| Blog series by RobH | updated 1838 days ago | 13 parts | 6447 reads | 51 comments total |
Part 1: The Design Is Done...Ready to Start Building...
Well, I finally got enough time away from the bookshelf commission to sit down and finish up the plans on the bunk beds. Now as soon as I get paid for the book shelves I can run off to the wood store and get the wood for the bunk beds. In interest of tracking the project, I thought I would post the Sketchup renderings of the project. So, here we go. First of all, an overall view of the bunk beds. Yes there are rails and a single step for the bottom bunk. After these beds are don...
Part 2: The Start Is Near
Hey all, I just looked. It was six months ago that I made the post saying I was ready to start on bunk beds. Well, then I took a job making some bookshelves, and as most of you know, that was a long and very drawn out project. Well, now I am finally ready to get started. Last night I went and picked up Christopher Schwartz’s book on workbenches. That is something I still do not have, and I have been planning for quite some time. No need to rush that one, I want to get that on...
Part 3: Finally Started ....... The Wood Is Purchased ...
Well, I finally went and got the wood to build the bunk beds. It was an eventful day, but enjoyable. It is always hard getting started on a project like this. I always have trouble looking at the large pile of wood and not imagining all of the work that will go into it. Once I start working on it, I get over that feeling, but starting out is sometimes a little hard. My five year old is really excited about the beds. He has been asking forever when we are going to build them. I really...
Part 4: Progress This Week...
Well, eight days ago I posted the results of the wood-getting trip. Well, now to post the results of this past week’s work. I have made a lot of progress, although not as much as I had hoped. This time I tried something that I usually do not do. I bought 16/4 lumber to make my 3” square posts out of. Here are the eight posts all finished out to 3” and ready for mortising. I also go the blanks made up for the safety rail posts. The longer portion of the posts wil...
Part 5: Weekly Progress Update...
Last weekend was a very productive, almost super-productive weekend. This weekend, things were not as good. I did manage to get some work done, but not enough to really brag about. Saturday morning I got up and made the mortising jig for mortising the bed posts for the end rails and the side rail. Then I started to work on the posts. Saturday was a very off day, and I only got four mortises cut. Today was a little better. I manged to finish cutting all of the mortises in the bed po...
Part 6: And I thought last weekend was unproductive...
Something must be hitting me to totally zap my productivity. For a second weekend in a row, the bed project has crept along. Needless to say, this weekend it was because of the playground project. All that eBaying sure take a lot of time. One change came about this weekend. In the original renderings you will notice (if you go back and look) that the top rail on the beds is curved. Well, we changes out mind about that this weekend. In order to make things go with the rest of the bedr...
Part 7: Finally, A Productive Week(end)...
Well, finally I can say that the bunk beds have progressed greatly over the past week. I was able to get my tail into gear when I got home from work and get some stuff done in the shop. I can finally report that the headboard and footboards are glued together. Here is a picture with one of the clients… I think one of the best parts of this stage of the project was that it allowed the kids to help me a little. The llittle one did not get into it that much, but our older one go...
Part 8: Another productive week...Beginning to look like beds...
Hey all, This has been another very productive week for me. The largest improvement this week is that I got the slats planed and fit into the hardboards and footboards. Here are some pictures: —- A single headboard—- —- A single footboard—- —- A footboard on top of a headboard (the bunk bed setup)—- I also go the decorative pieces of the headboards and footboards done. I do not have good pictures of them yet. Maybe this week I can get som...
Part 9: Finally, It Begins To Look Like A Bunk Bed...
Hey all, Not much to show for this weeks work as some problems slowed my down, but considering the work load at my real job, and the fact that it was Easter weekend, I am very pleased. Well, no need to keep you in suspense any longer… Yes, that’s it. I guess it can officially be called a bunk bed. I almost did not get a picture. I was all the way against the wall in the shop with an 18mm lens on the camera, and it was still a stretch. You can see it with no problem ...
Part 10: Another Weekly (Sorta) Update...
Hey all, It is time for another update on the bunk beds. The end is nearing quickly, and I am already starting to relish getting the big thing out of the shop. I am really short on space. Anyway, this is going to be an update with no pictures since I cannot get good angles and views of the beds out in the shop now. Over the past week I went out and bought two sheets of plywood for the mattress support panels. These panels have been cut and are fit into the bed frames. Next for comp...
Part 11: Construction is done.... Now for the sanding....
Hey all, Well, I finally got the ladder done on the bunk beds at the first of the weekend. Then, it was time to sand. Now, I am probably like most of you and really do not like the sanding part. However, it is a job that must be done. Since I have just started, I am just now realizing how much sanding there is on this job. It will take me the better part of this week and probably some of next week to get it all done. But, I will get it done. Like a friend of mine likes to point out,...
Part 12: Two Week Update...
Well, last week I decided not to do an update since I was to the stage of sanding and everything had slowed down quite a bit. One interesting thing did happen. I sanded so much that the tip of my pointer finger on my right hand had the skin worn so thin on it that it would just break open and start bleeding. Thank goodness that is better now. The big thing to report is that the sanding will be done tomorrow night. With everything sanded, it will be time to start painting and finishing....
Part 13: Still Finishing...End Is Near
Hey all, It has been a while since I have posted an update on this project. The past two or three weeks have been consumed with painting, sanding and finishing. This weekend I made really good progress and made it over that hump that is so hard to get over at the end of a project. Now I feel like I am on the downhill side. It looks like I will be done sometime Saturday. Once done, I will need to take some pictures to post here as a final blog entry as well as to post this as a project...
