Advice on a Murphy Bed project...

19 years ago

My woodworking skills are similar to my sewing skills: Marginal, but I'm usually unafraid to experiment and generally pleasantly surprised with the outcome. After pricing Murphy beds both online and in a few custom furniture shops, I was alarmed: $2,300 - $6,500 for what I want... that's a used car!

I want one in the finished portion of our basement. It'd be for only occasional use, and I'd like it to be a nice table area with some plush upholstered chairs around it the rest of the time. I'm thinking of buying this mechanism and trying to emulate this design on the integral table. The mechanism allows a standard (queen) mattress. I'd do most of the build in plywood with a furniture quality cherry veneer on one side, and trim it out in ash. I'm thinking of using a stationary shelf (see photo) to serve as legs rather than those cheesy little flippy deals. I'd probably follow the plans that come with the mechanism to build shelves on either side. Plus, I'd want some lighting built in (for both the table and the bed).

I have a basement workshop with a fair amount of tools. My next door neighbor has every tool known to man and has expressed an interest in helping me, and even a willingness to wheel his big saws over to my basement. There's an awesome high quality wood shop in town.

I figure I can knock this whole thing out for about $1,000, which is very do-able for us... but I keep getting cold feet because I've never attempted anything on this scale and part of me is worried about screwing up. My husband is unqualified to serve as my assistant. (All he does when he tries is point out my mistakes until I get mad at him an tell him where to go.)

So... my question for those of you who have done things of this scale before is: Any advice? Pointers? Cautions? I think I can whip this out during my upcoming work hiatus. If this is done right, it will be beautiful. If not, it will be some mighty pricey kindling! I'm seeking a little wisdom and courage before I put that bed mechanism in my online shopping cart.

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Comments (12)

talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
I'm like you--in both sewing and woodworking--but I don't have any tools.

These are pretty simple pieces, pretty simple joints. You know what they remind me of, in sewing terms? Curtains! Square corners, straight steams, one tiny piece of trimming to make it look nice.

Or, maybe drapes--which are actually easy once you get the drapery tape sewn on the back, but they look very fancy!

I can't see how it will ever end up as kindling. It might be kinda sloppy looking at the joints, or not absolutely square somewhere, but it won't be kindling.

My vote on stuff like this that I tackle is to do the tricky parts (like that table, w/ the fancy leg) first, and separately, to be sure they work first.

You'll need another set of hands to swing big pieces of wood around, but your neighbor can help.

And of course, as always measure twice, measure again, and THEN cut.
talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
gee, it's too bad none of these other woodworkers have any advice. I was hoping to see one of them tell you "here's the tricky part, and a secret to making it easy"
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oldalgebra
19 years ago
Have you seen this site?

http://www.disappearingwallbeds.com/

They offer a kit that has all the parts already cut.
I'd love to see what you accomplish, as I am interested in doing this myself.
Although no one has given you any pointers, you may be able to give me some when you've finished!!
jazmynsmom
Original Author
19 years ago
I'm back to brag! I did it! (Thanks for the encouragement Talley_Sue_NYC & oldalgebra!) I didn't get quiet as ambitious as I initially imagined because I learned there was a lot of work involved in gaining mechanical leverage to accommodate the added weight of a table... and I am a total beginner afterall! I managed to knock it out for about $1,250 which included all the hardware, wood, polyeurathane, standard mattress, and the silk and down bedding.

I ordered the kit from wallbed.com. Then I bought a bunch of furniture grade cherry plywood, and maple moldings (ash isn't widely available off the shelf) and went to work. Here's how it looked
, and here's what it looks like
. I went ahead with what I previously described as their
. They're actually kind of cool, as they release the cabinet locks when they flip up, and act as
. Here's a
, and here's a
in the down position. It's well balanced enough that I can raise and lower the bed by hooking one finger in one of the two non-flipping-up do-hickies on the front. I skipped the bookshelves because the ceiling height in my basement necessitated me not centering the unit on the wall and I don't have enough room left over for the shelves. (Now all that's left is painting the room!)

I'm amazed at how easy it was. The thing that made it do-able for me was that the hardware kit I bought came with detailed instructions and a video. I moved a TV and VCR to my basement and just rewound and played it a lot. It was hard to go wrong when a woman's voice explained the steps while a guy did each step she described.

My neighbors and husband's friends are amazed I did this by myself (I'll admit the crown molding had me stumped for a while). I consider it a heck of a beginner effort. Definitely not kindling...
sharon_sd
19 years ago
You have done a beautiful job. Pat yourself on the back.
oldalgebra
19 years ago
JazmynsMom,
You are amazing! I want to do this now. Can you tell me all the tools you needed for the job. I don't have access to a table saw. Do you need one?
jazmynsmom
Original Author
19 years ago
I didn't have access to a table saw either, so when I went to the lumber place to order my wood, I had them custom cut the big boards to the specs in the instructions. Most quality places are happy to do this for a nominal fee and the cuts were perfect. (This probably costs less than having pre-cut boards shipped.)

