I decided I wanted a cool modern bed. So I made one, and this is how. But a couple of notes before we begin.
1. I apologize that all of the pictures in this Instructable (sans the finished ones) were taken with a mediocre phone camera.
2. I am not a master carpenter and pretty much only know what I learned from my dad and watching Bob Vila and Norm from New Yankee Workshop. With that in mind, if I can do this, you can probably do this, and better than I can.
3. I was looking for a modern sunken platform bed that wasn't too crazy looking or crazily expensive. I couldn't find it, so I just figured I'd try it out and see if I could build my own. The cost of the materials were around $400, but that is a huge savings compared to buying a bed that looks like this.
4. Being able to say that you made it is also pretty cool. The ladies love it.
5. I'm not very good at explaining things, so if you have any questions, just ask!
1. I apologize that all of the pictures in this Instructable (sans the finished ones) were taken with a mediocre phone camera.
2. I am not a master carpenter and pretty much only know what I learned from my dad and watching Bob Vila and Norm from New Yankee Workshop. With that in mind, if I can do this, you can probably do this, and better than I can.
3. I was looking for a modern sunken platform bed that wasn't too crazy looking or crazily expensive. I couldn't find it, so I just figured I'd try it out and see if I could build my own. The cost of the materials were around $400, but that is a huge savings compared to buying a bed that looks like this.
4. Being able to say that you made it is also pretty cool. The ladies love it.
5. I'm not very good at explaining things, so if you have any questions, just ask!
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Signing UpStep 1: Acquire
The first step in this, or any project, is to decide what you need and then acquire those things that you decided you needed. I measured my mattress, made a rough game plan, and wrote out a list of the wood I thought I would need. I rethought this several times and made several trips to the Depot. The items used in the end for this project are as follows:
Tools
You don't need anything fancy for this project. In fact 90% of the cuts made for this bed were entirely using my sliding miter saw. But here is what I used:
-Table Saw
-Miter Saw
-Air Compressor with 18ga nail gun
-Electric sander (mine is an orbital)
-Tape measure
-Carpenter's triangle (or whatever the crap it's called. EDIT. speed square. thanks.)
-Pencils
-Screwgun/drill
-Hammer/rubber mallet
-Several C-Clamps. I have 6 12" ones, and that seemed to be good enough for my needs.
-Sawhorses
-9/16" wrench
-9/16" ratchet
Wood
As far as the frame goes (and this is for a queen size bed, so you may adjust the wood sizes to your own measurements), you will need:
- 10 to 20 1x3x6' boards (these are the wood slats that act as the boxspring, and you don't need nearly as many as I used, as you will see).
- 1 4x4x8 ft board (douglas fir, not the green outdoor treated ones)
- 6 2x4x8 ft boards (more if you make sweet mistakes like me)
- 1 2x2x8 ft board (I bought this by accident, but it really came in handy).
The trim, or cosmetically inclined part of the bed, required a few more pieces. This is where you get to decide what type of wood you will use. I used pine because it is the cheapest, and is quite easy to work with. The results would probably be better with a harder wood like rosewood, walnut, or oak. You may choose based on your own budget and assessment of your skills. I assess my skills at a medium to high risk of mucking up, requiring forking out more cash for high grade wood. This was a wise choice. In any case, you will need:
- 2 1x10x8 ft pine boards
- 1 1x10x6 ft pine board (you could just buy 3 8ft boards, but I wanted to save money where I could, and this saved me a whopping buck fifty.
- 4 1x6x8 ft pine boards.
- 1 1x4x8 ft pine board
Then the headboard, you may do whatever you like. I wanted something simple and modern. I found at the lumber store some already pressed together pine sheets that were 24" wide by 96" long. This suited my needs perfectly, so that is the primary component in my headboard.
That should do it for the wood you need. Unless I'm forgetting something, in which case, I apologize.
Other Stuff
-Sandpaper in 80, 100, 150 or 180, and 220 grit. If you have an orbital get all these in discs but buy regular sheets of 220 as wel.
-1 quart Pre-stain (this stuff is for people like me who buy crappy soft woods, so the stain takes more evenly)
-1 quart Stain of your choice. I used all minwax stain products, for consistency, even though I don't really think it makes a difference.
-1 quart finishing polyurethane. I chose satin because I hate glossy things, but that is up to your own tastes. They also make products that are supposedly stain and polyurethane in one? I think I'd rather stay away from that.
-Wood putty. I prefer the squeeze bottle.
-small flexible putty knife for the above.
-Nails for the nailgun. 1.5" are a good size
-A crapload of wood screws. 2.5" and 1.5"
-Wood glue. I bought two good sized bottles, but one was enough. I bought the Gorilla Glue brand wood glue because it was on sale. And because Elmer's should stick to non-toxic elementary school glue.
-tack cloths.
-mineral spirits
-lots of cotton rags, like cut up t-shirts
-sponge brushes, i used 2 and 3" sizes
-2 Metal brackets for applying a center 2x4 to the frame
-Another 4 sweet metal brackets that slip over a 4x4 and have bracket for 2x4 coming off 2 ends. I don't know what they are called, but there are pictures of them later.
-4 5.5x3/8" hex bolts
-16 3/8" washers
-16 3/8" hex nuts
Now that you spent all your money (the total cost of this project for me was about 400 bucks), we can get on to the good stuff.
