Bunk bed project started - sort of

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  • tfischer
    Veteran Member
    • Jul 2003
    • 2343
    • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
    • BT3100

    #31
    Time to update this. I have the upper safety rails built now. The back one goes the whole length and just uses metal pins to connect to the headboard/footboards. I was puzzled how to get the front one, which doesn't go all the way across to allow ladder access, to be properly supported, especially since it will probably get pulled on when climbing the ladder. I ended up using 1/2" square steel as a support. I'll post pictures of how this works when I have it assembled.

    Here's a few more in-progress, although I'm a bit further than this now, I'm actually working on the ladder which is the final piece other than the slats to support the mattresses. I'm planning on using sliding dovetails on the ladder which will be a first for me. Wish me luck lol. As of this morning my BT3X is now running again (burned out a motor last Saturday). Fortunately the project was in a place where I could keep going a bit during the week without it.
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    • capncarl
      Veteran Member
      • Jan 2007
      • 3564
      • Leesburg Georgia USA
      • SawStop CTS

      #32
      Looks like you have plenty of help! They will remember this and tell their kids about it. One project like this we had, after the painting was done we needed to pant the garage floor to match the build.

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      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #33
        Originally posted by capncarl
        Looks like you have plenty of help! They will remember this and tell their kids about it. One project like this we had, after the painting was done we needed to pant the garage floor to match the build.
        Whoa that's a big can of stain! I was a clumsy kid. I know if I was helping my Dad, it wouldn't be too long before our driveway would have gotten a nice coat, too.

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        • tfischer
          Veteran Member
          • Jul 2003
          • 2343
          • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
          • BT3100

          #34
          Originally posted by atgcpaul
          Whoa that's a big can of stain! I was a clumsy kid. I know if I was helping my Dad, it wouldn't be too long before our driveway would have gotten a nice coat, too.
          LOL bought that can when a local Menards was clearing everything out so they could tear down the store and build bigger and newer. It's nearly gone now as we used to for a lot of new interior doors and millwork...

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          • tfischer
            Veteran Member
            • Jul 2003
            • 2343
            • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
            • BT3100

            #35
            Well another weekend is here so I got some shop time in tonight. As I mentioned in the last update, my final 'major' piece of this project is the ladder. I was pretty apprehensive about this because it was the first time I've attempted anything using sliding dovetail joinery, and the angle of the ladder makes it that much more complicated (it will sit at about 10 degrees off vertical)

            Since my wife is anxious to get this done too, I talked her into helping me out - mostly as a sanity check on the math and angles involved. She was also good for moral support, and repeatedly answering "before I cut this does this seem right" lol.

            The sliding dovetails actually went shockingly smoothly once I figured it all out. I did the slots on the verticals using a standard miter gauge in my right-hand side miter slots as the SMT was too far away to be practical (My BT3 is also my router table). This worked fine. Then I used the quick and dirty tenoning jig I built earlier in the project to make the dovetails on the ladder rungs. Once I got it calibrated it worked great.

            The awesome thing about sliding dovetails is the mechanical strength involved. The picture of me holding the ladder by the bed is just a dry fit, I hadn't even cut the verticals to final length yet. After that sanity check I took it all back apart, cut them to length, rounded things over, sanded everything, then did the final glue up, which you see clamped up in the final pic.

            The end of the project is (finally) in sight! Tomorrow I plan to make the planks to support the mattress, then work on staining/finishing the remaining pieces.
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            • LCHIEN
              Internet Fact Checker
              • Dec 2002
              • 20913
              • Katy, TX, USA.
              • BT3000 vintage 1999

              #36
              have you considered some 45 degree braces under some of the steps? With boys climbing on it some more lateral stiffness wouldn't hurt.
              Loring in Katy, TX USA
              If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
              BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

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              • tfischer
                Veteran Member
                • Jul 2003
                • 2343
                • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
                • BT3100

                #37
                Originally posted by LCHIEN
                have you considered some 45 degree braces under some of the steps? With boys climbing on it some more lateral stiffness wouldn't hurt.
                I'll see how it feels after it dries up... with the sliding dovetails, it was really stiff even when I just dry fit it.

