Platform Bed Plans

 

WORKSHOP

TEX T AND PHOTOS BY BRUCE KIEFFER

KING-SIZE  PLATFORM BED KING-SIZE NINE DRAWERS DRAWERS ADD THE STORAGE CAPACITY OF A DRESSER WITHOUT TAKING UP ADDITIONAL SPACE

   E    S    U    O    R    P    S    T    T    A    M

This king-size bed features a royal amount of space for sleeping and storage. The area typically occupied by a frame and box spring has instead been allocated for drawers — it’s like adding another dresser to your bedroom suite.

This is a large project, and not for beginners; completing it requires a moderate amount of woodworking knowledge and skill. You must be able

bar clamps and a table saw blade with flat ground teeth. (A flat-tooth ripping

to glue solid-wood pieces to the edges of plywood pieces so they are aligned perfectly flush, and you’ll have to trim drawer faces to fit perfectly in inset openings. (I used my edge sander.) Be prepared to assemble large pieces with help from a friend or family member. I spent 120 hours building this bed. I’m not trying to discourage you; I just want you to know what you’re getting into before you invest a lot of time and money in the project.

a 1/2-in. roundover bit and a 1/4-in. The storage section is made up of seven boxes screwed together: the head box, two drawer boxes, a narrow drawer box and two corner boxes (at the foot of the bed) with a center drawer box in between. Two Two deck panels are screwed on top of the storage section to complete the platform. This component approach makes building, finishing, transporting and setting up

white ash plywood. Ash is easy to ma-

CONSTRUCTION NOTES

the bed much easier. The bed has five large and four small

chine, warm-toned, light-colored and relatively cheap compared with other hardwoods. My materials cost about $900; keep in mind that other types of

Building this bed requires all of the common woodworking machines, power and hand tools, a pocket-hole drilling jig, at least five 78-in. opening pipe clamps, a variety of shorter

drawers made from 1/2-in.-thick Baltic birch plywood, a dense multilayer material that is very stable. It should be available availab le at your local hardw hardwood ood lumber supplier, or you can buy it online. The

And the design is adaptable to suit your

preferences: You You can build it with or without a headboard, and if you want a smaller bed, you can shrink many of the parts and replace the center box and drawer at the foot with a framed panel to create a queen-size version. (Visit HandymanClub.com for a cutting

list for the queen-size bed and for instructions to build the headboard.)

Almost any hardwood or softwood would suffice for this project; I used solid white ash and quarter-sawn

wood may cost more. 4

  DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

blade is fine.) You’ll also need these router bits: a top-bearing pattern bit, roundover bit (see SOURCES).

 

WORKSHOP

KING-SIZE PLATFORM BED 2-1/4" 1-1/2" RAD. CORNER

17-5/8"

F3 A1 F2

POCKET SCREW  HOLE FROM UNDERNEATH

3/8"

2" 3/4"

13"

F1

1/4" RAD. EDGES

J2

2

NO. 8 x 1" WASHER HEAD SCREW  B4

G J1

J3 1" BRAD

E1

13-1/8"

A2 12-5/8"

45° MITERED CORNER

2-3/4" 17-5/8"

M2

NO. 8 x 1-1/4" O FLATHEAD SCREW 

E2

C2

B4

K2

I1

I2

B1 M1 B2

D1

L

B5

B1 B3

M1

B2

J3 K2

B4

B4 J1

3/4"

H2

E2

E1

E3

SLIDE CABINET 

I1

MEMBER

E1

1

I3

C1

D1

I3

G I1

K1

D2

E3

I2

K1

H1

I1 1/2" RAD.

1/16"

I1

D1

E2

C2

K1

I1

B5

I3

E1

NO. 8 x 2-1/2" FLATHEAD SCREW 

N

B5

B4 13/16"

B1

NO. 8 x 1-1/4" FH B1 SCREW 

B2

I3

21-3/4"

B5

B3 I1

N

NO. 7 x 1-1/4" POCKET  SCREW  NO. 20 BISCUIT 

SLIDE DRAWER MEMBER

22" DRAWER SLIDE

1/16" MARGINS AROUND DRAWER FACES

D1 NO. 6 x 1-1/4" FLATHEAD SCREW 

2

1" BRAD

G 7/8" 30°

H1 & H2

10°

PULL

 S IDE - SI

PULL

 

3/4"

H1 & H2

- END

3/4 3/4""

5/ 5/16" 16" DIA. DIA.

1"

J2

3/4"

E2

E1

2"

1-5/8"

M1

2"

1-5/8"

I2, I3, J2, J3

CL

5/16" 3/4"" 3/4

5-1/8"

1"

M1 & M2

J1

I1

3/16"

B1

E2

1/4"

I2

I1 J1

M1 1/8"

5/16" 5/16" DIA. DIA.

