Blueprint

Some people are comfortable with friends or family knowing about their kinky ways (Respect!), but many of us keep our proclivities (and our gear) out of sight. 

I have designed a discreet method of installing hard points in a wooden bed frame or other furniture which is very strong and presents minimal evidence.  Each hard point costs between $10 and $22 depending on your taste.  Check it out:

Ready for bondage:

Ready for (vanilla) Company:

This build centers around quick disconnect sling swivel hardware typically used for military (and occasionally photography) equipment.  The mounting point is flush and has the appearance of hardware typical of modern bolt-together furniture.

If you build this, let me know how it goes!

Design Features: 

1. Discreet, removable hard points. 
2. Highly Configurable: The strap can rotate 360 degrees about its base and 180 degrees normal to the post surface.  
3. The over-long 1” D-ring is easy to tie a lark’s head or clip on a carabiner / panic snap 

And here's how to build it! 

I have included three options; “Premium”, made from a leather strap and high quality hardware; “Strongest”, made from load rated components and a synthetic strap for “extra security” (not suspension) and “Budget”, using the most affordable components I could find.  The one component shared by all three versions are the threaded quick disconnect bases (sockets).  There doesn’t seem to be a “cheap” alternative on the market. 

I built the premium leather version because that's what I had on hand at the time - if I was doing it again, I'd swap out the leather for a PVC coated webbing - so much less work!

Tools & Consumables: 

BOM: Bills of Materials (PARTS LIST):  

The tables below are for one hard point each.   Some cheaper components are priced based on using one part of a bag of parts... YMMV. 

1. 1. “Premium”: English harness leather and high end brass fittings - if you like your straps to smell good and look like an expensive purse (sort of).  Also very strong.

2. 

$43 per pair 

2. 2. “Strongest”: Swapping out the leather for PVC coated webbing and the sexy D-ring for an offshore rigging version, this build sports all load rated materials, (except Chicago screws – nobody has data for this... also your furniture is not load rated so keep that in mind).  Oh and the Chicago screws are now stainless steel, stronger than brass.

3. 

$37.46 per pair 

3. “Budget”: A strong synthetic strap with the cheapest hardware I could find on the 'net brings this puppy in at 1/4 the price.  

4. 

   
   

$22.42 per pair 

$35.44 for two pairs 

Instructions: 

1. Install the QD socket in your sturdy wood furniture of choice, following manufacturer’s instructions.  Should be something like: (drill ½" hole with Forstner bit and 90 degree jig to specific depth), tap with 9/16” bottoming tap, clear out threads with compressed air, degrease threads on QD socket with alcohol, coat threads with glue, drive into threaded hole with Allen wrench until it bottoms out and sits flush, wipe up excess glue, wait for glue to set.   

1. The Forstner bit ensures a clean hole with a flat bottom.   
2. The bottoming tap ensures your hole has threads all the way down.  You may wish to start your threads with a “normal” or “plug” tap if you want an easier time of it.   
3. If you don’t want to use glue, you could attempt to drive an appropriately sized wood screw through the hole in the plug base for extra security although I haven’t tried this (drill a screw hole first and make sure your QD swivel will clear the screw head. 
4. Optional: Use wood stain pen to darken the wood at the base of the hole (easier done between drilling hole and installing socket).  This removes a high contrast spot that may draw someone’s eye.  While you’re at it, you can touch up any nicks you put in the furniture while cutting the hole. 

2. Prepare Strap - no template given here; customize to meet your needs!

1. Cut strap to length; I used 9” because it lets the D-ring hang without bumping into anything; the geometry of your furniture may lend to a different length. 
2. Line up, mark and punch holes for fasteners 
3. Optional: If building with leather, finish the leather (bevel, sand, smooth, burnish, paint, etc.)   
4. Optional: If building with PVC coated webbing, seal the ends with the urethane dispersion.  Do not heat-seal the ends; PVC fumes are toxic. 
5. Fish the strap through the D-ring on one end and the QD Swivel on the other. 
6. Insert and set fasteners.  If using Chicago screws, don’t forget to use blue thread locker here.  I know lots of people say super glue is fine, but it’s not a great alternative. 

3. 3. Wait for glue to set. 

4. 4. Install Strap in socket; line up swivel, push button and swivel into the socket hole. Celebrate!

5. 5. Remove when not in use by pushing the button and pulling out. 

Prologue: Kinds of Swivels 

There are a lot of swivel options on the market and I read about all of them.   You're Welcome.

Standard: Easy to reach button but no accidental disconnect feature. 

Threaded Sockets: this image also shows the threaded sockets that make this project so stealthy.   

Triangle and D-ring variants:  Avoid these; they are designed for very narrow sling strap clips and don’t lend well to bondage and are awkward even when trying  to lace up some paracord... 

Recessed Plungers: Harder to remove, but higher security as a result 

Twist-lock variants: These use a twisting mechanism to release; they won’t come off with a bump but are probably easier to use than the recessed kind. 

Threadless Sockets: this image also shows an alternative socket type intended for synthetic rifle stocks.  I’ve never installed these and have no idea how they compare but I do know they don’t bundle them with the “Heavy duty” swivels. 

Emergency Release: Pull the tab straight out and the QD will disconnect.  Pulling any more than 15 degrees off axis will not release though. 

Fancy: I’m not even sure how this works, but they cost $30 each, so they must be fancy.