A bed for my son

[VirtuaLogic]

Last week I built this bed for my son. It's not very fancy, but it's very sturdy and is a big space-saver, which is very welcome in a Dutch house where space is always in short supply.

This is the first time I ever worked with solid lumber (pine/fir) in such a way; gluing up boards to make bigger pieces. The boards where not very flat or straight, which was a challenge sometimes, but it worked out well in the end. I used the router to route a V-groove on the seams after glue-up, this hides most imperfections quite well.

For the ladder I decided to try and make dovetails. Very challenging but turned out well. Pretty proud of this, as this too was a first time. Gotta love tools that allow you to make something just as you envisioned them.

And most important: I built it together with my father, so it was some quality tie well spent. And my son likes his new bed very much.

The next step is to build a rolling desk and a small closet under the bed, that will happen later this year.

Used tools:
- cheapo biscuit joiner
- OF1010
- TS55
- PS420
- RO90
- C15
- Makita belt sander

 

[Billedis]

Very nice first project.  The dovetails are a nice touch.  Thank you for sharing.  Bill

 

[ear3]

Way to go!  I like the dovetail ladder as well.  What are you going to finish it with?

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the one concern I might have is that there still seems to be a sharp edge on the individual steps where the inside curve meets the front edge of the board.  Over time these might get nicked and battered, so if you haven't yet, it might be worth it to soften those corners to minimize catching.

 

[VirtuaLogic]

Thanks for the kind words!

[member=37411]Edward A Reno III[/member] I'm going to put a chalk paint based white wash on the wood, and then finish it with a grey chalk wax. This should give the wood a worn look.

In the last picture the curve edges of the steps you pointed oud are rounded off already. The picture before that one indeed shows those edges are still "sharp". I had to round those off with a rasp and sandpaper; too fiddly to do it with the router.

 

[ear3]

Got it.  Look forward to seeing pics of the bed with a finish!

 

[Stone Message]

Hi [member=12447]VirtuaLogic[/member]

A lovely first major project - well done. I too like the details on the steps and I am sure that your son will love it.

He does seem to have a lot of systainers in his room - lucky boy !

Peter

 

[Jasonj888]

Looks great. I can't imagine how cool it is for a little boy to have a ladder on his bed!

 

[mike_aa]

[member=12447]VirtuaLogic[/member] What a great way to spend your time with your father!  It's a really nice looking build and you and your family will have wonderful memories.

Thanks for sharing!

Mike A.

 

[HarveyWildes]

Looks great. I can't imagine how cool it is for a little boy to have a ladder on his bed!

And his own systainers under the bed!

Very nice.  I made bunk beds for my oldest two granddaughters and they absolutely love them.  Even at 3 and 4 years old they appreciated being the recipients of well-crafted furniture, and the feeling seems to be solidifying over time.

 

[Sparktrician]

You might want to consider using some non-skid on the ladder treads, and possibly handrails to help the wee terrorist ascend to his nightly perch.  [smile]