B4 & C1

3/4"

3/8"

5/8"

   R    E    F    F    E    I    K    E    C

E1

SLIDES SMALL DRAWERS

-

SLIDES LARGE DRAWERS

-

DETAIL 1 DRAWER-CORNER JOINTS

-

   U    R    B    Y    B    N    O    I    T    A    R    T    S    U    L    L    I

DETAIL 2 DRAWER-FRONT HOLES

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HANDYMANCLUB.COM

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the two corner boxes. Glue and clamp mitered stiles to the ends of the wide panels (C1). Glue and clamp short stiles (E2) to the ends of the narrow panels (C2). Assemble the three large face frames for the noncorner drawer boxes and the two face frames for the narrow drawer box. At this point, just glue and clamp the joints; the biscuits

Corner square

that join the face frames to the plywood sides later will add strength. Attach the remaining two rails (E3) to the front edges of the inside birch plywood sides (B4) of the two corner boxes.

 Glue and clamp the framed panels to the ends of the head box, and make sure the assembly is square.

2

E1

3 Hold-down Drawer side

Spacer E3

Fence

Framed panel  Add the mitered top and bottom face-frame stiles (E1) to the corner-box assemblies. Clamp a spacer between the rails (E3) to maintain the 21-in. opening.

 Cut the drawer drawer-joint -joint grooves on the insides of the drawer sides using a table saw with a flat-tooth ripping  blade. Make Make two cuts cuts to complete the 3/16- x 3/16-in. 3/16-in . groove.

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4 Hold-in

Drawer  front

1-in.  temporary overhang

 Cut the drawer-joint drawer-joint tongues on the drawer fronts and backs with two setups. First cut the tongue to define its thickness and length; then remove remove the waste with the workpiece laid flat on the table. 8

  Glue and pin the drawer corner  jo in ts to ge th er. Sl id e th the e dr drawe awe r  bottoms  botto ms iin np place lace to hold h old the boxes square as the glue dries. Avoid getting glue in the drawer-bott drawer-bottom om grooves.

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Finish sand the fronts of the face frames and framed panels to 150-grit. Cut the biscuit grooves for joining the parts to make the boxes. Glue and clamp the dividers (B5) to the long sides (B1); then add the framed panels to complete the head box (photo 1) , and add the narrow face frames to complete the narrow drawer box. Glue and clamp the large face f ace frames, the long backs (B2) and the sides (B4) together to make the three large noncorner drawer boxes. To build the two corner drawer boxes, glue and clamp the sides with the rails attached, the short backs (B3) and the framed panels together; then add the stiles (E1) to complete the corner boxes (photo 2). 2). Rout the rounded over outside edges on the corner boxes. DRAWERS

The drawers are designed with slide-in

bottoms. I find it much easier to finish the drawers before installing the bottoms. Cut the drawer pieces I1 through  J3 to size. Note: The dimensions in the cutting list assume your 1/2-in. Baltic birch plywood is 15/32-in. thick, so the lengths of the drawer fronts and backs have been configured accordingly. Cut the drawer corner-joint grooves and tongues (photos 3 and 4) . Test your machining setups on scrap wood to be sure the joints fit. Cut the grooves in the drawer fronts and sides for the drawer bot-

toms. (Match the width of the groove to the thickness of the plywood bottom.) Drill the holes in the drawer fronts for mounting the drawer faces. Cut the drawer bottoms (K1, K2) 1 in.

 

WORKSHOP

wider than the finished dimension (22-3/4-in.); with this approach, you can use the drawer bottoms to square

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the drawers during assembly and then

grab the excess to pull the bottoms back out. Finish sand the insides of the drawer sides, fronts and backs; then assemble the drawers (photo 5). After the glue

Edge strip

has dried, remove the drawer d rawer bottoms, cut them to their finished size and finish sand them. DRAWER FACES AND PULLS

Cut the drawer faces (D1, D2) to size. Make the drawer edging pieces (G; photo 6) a bit wider than the thickness of

the plywood. Cut the edging pieces to length plus 1 in.; then attach them to the drawer faces (photo 7). Use a palm router with a flush-trim bit to trim the edging strips flush with the plywood. Finish sand the drawer faces to 150-grit.

 Rip the 1/8-in.-wide drawer edging strips off the edge of a wide 3/4-in.-thick  board. Wo Work rk so that that the pieces drop drop away away from the blade. You’ll hav have e to reset the fence a few times. Be sure to use your saw’s saw’s guard.

