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Jan 13, 2008: For some time, I've been promising Daniel to build him a loft bed that looks like a castle. It finally rose to the top of the To-Do list this Christmas break (mostly because he had long outgrown his crib!) and I finalized the plans and started work. Though I'd hoped to have him sleeping in the first phase of the project by New Year's Day, it didn't work out quite that way. So today - 2 weeks later, I finally got the main portion assembled in his room and he's sawing logs in his first "big-boy" bed as I type this. The project has quite a way to go as there are 3 more major pieces to fabricate ... two tower / bookshelves and a side stairway with drawers and a "secret" play area beneath. I'll get plans posted as soon as I get a decent electronic copy of what I've drawn. I'll also continue to update this page as the project progresses. In the mean time, here are some of the pics of its construction, move, and re-assembly assembly up in Daniel's room today.
Album 1: Initial construction took place over my Christmas break in 2007. Construction took MUCH longer than anticipated Because of the painting and detailing that was an afterthought. This album runs up through 17-Jan-2008 when Daniel was finally able to sleep in it for the first time. But it was still a long way from being finished!
%2009.JPG "Starting construction before Christmas 2007.")
Starting construction before Christmas 2007.
Album 2: A bit later, I was able to finish more of the details
%2002.JPG "These top-opening cabinets sit between the mattress and the back of the bed.")
These top-opening cabinets sit between the mattress and the back of the bed. Getting the hinges figured out so that the lids could open like this was a major challenge. Album 3: The following Christmas (2008), I added the stairway I'd been promising from the beginning. It turned out to be just as complex a problem as the bed itself!
%20015.JPG "Cutting the initial materials outside on a very cold & windy day (the beginning of my Christmas Break)")
Cutting the initial materials outside on a very cold & windy day (the beginning of my Christmas Break)
Album 4: King Daniel gives us a tour of the completed castle & its new secret room.
%2001.JPG "The completed castle (at least until the next phase).")
The completed castle (at least until the next phase).
The next & last phase is a set of towers in front each of the two windows in font. These have drawers in the bottom and swinging bookcases in front of the windows. However, we're not sure the room will deal with the full design for these, so we may have to scale them back a bit or forego them completely until we can find a bigger space for it. I do have plans for some better decorations and lighting beneath too. So stay tuned! |
%2009.JPG "Starting construction before Christmas 2007.")
%2001.JPG "My very enthusiastic helper.")
%2005.JPG "Daniel loves to run the shopvac!")
%2002.JPG "A long way to go (at this point, I had no idea just how long!)")
%2002.JPG "Assembly of the basic box is complete.")
%2005.JPG "Showing the front & side panel with foot-hole \"stairway\".")
%2002.JPG "Our newest family member helps out too.")
%2001.JPG "Daniel was adamant that he could help with the painting.")
%2003.JPG "It took some coaching, but he did a great job.")
%2004.JPG "It's already January 6th! But the basic box is complete and ready for detailing to begin.")
%2001.JPG "Frequent \"play breaks\" didn't help the progress, but were of course unavoidable.")
%2003.JPG "After trying multiple techniques with paint, I found that a simple Sharpie was the best way to do the brickwork. Here, the rear towers are started.")
%2004.JPG "Daniel had to continually ensure that the stairs \"still worked\". (This led to me building him a climbing wall in the back yard the following summer).")
%2005.JPG "After lots of experimenting, the highlights and shadows were done with an airbrush.")
%2002.JPG "Detailing the portcullis. I couldn't think of a way to make it raise and lower. It probably would have added. another week to the project anyway.")
%2003.JPG "After completion, the whole bed was disassembled and moved up to the bedroom.")
%2009.JPG "Connecting the two largest panels in the rear.")
%2011.JPG "Reassembling the rails that will hold the mattress platform.")
%2025.JPG "One very happy little boy performs a construction inspection.")
%2027.JPG "Securing the mattress platform to the rails.")
%2028.JPG "Finishing touches - a new mattress and Superman bedding. What more could a 6 year old boy want?!")
%2032.JPG "Though it took MUCH longer than anticipated, and was still a long way from being finished, this moment made it all worthwhile.")
%2036.JPG "Ready for it's first night with its new owner.")
%2040.jpg "He'd worn himself out with excitement. He was sound asleep within just a few moments of lights-out.")
%2002.JPG "These top-opening cabinets sit between the mattress and the back of the bed.")
%2003.JPG "They provided much needed storage for Daniel's huge \"zoo\" of stuffed animals.")
%2007.JPG "They get a LOT of use.")
