# Waterbed Frame



## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

Get out your lava lamp and beads. :thumbsup:

The inspiration for the bed frame came from Robert Spangler's Port Blakely bed









I have to make some changes because it's going to be a water bed and I want to use as much of my existing stock as possible because wood prices in Florida will break you.

The plan is to use 5/4 maple boards for the sides and cap them with 4/4 walnut. I bought the 5/4 maple back in February and even though I stickered it for over two months indoors, once I released the clamps, the wood moved. So I have that challenge to deal with.

First thing I had to do was joint the edges









Then try to figure out how I'm going to make the headboard. I have a good amount of walnut in stock but it's getting quickly used up. So I took what the walnut and inserted figured maple in between. The spaces between the maple would receive ties similar to Spangler's bed.









Spangler used an 110 angle for his headboard and that's good enough for me. I took some of the cutoffs from the 5/4 maple and fashioned up some headboard braces. They will attach to the back of the head piece on the waterbed frame.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

Eagerly watching this come together.
I haven't slept in a water bed in 17 years, give or take.


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

I found some strips of cocobolo that worked perfectly for the maple ties








The longer strips are for, I don't know yet.

The headboard is glued up and I've cut biscuits slots to join the maple sides with the walnut caps.









I'm using the Beadlock tool to drill for dowels since it doesn't automatically center the dowel holes. The walnut corners are a little under 2x2 and I want them to stand proud of the maple sides on the exterior of the frame only.








It took a little finagling to get the jig to work for that purpose.

At the top of the picture you can see I had to use two sets of clamps to stretch the length of the boards to clamp the walnut corners. They will be glued it at the foot and head pieces only.








At the bottom, I am cleaning up the glue from joining the maple sides and walnut caps.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Nice design. Very Floridian like.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

QQ Waiting for the next "installment".


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

Very neat shop and great bed design!


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

The headboard pieces are glued up now. I added figured maple caps on the ends of the walnut boards for some contrast. Still need to trim them flush.








The above is bare wood

This is after a coat of BLO and the maple caps trimmed:









A closeup of the cocobolo ties and maple caps:








You probably can't see it but I routed in a "V" between the walnut and maple boards and put a 45 degree bevel on all the edges.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

That is looking really sweet.


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

The 5/4 maple braces for the headboard are attached to the head of the bed frame with (3) 4" x 1/4" SPAX screws. Again, I went overkill because I don't want the pressure and movement of bodies against the headboard to loosen the screws.

The juggling act - putting it all together in the workshop








The first two pieces weren't bad but I did have to be careful not to let the end of the one piece, resting on a roller feed support, fall off while setting the dowels in place.









The last joint was really bad. The wood has moved so much I had to take apart a couple of Bessey K-Body clamps and bolt them together to span the length of the frame. This was to draw in the twist from the maple sides.

I cut the overhang on the walnut caps before dismantling the bed frame.

Progress now stops for a few days. Now I have to do some work on the bedroom door and window trim. Those boards are taking up the space in the workshop that I will need to bring in and set the 3/4" plywood for cutting up the base and platform.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

Sorry, Julie, but are you expecting a lot of ... "I don't want the pressure and movement of bodies against the headboard to loosen the screws." 
LOL

Perhaps a bit of Freudian slip?
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/images/WoodworkingTalk_2016/smilies/tango_face_wink.png

I have to say, the contrast between the woods is looking very nice.


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## aghir (Jan 11, 2015)

Nice design. great job


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

Shop space is limited and I don't want to work in 95 degree heat outside so I'll take whatever space I can find to work. The house is basically a construction site so what will be the dinette area becomes workshop #2.








This is for the platform the sides of the bed will rest on. It's 3/4" sanded plywood bought from HD and probably came from China. You couldn't make cabinets out of this stuff.









After the pieces were cut, I drilled for dowels to keep the surfaces flush when they are assembled later.









Temporarily assembled because we are going to install laminate flooring, which is on order. The terrazzo is too badly damaged and stained to use.









The 5/4 maple headboard supports are installed with 4" SPAX screws.


















I drilled recessed holes in the back of the maple supports to accept pocket hole screws. 









This is a closeup of the maple/walnut joint in the headboard. I routed a "V" after the boards were glued up and flattened. I used the DeWalt track with the router guide to keep the router on line.


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## croaker (Aug 11, 2012)

looks great
i thought i was the only one with a waterbed anymore


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

croaker said:


> i thought i was the only one with a waterbed anymore


I hear they are coming back. :thumbsup:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You always do a superb job...*

I enjoy seeing your work because it's always very refined and the choice of materials is spot on. Nice work on this bed frame!


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

I finally finished the bed frame. Saturday I assembled it and started filling the mattress.








After 8 months sleeping on a futon... paradise! 

I was in such a hurry to get the bed together that I put that before finishing the baseboard and other trim. But there's enough room behind the bed to get a nail gun in. :smile:

I really would have liked to have made something much nicer but we have so many irons in the fire and the workshop is one of them. If I set up the workshop to something equal to what I had in the last house, I'd be sleeping on a futon for a lot longer. Funny how a good night's sleep can drive you to mediocrity. :blush:


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

i remember those first nights sleep being a cold one (waiting for the water to warm up)

don't get a cat. btdt.




beautiful job!


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

TimPa said:


> i remember those first nights sleep being a cold one (waiting for the water to warm up)
> 
> don't get a cat. btdt.
> 
> beautiful job!


