Blog Archives
A Bunk Bed for My Superheroes
UPDATE Based on some excellent feedback, I’ve made some changes to the design. The front rail was a bit troublesome from both a design and stability perspective. I’ve replaced it with 1-1/4″ tube steel posts extending from the head and foot of the top bunk, with angles that mimic the back “X”. UPDATED DESIGN … Continue reading
The Headboard and Footboard Part I, Making Xs
Laying out the Ends Typically I find a detailed SketchUp drawing to be sufficient for my builds. For this project, however, I felt the need to do a full-size drawing to lay the components out on. After drafting an end on a 4×8 sheet of MDF, I started ripping down another MDF sheet to 6″ … Continue reading
Assembling the Circle-X Panels
Fits and Starts The last couple weeks have been crowded with both personal and professional activities. I’ve had to work in found time, an hour here, an hour there. My next task was to fit the upper and lower bouts of the “X”s with their panels. Finishing the Wedges The pie wedges are cut from … Continue reading
Test Assembly and Finishing the Ends
Over the last couple weeks I’ve completed the construction of the side and end rails and cut the slats for supporting the mattresses. I also settled on somewhat novel connection hardware for the rails. Woodcraft sells a very inexpensive bed rail set bracket set that are nonetheless very sturdy and heavy duty. I’ve augmented the connection … Continue reading
The Back “X” and Top Bunk Safety Rails
In the last few weeks since my latest post, I’ve made significant progress on the bed. I applied the finish to the poplar parts and glued up the head and foot ends of the bed. At this point I was able to test-assemble the bed and give the kids a chance to take it for … Continue reading
Building the Stairs and Installation
Building the stairs With the main bunk bed complete, it was time to turn my attention to the stairs. For safety reasons, mom insisted the bunk bed have stairs instead of a ladder. The original design featured drawers on the end and paneled sides. Upon further reflection (and measuring) it was clear that this placement … Continue reading