the panel material is ¼” or 6.1mm, and then adding a panel gasket which keeps the panel from rattling.
Step 2: Cutting your panel to size.
The panel will extend into each side of the t-slot by .45”, so you will want to make sure that .9” is added in addition to the space between the structural members. For example, if your opening is 10” x 10”, you will need a panel cut to 10.9” x 10.9”, and 40” of panel gasket. The best time to finish your panel is right now when it’s free. Take time to finish it the way you want prior to installing.
Step 3: Installing your panel
Not that your panel is ready, disassemble your structure if necessary, just enough to slide the panel into place. Often, the best time to do this is when 3 of the 4 parts are in place, and one side is open. Cut and place the panel gasket into the 4 sides, taking time to mitre the corners at 45 degrees. Then slide your panel into the gasket. Finally, slide the last piece of structure into place, and secure it.
Panel is complete! Time to stand back and bask in the glory of your accomplishment. Your panel, securely attached and caressed by those t-slot extrusions, is a beautiful sight to behold. Take a moment to appreciate the allure of your perfectly joined assemblies.
Conclusion:
Congratulations, dear reader, on successfully attaching panels and other items to those irresistible t-slots! Indulging in the art of quick connections and flirty fasteners is a rewarding experience. Remember, practice makes perfect, and exploring the realm of t-slot extruded aluminum will only deepen your understanding of these passionate connections. There are countless ideas on the web with hacks and inventions that expand the possibilities of extruded aluminum. Enjoy your newfound expertise, and may all your t-slot encounters be intimate, secure, and full of flirtatious puns!
Disclaimer: This guide is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions and take necessary safety precautions when working with extruded aluminum and fasteners.