No such thing as cold tap water here. It comes out of the faucet at about 85 degrees. I'm looking for waterbed refrigeration now.  

Thanks for the compliment! :smile:


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

Beautiful bed Julie. I really like it. It is going to inspire my build of a bed I am curently designing for our guest room.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Julie Mor said:


> No such thing as cold tap water here. It comes out of the faucet at about 85 degrees. I'm looking for waterbed refrigeration now.
> 
> Thanks for the compliment! :smile:


I dunno, 85 sounds pretty cold for Florida :grin:


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Very nice bed. Love the design and wood choices.


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## trentwilson43056 (Nov 10, 2015)

You know Julie I was in the moving business for 22 years and I loathed waterbeds.They were the biggest piece of crap furniture ever built,and I know a piece of crap furniture.The design and construction I found to be down right scary but you know I just did my job.The last one I ran across was disassembled and in the basement(something we have here in Ohio)and finally in my mind the perfect use entered my head.The customer didn't want it so I brought it home stripped all the hardware including drawer handles,braces and drawer slides(these things are expensive as you know)and piled the boards including the disassembled headboard in my go to pile for miscellaneous lumber.Finally a worthy use for this bed design.Julie I never thought a waterbed could look so freaking nice.You have nail it.Your bed is beautiful.Congratulations.


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## trentwilson43056 (Nov 10, 2015)

Just look at this God awful thing.Julie you nailed it.You the man or wo man


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

Trent, 

First, thanks for the kind words. As for waterbed frames you can buy today or even 40 years ago, most are pretty sad. When I was looking at designs for this project, I considered the under-bed drawer thing. But when I pictured it in my mind, all I could see is something like the photo you posted. 

My old bed frame was made out of 2x10 construction lumber. I built it in 1970. About 20 years later, I "upgraded" the base with drawers on the foot end of the bed. All those drawers became was a place to store clothes I never used. Another good reason for no drawers.

I still want to class up the base a bit. When I have time, I think I'll add some strips of walnut to give it some character. As it is, it's just too plain.


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## trentwilson43056 (Nov 10, 2015)

Hey Julie can you spot the old water bed in this picture?This is the by far best use for one of those 70's models.It will be part of the floor for my motorcycle shed.lol


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

You did a very good job on the bed. A big project like that brings in additional problems with space and test you physically with the heavy weight. 
I think your design has a Japanese look to it. 
What's next?


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

Toolman50 said:


> You did a very good job on the bed. A big project like that brings in additional problems with space and test you physically with the heavy weight.
> I think your design has a Japanese look to it.
> What's next?


It certainly was a challenge squeezing in the assembled frame into that little workshop. I'm glad that chapter is closed.

Next is kitchen cabinets. I wasn't ready to start the kitchen yet but the old frig that came with the house up and died on us. We bought the new frig and now I'm feeling compelled to get the kitchen done.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Julie Mor said:


> Next is kitchen cabinets. I wasn't ready to start the kitchen yet but the old frig that came with the house up and died on us. We bought the new frig and now I'm feeling compelled to get the kitchen done.


Kitchens are major projects. Hard to find a stopping place and always expensive to get it like you want it. Lower cabinets with pull-out shelving, upper cabinets with hidden lighting underneath, new counter tops of course, new back splash, all warrant new appliances, new paint, updated ceiling lighting and new floors. 
That should just about do it. What did I leave out? 
Time to get your contractor's discount for sure.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I agree on that*

The only time I built an entire kitchen was in the basement of a rented house and it was CRAMPED. The cabinets were melamine faced so no finish was required. That would have complicated it 10 fold.... no space for drying or spraying.

The last time, I rebuilt my kitchen and I purchased the cabinets, completely finished with Shaker style Hickory doors and drawers. I went to a kitchen and bath cabinet shop, and we worked out a deal at "builder's cost", for Wellborn Cabinets. I installed the lowers and hung the uppers. It worked out quite well, and the fit was as perfect as could be. I used Dupont Zodiac for the counters and it was very expensive, but worth it.

If you are operating out of a small shop, you may find that sort of arrangement a better solution than building all the case work yourself. Not only that but accurately cutting down 4 x 8 panels and then making accurate door and side panels requires a large table on your table saw with sufficient fence to the right for support. If I recall, you have a Festool track saw and that "may" work, but I would prefer using my Sawzilla, if I had to do it again myself. I would also look into prefinished plywood, at least on the interior. My buddy started using it and won't go back. :|


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

I am going to use as many of the old cabinets as I can, sand the finish off the oak and dye it black or paint it, depending. Then I will build new doors and drawer faces. I did that on the last house and it turned out great. That kitchen went from this








To this









We will probably go with something like this, but I'm not so sure about the really dark wood, considering the 8' ceilings we have. I like the grey weathered look but the flooring will be that.









I still have a lot of hardware left over from the last kitchen, including handles and soft-close drawer slides. The latter may require making new drawers, though.

Right now, all I will have to build from scratch is the oven cabinet and a couple of small cabinets. I plan on installing two corner carousel base cabinets and if I can't find unfinished ones, less the doors, then I will make those too.

I'll use the track saw for breaking down the sheet goods and the tablesaw after. The seasons are changing and the unbearable heat is starting to wane so I'll be able to open the garage soon and work there or even roll the tools out onto the driveway if it's a really nice day. I'm hoping by the time the Hades heat returns, the kitchen will be done.


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