Before You Start

Have All The Tools You Need Ready.  you'll need;

 - Rubber Mallet (16oz is what we use)
 - Saw (if tenons are too long)
 - Good Screw Gun (12v clutched power drill)
 - Ratchet Tie down straps (used for  warping rails and temporarily holding bed)
 - Sharp Jack knife (used for shaping tenons, smoothing tenons, cleaning mortise, etc.)
 - Small Drill Bit ( for pre drilling screw holes)
 - #2 Square Bit.
 Your Complete Bed Should Include;
 - Headboard
 - Footboard
 - Siderails (2)
 - Crossrails (3)
 - Screws (12 to 14)
 - Center Leg ( for queen and up) ( 1-4)
 - You can get by without the ratchet straps, screw gun and hand saw, but the         job will be much harder.

Assembly

Step 1 - Place headboard in approximate place where the bed is going to be, with 12" to 24" space from the wall, this gives you room to swing the hammer.

Step 2 - Try to get one siderail completely into both headboard and footboard. Leave some tenon still showing and the head and foot a little loose. Also, make sure that the siderail has the mortise holes on the rail closest to the floor. Then, put all crossrails into the siderail. On queen or larger beds, place the center support leg into the center crossrail.

Step 3 - Once all crossrails are in the first siderail, attempt to put the other sidrail into the headboard. then put all crossrails into the siderail. If the crossrails are too long to allow the siderail to fit into the footboard mortise, saw off a bit of the crossrail. Be sure to only take off a little wood at a time.

Step 4 - When all crossrails are in the siderails, and both siderails, both siderails are in the headboard, try to get the last siderail into the footboard. you may notice that the siderail tenon is a bit to the left or right of the mortise hole. if it is too the outside of the bed, then use a ratchet strap or gentle consistent pressure to straighten the rail then slide and pound it in. If it is to the inside of the bed, use a gentle pressure to make it even with the mortise and slide and pound the tenon in.

Step 5 - Now go around the bed with the hammer, pounding the tenons into the mortises until the bed us reasonably square. then pre-drill and screw in the provided screws at a 45% angle, going through the tenon at the mortise. there are usually enough screws to secure the crossrails, but this isn't necessary. Enjoy your new bed!