Thread: WIP my first bed.

When I have a quick task to do I usually try to do everything asap, because when I know that I will get to it comes along, could be months or years away. What I have done to stop that from happening is to get myself on the little tasks first then move to the added step.

What I am saying is that have the parts or some parts ready and MARKED for the draws, the headboard etc and try to ensure that these don't fall to the bottom of the list of things to do. We have all had this happen to us and when we remember that this needs to be done is normally in the middle of another big project.

Originally Posted by Christos

When I have a quick task to do I usually try to do everything asap, because when I know that I will get to it comes along, could be months or years away. What I have done to stop that from happening is to get myself on the little tasks first then move to the added step.

What I am saying is that have the parts or some parts ready and MARKED for the draws, the headboard etc and try to ensure that these don't fall to the bottom of the list of things to do. We have all had this happen to us and when we remember that this needs to be done is normally in the middle of another big project.

That sounds like really good advice. Unfortunately I am completely out of time to do the drawers and I don't even have a design for the headboard.

Left to my own devices, I probably would take a year to get around to those tasks. That's not going to be a good look for our house guest so I'll have to be more disciplined than that.

As I mature as a woodworker, I will have to develop a balance between my glacial pace and the wife's mission impossible expectations.


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Originally Posted by DaveVman

T.....As I mature as a woodworker, I will have to develop a balance between my glacial pace and the wife's mission impossible expectations......

My wife gave me a similar expectations but that has been modified since she has done some woodwork with me.

So the platform was placed on the floor. Then each of the 2 frames was carried in. I clamped the frames together and lined them up with the platform. Then loyts of screws were used to screw the frames together and down into the platform.

I made some strips of solid wood, foam, fleece and material. These were screwed along the bottom under the drawer fronts for aesthetic reasons. I screwed these from the inside.

Then I measured the foot of the bed for a footboard. I cut that from 12mm plywood I had. Covered with foam, fleece and material. Then I screwed this on from the inside.

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Then I ran out of time. We had to go to the airport to pick up our guest. Once back home the wife and our guest enjoyed a couple of wines while I cut and fitted tbe slats.
I cut as many slats as I could with the 68 x 19 pine I had. Then I placed them all on the frame butted together. I measured the total gap and divided that by the number of gaps between slats. This gave me the precise gap between slats. I played around with the SCMS and some MDF until I had 2 blocks precisely at that width. Measured with calipers actually. This gave me perfectly even slats.
So then I screwed these slats at both ends and the middle. 6 screws per slat. 18 slats.
It is possible to move this bed but I would need a lot of time to unscrew everything.

Sorry but under the pressure I didn't think to take a photo of the slats before the matress went on.

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And so here she is finished.
(Well not finished but in use.)

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I didn't mention it earlier but when I made the platform I just couldn't resist adding LED strip lighting. Not for everyone's taste but it does enhance the floating bed effect.

It has a RF wireless remote so it can be used as a light when you climb into bed.

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I will add that the upholstery was pretty easy to do. There's probably some trick to fold the corners quickly but I had to fuss with each corner to fold it precisely and be as flat as I could make it. Came out fine.
Certainly meant I could avoid a lot of sanding and painting.
The wife wants me to try buttons for the headboard.

The frames screwed to a hardwood ply platform and slats screwed down makes the whole bed very strong without as much weight as it could've been. The slats I used were only 19mm thick so I'll see how they go over time but I'm happy with it so far.

While I was building it I made the mistake of asking the wife's opinion. She looked at the frames and said it looks like a pallet bed. Now she sees the end result she wants me to make a bed for the master room. I've also had another half serious request for a commission. (Half serious because transport and cost to their place are not practical). Not too bad for a beginner's first effort.

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