Making a bed - sensible project?

[tinnews]

Thanks for this and all the other ideas everyone.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember [e-mail] saying something like:

What's wrong with two pallets? Very retro chic squat.

[Steve Firth]

I made the bed this morning. It took about five minutes.

[Owain]

The gap in the middle, and splinters.

Owain

[Rod]

If you want sprung slats, you might find that the sets available at Ikea work for you. We bought a kingsize bedframe with solid slats and replaced with two sets from Ikea. Had to make a centre support - but that was not at all difficult.

And quite cheap.

[Calvin Sambrook]

I don't really consider myself a woodworker but I've made four wooden beds over the years. Three are still going strong in regular use and one is currently not required so is in storage but will be fine when it's next needed. It's fairly straightforward but don't expect to save any money over buying a cheap bed. The real advantages come in pride and satisfaction, quality and the ability to make it just how you want it - one of mine is a high bed with a desk underneath and some very stylish steps going up, all fitted into a difficult corner space.

A couple of things to look out for: Corner joints - make them nice and tight as any rocking here will quickly get annoying and damaging Mattress size - they're not all standard, or rather they are but there are lots of standards to choose from. Mattress construction - higher quality "pocket sprung" mattresses apparently don't like slats, I had to adapt one of my beds by adding a thin sheet of MDF over the slats.

A simple bed my way is just two ends constructed from two legs and a couple of rails each, tenon joints glued and pinned and held together with a spanish windlass while the glue sets. The head end is taller than the foot. The two long rails which support the slats are each made from an outer plank and an inner supporting bar (about 2x1"), glued and screwed together. Tenons where the rails meet the legs and screws through from the ends. Slats across and you're done. Add a middle long rail for a double bed. All of that can be done with basic tools, saw, chisels etc, I can't remember reaching for my router. As someone else has mentioned, round the edges or learn to swear quietly so as not to disturb your partner when you bash your leg.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Owain saying something like:

Use a better class of pallet, like GKN, and unless you're doing a lot of heavy duty humping, the gap isn't really a problem.