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                • atgcpaul
                  Veteran Member
                  • Aug 2003
                  • 4055
                  • Maryland
                  • Grizzly 1023SLX

                  #38
                  Looks like you got through it with no incidents. A word of caution to those who might be using pics as examples, though. It's a no-no to trap the workpiece between the fence and router bit. It could make for a dangerous kickback. Think automatic ball pitcher at the batting cage with the wood being the ball.

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                  • tfischer
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jul 2003
                    • 2343
                    • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
                    • BT3100

                    #39
                    Originally posted by atgcpaul
                    Looks like you got through it with no incidents. A word of caution to those who might be using pics as examples, though. It's a no-no to trap the workpiece between the fence and router bit. It could make for a dangerous kickback. Think automatic ball pitcher at the batting cage with the wood being the ball.
                    Hmmm, the tenoning jig seemed to be a safe way to do it - the workpiece is braced in against the back of the jig and clamped in securely.

                    How else can you do it with such narrow stock? I definitely want to keep safe!
                    Last edited by tfischer; 08-23-2014, 11:32 AM.

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                    • atgcpaul
                      Veteran Member
                      • Aug 2003
                      • 4055
                      • Maryland
                      • Grizzly 1023SLX

                      #40
                      Originally posted by tfischer
                      Hmmm, the tenoning jig seemed to be a safe way to do it - the workpiece is braced in against the back of the jig and clamped in securely.

                      How else can you do it with such narrow stock? I definitely want to keep safe!
                      Typically you bury the bit in the fence, then pass the piece past the bit while it's riding on the fence-just like you'd do when routing a profile on an edge using the router table. This also exposes much less of the spinning bit in case you or something else were to fall on it.

                      Near the bottom of this page is what I'm describing. You back up your narrow board with something wide and square to act as your push block as well as something to ensure your profile is square to the board.

                      Last edited by atgcpaul; 08-23-2014, 12:43 PM.

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                      • tfischer
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jul 2003
                        • 2343
                        • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
                        • BT3100

                        #41
                        Gotcha. I actually used that link when I was researching the joint last month... but since they were doing shelves and I was doing (much narrower) rungs it didn't seem like the fence method would work well. The tennoning jig worked extremely well, but if it's dangerous...

                        This would be a perfect application for one of those horizontal router tables like MCLS sells lol
                        Last edited by tfischer; 08-23-2014, 05:11 PM.

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                        • tfischer
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jul 2003
                          • 2343
                          • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
                          • BT3100

                          #42
                          Well I got a lot done on this project over the weekend... the kiddos are at my mom's until tomorrow and my original goal was to have it finished and installed in their room as a surprise when they got home. Alas, that won't happen. But I'm *so* close! Got the final coat of poly on the main parts of the bed today, and got several coats (I'm using wipe-on) on the ladder and rails. I'm thinking one final sanding and wipe-on coat on those parts and the project will be complete!

                          I'll be happy to have my garage back, and move on to some other projects!

                          We also have to buy mattresses yet... wow those are a lot spendier than I had expected for a twin XL size...

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                          • tfischer
                            Veteran Member
                            • Jul 2003
                            • 2343
                            • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
                            • BT3100

                            #43
                            Well, it's only taken me all summer (I got the initial wood delivery on Easter Sunday), with lots of stops and starts, but we've finally come to my final "build progress" post. We moved the beds into the boys' room today, after doing some major rearranging (we really need to do some major redecorating in there but that's another week's project).

                            Here are some final pics. Mattresses are on order and come tomorrow.
                            Attached Files

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                            • BadeMillsap
                              Senior Member
                              • Dec 2005
                              • 868
                              • Bulverde, Texas, USA.
                              • Grizzly G1023SL

                              #44
                              Well done! They will enjoy it!

                              Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
                              "Like an old desperado, I paint the town beige ..." REK
                              Bade Millsap
                              Bulverde, Texas
                              => Bade's Personal Web Log
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                              • JimD
                                Veteran Member
                                • Feb 2003
                                • 4187
                                • Lexington, SC.

                                #45
                                Looks great!

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