%2010.jpg)
%2009.JPG "Note the LED nightlight on the back tower.")
%2001.JPG "Using templates to cut out pieces of the dragon")
%2002.JPG "The addition of the dragon and the battlements a the tops of the towers made a big difference in appearance.")
%2001.JPG "I was happy with the design, but should have used thicker wood to get more relief.")
%2003.JPG "Dragon details.")
%20015.JPG "Cutting the initial materials outside on a very cold & windy day (the beginning of my Christmas Break)")
%20034.JPG "Cutting the stairway stringers with a circular saw just made too much dust for the garage.")
%20040.JPG "Daniel really enjoyed taking these pictures. He's quite a little photographer!")
%20042.JPG "Somehow, all this needs to end up as a stairway in a week or two!")
%20050.JPG "Routing the exposed edges.")
%20056.JPG "Enjoying the Ridgid router I got last Jan at the Woodworking show. This was it's first major project.")
%20059.JPG "Construction Foreman Daniel.")
%20061.JPG "Skeleton of the stairway now completed.")
%20001.JPG "Another angle, with the treads test-fitted")
%20004.JPG "At the tablesaw")
%20013.JPG "Showing off my lovely dadoes for the drawers")
%20015.JPG "Assembling the lower drawer box.")
%20001.JPG "Screw holes filled and ready for painting. Now I need to match the brickwork I did last year on the rest of the bed.")
%20008.JPG "Three different sized drawers")
%20009.JPG "Daniel's mid-construction inspection")
%20012.JPG "Painting the landing / hatch")
%20021.JPG "Painting a face frame for the drawer / riser.")
%20024.JPG "Cutting in the main carcase")
%2001.JPG "Daniel took care of the main wall")
%2004.JPG "A job well-done.")
%2008.JPG "Drawer fronts routed & painted.")
%2012.JPG "Looking forward to the \"secret\" play area beneath the stairs. Here you can see the internal escape ladder.")
%2013.JPG "Trying to remember how this brick detail works. (I actually still had the mixed paint left-over from last year).")
%2015.JPG "Airbrushing the highlights (I learned to do them before the black bricklines from original experience on the bed.)")
%2016.JPG "Highlights on the outer stair wall")
%2023.JPG "Highlights & shadows now finished - ready for the darker mortar lines.")
%2026.JPG "A wide Sharpie made this SO much easier")
%2027.JPG "Starting assembly of the \"secret\" book case.")
%2028.JPG "Glue-up of the book case.")
%2001.JPG "Starting final assembly onto the bed. (If the bed wasn't dominating Daniel's small room before, it certainly is now!)")
%2006.JPG "Securing the stairway to the bed wall. (Note the red rope-lights around the inside of the bed - also the suit of armor donated by my brother).")
%2007.JPG "Daniel just couldn't stay away he was so excited.")
%2009.JPG "Daddy FINALLY let's him try out the stairs.")
%2010.JPG "Fully assembled and waiting for hardware details.")
%2012.JPG "With the drawers removed again so I can install the slides.")
%2013.JPG "Cramped quarters, but not as bad as I'd anticipated to get the slides lined up right. (Note the drawer pulls have been installed too.)")
%2015.JPG "Installation of the \"secret\" swinging bookcase. Note the back of the bookcase painted to match the wall identically.")
%2020.JPG "Mounting the latching mechanism (a hidden button beneath the lowest shelf to open the case.")
%2001.JPG "The completed castle (at least until the next phase).")
%2004.JPG "Interior showing the bookcase. (If you look closely, you can see part of the long piano hinge on the right.)")
%2005.JPG "Daniel shows the location of the hidden button to release open the book case.")
%2006.JPG "Swinging the case open.")
%2007.JPG "He looks pretty pleased with himself doesn't he! haha")
%2008.JPG "Disappearing into the hidden room.")
%2009.JPG "Since this was designed as part of the bed from the beginning, the opening had always been there. But now it's SO much more cool!")
%2010.JPG "Although I can get in there, it's decidedly kid-sized")
%2011.JPG "With the landing / hatch raised up - looking down into the secret room. Note the LED light installed against the back support rail.")
%2013.JPG "The secret entrance / exit from the castle, in use.")
%2018.JPG "By far the most enjoyable (if not shortest) route to climb into bed.")
%2019.JPG "Detail of the LED lighting installed beneath the landing platform. (It's pretty dark in there without it!)")
%2020.JPG "The drawers open on full-extension slides for easy access to all contents.")
%2023.JPG "The upper-most drawer-front is false. It actually swings upward on hinges as a \"peep-hole\" for keeping track of your enemies.")
