Bed design -- please help with joinery!

[Ray Schafer]

I want to build a bed something like the one attached. I know how to build the trundle part since I did one last year (although any designs you want to contribute will be gladly accepted). The part I need help with is the top bed. As you may remember from an earlier post, I have to make the bed fit in as small a space as the mattress will allow.

I am going to build something like the bed shown, except that I will not have the headboard and footboard go above the mattress. The platform that the bed is on will be the same length and width as the mattress (a platform bed).

Can you suggest how to join the parts so that they will be strong enough to withstand a 12 (13, 14, 15, 16 ...) year old? I have some ideas, but would like to see what ideas I get from this crowd before I offer up what I am thinking.

This is the challenge of the night!

Thanks.
Ray

[Ray Schafer]

I am really hoping that you guys will help me figure out this design. My daughter is sleeping on the floor! (Well, on a mattress on the floor.)

[Chris Friesen]

The picture that you show looks like it's made of plywood or veneered MDF/particleboard, and the stretchers are fastened with two shoulder bolts on either end. Standard cheap knockdown furniture construction.

I've slept in a bunkbed fastened together this way and it seemed to be strong enough...it didn't collapse, anyways. I'd probably put a cross dowel in the stretcher so that the threads aren't in danger of stripping out.

If you want to make a more durable bed, you should be able to find books at your local library. Alternately, the Fine Woodworking website has a 14-day free trial offer going on right now, you can register and view online articles in pdf format. There are a number of articles on bed design.

[Scott Rollins]

I used a 2" thick torsion box for a bed once. I added threaded connections to the ends and down the rails to keep it stiff enough. It has been in use by a 10 yr old and friends for a year now. The one thing to remember is the mattress for a trundle is usually smaller than a twin. If you use a twin in the trundle the box the upper bed is in is a little large. I used 1/4" Birch in the end rails of my trundle. to reduce the amount of "slop in the upper mattress. BTW the front of the pirate ship is a large toybox.

[Neil Clemmons]

Have you looked at knock-down hardware with cross dowels? I've seen them at Rocker and maybe Woodcraft. Simple to install and they will give you a lot of strength and ability to easily disassemble for moving or repairs.

neil

[Bert Johansen]

Ray, the latest issue (November 2008) of Wood magazine has a short tutorial on three different types of bed-to-rail attachment hardware. These three hardware types are in addition to the standard bed bolts, which can be found at Rockler, et al.

I really like the idea of making a torsion box with plywood top and bottom. I made one for a massage table designed to hold 500 lb clients. (Really!) The owner claims one could park a Volkswagen on it! The frame is 3/4 poplar and the skin is 1/4 plywood.

The photo shows the frame and the plywood skin under the frame during glue-up.