Wooden bed questions

[Traveller]

Hi All.

Got a wooden single bed that's too long for the space that it's going in, so need to shorten it. It's a simple setup consisting of the following.

One headboard with legs incorporated.

One foot end with legs incorporated (it is not a low foot end, but high; identical to the headboard).

Two side rails with L-shaped cross sections, to rest the wooden slats on (for the mattress).

Two flat side rails, which I assume are to be placed to stop a child falling off the bed. The bed is higher than average, so I am guessing that, with these flat rails, it must be a mid-sleeper.

The L-shaped rails are to be attached to the ends with metal bits that are slipped into holes drilled at one angle and then a long screw inserted through the wood at right angles to to it and screwed into a hole in the metal bit. This isn't important info, so I'm not going to waste time trying to explain it properly, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

The L-shaped rails are attached to the FRONT of the legs of the head/foot boards, which are 2.5 inches thick, so take up five inches of the total length of the bed. I was thinking that I could simply cut the legs of the head/foot boards a little lower and then simply place the side rails ON TOP of the legs instead of at the FRONT, which would get rid of the five inches (it will now be either just four legs on their own or four legs with one of the supporting strips of wood across the headboard.) I don't want any head/footboards; just two low ends.

For the method of attachment, I was thinking just screw the L-shaped rail directly onto the leg with long screws. Is this a good idea? If so, what type/length/position of screws? Or is there a better way?

Will the above be stable enough bearing in mind I wish to leave the bed just a tad higher than an ordinary single bed? Should I leave one of the strips of wood which supports the two legs of a headboard in place or just have the four legs on their own?

Another idea was to turn the head/foot board upside down and then cut the 'legs' off, so that the part of the headboard which has three strips of wood supporting the two legs would go underneath the bed, acting as more stable legs than with just one (or no) strip of wood.

I won't be needing the two flat side rails, so is there anything I could do with those (for the bed)?

The wood also smells a bit mouldy (if you haven't guessed already, it's a second hand bed). Anything I should do about that? Would my new mattress catch anything bad from the wood?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[masona]

Before you make the bed smaller, can you get the standard size mattress to fit in? I don't know if they do odd size mattress

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo travler

a picture paints a thousand words

i think you would be a lot better giving basic information with a picture and leaving people to ask questions as they need to clarify things


if i understand you want to cut the legs off and move them !!
usualy not a good ideal as you need several points of support to get enough strength

what exactly is restricting the length avalable for the bed to fit in!!!

if space is restrictred and you want the bed to go in an alcove for example and you cant quite get the full length in and say only half the width of the bottom of the bed to the width of a chimnie breast for example
you simply cut the base the width of the breast plus a little bit less [use a bed slat touch the wall and where the other end sits is where the ouside rail will run]
you screw a bit of 2x2" to the remaining part of the bed end and the breast at the exact height the battons need to be for the slats to sit on
you then secure a 2x1"batton on the back wall and 2x2 on the end wall if nessesery to attach the side rail to

so in the end you have just one part of one end and one side rail the rest is supported by the walls so the full length in the alcove is avalable for the matress

clear as mud ehh

 

[Traveller]

Thanks for the replies.

It's quite simple, really; well I thought it was!

masona, yes, the size of the area which takes the mattress will not be affected at all with the method I mentioned because it is not the frame of the bed that's being cut but just the top ends of the head and foot boards. The legs are currently attached NEXT to the bed frame, so they add five inches to the length of the bed, however, if I were to move the legs to UNDER the bed, then the length of the bed would be the length of the frame minus the size of the legs.

big-all, can't take a picture right now as the bed is disassembled, with half of it residing outside of the house and half inside! There's a wall at one end and a table like structure at the other.

Okay, here's an easier way to ask the question. I have four legs that are 2.5 X 2.5 inches square. To make up the frame of a single bed, I wish to attach a long piece of wood going from the right front leg to the right back leg and another long piece of wood going from the left front leg to the left back leg. I simply wish to place the long pieces of wood FLAT on top the tops of the legs. Can I just screw them down onto the legs? Ignore the frames that will go from the right legs to the left legs at both the front and end of the bed for the moment.

Hope that is clearer.

Thanks.

Is there a way to attach a drawing?

 

[big-all]

ok if i understand this correctly you want to set the legs up two goal post with a bed on top !!!!!

 

[Traveller]

Hi big-all.

Yes, but obviously the posts will still be part of the head and foot boards and will have at least one supporting piece of wood still going across each one so there will still be a complete frame. Currently there are about three supporting pieces but two will 'disappear' when the legs are shortened.

 

[big-all]

ok suspect you'll need more support [ brackets' diagonals'extra screws 'secured to the wall ect]

 

[Traveller]

ok, thanks.

 

[Traveller]

Hi All.

It's been nearly a year since I posted this topic and I just wanted to say that I did (eventually) make the bed and it seems to be as solid as a rock! Things fitted together just the way I wanted.

It's certainly not been assembled using conventional methods and it may not be much to look at (yes big-all, two goal posts!) but it's extremely comfortable (credit to the mattress) and I love it!

The good news is that it's given me the confidence to try something bolder in future. The bad news is that after all that hassle, I don't think I'm going to be making another one anytime soon!

Thanks all!