Loft bed

[Cochese]

Yeah, unfortunately my wife pointed out that I have to take the time available to me into consideration as well. I have so many projects that I am either researching or wanting to do that I am in danger of becoming the boy who cried wolf. Cutting boards, a kitchen table, a bench, a grill cart, a Morris chair (maybe - it looks like getting the leather may push the project into unrealism), a bathroom cabinet...Not to mention finishing several of my shop projects.

Only so much time, unfortunately.

[Papa]

Loft Bed

When my son was in college (many years ago), he wanted a loft bed for his small bedroom in the house he and several friends were renting. Since it had to be moved over 100 miles, it needed to be a knock-down. We went to a loft bed store, found a bed that matched his wishes, and measured it up to copy. The corner posts were L-shaped wood angles rather that solid squares. This gave the advantage of increased stability and the ability to make all joints with the frames as straight-through bolt connections. We made the angle posts fron straight-grained douglas fir, as well as the bed frame. underneath, it had a desktop (a hollow-core door) and shelvong units. We originally built a ladder for access to the raised bunk, but he had trouble with the rungs cutting his feet. Later, I built him a sloping step ladder as a replacement. The whole thing bolted togethet with 1/4" nutds and bolts. As we initially assembled it in the shop, we numbered all the joints for later indexing. When it was complete, we tore it down and bundled it into packages of parts.

When we arrived with the bed at his school, all his housemates laughed about "Steve's pile of lumber." Twenty minutes later, when we hed it reassembled, they were all trying to buy it from him.

Steve kept the bed and moved it around with him after graduation until he had enough money to buy a real bedroom set. Then he sold the loft for about twice the amount we originally put into materials.

Papa