Robust and Inexpensive Bed Frame

instructables

Robust and Inexpensive Bed Frame

Step 1: Measure Your Mattress and Room

Recently, I moved out from a student residence where all necessary furniture, such as desktop, table, chair, and bed were provided. I realized that this move will involve new expenses so I needed to nd a way to make this punch a little bit softer. A good friend of mine gave me the great idea to start making my own furniture, so here I am.

I started with the bed since I had a month or more sleeping with my mattress over the oor, which is by no means comfortable and also I found out that they are quite expensive. I decided to build a king size bed frame that can t either a mattress of 180 x 200 cm or two individual mattresses of 90 x 200 cm. I did the latter since I already owned an individual mattress and it was cheaper to buy another one.

However, I noticed two main design challenges. The rst was that I needed to design a bed frame that could be assembled with few tools since I only have a drill and a screwdriver and the second is that I will probably move out in a few years so the design needs to be practical for these situations.

Project summary

Tot al Cost

Tot al Cost : Materials + Tools: 120 EUR + 100 EUR =

220 EUR

Tot al T ime

Step 2: The Design

To start with the project we need to make sure that you have all the proper measurements to start the design. In this case, it was really important to measure not only the mattresses but also the room to give a better idea of how this bed frame was going to t in the room. I was afraid about the space in both left and right side, but it was enough for placing night tables in the future. I used my folding rule to describe the place were the bed frame will be placed but you can

save this step and simply draw a rectangle in your CAD software to give you the idea.

To be precise, my mattresses have a total width of 184 cm and 200 cm in length instead of the theoretical 180 x 200 cm. So there are small variations that might change your result so take caution.

Now that we have our measurements we can start with our design!

After making some research online, I discovered that many king size bed frames have a central support with two legs. This brings stability but also reduces

exibility of the space under your bed. The solution, a crossbar working as central support for the middle

bars.

Not e:

Not e: This design might work well for smaller bed

frames too (such as queen size), but it might be a little bit sti for such purposes. You can either remove and reallocate your supports or reduce their cross-section size.

Step 3: Bill of Materials and Tools

https://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F2E/O1KB/JMAV53U2/F2EO1KBJMAV53U2.stp… View in 3D Download

M at erials: M at erials: Wood Wood - (2) 3.5 X 19 X 200 cm - (2) 3.5 X 19 X 191 cm - (4) 7.0 X 7.0 X 41 cm - (3) 3.4 X 5.4 X 200 cm - (1) 3.4 X 5.4 X 184 cm - (2) 3.4 X 5.4 X 186 cm - (13) 1.8 X 8.0 X 184 cm Note

Note : if you ordered cuts in your DIY store, check the

dimensions of your boards before leaving.

Hardware Hardware

- (12) M8 thread inserts for the legs - (12) M8 socket head screws - (12) 4.5 X 60 mm wood screws - (14) Steel angle brackets

- Box of 4.0 X 30 mm wood screws

Tools: Tools: - (2) Clamps - (1) Steel square - (1) Drill - (1) Level

- Wood drill bit set - Allen keys

1. Old school BOM 2. M8 Socket head screws 3. Thread inserts and drill bit set 4. Steel square

5. Folding rule 6. Clamp 7. Drill

8. Steel angle bracket 9. Wood screws

1. The BOM is always your pal 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1

Step 4: Double Check Your Measurements

1. I could use this later for another project

Before we start assembling the bed, it is a good practice to double check your measurements. You don't want to nd out that your mattress doesn't t at the end of your project. I placed my mattress together with the wood boards that will be part of the frame. At this point you are still able to make some tweaks to your design if

Step 5: Assembly Part 1 - the Frame

necessary. Once your are done it's time to put everything together.

I started by placing the frame over the oor. I also checked if the oor was even by using a level. I knew that two small pieces of wood from the large wood boards were going to be available so I planned to use them as an aid to place the legs.

With the help of your steel square, draw the crosses where you are going to drill your holes. Once done, clamp one of the sides together with either front or back to one leg. Check the sizes of your wood boards before drilling, you don't want to make a mistake at this point.

Since I am using a socket head screw I needed to rst create a box for its head. To do that I used a 14 mm drill bit which I marked with the height of the screw head. After drilling to the desired height I changed the drill bit size to 8 mm. Never start with the smaller drill bit, otherwise you will have a non-concentric set of holes. I drilled till I barely touched the leg just to mark it from both sides before removing the clamps.

I then drilled the holes in each leg for the thread inserts.

1. These wood pieces were really useful 1

Step 6: Assembly Part 2 - the Slat Frame

At this point you might see that both left and right side can spin if you move them. That is because the front and the back boards have only one screw instead of two to lock this movement. For the side boards you need to have two screws to support almost the entire vertical load of your bed but the front and back are used to hold it together. Some ways to lock this movement is to place screws in the edge of your frame. However, in terms of aesthetics, this might not be the best option. Another option is to place some wood dowel pins and glue them to join the boards, this is a good way to hide any screws, nevertheless it requires a little more expertise and tools to manage a proper assemble of the parts. My idea was simply to use steel angle brackets as they are cheap and easy to place.

Before placing the brackets make sure that everything is aligned using your steel square and level. Do the same procedure for each corner. Once done you can proceed to the rst part of the slat frame.

Using the same two wood pieces that you used to place the legs, place the lateral support for the slats using 6 screws per side to x them. Make sure that height of the support corresponds to the one in the legs. I placed the screws at di erent heights to make this part more stable.

