Newbie here. Question about reinforcing a headboard

[stutterstep]

Hello all.  I admire your friendliness and expertise in this forum.  I came here a few years ago to learn about upholstering a sofa.  It still looks good!  (I am not professional)

My new project is a pair of twin headboards (1960's) for a king bed.  I have recovered them twice and want to do it again.  Their construction is basically a wood frame that originally had only padding in the blank middle area.  I couldn't lean back against them too much, my weight would just stretch everything.  I'd like to add a solid sturdy reinforcement like a piece of plywood so I can actually pile a pillow or two on them and lean back.  But they are old and very heavy already and plywood would add to that quite a bit.  Besides plywood, can you recommend a lighter material that would be strong?  I thought about webbing but worry it would also give too much.   What do you think? 

[stutterstep]

Oh, this has nothing to do with my original post, but my husband's grandpa raised 9 girls as an upholsterer. The sisters have told me stories about him upholstering model T's interiors, and that he'd throw a handful of tacks in his mouth and spit each one out as he worked.   He'd stand by the window of his garage and have a smoke, and the young boys would wait outside and get butts he tossed to smoke.  And once my mother-in-law, as a toddler, found an open bucket of black paint with a paint brush laying on top, and "painted" a sofa he had just finished upholstering.  just wanted to share those memories.

[stutterstep]

Anyone?  Do I need to describe the headboard better?  It's basically like a big picture frame and the middle is just blank space.  A piece of burlap? was originally stapled inside, then padding.  I'd like something sturdier. 

[sofadoc]

I think that webbing is your best option for adding support without adding too much weight.
If the existing frame is as heavy as you describe, then it's likely substantial enough to hold tightly pulled webbing. Do you have a webbing stretcher?

I grew up in the family business watching my Grandfather spit tacks. I spit a few myself as a kid.  There aren't too many parents that actually encourage a kid to fill their mouth with 20-30 sharp objects.

[gene]

I also thought of webbing.

Here's a video that shows a guy doing a chair. I would do the headboards the same way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00HOJUGJQYQ

You will find that you can lean all you want to and you won't go through the webbing. I think the wood frame would break before the webbing would fail. (If it's done correctly.)

Good luck.

gene

[sofadoc]

When I clicked on that youtube link, I think may have found my long lost Japanese cousin,
DR. SOFA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe6hneR7u-w&feature=related

Nundeska, toyadol, koneechewa DR. SOFA ;D

[MinUph]

I build quite a few headboards and would opt for 1/4" plywood. Much faster and no special tools needed for the non professional. It won't add all that much weight and if glued and stapled or screwed to the existing frame you will never hurt it. If you are putting these two HBs together be sure to put the plywood over the seam it will strengthen it.

[stutterstep]

Thank you so much for answering my post.  I now have two options to decide upon and that is what I needed to know.  Have a great week!

[lruthb]

I'm sure I've torn down some of his furniture. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Anyway I do hate the over kill.

[kodydog]

Thank you so much for answering my post.  I now have two options to decide upon and that is what I needed to know.  Have a great week!

You have way more than two options. Take your time in the planing stage and create something to fit your decor and lifestyle. If your going to use it to lean against nightly you definitely need to beef it up. But at the same time think about style. For instance tufted or channel would be very comfortable. The headboard I built for my wife is padded in the center and shirred around the edge. You could also upholster it so just a little wood peeks out around the edge.

Here is a company I worked for with many designs you could copy.

http://www.leeparkerinc.com/ Hit catalog at the top of the page

Send pictures and the folks on the forum will give you tons of ideas.