What Tools Will We Be Using?

Pencil Strait edge Skill saw Tape Measuring Router Sander Drill Drill Bit one size larger then the rope you chose to use Drill Bit for the Bolts Jig Saw and wood cutting blade Hammer Sharp Wood Chisel Screws Wood Glue

Step 1:

Cut the two 2 x 6 x 12 into four 6 foot lengths

Cut the two 2 x 4 x 12 into four 6 foot lengths

Step 2:

Mark your four 2 x 4 x 6 at the height you will want your bed off the ground.

(Example: 2 feet off the ground.)

Make a notch to be cut out of the side 1 ½” deep and 5 1/2” long.

Step 3:

Lay all four boards together and cut the notch out but running the saw through the marked area a few times.

Knock out the Notch with a Hammer or blunt object.

Clean out the notch with a sharp chisel.  

Step 4:

On two of the 2 x 4 x 6 that you just cut the notch in, mark 2 more notches at the height that your would like your headboard. (Example: 4 feet from the ground.) Make the notches 1.5 inches deep and 3.5 inches long.

Cut and clean up the notch as you did with the previous notches.

Step 5:

Glue and screw the 2 x 4 x 6 to the 2 x 6 x 6 making sure you don’t end up with two of the same corner of the bed. (Its easier if you lay out the boards before you screw them together. Its hard to picture but the boards you have cut the notches out of will run along side the side boards so the head board can slide into the notch. Make sure you know where the bottom is for each post)

Step 6:

Ok here is where the math starts to kick in. If your bed is 5 feet wide your board has to be long enough to go through two 2 x 4’s (one on either end) and still hang over each end by 2 inches. Since each 2 x 4 is actually only 1.5 inches wide not 2 inches like its name so states if we add all of the measurements needed up for the boards we get: (5 feet mattress) + (1.5 inch + 1.5 inch to go through 2 boards) + (1.5 inch + 1.5 Inch for over lap of the side boards) + (2 inch + 2 inch for over hang) = 5 feet 10 Inches

Cut two 2 x 6 x 8’s into 5 foot 10 inch lengths

Mark a line 3.5 inches from the end of the board then again at 5 inches from the end.

Mark a line between the two lines going with the length of the board 1.5 inches from the sides on either side of the marks. (It should look like a box drawn in the middle of the board.)

Do this to each end of the two boards.

Also cut one 2 x 4 x 8 at the same length of 5’ 10” and set it aside. (This is now your head board.)

Step 7:

Using a drill with a bit large enough to make a hole for your jig saw blade to fit through, drill out the inside corners of the boxes you just drew on your 5’10” boards.

Use your jig saw cut out the remaining area within the box following the outside lines as close as possible.

Knock out the piece and chisel to clean it up. (Do this to all 4 marked holes.)

Step 8:

Stand up the posts in there respective locations (right head post in the right spot, etc.)

Run the 2 x 6 x 5’10” through the holes. Line the hole up just to the inside of the outside board.

Use a pencil to trace exactly where the hole is on the board behind it.

Do this to all four posts.

Drill out the corners and cut out the rest of the hole like you did with the other holes.

Step 9:

Once that is complete set them aside and move onto step 10 (If you are having trouble, go back through the steps and look at the pictures close to see if you can figure out what went wrong or where you got lost. If you still need guidance write me now and Ill come to the rescue. Shae@Duramen.Net )

Step 10:

Working on the side boards is just like working on the headboards except instead of holes to cut out we make the male end to go through he notches.

First we need to add up the length each board needs to be: (7 feet mattress) + (1.5 inches + 1.5 inches to go through two boards) + (1.5 inches + 1.5 inches to go through 2 more boards) + (2 inches + 2 Inches for over hang) = 7 feet 10 inches

Cut the remaining two 2 x 6 x 8’s into two 7’ 10” boards.

Step 11:

Mark a line across the end of the board at 5 inches going across the board.

Mark a line from the end of the board up to the mark you just drew across the board 1.5 inches in from the side on both sides.

Then cut off the wood on the outside of the marks.

Do this to both ends of the two 7’ 10” boards.

Clean them up with the chisel.

Step 12:

If all has gone well you should have a stack of wood that look something like this.

This is a good time to put it all together and see if they all fit and make any adjustments one might need.

Step 13:

The head board pieces have holes cut in them 5 feet apart. Now we need to drill rope holes. Run a tape measure between the holes and mark every six inches across and 2 ¾ inches from the bottom of the board (middle of the board).

Now drill the holes out with the drill bit that is at least one size larger then your rope.

Step 14:

Do the same for the side board. Measure every 6 inches across and 2 ¾ inches up (middle of the board).

Now drill the hole with the same size bit that you used for the last board.

Do this for both sideboards.

Step 15:

Router every hole you drilled and every notch you cut out. Just do the whole bed.

I have seen many beds without it being routed, so if everything fits I guess you don’t have to, but if you choose to it makes for a much nicer looking and feeling bed.

Step 16:

Now put the bed together.

Tie a knot in one end of your rope.

Run the rope through the whole thing, making the weave pattern. (If the rope ends up not being long enough to go through every hole you can still make it work. Get a second rope and just run one rope for the length and one for the width of the bed.)

If everything went well, cut your rope about 2 feet past the last hole you went through. (You can trim off more later if you wish.)

Now go back through the bed pulling every rope tight along the way. Once you come to the end wrap it around the board and tie it off. It should look something like this.

Step 17:

Everything past this point is an optional addition to the bed. If you like it how it is sand it and call it good. Or read more and adjust accordingly.

My bed moved too much as is, so I needed to figure out how to shore it up a bit more.

I ran 3.5 inch bolts with washers and wing nuts through the corner of the bed where the post meets the bed frame. That pulled it together nicely. But my bad still wasn’t right. Being two feet off the ground has its disadvantages. I then cut a 2 x 4 to fit the inside base of the head and foot of the bed (should be about 5 feet long). Then I cut another 2 x 4 to run along the base, below the side boards (should be about 7 feet long). After doing that I bolted them on about 2 inches off the ground (you know its hard to find a flat place at a tourney for your bed) all the way around the inside base of the bed. This pulled it together nicely and made one strong looking bed.