Now that these parts are xed you are ready to turn it around and give it a check.

Proceed to assemble the middle support. I used 4 brackets at di erent heights so the screws weren't colliding with their counterpart.

The middle now will work as a good reference to place your nal supports. Use the images for references.

Finally, place your slats over the frame and you are done!

1. 2. Screw in lower position 2. 3. Screw in upper position 3. 4. Mirror position of previous screw

1 ₂

I have questions about the dimensions of the woods, Are some commas missing in the

measurements? Because I think that 35 CM thick x 190 CM high x 200 CM long is an exaggeration in size, but 3.5 CM thick x 19.0 CM high x 200 CM long seems more logical to me, and the same way with other measures:

- (2) 35 X 190 X 200 cm >> 3,5 x 19,0 x 200 - (2) 35 X 190 X 191 cm >> 3,5 x 19,0 x 200 - (4) 70 X 70 X 41 cm >> 7,0 x 7,0 x 41 - (3) 34 X 54 X 200 cm >> 3,4 x 5,4 x 200 - (1) 34 X 54 X 184 cm >> 3,4 x 5,4 x 184 - (2) 34 X 54 X 186 cm >> 3,4 x 5,5 x 186 - (13) 18 X 80 X 184 cm >> 1,8 x 8,0 x 184

Step 7: Final Details

Thank you for pointing that out! Yes, there were some commas/points missing. The dimensions are corrected now. I guess I was working with millimeters during the design but I don't know what happened during the typing of the instructable. Thanks again.

Thanks to you for sharing, I like your work and I'm thinking of doing it.

I build a similar queen bed frame a few years ago. I used some hook type fasteners to make the sides removable for transport. I think I got them here:

https://www.rockler.com/build/bedframe/heavy-duty-... I will add some pictures when I get home.

Thanks for sharing these fasteners! They definitely will make the design more practical. Very nice bed frame. Great instructible. thanks for sharing.

Total Cost: Materials + Tools: 120 EUR + 100 EUR = 220 EUR Total Time: 8 hours (Basic tool experience required)

am i reading this right? Materials 120 EUR? and Tools 100 EUR? if so then how much does a purchased King size bed frame cost?

Thanks. It depends on the quality of course. I was able to find a king-size bed for about 270 EUR (plus shipping costs) made of chipboard. There were other options made of wood as well but they seemed designed for the short-run. The good ones were above 400, which was out of the question. I also forgot to mention that my drill is also included in the Tools bill, which is more or less the half of it and I am sure I will be using it for my upcoming projects :) .

I was looking for a great design for a king-size bed. Thanks for your hard work and sharing the design.

No problem, I am glad you liked it.

Man, that is some nice designing. I like the simplicity and natural look. I wish some of the modern furniture would feature those elements. Great build.

P.S. Add self adhesive felt pads on legs so the bed won't scratch the floor. Thank you very much. The adhesive felt pads are a good advice, will do! This looks beautiful!

I'm assuming the measurements here are supplied as actual dimensions of finished lumber. (Not sure whether the US habit of selling 2x4s that are actually 1.5"x3.5" is a global one.)

For people in the US, if I'm doing calculations right, the measurements of lumber here are: - (2) 35 X 190 X 200 cm = (2) 1.37 x 7.48 x 78.7 in or roughly 2 x 8 x 8' - (2) 35 X 190 X 191 cm = (2) 1.37 x 7.48 x 75.2 in or roughly 2 x 8 x 8' - (4) 70 X 70 X 41 cm = (4) 2.75 x 2.75 x 16.1 in or roughly a 3 x 3 x 8' total - (3) 34 X 54 X 200 cm = (3) 1.3 x 2.1 x 78.7 in

- (1) 34 X 54 X 184 cm = (1) 1.3 x 2.1 x 72.4 in

or a bit smaller than 2 x 3 x 8' total

- (2) 34 X 54 X 186 cm = (2) 1.3 x 2.1 x 73.2 in

or a bit smaller than 2 x 3 x 8' total

- (13) 18 X 80 X 184 cm = (13) 0.7 x 3.14 x 72.4 in

or a bit smaller than 1 x 4 x 8' total

Some of these pieces are internal ones where the differences in dimensional lumber don't seem critical. For others, you might want to be able to rip the pieces smaller using a table saw.

US Bill of Materials (not a cut list) * (4 count) 2" x 8" x 8 ft

* (1 count) 3" x 3" x 8 ft, though you might want to have this be a 4" x 4" x 8 ft for strength * (6 count) 2" x 3" x 8 ft (or rip down from 2" x 4" lumber)

* (13 count) 1" x 4" x 8 ft (may be less if you don't rip them down)

Amazing! I completely forgot to write down the conversions. Thank you very much for sharing them, this is really useful.

Do standard bed clothes fit your mattresses?

Yes, I used a the standard ones for a king-size mattress (180 x 200 cm). The quilt size is 240 x 220 cm. As an additional info, I used a foam "bridge" to fill the gap between both mattresses. I can freely roll over between mattresses without feeling the gap, which is nice.

I made a modified version of this. My problem was that I couldn't get this up our stairs, so I had to make it in two pieces that are then bolted together once I get them into the bedroom. Also, I wanted to make it a bit nicer, so I made a mission-style headboard, and added some LEDs for reading lights.

It'll definitely outlast the mattress. Good job. KJ

Thanks! It seems so. I already made a test jump and it worked as intended.

That looks like a great design. As it happens, I am actually about to build something like this. Thanks for sharing the design.