Project Information
I made this bed for my 9 year old son. We wanted something that would maximize the floor space in his room which is 12' x 12'. I used Google Sketchup to draw the concept and to figure out how to actually build the thing. It took about 10 renditions to get to the drawing that is shown here.
I used 8 sheets of 3/4" Birch Plywood to build the bed and the stairs. The plywood was cut into pieces and laminated to make all of the parts for the bed. The bed is attached to two walls using 1/4" x 3" lag bolts into the studs and a 3" x 3" laminated post supporting the exposed corner. There are 10 bolts total (yeah maybe a bit overkill). The main support rails are 1 1/2" x 8". The 3 support rails under the bed are 2 1/4" x 3". The stingers and treads are 1 1/2" thick and the stringer that is not on the wall is bolted to the bottom of the post to add stability. The safety rails are 1" wooden dowels painted with black spray on bed liner. I was going to use steel tube but decided to go with wood due to expense and weight.
On the bed I used my newly acquired Earlex HVLP system to apply CrystaLac semi-gloss water based poly. This was my first attempt at spraying and was definitely a learning experience. I did not like the way the CrystaLac laid down. I could not get it smooth no matter what I tried. After applying 4 coats with 320 sanding in between I ended up using 800 grit wet/dry paper to take the edge off the final coat and then used a coat of wax to put a sheen back on.
On the stairs I was in a pinch and picked up a gallon of Varathane water based semi-gloss poly and it was much easier to apply. I was able to lay down a relatively smooth coat using the HVLP even though the directions on the can only addressed brushing it on. I still hit the final coat with synthetic wool and a coat of wax.
I appreciate any feedback that is given.
I used 8 sheets of 3/4" Birch Plywood to build the bed and the stairs. The plywood was cut into pieces and laminated to make all of the parts for the bed. The bed is attached to two walls using 1/4" x 3" lag bolts into the studs and a 3" x 3" laminated post supporting the exposed corner. There are 10 bolts total (yeah maybe a bit overkill). The main support rails are 1 1/2" x 8". The 3 support rails under the bed are 2 1/4" x 3". The stingers and treads are 1 1/2" thick and the stringer that is not on the wall is bolted to the bottom of the post to add stability. The safety rails are 1" wooden dowels painted with black spray on bed liner. I was going to use steel tube but decided to go with wood due to expense and weight.
On the bed I used my newly acquired Earlex HVLP system to apply CrystaLac semi-gloss water based poly. This was my first attempt at spraying and was definitely a learning experience. I did not like the way the CrystaLac laid down. I could not get it smooth no matter what I tried. After applying 4 coats with 320 sanding in between I ended up using 800 grit wet/dry paper to take the edge off the final coat and then used a coat of wax to put a sheen back on.
On the stairs I was in a pinch and picked up a gallon of Varathane water based semi-gloss poly and it was much easier to apply. I was able to lay down a relatively smooth coat using the HVLP even though the directions on the can only addressed brushing it on. I still hit the final coat with synthetic wool and a coat of wax.
I appreciate any feedback that is given.
Continue with Google
