| Gave up finding a king sized bed |
[Dec. 24th, 2007|12:19 pm] |
It sucks. I can never find the kind I want, and some of the ones that fit my bill are so expensive, it's silly. So, I have designed my own bed frame. I figured, half my Swedish relatives make their own stuff all the time, it's time I returned to my boat and cabinet making heritage.
I decided to tackle this project from the outside in. I didn't want to design a bed frame that emulated every other frame I found. I thought about my issues with king bed frames and what I thought would be an idea situation with materials that are strong and look nice, yet cheap.
The first issue is that most bed frames have several wekanesses. First, the strain on most bed frames occur at the joint between the bed rails and where they meet the headboard/footboard. If I made a bed frame, I would make sure that either that joint is rock solid or the stress of the bed is reduced at those points. The most common idea is just to make everything bigger and stronger. I went another route: I took out the bed rail altogether. In fact, while I have never personally heard of a bed collapsing down the middle, I have often wondered why you don't because most king bed frames only have a thin support in the middle. The second issue is that when you move, disassembling a bed frame and moving it around is a pain. The bed rails are long and don't turn corners down hallways very well. There's also a lot of assmbling that requires two people or more. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) gypsy_sylvan knows what I am talking about.
 I solved a lot of these problems be rethinking the purpose of the bed frame. It really on exists for two reasons: to support the mattress set and to look nice. So why have a huge grid with long rails. Why not have four mini-frames that connect to make one big frame in a 2 x 2 grid?
- Very sturdy.
- This saves me from finding long rails which are prone to warp anyway. This also separated the frame from the headboard and footboard, so I can build this first, and the hb/fb later. I can also make the hb/fb replaceable without having to buy a whole new frame.
- Assembly of the frame (after building) would require 4 wing nuts, and one person could do it: just bump the boxes together, and bolt it secure with wing nuts. No ratchet set, no screwdriver beyond the first build.
- When I break down and move the bed, it makes it easier to carry smaller frames by hand, through doorways, and stack them in an SUV.
I am going to build a prototype out of Legos sometime in the next few weeks, after I unpack them from my den move. I forgot which one of you suggested that, but it's a good idea whomever you are. |
|
|
| Comments: |
This is a great plan. I think that heritage may be serving you well. We are big on making our own, or having some of our talented friends do it. Usually we get better quality and esthetics for less money and less waste. Lee's dad has built him 2 walls of hardwood bookshelves, all from recycle I think. Very cool. I groove on the simplicity movement more and more. Including the $2.50 long black double breasted black velvet Mossino (sp??) coat I got at the thrift store Saturday! I may have to go back if it is open today. I put down many things, little knowing that the maniac clerks seemed to be giving 1/2 off for everything. $17 bucks for like a trashbag worth of gorgeous and high quality stuff. Yay!
From: (Anonymous)
2007-12-24 06:25 pm (UTC)
caution | (Link)
|
dunno if you've built furniture before, but having a design like you've specified renders it far more likely to sag in the center because most of the weight will tend to push on that spot. (sad and basic engineering 101 mistake everyone makes repeatedly until you break something in humiliating fashion)
one thing to point out is the existence of bed frame rails. which have nothing under the actual frame, but rather just have an outer metal frame. most beds don't actually need the support if you do a box spring under the actual mattress.
I have not built, but was involved in a company that built, and I sold, structurally durable furniture. But I have taken your point into account, and if you look at the diagram, this design will render a huge amount of support right in dead center. Given the weight of 2 people, some cats and small dogs, the mattress and box springs, I think my design will support more than that at any point on the frame.
I have been wanting to have a base for the cal king, it has two twin ex long mat under it and is siting on the floor at the moment.
I was told to get just reg frames for them and bolt them togeter, but I HATE the meter sot, too low, eve thos the bet is like a 16 inch thick matrece, on a 6 inch mat, and it is on the floor, I want it up a bit more, like about 10 12 inch, perferbal with the posabl of puting drawers under it.
The construcion that your talking about you could posab do it is such a way that you could make it acesable to have drawers in a meaning full way on the sidea and the bottem, if you wanted. if you did the bed fraim in 6s insted of 4. (Like the old style waterbeds, )take a look at one if you can, it will give you a idea of what your wanting I think.
It might also be cheeper for you to pick up a old used water bed fraim, just a thought.
| |
