I am going to be making the loft bed for my son. This will be the first big thing I've made, and the first thing I've made in about 13 years. What kind of wood should I use for the bed? I see that it says the bed that inspired Anas design was made of pine. I was hoping for a cheaper( just for the 15 1X3's it would be $85) but equally sturdy board suggestion.
Thank you!
Dan K
Sun, 02/13/2011 - 13:00
I am not sure where you are looking to find prices for your boards. In my area standard grade 8' 1x4's run about $3.50 and 1x3's are less than that. Perhaps you need to look around the construction lumber and not in the pine board section. Another option; find a plan that uses 2x4 or 2x6 lumber. 2x6 would make for a sturdy bed and certainly wont run you $6 a board.
OkieJoe
Mon, 02/14/2011 - 15:24
I'm with Dan on this. Be sure you are looking at the construction grade lumber, not the much more expensive stuff. The really nice pine here, without any knots and pre-sanded,etc. is on the same aisle as the hardwoods, like oak and poplar, and is twice as much or more than the construction grade stuff. I usually just sigh and go over the aisles with the dimensional lumber, ie 1x4, 2x6, etc. and pick out the best stuff I can find there. This is significantly cheaper, and especially if you are painting and priming properly, will result in nearly as nice a finish.
claydowling
Tue, 02/22/2011 - 13:46
The construction grade lumber has a hidden cost: it tends to have a lot of moisture, and as it dries it is going to twist and warp a lot. I bought a pair of 2x12s for a bench top, and there was an inch and a half of twist over 8 feet that happened over the course of two weeks after I nailed it to the frame. The was construction grade Hemlock from a big box store. It's sold as white wood, but the color is actually red. I wound up going to a lumberyard, which had 2x12s in southern yellow pine. I think I paid slightly more money than I did for the hemlock, but it was worth it.
Pine in general is fairly stable. Actual pine though, not generic construction wood (which probably isn't pine). Get it, set it in your basement, garage or workshop for a couple of weeks to let it stabilize, then work it. Around me it's typically white pine or southern yellow pine (sometimes called Long Leaf Pine). Both are good choices. Southern yellow pine is a bit harder to work, but I like it.
tncraftsman
Thu, 03/31/2011 - 19:41
Usually the box stores will
Usually the box stores will have some of the best pricing for generic wood species, i.e. pine, spruce, etc. Other options are lumber yards and wood suppliers in your area. One benefits of the yards is that the employees are generally knowledgeable about wood. They may be able to help you pick out the best grade of lumber for what you are using it for and offer helpful insights.
You listed the price of 1x3, how much is a 1x6? Can you rip them to 1x3?
If you decide to buy from the box stores look for Kiln Dried lumber. It will have a KD stamped on it.