The article will talk about how to make a bed of metal with your own hands. Iron furniture is exactly what can add luxury to the interior. Metal smooth bends will only add aesthetics to the bedroom. It's no secret that about a third of their lives people spend in a state of sleep. And if you fully relax at night, during the day you can actively work. And to have a good rest, you need to sleep in a comfortable bed. In furniture stores a fairly large assortment of this type of furniture. But it’s not always possible to choose exactly what you need. And then there is a desire to buy custom furniture or even make it yourself.
What difficulties lie in wait?
When making a bed of metal with your own hands (a photo of the structures is given in the article), difficulties may arise. It is worth remembering that manufacturing is a complex and time-consuming process. And not everyone is able to make a high-quality and beautiful bed on their own. It will require experience, skills with the tool, as well as a lot of knowledge. Do not be lazy and consult with experienced blacksmiths, specialists in working with metal.
The likelihood that you will do something wrong is quite high. In addition, you will need special tools. Without welding, grinders, drills, you should not even start manufacturing. There may also be difficulties in the preparation and processing of component parts. The article provides a scheme of metal beds. Be patient and proceed with all the work.
How to determine the size
When making a bed of metal with your own hands, you need to choose the dimensions based on which mattress you plan to install on it. The second point, which is also quite important, is the location of the bed in the room. And the third point - what build will people sleep on it.
If you are upgrading a room or apartment, then use the advice and move away from all stereotypes, choose a new, non-standard place for the bed. There are several standards by which modern beds are made. There are double, one and a half and single. Remember that, ideally, a bed should be about 30 cm larger than a person. The standard length of the beds is 2 meters. But depending on the models, it can fluctuate in the range of 191-213 cm.
Bed width
It is worth noting that a do-it-yourself metal bunk bed is made using the same technology as a single-tier bed. But it is recommended to use more durable and high-quality components. As for the width of the bed, it also needs to be determined at the design stage.
Depending on what type of bed the width will be:
- For single - 91 cm.
- For one and a half - 99 cm.
- For doubles - 137 cm.
There are models of greater width, but they will take up a lot of space in the room. Therefore, before starting work, measure the room and the place that you plan to take for the installation of the bed. Still it is worth considering the place for installing the cabinets and the size of the space for movement. And it is worth considering that in the manufacture of a non-standard bed, you will have to make a mattress to order, and this will result in a round sum.
Forged Products
The first iron beds appeared in Egypt. They were very expensive, and only wealthy people allowed them to themselves. A metal bed has always been a sign of luxury and wealth. Under the USSR, iron beds were made strictly according to one pattern, so they did not differ in grace at all. Today, the situation has changed radically, there are a lot of metal furniture on the market, which differs dramatically.
Perhaps the most attractive can be called forged structures, which are made of metal pipes. The base of the pipes is solid, the components have a different section. This is what allows you to achieve the creation of a variety of subjects in the design. The mass of the bed can reach 50 kg, but rarely exceeds this mark.
There is hot and cold forging. Cold is when a special apparatus is working with metal. In fact, it is more like stamping. But hot forging is the manufacture of bed components by a craftsman. In this case, the iron warms up to 600 degrees. Thanks to forging, it is possible to recreate objects in any style - ethno, high-tech, modern, baroque and others.
Welded beds
Such furniture items differ from the previous ones in that the method of connecting the finished elements is somewhat different. By welding, you can make furniture in modern or classic style. All beds consist of a frame, back, frame, legs and fasteners. The frame is a support of the entire structure, consisting of side elements and backs. The frame is the part on which the mattress fits.
Before you make a bed with your own hands made of metal, you need to pay attention to the headboard. This is a decorative element that sets the tone for the entire product. By the way, in the manufacture of a welded bed, you can use small forged elements for decoration. They are sold in specialized stores.
Production start
First of all, you will need to familiarize yourself with what models and designs exist, evaluate your capabilities and the complexity of manufacturing. Most of the options are the simplest designs, even a beginner can implement them. If this is your first time doing this, then dwell on simple options. Then make a plan in which describe the sequence of actions, tools and materials used.
And most importantly - decide on what size bed you need. Then draw a sketch of the future design and buy all the necessary materials. And be sure to measure the size of the mattress that you bought (or just planning). This will help in the process of comparing the bed and mattress.
What tools will be required
In order to make a double bed of metal with your own hands, you need to have such a set of tools on hand:
- Angle grinder (if simpler, then grinder).
- Welding (preferably inverter type).
- Drill and set of drills for working with metal.
- The square.
- Roulette.
- File with a square section.
- Metal brush.
- Sandpaper of various types.
- Brushes for painting elements of the bed.
- Primer for application on metal surfaces.
- Paint and varnish.
If you plan to manufacture forged products, then you still need to get forging equipment.
Buying it for the sake of one bed, of course, does not make sense. But if you want to continue to make furniture, then buy these tools:
- Snail - allows you to make patterns in the form of a spiral.
- A twister is a tool that allows you to twist rods along a longitudinally located axis.
- Gnutik - bends metal rods at different angles.
- Volumetric - a tool that allows you to make volumetric figures.
- Flashlight - makes patterns under the same name.
- Wave - a set of tools for making patterns in the form of a wave.
To make elements using hot forging, you need shpereki, sledgehammer, horn, handbrake, anvil, hammers and pincers. It is possible that some equipment will not be used - it all depends on what your ultimate goal is.
Walkthrough
The procedure for manufacturing a metal bed is a set of works aimed at preparing, directly installing and finishing. It is recommended that you start making homemade metal beds from the backs. With your own hands you will need to prepare the profile pipes. They need to be placed on level ground, after which they should be fixed and fixed by welding. Be careful to keep the corners straight. The metal is deformed when heated.
The next step is the manufacture of brackets for securing the frame. All you need to do 4 lateral and 2 central, the slope should be exactly 5 degrees. Using fasteners, you need to connect the back and frame. The distance from the floor surface is 35 cm, this is the optimal value.
Next, you need to prepare material for the frames. For this, steel channels should be cut into blanks, determine the size based on the calculation - add 5 cm to the frame length. Connect the channels with the corners. To improve the quality of the joint, cut the protruding elements on the horizontal part of the corner. All joints must be welded with a solid seam.
Production completion
Now you need to set the backs strictly vertically, adjust the frames and mark the grooves on the channel below. Make holes with a diameter of 8-9 mm and adjust them with a file to the shape of the spikes.
On this, the assembly of the bed base can be considered completed. Next, you need to weld the grid under the mattress. There is nothing complicated in this, the main thing is to ensure the evenness of the surface so that in a dream you do not have to roll out of bed. As you can see, making a bed of metal with your own hands is not difficult, but you need to tinker. Be sure to close all exposed parts of the profile pipes with plugs or weld steel circles on them.
To add sophistication to the bed, cut off any protruding parts and seams with a grinder. Then brush and grind. Finishing should be started only when the surface is completely prepared and degreased. First apply a primer, then 2-3 layers of paint and only then the same amount of varnish.
The advantages of metal beds
Despite the complexity of the process, metal beds have several advantages. And here are just a few:
- eco-friendly products;
- resistant to wear;
- hygienic;
- reliable: high resistance to various mechanical damages and loads;
- variety of style and design;
- light weight, it is convenient when making permutations;
- not subject to fire.
Metal beds are attractive in appearance, fit perfectly into any style of interior. If you have the skills and tools, the manufacturing process will not be difficult. This type of activity is an excellent option for developing your creative abilities.