Looking for design help - bed for my son.

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Hi there!

I'm considering starting a new project, a project which would be the largest / most complex I've attempted to date. I was wondering if anyone know of plans that I could use for the project or at least as a starting point.

I'm looking to design a "boat" bed that would fit a regular twin mattress. I'm attaching a picture of a bed available at a national store that serves as my source of inspiration. My son is only 12 months old now, but this seems like a good time to start on this project. Can anyone point me towards some plans that come close to the picture below or at least give me some starting points? I'm comfortable using sketchup to design something if I had a starting point.

Any responses would be most appreciated!

[Dennis Jackson]

The bed part just looks like a trundle bed. Then you will have to figure how you want to do the point, and paint job. The bow looks like it is just an add on to a standard rectangular bed. You will need to figure if the draw(s) in the bow are 2 small triangular ones and pull out perpendicular to the curve of the bow, pull out parallel to the trundle bed, or one big triangular drawer that will pull out parallel to the trundle bed.

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Hi there - thanks for the response... I was thinking of skipping the drawers on the bow and just making it simpler. I've never done something like this and honestly don't know where to start on how heavy the construction should be (I'd like it to be of excellent quality, but not be excessvily heavy.)

Do you think the trundle bed portion will be tricky? Also, any guess on how the "decking" would be joined?

Thanks!

[Sam Yerardi]

Dave,
I would build the upper part of the bed using mortise and tenon. Build it just as you would a bed that is designed without a spring mattress (There is a lot of space under the bed since all you have is an upper mattress and the supporting structure for it. If you look at some of the period beds such as Sheraton and Chippendale, you'll see that under a lot of them there is a lot of space, sometimes in excess of 16-18". You're really not limited to that but it gives you plenty of space underneath for the second bed. I would then make a separate frame inside the main bed frame and mortise it into the lower part of the main bed posts. I would use bolt construction on all the joints (except for the head board joining with its posts and the foot of the bed to its posts where I would use permanent joining). Bolt construction will allow you to tear the bed down if ever need be.

In the frame section underneath, on each side I would provide for a wood track on each end to facilitate getting the bottom bed in and out. The bottom bed I would mount on casters (fixed on the inner-most and swivel on the outer-most). You really wouldn't need the track but if you're building it, I would go ahead and add it in. The lower bed I would use box-construction instead of post & rail as in the upper bed.

[Dennis Jackson]

Here is a site with plans for some trundle beds: http://bunkbedsunlimited.com/Trundle-Bed-Plans.htm

As you can see the basic bed is simple. Then you can add the ornamentation that you want. As far as the decking goes, you could buy some tongue and groove flooring (might even be able to get some cheap at a odd close out) or use t and g or ship lap to build it.

Also if you are not going to make the drawers you could make this a toy box that opens from the top.

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Awesome idea on the toy box - I love it.

Also, thanks for the plans.

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied - I'm thinking I'll put something together in sketchup first - I'll check back in when I get that accomplished. It is surprising how little time I can find for the workshop with a one year old son!