Baseball bat bed frame

[Troy Hoepker]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and really enjoy it. I'm going to try to build a bed frame, headboard and footboard in a baseball theme for my litle boy and I'm looking for suggestions or pics of anything that would give me some ideas. I would like to use mini 18" baseball bats in the headboard as slats and real sized bats on each corner of the frame. I'm having trouble finding any info on the net that's close to the idea in my head. The bed size will be a full size. Thanks, Troy.

[Brodie Brickey]

Troy,

Not baseball bat, but check out this Pencil Bed.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/D0505028-0-large.jpg

With regard to your original post, the slats made out of bats, beware the spacing. Strangling is bad for a bed made by dad. (sorry I'm kinda rhymee right now.)

[Lee Koepke]

could you do the headboard in a diamond shape? padded bases on the corners, that would help with the spacing issue. typically you want the gap between pickets to be no more than 4" clear, so that would be alot of little bats.

[Jamie Buxton]

Or the headboard could look like a big mitt, like the giant one in the outfield stands in the park the SF Giants play in. Then it would have no holes in it. The headboard mitt could be wood, or it could be padded like a mitt.

[Randal Stevenson]

Several good headboard idea's. For the footboard spacing, consider flipping the 18" bats, so they can be grouped together, one up, next down, etc.

Since full sized baseball bats aren't very big, how about building the footboard ends into bat display cases, with Baseballs as knobs on top.

[Troy Hoepker]

Thanks guys, Some good ideas! Randall I like your suggestion on flipping the bats. I assume you mean flipping every other one so the spacing is more even vertically. I guess the idea I had in my head was to use the mini bats as slats or spindles along the footboard and headboard. The bottoms and tops of the bats would be doweled into a horizontal piece of wood 5 or 6" in height. These horizontal pieces would be jointed into either posts or full sized baseball bats positioned vertically on each corner used as posts. I don't know whether or not to try and join these horizontal, support pieces to a bat or if it would be hard to do with the natural curvature of the bat. First of all it may be hard to do, it may not look right, and may not provide a good enough support. I have thought about using a post at the bottom transitioning into a bat as the post goes upward, or just using a square post and cutting a ball bat in half, down the middle and glueing each half to the side of each post which might look nice. Also, maybe a side board running down the length of the bed connecting the headboard and footboard with a half a bat glued to the side of each board. Randal, what idea do you have about bat display cases? I definetly am going to place baseballs on top! Thanks again guys and anymore suggestions or problems you see with my idea, feel free to share.

[Jim Becker]

You're in luck...I remembered that another SMC member build a baseball themed bed awhile back. Here's the thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=17446

[Troy Hoepker]

Thanks Jim! That's the type of pictures I'm looking for. Great bed!

[Randal Stevenson]

Those posts look good. I was thinking actual size posts could be a problem, so a Wooden box, with a plexi door for a bat (like an autographed one), or shelf capable for balls.

The bat flipping idea, is for spacing/choking hazzard.

[Justin Leiwig]

I would saw the mini bats in half and mount them to a piece of wood for the headboard. No worries about anyone getting their head stuck and it will only take half as many bats. I would do just round poles on the corners painted yellow to look like foul markers and use baseballs at the top. Then the sides and end board painted green with a white stripe down it like a foul line. On the wooden footboard I would put a baseball diamond or a cutout of a mitt on it. I think it's a very neat idea myself.

Miscellaneous images found on google:






And my personal favorite for simplicity

[Justin Leiwig]

Can't forget the other accessories!



Here is a link to HGTV where they did a baseball themed room

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_rxr/e...1_8758,00.html

[Troy Hoepker]

Hey thanks Justin! Those are some great pics to get ideas from. Your good, Ididn't have near as much luck with google. Thanks again for your time! Troy