How to Build a Rustic Wood Bed

Cutting

• 1

  Cut the pieces that needed for the headboard of the bed carefully, using a chainsaw. You will need two logs, each 5 inches in diameter, each measuring 40 inches long. These are the tops and bottoms for the headboard. Cut two 5-inch diameter logs measuring 4 feet long. These are the back legs. Cut four 3-inch logs to measure 26 inches long. Set the pieces aside.

• 2

  Cut the logs needed for the foot board using a chainsaw. You will need two 5-inch diameter logs to measure 40-inches for the top and bottom of the foot board. Cut two 5-inch diameter logs measuring 3-feet long. These are the front legs of the bed. Cut four 3-inch diameter logs to measure 16-inches long. These pieces finish the footboard.

• 3

  Cut the pieces needed to construct the frame of the bed. Cut two 5-inch diameter logs to measure 80 inches long. These are the sides of the frame.

• 4

  Use a draw knife to remove all of the bark from the logs. This will give them a clean appearance.

Headboard Construction

• 5

  Place the two logs in front of you that you cut to use for the headboard of the bed. Use a drill to make a 1-inch hole on both ends of each log. Drill four more 1-inch holes evenly spaced between the end holes on each log.

• 6

  Place the two back legs in front of you. Drill a 1-inch diameter hole on the sides of both legs, 1 foot from their bottoms. Drill a second hole on each leg 2 inches from their tops.

• 7

  Drill a 1-inch diameter hole in the end of all four of the 3-inch diameter sticks. Repeat on the other end of all of the sticks.

• 8

  Cut several lengths of 1-inch diameter dowel rod measuring 3 inches long. Put a dab of glue on one end of the dowel rod and stick it in one of the holes on the top piece. Repeat on each hole on the top piece.

• 9

  Place a small amount of glue on the inside of the top hole on one of the back legs. Stick one of the end dowels on the top piece in the hole. Repeat on the other side. Put glue in the one hole on each of the 3-inch logs. Stick them to the four center dowels on the top piece.

• 10

  Glue dowel rods into the bottom holes of each of the 3-inch logs. Put a small amount of glue in the holes of the bottom piece, then fit the dowels on the 3-inch diameter logs into the holes on the bottom piece. Set the headboard aside to allow it to dry.

Foot Board Construction

• 11

  Place the headboard logs in front of you. Drill a 1-inch hole on the ends of both logs. Drill four more 1-inch diameter holes spaced evenly between the end holes on both logs.

• 12

  Place the front legs in front of you on a working space. Drill a hole in both front legs, 1 foot from their bottoms. Drill another hole 2 inches form their tops.

• 13

  Drill holes in both ends of the four 3-inch diameter logs.

• 14

  Cut more 1-inch diameter dowel rods to measure 3-inches long. Put glue on one end of a dowel rod and stick it in one of the holes in the top piece. Repeat to fill all of the holes in the top piece with dowels.

• 15

  Put a dab of glue inside the top hole on one of the front legs. Stock the hole onto one of the end dowel rods on the top piece. Repeat on the other side. Put glue in one hole on each of the 3-inch logs. Attach them to the remaining four dowels in the top piece.

• 16

  Put a dab of glue inside the top hole on one of the front legs. Stock the hole onto one of the end dowel rods on the top piece. Repeat on the other side. Put glue in one hole on each of the 3-inch logs. Attach them to the remaining four dowels in the top piece.

Finishing

• 17

  Drill a hole in the ends of each of the side pieces for the frame of the bed. Glue a dowel rod into the holes. Attach the headboard onto one end of both sides, and the footboard to the other using the holes drilled in the legs.

• 18

  Cut eight 2-by-4-inch boards to fit across the sides of the frame. Place them across the two sides evenly spaced. Screw them in place. These are the slats of the bed.

• 19

  Place a mattress on top of the bed slats.