Tools
You don't need anything fancy for this project. In fact 90% of the cuts made for this bed were entirely using my sliding miter saw. But here is what I used:
-Table Saw
-Miter Saw
-Air Compressor with 18ga nail gun
-Electric sander (mine is an orbital)
-Tape measure
-Carpenter's triangle (or whatever the crap it's called. EDIT. speed square. thanks.)
-Pencils
-Screwgun/drill
-Hammer/rubber mallet
-Several C-Clamps. I have 6 12" ones, and that seemed to be good enough for my needs.
-Sawhorses
-9/16" wrench
-9/16" ratchet
Wood
As far as the frame goes (and this is for a queen size bed, so you may adjust the wood sizes to your own measurements), you will need:
- 10 to 20 1x3x6' boards (these are the wood slats that act as the boxspring, and you don't need nearly as many as I used, as you will see).
- 1 4x4x8 ft board (douglas fir, not the green outdoor treated ones)
- 6 2x4x8 ft boards (more if you make sweet mistakes like me)
- 1 2x2x8 ft board (I bought this by accident, but it really came in handy).
The trim, or cosmetically inclined part of the bed, required a few more pieces. This is where you get to decide what type of wood you will use. I used pine because it is the cheapest, and is quite easy to work with. The results would probably be better with a harder wood like rosewood, walnut, or oak. You may choose based on your own budget and assessment of your skills. I assess my skills at a medium to high risk of mucking up, requiring forking out more cash for high grade wood. This was a wise choice. In any case, you will need:
- 2 1x10x8 ft pine boards
- 1 1x10x6 ft pine board (you could just buy 3 8ft boards, but I wanted to save money where I could, and this saved me a whopping buck fifty.
- 4 1x6x8 ft pine boards.
- 1 1x4x8 ft pine board
Then the headboard, you may do whatever you like. I wanted something simple and modern. I found at the lumber store some already pressed together pine sheets that were 24" wide by 96" long. This suited my needs perfectly, so that is the primary component in my headboard.
That should do it for the wood you need. Unless I'm forgetting something, in which case, I apologize.
Other Stuff
-Sandpaper in 80, 100, 150 or 180, and 220 grit. If you have an orbital get all these in discs but buy regular sheets of 220 as wel.
-1 quart Pre-stain (this stuff is for people like me who buy crappy soft woods, so the stain takes more evenly)
-1 quart Stain of your choice. I used all minwax stain products, for consistency, even though I don't really think it makes a difference.
-1 quart finishing polyurethane. I chose satin because I hate glossy things, but that is up to your own tastes. They also make products that are supposedly stain and polyurethane in one? I think I'd rather stay away from that.
-Wood putty. I prefer the squeeze bottle.
-small flexible putty knife for the above.
-Nails for the nailgun. 1.5" are a good size
-A crapload of wood screws. 2.5" and 1.5"
-Wood glue. I bought two good sized bottles, but one was enough. I bought the Gorilla Glue brand wood glue because it was on sale. And because Elmer's should stick to non-toxic elementary school glue.
-tack cloths.
-mineral spirits
-lots of cotton rags, like cut up t-shirts
-sponge brushes, i used 2 and 3" sizes
-2 Metal brackets for applying a center 2x4 to the frame
-Another 4 sweet metal brackets that slip over a 4x4 and have bracket for 2x4 coming off 2 ends. I don't know what they are called, but there are pictures of them later.
-4 5.5x3/8" hex bolts
-16 3/8" washers
-16 3/8" hex nuts
Now that you spent all your money (the total cost of this project for me was about 400 bucks), we can get on to the good stuff.
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Nice instructable!
Fantastic project...i hope mine comes out as good as yours!!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bamboo-Flooring-Platform-Bed/
i'm thinking about building the bed, so I was just wonderign what it'd set me back. that would determien if i spend a weekend making it, or go to ikea and buy a similar bed.
Thanks VERY much for the post. Again, I CAN"T WAIT TO GET STARTED!
I gotta say, this is a GREAT job! And to buy something of this quality would cost a lot lot more than you have in it. And to say you built it yourself is always a plus. I'm just getting started in my woodworking and I am loving every minute of it....
An alternate that I was considering was making the nightstands a part of the headboard, that way you could just extend out from the edge of the headboard and be nice and sturdy. But then I opted against it for whatever reason. It more than suits my needs, It will hold at least 20 lb worth of crap, and I've never had a lamp or alarm clock that weighed that!
Even if you did roll onto it, it would likely just damage your head on your way to the ground :)
Again, VERY cool!
If you had it to do over, would you do the side rails that wide? At first glance, it looked to me like they would be too wide, and a pain for getting in and out of bed (knee knockers).
Also, you really gotta let us know what those brackets are called. I looked under a few different names and came up empty.
Thanks,
Cory
Right by the lumber there's a section of all kinds of roofing and various metal brackets for lumber. It should be there. Or you could just print a picture of mine and bring it in, someone ought to be able to help!
I've got, and still using, a bed frame built years ago that is a very minimal and easy to break down bed. It only has 6 1"x10"x5' and 2 1"x10"x6' each bolted down with bolts and wing nuts. Legs are 6 simple pipe legs. Moving around a lot, back then, I needed a bed that could break down and transport easy, so built that bed years ago. It's been a very rock solid bed frame over the years but lately I've been wanting a more substantial bed frame. These builds will allow me to recycle my old bed into a much nicer bed.
Will work on also creating my first instructable with help from your build!!
other than that....nice job