Wood shop 101

While I didn't build Audrey's bed entirely, I did get to call up all those skills I learned in Shop 101. Just kidding, I never took that. I guess it would be skills I learned in "Help Dad Replace Your Kitchen in One Week While 7 Months Pregnant" class 4 years ago. (Thanks again for that, dad! It's still awesome!)

I'd originally been looking at trundle beds for her, then our neighbor Angela mentioned a cute girly-bed she'd seen at Goodwill. Angela has an amazing eye for home decor, so I knew I had to see what she was talking about. Even after a few weeks it was still there, behind a couple of dressers and chairs. It wasn't in horrible shape, but it was pretty banged up, and the veneer was peeling away on the back of the foot board. So I grabbed it!

I didn't remove the finish, but I sanded it some and patched up the scratch and dents with wood filler. Then I primed it and started painting. I considered a color for the bed, but with her bright bedding it would have been too much. I had a great helper, too!

Sanding

 

Priming

Primed!

The trick with the bed was the missing side rails. And with the curved foot board and posts I couldn't bolt on the rails. So after lots of internet research I discovered this hardware that would create hook and pin connections without requiring me to learn how to mortise a board. Conveniently I still had some beautiful trim planks left over from the kitchen reno that worked perfectly as side rails. Since I have no table saw, our neighbor Mike graciously made the cuts I needed for the side rails and underbed support. It still required some good math and precise measurement to make sure everything was even and level. And I got to wield the power drill!

Foot board ready almost done

Solid!

And finally it was ready to set up! I even impressed myself with how solid it feels, nary a wobble or squeak. Maybe I've found a new hobby. I like this picture because you can see all the curves and appreciate the shape.

Ready for the mattresses!

And now it is made for the first (and possibly last) time! Yaya brought the side table last week and said we could paint it, but I think I'll take a break, at least until spring!