Where can I get some wood?

I want to build a loft bed for Tunakid #2 such that we can more easily fit three of them in one room.

Something like this:

I do not know where the best place is to get those 1x sanded pine boards to make life easier. I'd rather not use 2x4s and sand for a few years. Are the big box home improvement stores the only game in town for such a thing?

Check a local independent lumber yard. They should stock some pine 1X etc...

http://www.tidewaterlumber.com/ ?

Or http://www.gbsbuilding.com/

or there is an 84 lumber in Greer

Lowes has pine 1x and 5/4 in stock around me at least. I'm sure a local lumber yard should have better, less warped stuff though if you are lucky enough to have one nearby.

Some inspiration:

Might want to consider a stronger board than pine as well.

Go to a woodworking lumberyard (the ones linked are probably a good start), ask the people working there for a recommendation.

Poplar is readily available and it's more stable and a bit harder than pine.

You want a well dressed, knot free, sap free, board of the right wood to prevent splinters and stickiness. The likes of clear white cedar, or poplar.

It may not suit your needs, but I bought one of the twin-sized beds from Big Lots(their furniture is mostly pretty decent for the price) that had a pair of drawers underneath, then just put it up in the air on stilts, and built a ladder for the end.

I use the hardwood store of North Carolina. Great prices, wide selection.

I will also offer my truck and woodworking equipment if you need.

We built fold up lofts in our 2 man college dorm room out of cheap 2x whatever untreated pine. They were functional and survived a lot of...uh...hijinx. Not pretty, but we covered them in stickers and posters and stuff.

Good old pine will be fine strength wise. It's far superior to any of the pressboard crap that most kids furniture is made of. If you want to build a fine heirloom piece, oak or something is great but prices in my area don't justify using it on something that will get kid-abused. The big box hardware stores will have everything you need lumber wise, likely slightly cheaper than the local independent. The trade off is that you will need to set aside a bunch of time to sort through the crap that should have been made into toothpicks and chopsticks to find decent pieces. If you can afford the minimal up charge to go to a real lumber yard, it's certainly a less painful option.

Consider a higher quality plywood as well, like Appleply or hardwood plywood.

Dusterbd13 wrote: I use the hardwood store of North Carolina. Great prices, wide selection.

Thanks for the tip. Been looking for a store like that.

pinchvalve wrote: Some inspiration:

I'm trying to figure out how that bed is supported. I like that there isn't a post in the way, but I'm also picturing a kid jumping up and down on the bed and tearing the whole thing out of the wall.

In reply to stuart in mn:

If you look really close there is a cable holding the corner up....

I built one from framing lumber.... Used a 1/2" roundover on the corners and that takes away a lot of the E36 M3ness of the lumber. Didnt take much sanding.

java230 wrote: In reply to stuart in mn: If you look really close there is a cable holding the corner up.... I built one from framing lumber.... Used a 1/2" roundover on the corners and that takes away a lot of the E36 M3ness of the lumber. Didnt take much sanding.

Loving this

java230 wrote: In reply to stuart in mn: If you look really close there is a cable holding the corner up....

I see it now, that makes more sense.

This discussion reminds me of when I was in college; in the dormitory, lots of guys built loft beds to gain more space in their dorm rooms. Some were pretty well done, most of them were pretty sketchy.

That's how our dorm was set up. 4x4 posts up the walls in the corners to 2x6 cross braces across the ceiling. 2x6 between the 4x4s on each side about half way up, flat against the wall. We took the legs off the bed frames and hinged one long side to the 2x6 against the wall, then hung the other corners from chain to the overhead braces. In the morning you could fold the bedframe up nearly flat against the wall and use a hook to shorten the chain. We even mounted a ceiling fan on the overhead braces and wired it into an extension cord. Then we put down rugs on the tile floor and put a thrift store couch below one bunk and a massive tv & stereo below the other. It was a rockin' setup for a 15x20 space.

One concern about built in bed lofts, especially for kids. Don't get too close to the ceiling. In the event of a house fire, smoke collects at ceiling level first. It's bad. The housing people required a minimum of 3' from bed surface to ceiling, but you may want more depending on the age of the kid.

If you have a hatchet and time - and some trees... you can make these.

I actually cheated and bought two single log beds as a kit from an online company for cheap, then added to them with a maple tree from my yard. I basically used a chainsaw, big drill and varnish to make ladders, supports and things - then set them on top of each other offset 90 degrees so a dresser could go under one.

ultraclyde wrote: One concern about built in bed lofts, especially for kids. Don't get too close to the ceiling.

The other danger is sitting up in the morning and whacking your forehead on the ceiling.

Most likely not a problem since you're an engineer, but make sure you design it strong enough. I see you have boys among the tunakids, who will get much, much bigger. At some point, after eating all the food in the house, they will all get up there and start playing King of the Mountain.

I read the thread title, and thought you were asking where you can get some Viagra.

IndyJoe wrote: I read the thread title, and thought you were asking where you can get some Viagra.

I'm amazed it took two days to get here.

spitfirebill wrote:

IndyJoe wrote: I read the thread title, and thought you were asking where you can get some Viagra.

I'm amazed it took two days to get here.

ohh we were all thinking it, but didnt' say it. The influence of the patio.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

spitfirebill wrote:

IndyJoe wrote: I read the thread title, and thought you were asking where you can get some Viagra.

I'm amazed it took two days to get here.

ohh we were all thinking it, but didnt' say it. The influence of the patio.

It was sort of intentional, but I figured it was cute enough to be fine. Plus, I don't think margie can give me any wood, she made her patio out of concrete and Tim mostly does stuff with metal. They probably don't have any laying about, and the drive to go pick it up would likely cost more in gas than the wood would have cost.

tuna55 wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

spitfirebill wrote:

IndyJoe wrote: I read the thread title, and thought you were asking where you can get some Viagra.

I'm amazed it took two days to get here.

ohh we were all thinking it, but didnt' say it. The influence of the patio.

It was sort of intentional, but I figured it was cute enough to be fine. Plus, I don't think margie can give me any wood, she made her patio out of concrete and Tim mostly does stuff with metal. They probably don't have any laying about, and the drive to go pick it up would likely cost more in gas than the wood would have cost.

Would it fit in the ridgeline, you know cause its not a "real truck"