Thread: Any ideas on how to make a platform bed

Shimandm, welcome to the madhouse!

Before anyone makes any suggestions, just a few questions so we can give appropriate(ish) answers. Don't worry, they're relevant.

1. What sort of experience do you have with woodwork?

2. What sort of tools do you have access to? Tablesaw? Router table? Just hand-tools?

3. You're aware that bed is the fold-up type and I take it the "extras" you mentioned are the clock and doodads on what it folds into?

I have no experience just willing to learn. Maybe that pic is so not right so I will try to find more like the 1 I want.
As for tools I have a hmm let me go find out...Ok heres another pic more close to what I want. What i dont want from this pic is the base, I would rather have chunky legs in the corners

Shimandm

I guess you are still finding the tools!

Beds are easy to make - but hard to make well unless you hvae the right gear. I recommend you visit a bed shop and have a look at how their beds are constructed - that will get you started. You can buy cheap hardware to join the rails to the bedhead. But you will need at least: a circular saw; a drill; a random orbital sander; a measuring tape; a straight edge (a bit of aluminium angle works well); and a pencil. Not much.

The top bed looks much easier to make than the bottom bed - the design is much simpler, even with the shelves.

Trav

Shimandm, I recon you could build this with a tape measure, hand saw and a drill if that's all you had. This is how I'd suggest you do it if you have limited experience and tools. You basically need a frame to make the platform. You could use Tasmanian Oak to make the frame as it needs to be reasonably sturdy -- you might get away with pine but for, say, a Queen size bed I'd prefer the extra strength of hardwood. Depending on what size you want the platform will dictate how thick the timber rails need to be. For a platform of 110 mm depth you would probably want the timber 38 mm thick. For a deeper platform (135 mm or bigger) you could use 19 mm timber. Have a look at what's available at your local timber supplier or Bunnings.

For the platform length and width you obviously need it to be the size (or bigger) of your mattress. A Queen size mattress 1525mm x 2030mm -- but plan the platform size around the sizes available in MDF sheeting (see below).

For the legs you could use 90x90 mm pine. Cut the pieces and assemble them as shown below (top view and side view). You can just drill and screw it together making sure you use several screws in each join -- use screws at least twice as long as the thickness of the rails. Adding a bit of PVA glue would make it better. to improve the final appearance you should countersink the screw holes so you can putty over them before you paint the final job. Tip: to make sure the assembled platform is a perfect rectangle measure from corner to corner both ways -- the diagonal lengths should be identical, if not move one side a bit until it is.

Once the frame is assembled you need a top piece for the platform. The easiest is to accurately measure the length and width and go to a MDF sheet supplier -- I use Allboard in Melbourne, but I see you're from Sydney. A quick Google search for "MDF supply" turned up a number of suppliers (e.g. http://www.lifetime.net.au/panel_products.htm) who will cut MDF sheets to size. You probably want it at least 18 mm thick -- 25 mm would be better but it's more expensive and heavier. If you're making a queen size platform the next biggest sheet size is 2400x1800, but your board supplier will cut it to exact size and probably deliver. You'll need some help moving the MDF sheet around, they are heavy and awkward.

To attach to the base frame position the MDF sheet exactly on the frame and screw it in place in predrilled, countersunk holes. Sand off all the sharp and rough bits, undercoat twice, lightly sanding after each coat and finish in the paint of your choice.

Take it slowly, post some pics as you go and ask the good folk here for assistance if you strike problems.

Custos' design is as good a place as any to start, it has the element of simplicity. But IMHO there are two potential problems with it: firstly, all the weight of the mattress & occupants will be born solely by the screws attaching the legs, and secondly, the bearers (cross-pieces in the frame) really need to be securely attached at the ends.

If your jointing skills aren't up to par, one of these areas are where it'll break, reducing you, and perhaps your spouse, to floor level.

There's a couple of workarounds that spring to my mind: for the legs it would be better to attach them with coach bolts. The heads could be countersunk on the outside frame with a wooden plug to conceal them, for example. Or maybe a thin bit of trim around the bed to conceal the heads and add a bit of detail. Steel brackets'd also do the job but I find them to be a bit too... non-woodwork.

I'd definitely glue/screw a small strip along the bottom of the inside of the two side rails to help support the bearers! IMHO that's a must!

Basic stuff, but they'll improve the hardiness of the suggested bed considerably while being more forgiving of less-than-perfect skills.


Oh... and I'll agree with Custos about the tools needed, except I'd include a screwdriver and suggest a small circular saw instead of a handsaw... you can pick up a GMC from Bunnies for next to nothing now. Butt joints need the ends to be truly squared and this is easiest with a circ as you only have to be able to cut a straight line.

