Queen-sized Captain's Bed

Comment

Comment by Don Grubish on February 27, 2012 at 2:03pm

Howard, see your email.

 

Jeff, I wondered a bit about the height too. When we get older, I may simply construct a pedestal below the four sections so everything is raised up as they need to be. That way, the drawers are raised up too.

Comment by howard l slocum on February 26, 2012 at 2:45pm

how did you  put the pieces together so they won't move apart??? email me at howard.slocum@gmail.com thanks...

Comment by Jeff Dahmer on January 11, 2012 at 10:00am

I'm always keen on modular furniture and your idea fits the bill. For a 40 year old, a 9 inch base is OK. When you reach 60, it is too low. The boxes could be made 18 inches high, with the bottom panel raised so that the baskets fit perfectly. If open faces are a problem, fix a face board to the basket.

Comment by David Crawford on January 10, 2012 at 7:38pm

what about a hinge or two on the top and a simple face for the opening that opens upward?  My wife and I have been trying to find a good idea for our 2 year old sons bed and this seems like a great start...might put a foot board on it too so we can "contain" him in the bed ;)

Comment by Lucien Howard on January 4, 2012 at 3:22pm

I like the idea of baskets instead of drawers - less hardware to buy and worry about mounting. The only thing is the open faces - not sure what to do with them.

Comment by Mindi Carwin on December 30, 2011 at 10:51am

Great job!  I love the baskets!

Comment by Dave Adshead on December 20, 2011 at 11:48am

Wow! I like your finished project. What is the thickness of the top plywood? It looks like you left a small overhang at the drawer ends. Is that correct? You have given me a great idea for a project for a friend. I am sure glad that you posted the pictures.

Comment by Don Grubish on December 19, 2011 at 4:15pm

When I moved into my sister's place (long story there) to rent from her, she warned me that the stairwell was too narrow for my boxspring. I thought, "hey, that's OK, I'll build us a better bed, one that can be taken apart and reassembled when needed. I decided then to ditch my boxspring and go with a mattress on the ground for a while.

For the most part, that worked for us. However, I'm 41 years old, and after a while of climbing on and off a mattress on the ground, it starts to suck. Try it once, you'll agree. Well, if that weren't enough, now my girlfriend is pregnant with my child, and she's having a REALLY hard time getting up and down from bed. I knew I had to kick this project into gear.

I went to my local Menards and got a bunch of planks, thankfully it was all on sale at the time. I spent the better part of two weeks sawing, sanding, and Kreg-Jigging everying into place. They are four equal-sized sections measuring 60" long, 19.5" wide, and 9" high. The end section has a glued applique added for some pizazz. I also put some trimwork on the top for added flair too.

I should also note that I once saw a show on cable where they showcased a captain's bed using wicker baskets instead of drawers. I paused it and asked Dana if she'd prefer that style instead of true drawers. She was more than happy to go with the baskets, so I bought some at Target that would fit the bill. This was working out better than I had originally hoped. Building eight drawers would have extended this project well past Christmas.

When it came time for the stain, I chose Minwax oil-based Red Oak stain, since it seemed to match the Target wicker baskets the best. I began to stain my pieces.

OH MY LORD DID IT START TO SMELL! The off-gas I was getting was practically killing us. I tried everything. Baking soda, lit candles, heaters, white vinegar, but it didn't matter. The only thing that worked was transporting them out to my brother's friend's workshop, keeping them under an industrial sized air exchanger. Night after night, I applied more coats of finish to give it that glossy shine. Five days later, I was able to take them home.

Well, it passed the Dana smell test, so I brought them upstairs and connected them together using bolts, washers, and nuts hidden inside the drawer spaces. The result is what you see in the last picture.

I'll admit, I'm a little afraid of making a matching headboard, since I'll have to use the same stain to match the piece. I think, though, that I'll wait until spring when I can leave it outside to out-gas. You do NOT want to spend a night in your house with that odor. You will not get any sleep and your spouse will kill you until you're dead. But, if you can get past that, the end result kicks some major butt. Getting in and out of bed is a breeze now, even when she's pregnant!