Arron: just partly so. The canvas strips make it easy to roll up the slats for a move, to another room or to another city.

I dont like the canvas strip method as the slats can bunch up and 15 or so 90x19 slats make a heavy bundle. I prefer to use wood spacers to define the position of the slats and they are sure to stay in position. I am in the process of rebuilding an old pine waterbed surround to take slats and be fully knock down. The daughter keeps moving flats aboput every year and some of those old terrace houses have very narrow stairs.
Regards
John

Not sure that the timber type is all that important. I wanted to round off the edges of the slats to avoid damage to the mattress, but I found a ready made solution: 19x90 decking boards. The great thing about these boards is that they are finished bull nose round on one side and flat with three grooves on the underside.

Not sure whether they are Merbau or an aussie hardwood, but they are definitely not Tassie Oak. Whatever it is - is hard, has a very straight grain and tight fibres. My local hardware store sold them in 1500mm lengths - just right for a double bed. Didn't have to worry about the boards being straight - they just were. They were really cheap too - about half as much as Tassie Oak of the same size.

As suggested here elsewhere I supported the centre of the bed - just in case.