How to make a log bed frame?
If you love to incorporate nature in your cabin bedroom decoration, a log bed is a great choice.
Log beds are bed frames made from wood where parts are cut and fitted together.
It means that no screws, bolts, or nails are used in creating log bed frames.
Type of wood used in making log beds include aspen, cedar, hickory, and pine.
Wooden beds are also frequently considered for kids’ use because of their study features.
Older designs of log bed frames are topped with mattresses and have cross bed rails.
Instead of these bed rails, modern versions of log beds have box springs.
Things You’ll Need
If you want to make a log bed frame, here are the things that you need:
- Logs
- Saw
- Power drill
- Forstner bits
- Tenon maker
- Wood glue
- Draw knives (straight and curved)
- Sandpapers
- Measuring tape
Steps To Make A Log Bed Frame
So, how to make a log bed frame?
Here are the steps that you should follow:
Step #1. Choose the logs to use
For log beds, fire-killed trees that are still standing are the perfect option.
These healthy trees are often left without leaves after a wildfire.
The bark is usually lost due to the fire injury leaving you some quality logs to use and lesser work when you start working.
If there are available logs in sawmills, you can purchase them there.
Fallen logs washed away in riverbanks or shores can also be used as long as the condition is still good.
Some of these options might later be discarded because of rotten parts inside the log.
In that case, the logs need to be replaced.
Cutting live trees is an excellent alternative provided it is legal.
Strip the bark first if you’re going to use live trees.
You have to wait for about a year for the log to be dried enough before building.
Step #2. Cut the logs
Saw the logs depending upon the length you’ll need for the bed frame.
Cut 3-foot and 4-foot posts with two pieces each.
These will make up the ends of both the headboard and footboard, and legs.
Make sure to cut these from the bigger and sturdy parts of the logs you chose.
For the measurement of rails, measure the width of your mattress, then add 3 inches.
This will make the tenons similar in size to the width of the mattress.
Prepare four pieces of rails.
Connect the head post and foot post using the four rails.
Cut the rails 1-inch longer than the length of the mattress.
The number of spindles needed depends upon the dimension of the bed.
For the headboard, cut 36-inch spindles.
Prepare 24-inch spindles for the footboard.
Step #3. Shape the logs
Using drawknives, peel the bark and shape the logs.
Use a straight drawknife for shaping and a curved drawknife for peeling.
Step #4. Create tenons and carve out mortises
Use a tenon maker to form tenons on the spindles and rails.
This is like a huge sharpener typically attached to a drill.
If you have no tenon maker, use a drawknife.
Carve out mortises enough to hold tenon by drilling using Forstner bits.
Cut mortises at 9 inches and 44 inches from the floor for the headboard.
For the footboard, cut at 9 inches and 32 inches.
Cut evenly spaced mortises for the spindles.
For the rails, drill at 5 inches above the floor for the bottom bed rail for all posts.
For the top bed rail, drill at 13 inches from the floor.
Step #5. Sand
Sand the posts and rails to make rough surfaces smoother.
Use 60 grit, 120 grit, and 220 grit sandpapers.
You can save a lot of time if you use an electric sander.
Do the same for the headboard, footboard, and spindles.
Step #6. Attach the spindles on the headboard and footboard
Fix the spindles by inserting them tenons on the mortises.
Apply wood glue to the spindles, then let them dry.
After drying, sand the areas for a smoother finish.
Step #7. Attach hooks to the posts
Place metal hooks on each post.
Attach these hooks at 12 inches from the floor.
This will allow you to stretch a cable between the right head post and left foot post and the left head post and right foot post.
Step #8. Connect cables then notch
Diagonally connect the cables to the metal eye hooks placed on the posts.
To make sure that the cables are tightened, and the bed is held together.
Just use turnbuckles at the intersection of the cables.
Do any necessary adjustments to make sure that the bed is forming a square.
Notch the rails nearly to the posts to ensure that the mattress will fit well into the bed frame.
Step #9. Stain and gloss the wood
First, main stain the wood.
Then, apply two coats of gloss to the entire bed frame.
Conclusion
How to make a log bed frame?
A log bed frame refers to a bed frame made entirely of wood.
You can build your log bed frame by following the eight steps discussed above.
That would be all about building a log bed frame.
Thanks for your time!