Expert: Jamie Yocono - 8/2/2009

Question
I am a novice when it comes to wood working and do not have a lot of tools. I am willing to make some investment, but am not looking to make this a full-time hobby. What I am looking for is something that I am not having much luck finding plans for on the internet. I would like to build a bed frame that contains dresser drawers underneath. However I have a few requirements. The first is that this is within the capability of a beginner and would not require a lot of tools or know how. My other requirement is that this could break apart easily. I know how hard it was to get the mattress into the room with the dimensions of the hallways and doors. I am open to ideas, but I wonder if just building four pieces of identical size would work. Each one could have 1-2 drawers, with the weight of the mattress and box board distributed across the four.

Thanks for the help.

Answer
Michael,

While your criteria (easy to build, and able to be broken down) are both somewhat doable, I am just not sure that you're going to be able to build this bed with few tools and limited skills. And a low budget. That's not to say it can't be done, but it won't be easy.

I like your idea of a modular design. It's quite possible that you could build four identical boxes, and then position them all together to make a "base" for your bed. Add a sheet of plywood or something similar for a "base" on which your mattress will sit - and you've got a simple bed.  

Those boxes don't have to be that fancy, and simple butt joints would probably be fine for the corners. But you're going to need to be able to cut the wood to precise (square) sizes, and then also be able to join them together. At the very least, you're going to need an accurate saw, probably a drill, and a sander to clean things up. On top of those basic tools, you're going to need to be able to screw things together, so you'll need some drill bits, and possibly a screwdriver bit for you drill.

On top of that, You're probably going to need to install drawer slides on the drawers, so they will open and close smoothly. If not, you run the risk of the drawers binding or getting stick.

Wood is very expensive, and I think you're probably looking at a few hundred dollars or more for just the materials. That's not even counting the extra tools you might need. So - my best suggestion - you probably would be best served by looking around for something that's already built, that is within your budget, so that you don't have to build it.

Hope this helps, sorry it's probably not what you wanted to hear, though. :/

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com