Oliver's New Bed (and Diy Plans)

[sara]

ok so I decided to post this as a seperate thread and link it to the DIY thread... there's going to be alot of pics

First... Finished product being used by the dogs:
Oliver, ready for his nap

Mouse and Boo

Mia, my roommate's girlie

All three of mine

and add in Mia

Now, without the dogs Top view

Front view... with Boo helping by posing

A corner

Bottom view

Close up of the underneath and how I attached the material

Bottom corner

ok plans coming as soon as the pics upload...

 

[sara]

Ok so I drew out the plans then took pics of them, so you all can see what I worked from.

The fabric is the hardest to draw out, and hard to explain, but I'll try. I used 1x1's glued and screwed the end of the fabric between them, then rolled it around then over the top (hope you can see how from the close-up pic), and screwed it to the sides.

I did not glue the 1x1's to the side, as I'll likely, at some point, need to replace the fabric. The bottom of the 1x1 is even with the bottom of the second 1x4. Here's the pic of the fabric measurements and shape:

I glued wherever there are screws for added strength, but you all may want to consider corner braces underneath the edges of the 1x1's for added strength, if building for a large dog.

Also, I was in a hurry, so did not pre-drill before screwing... but if you want a nicer finished product, you should pre-drill before screwing it together. I did, however, pre-drill the 1x1's as they would have been destroyed without it.

You can also sink the screws a bit, then putty them to give a smooth finish.

I screwed from the outside, as, even though that's what we see, I wanted the inside to be perfectly smooth for the dogs.

Screws need to be 1 1/4" wood screws, 1 1/2 can be used when screwing the corners in, but not necessary.

Material needs to be very tough, and non stretchy... outdoor material works best. I bought a length that was 60" wide and 1 meter long and doubled it up for added strength.

I used plain old spruce lumber, but you could use something fancier, however, be aware that when you get into the fancier wood, 1x4 might actually mean 1x4 not 3/4x3 1/2 like regular lumber is, so change plans accordingly.

Total cost to me was $15 for the screws and lumber and $12 for the fabric. I didn't have to buy the stain or lacquer... I used the stuff at work.

Here's a pic of the plans:

Here's the measurements for the 1x4's
5@ 34 1/2"
2@21 3/4"
4@21"
8@12"

for the 1x1's
4@32 1/2"
4@19"

you will need 3 - 12 foot lengths of 1x4's, 1 - 8 foot 1x1, and 1 - 12 foot 1x1 ok so I think that's all

 

[sara]

YAYYYYY it's fixed!

 

[Dogster]

Thank you so much!!!! This is going to be my project for the march break! Can't wait!

I think I'll make the bed a bit bigger though... Shivon sleeps on a bed that is 33" by 26", and her head and legs hang off of it. (she's not big, she just stretches out as much as she possibly can) So I think I would modify the plan and make it 30" by 40". Would that still work?

 

[sara]

yeah, you can do any size you want... you just have to do the math! this is where fractions come in! LOL

 

[Linda A]

Awesome!

 

[MaryK]

Thank you Sara, the bed's awesome and the models, wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL better put a disclaimer they that don't come with the bed

 

[sara]

Thank you Sara, the bed's awesome and the models, wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL better put a disclaimer they that don't come with the bed

Ha ha Mary It's a DIY project, so they also have to make their own models!

 

[Dlilly]

That's such a nice looking bed! Thanks for posting this, I'm really wanting to make one like this!!

 

[Mr-Remington]

I would love to make this bed, but I'm not handy with tools at all!

 

[sara]

I would love to make this bed, but I'm not handy with tools at all!

lol well the hardware store you buy the lumber from should be willing to cut the wood for you,then all you need is a drill, a screw driver (or a bit for the drill) and glue!

 

[Mr-Remington]

lol well the hardware store you buy the lumber from should be willing to cut the wood for you,then all you need is a drill, a screw driver (or a bit for the drill) and glue!

Well in that case I know what I'm doing on my next day off!

 

[Caiti]

I'm going to make this! Wylie loves beds like this, he used to have one but I tripped and dropped a potted plant in it xD Thanks for posting!

 

[Dice Smith]

Wow Sara that is absolutely gorgeous!! And seeing your gorgeous models enjoying it really helps to sell this idea. Kodi just got a new orthopedic bed for Christmas but I just might have to make this for him anyway. Then again, Kodi prefers sprawling out on the floor or in his crate (he drags out every blanket or bed I put in there and insists on sleeping on the hard crate flooring ). But it's so cute, I probably will anyway!

 

[sara]

Wow Sara that is absolutely gorgeous!! And seeing your gorgeous models enjoying it really helps to sell this idea. Kodi just got a new orthopedic bed for Christmas but I just might have to make this for him anyway. Then again, Kodi prefers sprawling out on the floor or in his crate (he drags out every blanket or bed I put in there and insists on sleeping on the hard crate flooring ). But it's so cute, I probably will anyway!

Thanks I still love it, and admire it every time I go in the living room I'm going to make another one for my bedroom, as Oliver has abandoned me to go sleep in it! (Which is ok as my bed's not really big enough for all 5 of us! LOL) It must be really comfie! I'm considering making one with a solid bottom, and fiddling with the size and design for that (make it look like a real bed), but it'll cost more, and require a dog pillow to go inside it, so I'm not sure, but Mia, my Roommate's dog, doesn't like it, (but then she prefers stretching out on the hard floor too) so a solid bottom bed might be more her style.