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Masking  tape

While you’re making the drawer

pulls (H1, H2), make 4 ft. of extra stock to build a sanding stand (photo 8) .

Sand the sawn edges of the drawer pulls smooth. Use a miter saw or stationary belt sander to bevel the ends of the pulls.

Next, drill the holes in the drawer faces for attaching the pulls. I made templates to lay out and drill the holes relative to the tops of the drawers. After I drilled the holes in the drawers, I cut down the templates

to match the backs of the pulls so I

 Glue and tape the solid-wood edging strips to the drawer drawer faces. Place pieces

could drill the screw pilot holes with the proper spacing.

of tape every 2 in. and pull them tight. Make sure the edgings overhang the plywood on both the face and back.

MOUNTING THE DRAWERS

Insert the drawers, set the drawer faces in their openings and check their fit. Use 1/16-in. spacers to check the margins. Trim the edges until they fit; then mark and drill pilot holes for the screws that attach the drawer faces to the drawers. d rawers. Label all of the parts for final assembly. When you’re done, detach the drawer slides from the drawers.

Make and attach the slide cleats (M1, M2). I used spacers to align the slide cleats as I mounted them to the boxes. Next, separate the drawer-slide drawer-slide members. Mount the slide cabinet members

to the slide cleats using the front-toback elongated holes, and mount the slide drawer members to the drawers using the up-and-down elongated holes. Align the fronts of the slide drawer members 1/16 in. from the front edges of the drawers. This stops the drawer faces from banging on the drawer slides when the drawers are

DECK PANELS

pushed in.

the thickness of the plywood. Attach

To make the deck panels, cut pieces A1, A2, F1, F2 and F3 to size (photo 9). 9). Make the solid-wood edging pieces equal to

the edging pieces to the deck pieces. Drill the pocket-screw holes in the ends of pieces F2 and F3. Cut the radius on the front corners and then rout the roundover edges. Drill the holes for the screws used to mount the panels to the storage section.  ASSEMBLY  ASSEMBL Y AND FINISH FINISHING ING

If you want to include a headboard, build it from the plans at HandymanClub.com, and attach the blockings (N). Otherwise, attach the stop block (O) to

the head box to keep your mattress from sliding forward. Assemble the storage section (photo 10); then make HANDYMANCLUB.COM

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and attach the filler cleat (L). Disassemble the parts as needed for

finishing and fill the nail holes in the drawer sides with putty. Finish sand all exposed surfaces to 180-grit, 1 80-grit, ease any

sharp edges and apply your favorite finish. I used waterborne polyurethane on the ash pieces and Danish oil on the drawers. Don’t finish the deck panels;

Pull stock Scrap fiberboard

 Make this sanding stand using the extra pull stock. Sand the sawn pull sides, and finish with 180-grit sandpaper. Hard sanding blocks will wear out quickly,  but they provide provide the best results.

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1/2-in.-thick straightedge guide

unfinished wood will help to keep the t he mattress from sliding. When you’re done, nail the drawer bottoms in place, remount the drawer slides, attach the pulls, mount the drawer faces, make the final drawer-alignment adjustments and then insert locking screws in the drawer slides. Finally, set up the bed and enjoy enj oy a good nigh night’s t’s sleep sleep..

 Use a router with a top-bearing pattern  bit guided gui ded against aga inst a

Handyman Club life member Bruce Kieffer is a custom furniture builder, freefreelance woodworking author and technical

clamped-on straightedge to cut the ends of the deck pieces (A1, A2) square. squa re. This setup leaves the edge tearout-free.

illustrator. You can see a collection of his work at kcfi.biz.

 

SOURCES

Go to HandymanClub.com/magazine and click on WEB EXTRAS.

Amazon (trammel-point Amazon  (trammel-point set, General Tools No. 523), amazon.com Infinity Tools (glue-line Tools (glue-line ripping saw blade, No. 010-024; top-bearing pattern bit, No. 11-754B; 1/2-in. roundover bit, No. 38880; 1/4-in. roundover bit, No. 38-754),

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877-872-2487, infinitytools.com Woodworker’s Hardware (22-in. Hardware (22-in. full extension with over-travel ball-bearing slide, No. KV8405 B22 EB; 1-in. low-profile washerhead screw, SCLP8X1), 800-383-0130, wwhardware.com

 WEB EXTRA  For a cutting list for a queen-size bed and headboard instructions, scan this tag with your smartphone or go to HandymanClub.com.

 Assemble the storage section on a flat floor. Drill pilot holes and insert the screws to join the rails. Add screws to join the box interiors as needed. Setups on uneven floors will require shimming. 10

  DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013