Queen bed using Castle Joint joinery

[prashantpd]

All doneWe needed a new Queen bed for our guest bedroom, as the old Ikea frame was bending and warping and not able to support the new heavier mattress we had purchased.

However the budget was limited, so I decided to build one using mostly construction lumber purchased from Bunnings (of course).

Material list

• 90mm x 35mm x 2.4m Untreated Pine x 4
• 90mm x 45mm x 2.4m Untreated Pine x 3
• 42mm x 19mm x 2.4m DAR Premium Pine x 4
• 75mm wood screws
• 65mm wood screws
• Feast and Watson Stain and Varnish
• Paint Brush
• Miscellaneous Items (Rags, Sandpaper 120, 180, 240)

Tools list

• Miter Saw
• Circular Saw
• Drill Driver, Impact Driver
• Hand Saw
• Chisel
• Miscellaneous tools (Mallet, Hammer, Tape measure)

Here are the build photos

I first cut all of the sides to slightly longer than the final lengths

Bed sides Lumber cut to length

The legs were made by gluing together two pieces of 90x45mm pieces. I then cut the slots into the legs and the sides using a hand saw and circular saw to create the castle joints. Of course the cuts were not perfect and they had to be cleaned using a chisel and lots of filing and sanding.

The supports for the slats were created by ripping a 90x45 down the middle and gluing and screwing the piece to the inside bottom of the frame

To create a platform effect, I glued and screwed 42x19mm DAR pine to the outer side flush with the top. I had to plane the side of the 90x35mm that was on top to remove the rounded edges that are typical of construction lumber. This ensured that there wasn't a gap between the side and the platform edge.

Castle Joint

Since I was using castle joints on the outer legs, I cut the legs on the middle support to also have castle joints. I also cut slots into the middle support to mate with the front and back sides of the bed frame and added supports on the inside to prevent the middle support from moving side-to-side

MIddle support

Stops besides middle support to prevent it from moving side to side

All of the vertical sides were cut to the final length at an angle and I ran a router with a round-over bit to smooth all edges. I also added a groove running along the middle of each side of the leg to hide the seam created by joining two 90x45 pieces.

Castle joint from the side

I tested everything fits once, before it was time to sand Legs on the middle support

seal using a sanding sealer and sand again and finally apply three coats of Feast and Watson walnut stain and varnish.

This was the most difficult part of the whole process and getting the stain and varnish to be uniform and not drip was time consuming.

Stained all the pieces

It was now time for final assembly

and enjoy the new bed

All done

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @prashantpd. It's great to have you join us, and many thanks for sharing this wonderful project.

I love that you've spent the extra time on joinery. As someone whose patience typically finishes at butt joints, I appreciate the time you've spent constructing the frame. You've built a lovely piece of furniture, and I trust you are proud of the results.

The extra details you've provided on your project will really assist anyone wishing to replicate it. 

Well done, and I look forward to your next project.

Mitchell