'Jacking up' oak framed bunk - sourcing materials

[Dan S]

Morning all,

I'm looking to turn my daughter's bed (one part of a separated bunk) into a high sleeper. The frame is painted hardwood - Oak I think - with the upri ghts finished size of 55 x 55.

Looking around online, there is no off the shelf planed Oak this size and s ites offering custom planed sizes have a minimum order of over £500. Pri ces quoted for what I need seem to be between £50 and £75.

Has anybody managed to source small quantities of custom planed hardwood? I 've not had much luck with local sawmills either (I'm in Suffolk).

As the frame is painted anyway, I've considered softwood instead, partly du e to availability. From a strength / structural point of view, is this a sensible way to go?

Thanks in advance, Dan

[Tim Watts]

On Saturday 16 November 2013 12:52 Dan S wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Your local timber stockist (real one) should be able to plane it down - most have a thicknesser on site.

[GB]

Most beds of this type are made entirely of softwood, so yes it's strong enough. But it depends on the design. If you join the uprights with some ply (to make a partly closed-in space with 3 walls) that would be plenty strong enough.

If you had exactly the right size hardwood, how were you proposing to extend the legs and brace the structure?

[meow2222]

a high sleeper. The frame is painted hardwood - Oak I think - with the up rights finished size of 55 x 55.

sites offering custom planed sizes have a minimum order of over £500. P rices quoted for what I need seem to be between £50 and £75.

I've not had much luck with local sawmills either (I'm in Suffolk).

due to availability. From a strength / structural point of view, is this a sensible way to go?

2x2 softwood is enough, but I'm far from convinced that a join from new to old would be ok, I'd replace the legs entirely with it if practical. Also y ou've got to restrain them against sideways movement in both directions som ehow.

NT

[Dan S]

Thanks. That was exactly my plan. Having read a couple of IkeaHacker posts on the subject, I think we're now going to start from scratch by fixing two sides to the wall and supporting the third using a wardrobe (bought or framed and clad).

D