I was foolish in thinking I could built the inner bed frame (5 sets of 2 1x2's secured lengthwise into "L's" and then screwed into a 1x2 frame) using a hand-held circular saw. I tried to make straight cuts, but when I screwed and glued it, everything was seriously catty-whumpus. I called my neighbor over to see if he thought it was as bad as I did and he chided me for doing things with antique equipment and promptly moved
into my basement. I trashed the first inner bedframe and considered it a woodworking lesson. Inner bedframe 2.0 was flawless. (Can't build a straight body without a straight spine.)

I could not have done the molding (esp the crown molding) without this sliding compound miter saw of his.

Other than that, you just need basic tools: a good drill, various bits (including a couple forstner bits), clamps, a regular iron (but not the same one you use on clothes), a veneer tape trimmer whatzit, a hammer, and a nail set... although my cool neighbor saw how my eyes lit up when I got to play with a "real" saw, and brought a compressor and some nail guns over. Woo-hoo! Oh, and sandpaper... lots of sandpaper. I think there are five or six coats of polyeurathane on that thing and I had to sand and tack-cloth between each. Blech!

The kit you linked to is very similar to the one I bought. As a matter of fact, they even do a product comparison (which says to me that they are very direct competitors). I went with the one I got because I didn't see cabinet locks on theirs. Plus, mine was about $20 cheaper (including S&H). I suppose either kit would work just fine.
talley_sue_nyc
19 years ago
Hooray! That's BEAUTIFUL. Wasn't I right? Not kindling at ALL.

I also don't have access to a table saw, or even a circular saw. The few times I want to make something, I have the lumberyard guys cut it for me.

They're great about it. Once, they didn't even charge me!
Katie S
19 years ago
WOW! I am SO IMPRESSED!
yogaguru-architect
16 years ago
I've been online for HOURS tonight researching how to build one of these things with the least amount of money...
I'm just like you, ready to tackle any new experimental project.
I am trying to pitch this project to my very reluctant husband... we just looked at an apartment today that has very small bedrooms, but wonderful old architectural charm (which I love, since I have a degree in Architecture)... I can't see how we'd fit in this place without one and ever since I saw the designs for the Home Office styles, I've been "drooling."
It can't possibly cost me more than $600, though!!! We couldn't possibly afford more than that. (I'm talking about just the queen size bed box right now, not the other furniture build-ons.)
Anyone got any advice???
jazmynsmom
Original Author
16 years ago
Wow, I didn't expect a post of mine from three years ago to get brought back to life. We still have and still love the Murphy Bed (and I still show it off a lot).

But $600? Ouch. I don't know. Certainly not with the materials I used ($1,250). The only way I could imagine it with the kit I used (which is $300 itself) is if you made it with particle board and already owned a standard queen mattress and all the bedding. But even then I'm not sure you could do it for under $600. My advice would be to call the company (I received very good customer service from them), tell them what your goal is, and ask for the supply list on the particle board version of the queen bed so you can price it out locally.

Consider also that, while the version I built is easiest to install version I encountered, it does require that you screw four long screws into the studs to mount the puppy. Would your prospective landlord allow such a thing? Are the "charming, historic" walls built in such a way that this is an easy task?

Finally, take a peek at the time lapse between my first post (12/07/04) and my "I did it" post (3/26/05). This project takes some time (an experienced person could have probably banged it out more quickly). It also takes some space (do you have access to a workshop?) and some tools (heck, a compound sliding miter saw alone would blow your budget). I've talked my husband into all sorts of craziness over the years, but if "winning" involved us sleeping on the floor in a very cramped apartment while I spent months building a bed in and amongst the boxes with the neighbors complaining about the noise of my power tools... well, it would probably be cited as an example of "why I should never get my way" for the rest of my life.

It might possibly be done, just make sure you have your ducks in a row first, as ducks have a way of wreaking havoc when trapped in charming apartments with very small bedrooms. ;o) Good luck!
djj_08
16 years ago
I've been considering this project, but expense is a concern for me as well. Why do all the really good space-saving solutions cost so much!? If I had a bunch of money, I would have bought a bigger house :-)

At any rate, I did come across a set of plans that shows you how to use IKEA parts to make an inexpensive murphy bed-- I think materials for a full were $375 or something like that. The plans are only $7.95. Look up Moddi or follow the link for details.

Here is a link that might be useful: Moddi murphy bed