A handsaw takes a lot more practice and skill to be able to cut both square and in a straight line at the same time.

Originally Posted by shimandm

I am looking for anyone with plans to make a platform bed,

Hi, I am going to build one myself shortly and I have downloaded this plan http://www.plansnow.com/dn1116c.html from plans now. It looks fairly simple and the only change I was planning to make would be to replace the platform with slats as they will let the mattress breath better. The frame for the headboard calls for mortice and tennons but I reckon you could get away with Pocket hole screws if you don't have a router and are not game to cut them by hand.
They would be ok as long as the headboard was up against the wall to hide the back as most are.
Let me know if you would like a copy- the plans are in inches as it's a U.S. site.

Cheers Bruce T.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

There's a couple of workarounds that spring to my mind: for the legs it would be better to attach them with coach bolts. The heads could be countersunk on the outside frame with a wooden plug to conceal them, for example. Or maybe a thin bit of trim around the bed to conceal the heads and add a bit of detail. Steel brackets'd also do the job but I find them to be a bit too... non-woodwork.

Yeah, coach bolts are a good suggestion. To cover them up they could be countersunk on the outside as suggested (you might need a Forstner bit to drill a big enough hole), and you can cover these up with timber plugs/buttons like the one pictured. You can get them at Bunnings (match the sixe up with the Forstner bit) or Timbecon

Originally Posted by shimandm

I have no experience just willing to learn. Maybe that pic is so not right so I will try to find more like the 1 I want.
As for tools I have a hmm let me go find out...Ok heres another pic more close to what I want. What i dont want from this pic is the base, I would rather have chunky legs in the corners

I WANT THAT BED!!
I am not a handyman, nor am I a carpenter...I am a young guy willing to give anything a go...and I want to build my own bed. Does anyone know where I can get building plans for the bed above with step by step instructions? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

shimandm and jedijac

Can I suggest that you don't make (or buy for that matter) a bed with that sort of plinth base ie a bed in which the mattress is someways inside of the bit it rests on. I've had them in motels and a house the family rented over christmas.

you only actually see the mattress when entering the room and tend to bark you shins on the blvddy base nearly any time you walk around it

Also they take up a lot more floor space then a sensible bed

as you can imagine I hate them

Hej!

I am in the process of designing a double bed that uses two single IKEA slat bases (800x2000mm) set side-by-side in a collapsible wooden frame - if I make it I want to be able to take it when moving houses! It will be held together by cross-dowels/bed bolts with the rails slotting into the "chunky" legs - this will help support the rails at either end.

The IKEA slat bases are fairly cheap, robust, and allow air flow to the mattress; a double bed mattress will sit atop. I am planning to glue and dowel an outer face (145x22mm pine) to the bed rail (120x42mm) to hold the IKEA slat bases. A centre rail will have two of the rails glued and dowelled to both sides of a "facing" board. This central rail will be supported at both ends by a cross rail joining the legs at the head and foot end of the bed.

My idea is to make it so that the whole thing can be "flat-packed".

I am using Google Sketchup to draw up the design.

This is my first attempt at a major furniture item. It will all be done in Pine as this is really the only timber available here in Sweden!!

Critiqes and advice welcome!

cheers

The Black One

Originally Posted by jedijac

I WANT THAT BED!!
I am not a handyman, nor am I a carpenter...I am a young guy willing to give anything a go...and I want to build my own bed. Does anyone know where I can get building plans for the bed above with step by step instructions? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

+1 - I understand last posters concerns about bed being less suer friends- but I'm young, and we're looking for style

Seriously, though- I've been googling for 3 days, trying to find actual plans for a King Platform bed. Workbenh Magazine has a nice platform bed design, for Queen- not QUITE what I'm looking for- but we might go with it, and just edit for King Size.

http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/main/pdf/wb309-bed.pdf

Does anyoen know where else we can get modern paltform bed designs? Preferably already sized for king size beds? I see ebay has some, but I dont know if I want to pay $20 to find out how they're constructed. We really want to use "real" wood- the ones. I love the one previous poster posted- if anyoen knows where I can get design plans, would appreciate muchly!!

Quite a number of plans on here.

http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/r...t=401&offset=0

Some on page 2 and page 4.

My bed fell apart this morning. (no sniggering, you lot. ) so its a project I need to do too.

So TL what were you doing.....it's not a trampoline...

Originally Posted by The Bleeder

So TL what were you doing.....it's not a trampoline...

The bed was a bit bodged together when we got the slats for the new mattress. Not held together very well, and didn't withstand the "Dad throwing the small boy onto the bed from the doorway" games. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. No more on this otherwise a perefectly good thread will end up in the orange room again.