Pipe Loft Bed

Step 7: Setting the webbing...

Perch your box spring precariously on the top of your bed. Don't let it squash you.

Place the three racheting straps perpendicular to the long sides of the bed, evenly spaced.

Tighten the straps so that they hang down a bit lower than you want the bed to be.

Ease your box spring onto the straps and even them out by using the rachets.

Throw the mattress on top of the box spring. I know that you are tempted to get on the bed. I advise against doing so until the stabilizing straps are in place.

Make any final adjustments to the height before adding the lengthwise webbing that stabilizes the sleeping platform. These are tied tightly from the head to the foot of the bed. Space them 1 to 1.5' from the edge of the mattress.

Enjoy your new tall bed and the extra floor space that a loft bed gives. I hope that my instructable serves you well.

Thanks for reading!

Comments

[mae-kitty]

LoL forget using a mattress, i would just use straps the whole length of the bed and sleep on that xD. It seem funner. AWESOME bed BTW

[bunycraft]

Looks like way fun... I would want more straps though. Not willing to live that close to the wild side, lol. I always wanted a loft bed.

[jeff-o]

Do you even need the box spring, I wonder? It seems to me that its main purpose here it to prevent the webbing from digging into the mattress - a task that could be done equally well with a layer of plywood. By removing the height of the box spring you'd also get a bit more headroom.

[nerdologist]

You're right. I used a box spring because that's what I had. If you wanted, you could use plywood or build a platform or something.

[jeff-o]

Oh, definitely use what you have first!

[mysss]

Thanks for clarifying--that's important to note if you don't have a box spring! (i.e., if you're using a college-provided bed)

[Fretka]

how easy is it to get into and out of? AND does it move a lot or is it pretty stable? I love this idea !!!

[Astinsan]

Galvanized pipe would be stronger since it is not as soft as black steel pipe. The galvanization process heat treats the steel. Then there is the other con of Black pipe... black pipe has oil on it to keep it from rusting.. so if you clean it off you may want to paint it to keep it from rusting. May not be a issue in a dry state like az but in washington the black pipe will rust even at the store on the shelf. Still a neat build.

[static]

I would have thought the heat in the galvanizing process did anything to the pipe it would be to anneal it, if even that. Heat treating is much more of a controlled process, assuming the low carbon content line pipe would gain much strength with heat treating. Also after time galvanized pipe will leave a black stain on anything that rubs against it. In any event the black pipe is plenty strong strong in this application.

[Astinsan]

During the process the zinc is filling all holes, divits & pits. Annealing steel is done at a temperature higher than the zinc coating process (around 600 degrees F). Then there is the final stage in the hot dip galvanizing process. It involves water quenching or quenching in a mix of sodium dichromate solution and water. Depending on the quality of pipe. Steel pipe is not meant to hold weight is what I was trying to point out. It is easy to bend and less likely to crack if hit by a nail (because it usually has natural gas in it behind a wall) I just wanted to give some other options. I still liked the build. Looks like something I would of come up with. Ratchet Straps... that should be a prerequisite for joining the site.

[nerdologist]

I didn't use galvanized pipe because it is more expensive than black pipe. I didn't know that galvanized pipe was stronger, though. So you get what you pay for. Rustoleum clear is what I bought to coat the pipe but I got too excited and built it before coating. I promised myself that I would coat it the next time I move... Great insight--keep it coming!