How to make your own platform bed
My dad is visiting me this week. It has long been in the plans to deal with the fact that my bed is on the floor, and has been for many months. I kept going back to the idea of IKEA, but their beds are so expensive for what they are, driving 2.5 hours one way is a huge hassle, and shipping costs as much as the bed. After much debate, we decided to build a bed from scratch. I found these instructions online but felt they could use a little tweaking. I added a midbeam and the slats meet the edge of the box frame rather than hanging over. Oh, and mine? It’s prettier.
So here’s how I did it. Remember, measure twice, cut once!
1. Measure your bed. Mine is 80″x 60″ x 10″. How did I know? It’s on the tag.
2. Make a drawing of a rectangle and put a line through the middle longways. I didn’t do this until it was too late and my brain had nearly asploded from all the math.
3. On your drawing, subtract 2 inches from the long side and make that the written height. Subtract 5 inches from the short side and make that the width. Subtract 3 inches from the starting long side length and make that the length of the midbeam.
4. Go shopping. For my queen bed we needed 6 2×4′s and 12 slats (we used glued together 2×4′s for the legs, and they were 16 inches, not 12. Too high!). So here’s the cut list for a queen bed:
2–2×4 cut to 78″ (long sides)
2–2×4 cut to 55″ (short sides)
12–1×4 cut to 57″ (slats)
4–4×4 cut to 12 inches (or glue together 2 2×4′s)
a box of 2.5 inch screws
4–casters
18–3.5 inch lag screws
18–washers
stain (optional)
Tools: You’ll need a drill with a screwdriver bit, a 1/2 inch bit for the casters, and a 1/4 inch bit for the lag screws, a socket or monkey wrench, a hammer, and a T-square or some kind of squaring tool
5. Stain. Everything. Don’t use an oil-based stain or a stain mixed with polyurethane , we learned that the hard way. Make sure you rub down all the excess. Don’t forget to stain the ends of the longest 2×4′s.
6. On a big empty floor, start assembling the box to hold the slats. Just lay it all out for now. Note: The long sides go on the outsides of the corners!
7. Pick a corner. Square it. Put one leg on the inside of the corner. Drill a hole for one lag screw all the way into the leg, insert the screw with a washer, hammer it in to set it, and tighten it with the socket wrench until it’s almost tight. Square the leg. Drill the 2nd hole on the same side and insert the lag screw the same way. Now square again, and do the same on the other side of the leg. Do this for all four legs.
8. Place the midbeam piece in the very center of the rectangle longways, and screw it in with 4 lag screws so that the 2×4 is sitting perpendicular to the ground–vertically.
9. Flip the bed over. You’ll have to do a little math to know exactly how much space is required between each slat, but mine was 3.27 inches. Screw in all the slats with 3 screws each, one on each side and one in the midbeam.
10. Flip it over one more time and drill the holes for the casters and insert.
That’s it, you’re done!
CatChat Ep. 4 Mar. 1, 2010
Luna: Hey y’all, like, it’s us, Luna and Morris!
Morris: Hey.
Luna: So Morris, I guess the Olympics are over, huh?
Morris: Ya.
Luna: Morris, what’s wrong? You’re not very chatty.
Morris: Nuthin’. I’m buzy. With my ball.
Luna: Ah right well, more on that later I suppose.
Morris: Ya.
Luna: Ooooooook. Anyway, so like I said, the Olympics are over. I have to say I’m kinda happy, TV was getting boring!
Morris: Hey Luna, do you think ball-rolling is an Olympic event?
Luna: What do you mean, ball rolling?
Morris: Well, Mom and DaddyTomCat got me this ball.
Luna: Oh ya?
Morris: Yeah. So I like to roll it. In the kitchen. For hours. It’s AWESOME. I think maybe I like it cause it smells nice. Like catnip. I love the nip. Maybe I’m addicted.
Luna: mmmhmm……nip. It’s good stuff. Well Morris, I don’t think ball-rolling is an Olympic event. But I bet if you sent them a letter they might consider it.
Morris: Yeah, I should write them a letter. I’ll use DaddyTomCat’s compooper to write it.
