Murphy bed

[master53yoda]

Well my next big project is to make a Murphy bed for our quest room because loml wants to have a puzzle and board game room. We have people over for games and puzzles far oftener then they stay over night so it's a better use of the room.

Has any one made one, I see lots of places for the hardware but I haven't found a plan that actually fabricates the mechanism or really shows what it does.

[cabinetman]

I've done several Murphy bed systems. At first I tried to make the hardware, as it isn't cheap to buy. Getting the bed to drop gently and stay down, and then an easy lift without flying up is a major piece of hardware.

I tried several brands all within a close proximity of price and the best I've used is from Selby Hardware. The hardware comes with complete directions, and a cut sheet for 4x8 material to go with different bed configurations. It's simple to install, and very easy to adjust.
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[smorris]

I got this from rockler http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17212 and it has all the instruction and cutlists you need. It is neither easy nor hard to make. No real fancy cutting but it is big and heavy once you get it going. The pistons work well and it is easy to open and close but you may need to weight the end of the bed to overcome it's tendency to want to close on its own.

[Uncle Cracker]

...but you may need to weight the end of the bed to overcome it's tendency to want to close on its own.

(Thinking of any number of James Bond movies... )

[crokett]

The pistons work well and it is easy to open and close but you may need to weight the end of the bed to overcome it's tendency to want to close on its own.

Isn't that only a problem when someone is not sleeping in it, and therefore not a problem?

[smorris]

Isn't that only a problem when someone is not sleeping in it, and therefore not a problem?

Well, yeah. Unless of course they pull it down and set their cat on it and turn their back.

I had to put about 12 pounds of lead in the end and that balanced it very nicely.

[cabinetman]

Well, yeah. Unless of course they pull it down and set their cat on it and turn their back.

I had to put about 12 pounds of lead in the end and that balanced it very nicely.

Ordinarily with most systems the final movement adjustment is made with the bedding.
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[master53yoda]

Thanks for the info I'll be looking at all the sites suggested.