Waterbed Frame

Get out your lava lamp and beads.

The inspiration for the bed frame came from Robert Spangler's Port Blakely bed
http://rspangler.com/images/blakebed.jpg

I have to make some changes because it's going to be a water bed and I want to use as much of my existing stock as possible because wood prices in Florida will break you.

The plan is to use 5/4 maple boards for the sides and cap them with 4/4 walnut. I bought the 5/4 maple back in February and even though I stickered it for over two months indoors, once I released the clamps, the wood moved. So I have that challenge to deal with.

First thing I had to do was joint the edges
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_002.jpg

Then try to figure out how I'm going to make the headboard. I have a good amount of walnut in stock but it's getting quickly used up. So I took what the walnut and inserted figured maple in between. The spaces between the maple would receive ties similar to Spangler's bed.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_004.jpg

Spangler used an 11⁰ angle for his headboard and that's good enough for me. I took some of the cutoffs from the 5/4 maple and fashioned up some headboard braces. They will attach to the back of the head piece on the waterbed frame.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_005.jpg

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_006.jpg

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_007.jpg

Interesting design, I really like the Asian look of it.
I used to have a waterbed. It was nice to be able to lower the temp in the summer & raise it a bit in the winter. But I don't know if my back could take it anymore.

I'll never forget the time I tried to sleep on an unheated waterbed. Nearly died of hypothermia.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stew Hagerty

I used to have a waterbed. It was nice to be able to lower the temp in the summer & raise it a bit in the winter. But I don't know if my back could take it anymore.

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I actually use it specifically for my back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David Helm

I'll never forget the time I tried to sleep on an unheated waterbed. Nearly died of hypothermia.

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I did that once and woke up with my bones feeling like they were all fused. And I was only 20 years old at the time.

I found some strips of cocobolo that worked perfectly for the maple ties
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_008.jpg
The longer strips are for, I don't know yet.

The headboard is glued up and I've cut biscuits slots to join the maple sides with the walnut caps.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_009.jpg

I'm using the Beadlock tool to drill for dowels since it doesn't automatically center the dowel holes. The walnut corners are a little under 2x2 and I want them to stand proud of the maple sides on the exterior of the frame only.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_010.jpg
It took a little finagling to get the jig to work for that purpose.

At the top of the picture you can see I had to use two sets of clamps to stretch the length of the boards to clamp the walnut corners. They will be glued it at the foot and head pieces only.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_011.jpg
At the bottom, I am cleaning up the glue from joining the maple sides and walnut caps.

I really like the design you've chosen and look forward to the finished result!!

Thanks, Jim! :)

The headboard pieces are glued up now. I added figured maple caps on the ends of the walnut boards for some contrast. Still need to trim them flush.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_013.jpg
The above is bare wood

This is after a coat of BLO and the maple caps trimmed:
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_014.jpg

A closeup of the cocobolo ties and maple caps:
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_015.jpg
You probably can't see it but I routed in a "V" between the walnut and maple boards and put a 45⁰ bevel on all the edges.

Very nice work! The headboard looks great already. Nice choices in materials

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_016.jpg
The 5/4 maple braces for the headboard are attached to the head of the bed frame with (3) 4" x 1/4" SPAX screws. Again, I went overkill because I don't want the pressure and movement of bodies against the headboard to loosen the screws.

The juggling act - putting it all together in the workshop
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_017.jpg
The first two pieces weren't bad but I did have to be careful not to let the end of the one piece, resting on a roller feed support, fall off while setting the dowels in place.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_018.jpg
The last joint was really bad. The wood has moved so much I had to take apart a couple of Bessey K-Body clamps and bolt them together to span the length of the frame. This was to draw in the twist from the maple sides.

I cut the overhang on the walnut caps before dismantling the bed frame.

Progress now stops for a few days. Now I have to do some work on the bedroom door and window trim. Those boards are taking up the space in the workshop that I will need to bring in and set the 3/4" plywood for cutting up the base and platform.

Very nice work. I like the contrast. Pictures don't show it all as far as colors go. The cocobola is a nice touch. You need a bigger shop!
Jim

Shop space is limited and I don't want to work in 95 degree heat outside so I'll take whatever space I can find to work. The house is basically a construction site so what will be the dinette area becomes workshop #2.
http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_019.jpg
This is for the platform the sides of the bed will rest on. It's 3/4" sanded plywood bought from HD and probably came from China. You couldn't make cabinets out of this stuff.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_020.jpg
After the pieces were cut, I drilled for dowels to keep the surfaces flush when they are assembled later.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_021.jpg
Temporarily assembled because we are going to install laminate flooring, which is on order. The terrazzo is too badly damaged and stained to use.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_022.jpg
The 5/4 maple headboard supports are installed with 4" SPAX screws.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_023.jpg

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_024.jpg
I drilled recessed holes in the back of the maple supports to accept pocket hole screws.

http://www.julimorcreations.com/Imag...Bed/WB_025.jpg
This is a closeup of the maple/walnut joint in the headboard. I routed a "V" after the boards were glued up and flattened. I used the DeWalt track with the router guide to keep the router on line.

Nice work, but your shop is much too neat....:rolleyes:

Have you considered having the terrazzo ground down a bit and then polished? Sometimes it can be saved.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lee Schierer

Have you considered having the terrazzo ground down a bit and then polished? Sometimes it can be saved.

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Yes, Lee, we looked into it but the cost of refurbishing the terrazzo was more than we could afford. Terrazzo is perfect for a humid environment like Florida because it is virtually impenetrable, but we found a laminate flooring that is totally waterproof, the big factor being anything that doesn't absorb moisture. And the joints are so tight it's hard to see them.

It will have to do and we are okay with that.

In a perfect world, the terrazzo design of your choice would be :D. Maybe next go around.

The bed is done, finished a couple of weeks ago.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Mbdrm/mbdrm_030.jpg

That looks great Julie, well done!
I remember making my first waterbed frame, the headboard was off a 6' wooden wire spool cut in half, and the frame's base from old railroad ties. I was 22, what can I say...:rolleyes: