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I recently completed this bunk bed for my girls. It took me over a year from the time I started it to the time I finished (I have almost no free time). I designed this in sketch-up which was a challenge by itself. I wanted to be able to open and clean my tilt in windows so the width of the bunkbed had to be constrained as much as possible. It is all constructed of quarter sawn white oak and baltic birch plywood. The posts have all 4 sides lock mitered together. The drawers have variable spaced dovetails. It can be separated into individual beds with a taller headboard and a lower footboard if wanted. All the drawers have soft-close drawer slides. The ladder is held in place with a threaded brass insert installed into the ladder and a smooth bolt threaded into it, which make it very easy to remove for making the bed. Next is to build a dresser to match, but that might take another year or so. What do you think?





Soft close drawers


Variable spaced half blind dovetails.




The ladder attaches using threaded brass inserts which are installed into the ladder and a 1/4" bolt with the head cut off that threads into it.


Notice the lego-like squares on the tops of the lower headboards




The posts are lock mitered and capped on the top. The middle has a lego-like square that sticks up to attach the lower headboard to the upper.

Gallery

Comments

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779 Posts
Very nice. Worth the wait.
Guess you'll find out if the person in the top bunk is a roller…..................
 

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6 Posts
Ha! I had intentions to build a railing that attached the same way as the ladder, but my daughter has been sleeping on it for months now with no issue. She doesn't move an inch in her sleep.
 

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35 Posts
Awesome work. Thanks for sharing the photos, they are inspirational.
 

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Great job! Using the lock mitre to make the posts worked very well from the looks of the pics. The bed should be around for generations. Vry, very nice.
 

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362 Posts
Very Well Done!! Great Looking Furniture. Your girls will cherish this for years to come.
 

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Very nice…favorited. Thought the arcs on the head and footboards were kind of "girly". (Just checking out the pics) Guess you nailed it.
To be enjoyed by many for generations
 

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beautifully done! I have to admit I am a bit of a quartersawn white oak snob myself :) I am sure that your girls love them!
 

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228 Posts
How did spraying finish in the snow work out? I can't imagine the cold making it easy for the finish go on.
 

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It was actually pretty warm that day, probably 60 degrees. The finish went on really well.
 

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Oh, with all that snow, I figured it was cold. I've been waiting for better weather to spray outside myself.
 

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885 Posts
Gorgeous bed and great pictures too! I love the attention to detail, and cool idea for attaching the ladder.
 

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100 Posts
exceptional! you actually worked fast for s project like this one :) well done
 

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47 Posts
beautiful bunks. nice design and finish - it all works
 

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That came out awesome, very cleaning looking.
 

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Man, this thing is gorgeous. Few questions- How did you attach the rails and the drawer box to the head and foot boards? And how did you get the arched top of the headboards to match the arches on the slats? Did you just glue them into the bottoms first and then trace the top arch line over them? Again, really, really great work.
 
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