Denette Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 Hello, Wood Talk Forums! This is my first post, so if I commit any faux pas, please let me know... I've agreed to build a bed for a friend of mine. This friend wants me to build the bed in the photo below in King size. It has rustic/reclaimed/roughsawn boards paneling the outside, composing what is a simple-looking bed, but it's boggling my mind trying to figure out how I'd make it both sturdy and not weigh 1000 pounds. Current plan of action: Build a separate headboard, footboard, and side supports, with mortised hardware to connect them. Both the headboard and footboard would basically be rectangles that would extend all the way to the floor, like the footboard does in that photo. My problem is that I don't know how those pieces should be constructed. Surely the bed pictured couldn't be solid wood, could it? My initial idea was to build a sort of under-frame, then panel the outside of it with the rustic wood. I'm just having a hard time figuring out how to do that. I've built a Morris chair before, where all the joinery is exposed and celebrated, but this bed design is really cooking my noodle. Here's the best I've come up with for the structure of the sides. This is a view from the end of the side panel: Here's a view of the current best-guess for how to make the structure behind the head board: Anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 Welcome to the forums. Actually, they can be solid wood and if I were building it, they probably would be for the most part. It would be pretty hard to match up mitered corners on rough cut lumber. Any way you do it, it's going to be heavy. This has a lot of similarities to Marc's bed build that he did in the Guild. That's a paid site but, there is some great instruction there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick S Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 It's hard to tell from the photo, but if you zoom in on the end of the footboard, on my monitor it looks like face grain, not end grain. If so, it's mitered on all edges. Like TIODS said, it would be hard to do on rough lumber, but if it's a commercially made piece, there are plenty of techniques being used to "age" rough lumber that could easily cover imperfections. Not as easy to do in a small shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 When you miter long edges on rough lumber if you rub the corners with the side of a round screwdriver shank while the glue is wet it will bend the fibers and dress the corner. A tracksaw might give you better rip and crosscuts at 45 degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 The detail is not very clear in the photo, but I think that it is a simple panel and edge band. The only miter I see is the corner of the footboard. All the long edges appear to be butt joints. This is where the rustic look can work in your favor, especially if you age / distress after construction. A tight butt joint will totally disappear with proper distressing. Take care to avoid knots or extreme grain differences along the joints, and you can make the 'box' faces look like a solid slab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Thanks for the replies, everyone! I really appreciate it. I'll update this post with pictures of progress as I figure out what I'm going to do. I'm still kind of new at woodworking, so I really am thankful for folks like you who are willing to hang around online and answer questions like mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPCV_Woodworker Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 What's wrong with endgrain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 It will be heavy, but none of the four parts will be so heavy it can't be assembled, and once together it's still lighter than a water bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 That's a great looking bed design there! I like that a lot. Please post a log when you tackle this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted May 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 I've finished my Sketchup design and put it on the 3D Warehouse. Here's a link: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=u7acf89b2-02d1-4c09-8206-24614dd0f8a1 Anyone have any comments or suggestions about the design? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Looks good, but how are the rails attached to the head and foot boards? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted May 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 I'm planning on buying some metal bed frame brackets, like these: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00887N8H4/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1432922389&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=bed+frame+bracket+hardware&dpPl=1&dpID=513mNfbcfNL&ref=plSrch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted June 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 So, I just met with my client and I have a question! My design has been approved by my client, but I'm trying to do what I can to cut the cost without sacrificing quality. There's a lot of wood that nobody will ever see, and I was thinking about buying a less expensive lumber for those boards. Would poplar be a sturdy enough wood, or should I try to find some ash for these parts? My usual lumber dealer has poplar in the sizes I'd need, but not ash. I'm not sure where I'd find it other than my usual place. I'm looking at making the green boards poplar - do you think it'd hold up? They're all between ¾" and 1½" thick, and would be helped along by the ¾" thick red oak face boards. Thanks for any help, y'all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Some dimensioning will help answer that question. For example, if this is an adult bed, the center rail spans six feet. That would make it look like a queen to me at five feet wide. The center rail spanning six feet might be better turned on edge. This might mean a laminate of 3/4" lumber if you are talking home center purchase. You could also look at an adjustable center foot. That said, poplar is not a bad move. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted June 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Sorry for the vagueness there - it's a king size adult bed. I have every intention of putting a center foot, but keep forgetting to add it to the Sketchup model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 A flat poplar 2x should be just fine to span three feet for a bed. So with a center foot, I don't see a concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Is this bed going to use a box spring? If so I think it's fine...if not, you need more slats...they're too far apart. Either more slats or you'll need to lay plywood down on top of them. You'll get sag otherwise. If there's a box spring going down under the mattress it's all good. Either way, poplar is fine. I built a bed over the winter and used hard maple for the slats, but that's only because I'm a wood snob. Poplar will work. Even pine. As long as the spacing is correct. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Is there a concern that all of the slats and rails are half lap joints, if I'm reading the drawing correctly? Shouldn't the slats rest ON the rails? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Avoid using poplar with any knots showing in strips that thin, it will snap in a heartbeat. But then, so will most any wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted August 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 If anyone is interested in seeing how this build turned out, check out my project journal of it. It is almost finished! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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