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Hello,

I'm thinking of building a basic bed frame (double) and wondered if anyone had any experience or advice....

-I'd like to use good solid timber from the local yard.
-When I say basic I mean very basic. I don't have too many power tools or a workshop as such so nothing too complicated.


Any help much appreciated!

You can make a frame using simple butt joints and so no difficult joints are required.

The frame on top is made from 3*2 timber, you can get all of this cut to the correct length at the timber yard, you should have two long lengths of 3*2, five short lengths of 3*2 and 4 lenghts of 4*3 for the legs. Now take it home and screw and glue it together. If you intend dismantling it do not use glue!

assemble the frame and Get some good quality 4 inch long wood screws, make sure that the 3*2 timber is laid on the 2 inch side down, so that the timber will be touching on the 3 inch sides. Butt the joints together and use glue if you want a really strong joint. Then put 2 four inch screws through the long lenghts of 3*2 into each end of the short lengths, the pictures should make it clear-

Once the frame is assembled you can fasten the legs, some coach bolts would be best, two per leg or else use some 5 inch wood screws.

It should be pretty solid once assembled.

For the sizes you would have to measure the matress and then work it out on a piece of paper

Hopefully the pics will make it clear

This is for a single

For a double bed use 2 extra short lenghts of 3*2 timber and then attach two more legs to the short length of 3*2 that is in the centre of the bed.

Bolt the legs to the long lenghts and short lenghts, so one bolt in each direction, so they cross in effect.

I'm no furniture designer, but that should suffice

If you are heavy and do lots of bedroom aerobics then you might want to use 4*2 timber instead ?

Great. Thanks for that. It's given me some ideas!

I didn't think about the timber yard doing a cutting service- that should make it easier!

Regarding bolts- I have some multi monti's lying around somewhere. Do you know if they work for wood-wood if I pre drill the wholes correctly or are they only for masonry?

ok keeping in mind its probably cheaper to buy a mattress and bed base than trying to make it i make my simple beds a bit different to uhms

i tend to make them with cupboards underneath for storage but heres an adaption for simplicity

assiming your matress is 4'6" by6'3" i use 6"x1" planed [dressed] timber for the frame 4x2" for the legs 2x1" for the battons the slats sit on and 4x1" for the slats now when you plane [dress ]timber you remove between 4 and 9mm in the process so [now i will talk metric ]

2x1" finnishes up 22by 44mm 4x2" as 95x44mm 4x1" 96x44mm 6x1" 145x22mm

i make the frame 25mm bigger than the mattress so the sides will be [6'3"]1905mm +25mm+ 2x 22mm [to overlap the ends] 1974mm x2 sides

ends [4'6"] 1372 +25 = 1397 x2 ends

countersink and butt joint the sides to the ends with 4 screws per corner [use 10 by 2"] 5x50mm

the leggs are fixed 25mm from the top 'to work out the length of the legs you need to decide what you want under the bed!!!!

say you want to store 300mm high boxes you allow 25m for clearence 300+25+120 =445 [including overlap on sides]

secure the legs 25mm from the top with 2 50mm screws in the ends of the bed into the leg narrow side avoiding the top 50mm of the bed base which = the top 25mm of the leg and 25mm up
secure the side of the legs with 5 screws in a "W" patern 50mm down and 25mm up and 25mm in from the edge

measure down from the top 47mm batton under this line including battons on the long edge off the legs [ 8x1.5"] 4.5 x 35mm screws countersunk every 150mm screw and glued

cut a piece of 22x44 1395 long also 12 x 22x 145 and 2at 1305
countersink 2x [6x1.5] 3.5 x40mm screws 2 in each side of each slat

fix the short slats inbetween the legs each end then affix the slats using the 20by44 as a spacer and if you get to the end and the space is a bit big just affix the spacer in the gap

afix a furthe piece of 22by44mm timber 1875 long underneath the centre secured to each slat in turn using [6x1.5 "]3.5 by 40mm no need to countersink if you secure from underneath

sand all the exposed corners to take of the sharpness

bobs your uncle

wood from the sheds is in general poorer quality and comes out at between 18 and 19mm so is around 3mm thinner than wood yards