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Step 3Get the stuff together
OK, so here's what you need (I'm reading this off the receipts littered around my bedroom, so I hope I don't miss anything...)
Wood:
4 4"x4"x8' trunks these are the main supports
4 2"x4"x8' stalks (for lack of a better general word for a long piece of wood) These give the loft its shape
7 2"x3"x8' stems You'll use these to make braces, and also supports for the plywood bed. Read steps
15 and 16 first--you may be able to get away with only 6 stems
2 4'x8' 1/2" plywood
Hardware: (home despot drastically overcharges for bolts. For the love of the Flying Spagetti Monster and all his oh-so-noodly appendages, buy your bolts at your local mom-and-pop hardware store! Support small businesses and don't get ripped off!)
8 1/2" x 6" bolts these hold the 2x4 stalks onto the 4x4 trunks
8 1/2" nuts
16 1/2" washers
8 3/8" x 6" bolts these hold your 2x3 stems onto the trunks
8 nuts
16 washers (duh)
28 3/8" x 5" lag screws Lag screws are basically big wood screws. Great for holding big pieces of
wood together. You'll use them to hold the stems onto things
a bunch of 3" drywall screws. Probably 20 or so
assorted other things:
(power tools)
Circ saw (sawzall would also work fine, as would anything else that cuts wood. Your call)
Drill
(things that go on the drill)
3/8" bit
1/2" bit --You're going to be drilling long holes. I used the flat drill bilts that were really long, and they
worked well. The normal bits I had originally weren't long eought
Bolt driver --Your lag screws should have a hex head. Get something you can mount on your drill that
can drive the screws. A ratchet set would also work...crappily. Do yourself a favor and get
the drill thingy. Otherwise you'll have a really tired arm and it'll be a huge drag
a philips head driver --to drive the drywall screws
(other things)
wrenches that fit the 1/2 and 3/8" nuts
Measuring tape.
Something that can draw a 45 degree line well. I bought a $10 saw and angle jig kit, which sucked, but at
least I could use it to draw the 45 degree lines I needed
Music. Get yourself some grooves from http://www.artiswrong.com/alex/mix rock on, bro
A joke ( I came up with this on a boat somewhere in the southern hemisphere):
Why didn't the man like to take his legless dog for a walk?
(it was such a drag!)
Also, you'll need a sense of humor that has the strength to withstand a barrage of my aweful awesome jokes,
Finally, you'll want to have a room to put this loft in and a pet monkey.
I lied, you don't really need the monkey.
But that would be cool, wouldn't it?
Wood:
4 4"x4"x8' trunks these are the main supports
4 2"x4"x8' stalks (for lack of a better general word for a long piece of wood) These give the loft its shape
7 2"x3"x8' stems You'll use these to make braces, and also supports for the plywood bed. Read steps
15 and 16 first--you may be able to get away with only 6 stems
2 4'x8' 1/2" plywood
Hardware: (home despot drastically overcharges for bolts. For the love of the Flying Spagetti Monster and all his oh-so-noodly appendages, buy your bolts at your local mom-and-pop hardware store! Support small businesses and don't get ripped off!)
8 1/2" x 6" bolts these hold the 2x4 stalks onto the 4x4 trunks
8 1/2" nuts
16 1/2" washers
8 3/8" x 6" bolts these hold your 2x3 stems onto the trunks
8 nuts
16 washers (duh)
28 3/8" x 5" lag screws Lag screws are basically big wood screws. Great for holding big pieces of
wood together. You'll use them to hold the stems onto things
a bunch of 3" drywall screws. Probably 20 or so
assorted other things:
(power tools)
Circ saw (sawzall would also work fine, as would anything else that cuts wood. Your call)
Drill
(things that go on the drill)
3/8" bit
1/2" bit --You're going to be drilling long holes. I used the flat drill bilts that were really long, and they
worked well. The normal bits I had originally weren't long eought
Bolt driver --Your lag screws should have a hex head. Get something you can mount on your drill that
can drive the screws. A ratchet set would also work...crappily. Do yourself a favor and get
the drill thingy. Otherwise you'll have a really tired arm and it'll be a huge drag
a philips head driver --to drive the drywall screws
(other things)
wrenches that fit the 1/2 and 3/8" nuts
Measuring tape.
Something that can draw a 45 degree line well. I bought a $10 saw and angle jig kit, which sucked, but at
least I could use it to draw the 45 degree lines I needed
Music. Get yourself some grooves from http://www.artiswrong.com/alex/mix rock on, bro
A joke ( I came up with this on a boat somewhere in the southern hemisphere):
Why didn't the man like to take his legless dog for a walk?
(it was such a drag!)
Also, you'll need a sense of humor that has the strength to withstand a barrage of my aweful awesome jokes,
Finally, you'll want to have a room to put this loft in and a pet monkey.
I lied, you don't really need the monkey.
But that would be cool, wouldn't it?
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also, love that you have your bits of wood lying on your mattress as you prep for building -
unless people have lived in TINY or awkward spaces they have no idea how there's no space while you're building something that will give you more space!
you've inspired me- I CAN make my tiny little room into a bedroom!
thank you