Using CLS timber untreated to make bunk? beds?

BigGeorge

Looking to making bunk beds & am looking a the prices of various timber. Am expecting something bunk beds that are fairly basic, but customised, which will the be stained a bright colour.

Anyways, having used CLS timber for some work recently, am looking to see if there is any reason that this sort of CLS untreated 139mmx39mm would not be suitable.
https://www.goodwins.ie/p-11349-cls-timber-139-x-39mm-48m.aspx
Have never used it for furniture before - advice appreciated

recipio

The timber looks to be some kind of spruce and 'processed' - I think they mean already dimensioned to the quoted specs .?
Can't see why you can't use it. You could use any softwood bought in the rough if you had access to a planer/thicknesser ? Staining softwood is a bit hit and miss but there are new products on the market since I last tried ( years ago )
The knockdown fittings for the bed have to be absolutely sturdy. The best I've used are 12mm metal dowels and bolts. There are 'clip together ' metal fittings but they simply don't stand up to the racking forces on a bed.

BigGeorge

Thats great advice thank you.
Any specific type of 12mm dowel & fitting? had planned on using screws but dowels would be a lot tidier looking, I don't need to be able to disassemble it very easily so no quick type fittings required. Would prefer it is quite sturdy over easy to take apart

Also, of the staining, what sort of new products are available & what do I need to look out for

recipio

BigGeorge wrote: »

Thats great advice thank you.
Any specific type of 12mm dowel & fitting? had planned on using screws but dowels would be a lot tidier looking, I don't need to be able to disassemble it very easily so no quick type fittings required. Would prefer it is quite sturdy over easy to take apart

Also, of the staining, what sort of new products are available & what do I need to look out for

If you search the 'bay for ' bed bolt nuts' you will find loads in 12 mm diameter and various lengths. For softwood a length of about 40 - 50 mm is ideal.
They are simply a metal cylinder with a tapped central hole for the M6 bolt.
You need two per joint. If you look at www.axminster.co.uk they have big 20mm diameter versions which they make themselves but are a bit pricey ( £9 for two ) However they take an M10 bolt and one per joint would do.
Simply running in long screws into the endgrain of the rails won't work - they will loosen after a while as the joints take a lot of racking stresses and the beds will wobble like a lump of jelly. I've been there, believe me !
Finishing is a whole art in itself. The problem with softwood is that the hard and soft grain take up stains unevenly and look a bit 'two tone'. I think I would either varnish or paint with child friendly paints .

BigGeorge

Thanks for all the advice, am trying not to use expensive fittings


In looking at the design for the bed ends an looking to see if I
(1) could build the horizontal mattress support structure quite stiff using cross supports and 90 degree angles, and then
(2) attach that to a separate self supporting vertical bed end block ( approx 139mm x 139mm in contact with the floor) ...which would all then be screwed / bolted together, some from the inside so they would not be seen

Have tried to draw it up. Do you think this would cutout the need for the special metal dowels. There may be enough wood there for me to get long screws or long bolts though from multiple directions.

20150511_094441.jpg

recipio

BigGeorge wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice, am trying not to use expensive fittings


In looking at the design for the bed ends an looking to see if I
(1) could build the horizontal mattress support structure quite stiff using cross supports and 90 degree angles, and then
(2) attach that to a separate self supporting vertical bed end block ( approx 139mm x 139mm in contact with the floor) ...which would all then be screwed / bolted together, some from the inside so they would not be seen

Have tried to draw it up. Do you think this would cutout the need for the special metal dowels. There may be enough wood there for me to get long screws or long bolts though from multiple directions.

20150511_094441.jpg

Well, what you are doing is making the bedposts in an 'L' shape. Normally they would be something like 100 x 100mm square.
The bed rails need to be at least 100 deep ( I know the drawing is not to scale )
You can certainly screw on battens inside the bedrails to support slats for a mattress. The corner joints need to be very rigid for this.
As the 'L' shape allows plenty of sidegrain contact I think it will work if you screw and glue them together.
Don't forget to round off any sharp edges.

BigGeorge

Many yhanks for the advice. Was going to use the a 139mm x 39mm cls board. The advice on glue is great, will see where it will be possible to put a large recessed bolt & nut through the joints to stiffen up

recipio

BigGeorge wrote: »

Many yhanks for the advice. Was going to use the a 139mm x 39mm cls board. The advice on glue is great, will see where it will be possible to put a large recessed bolt & nut through the joints to stiffen up

Don't forget that screwed and glued joints can't be dissembled ! That's why knockdown fittings are used for beds. The 12 mm bed bolts are only a few quid and worth it imho. You can of course make up square bedposts by cutting and glueing your 139 mm stock.