Luna: Ya I used DaddyTomCat’s compooper to write a letter this week to Macy, she’s our cuzzin you know, but DaddyTomCat thought it was funny cause I guess I hit a button wrong cause his computer was all funny when he and Mom got home with tha foodz.
Morris: HAAAAAA Good one Luna!
Luna: So what else is new with you lately?
Morris: Mom let me play her Ninnento last night. Wanna see?
Morris: Look Luna, that’s me! I was playing a fighting game, HHIIIIIIYA!!!!! Karate Chop!
Luna: Well, I suppose that’s nice for you. Wanna know what I did last night?
Morris: No, not really.
Luna: Fine, you miserable beast.
Morris: Well, if you’re gonna get all huffy about it go ahead I guess. Then can we have foodz?
Luna: Oh yes, fine. So I was a mechanic last night! Mom let me fix her compooper!
Morris: HAHAHAAAAA, YOU SAID POOP!
Luna: Shut up Morris. Look at my pitcher.
Luna: See, that’s me with my screwdriver. Mom let me organize the cables last night too, they tasted good.
Morris: Foodz?
Luna: No Morris, CABLES. Yum. But I can only organize the cables with superbizion cuz I get carried away sometimes and then DaddyTomCat yells at me cuz somehoaw the headphone nobby came apart from the cable! But I was just organizing it, I swear!
Morris: Foodz. I’m going now.
Luna: Ok kittyfolks, I guess that’s it, Morris has run off to find noms. See you next time!
CatChat Episode 3, Feb. 19th, 2010
Luna: Hello all you kittycats! Morris and I are here once again to discuss recent events. Say hi Morris.
Morris: sup.
Luna: So Morris have you been watching the kittylympics? I really love that Flying Tomato, rawr!
Morris: Ugh Luna, you’re so gross. Blech! Wait. Food? Where?
Luna: So I was watching with Mom. I saw that Flying Tomato do lots of spins, and he won a gold medal! What the heck are these humans supposed to do with these medals anyway?
Morris: Uhhhh. They’re toys, duh! They throw them and then chase them!
Luna: Maybe… they are pretty shiny. Anyway, this girl slid down a huuuuuuge mountain with long skinny boards on her feet, and they gave her a medal too! But Morris, did you see all the other girls flying down the mountain? They all fell and some really got hurt!
Morris: Yeah I was watching. I wanted to chase them!
Luna: So Morris, you know Mom’s been talking about this thing “taxes” for a while now. Yes, I just used cat paw air quotes. Anyway, She says we’ll get lots of money this year. I wonder if she’ll buy us a real mouse…
Morris: OOOOOO A REAL MOUSE! MEEEEOOOWWW KILLKILL!
Luna: Dude, chill. And last but not least on the list of items in the news, Tiger Woods is annoying. He doesn’t look like a tiger, and he doesn’t look like a tree either. What’s he good for? He needs to go away.
Morris: I totally agree. I can’t climb a human or a Tiger. VVVVrrrOOOOmmm!
Luna: That’s it for catchat today folks. More news next week!
Morris: Later y’all. I got foodz to nom.
CatChat, Feb. 8, 2010
Luna: So big world, welcome to CatChat Episode 1, on February 8th, 2010. Morris and I are here to fill you in on the recent events of the world. Say Hi, Morris.
Morris: Ohai. You has food?
Luna: So Morris, what do you think of the new iPad?
Morris: Well, I thinks that I like Mom’s iPhone the same as the new iPad. But I can sit on the iPad better, so’s maybe I iz likin’ that one better. But Mom already reads books on her phone and she doesn’t seem to mind, and the iPad looks like Big Daddy TomCat just rollllllllled over it with a steamroller, so why’z Mom buyin’ that one? No, I’s good with the furst one. ‘Til maybe Mom can look up kitty training tips and check her mailz and surf the net all at the same time. Nope, she don’t needz one yet til they’z better.
Luna: Very interesting Morris. I think I like the iPad better because I can actually use my paws to navigate with the bigger buttons on the bigger screen. It’s like an iPod touch built for kitties!
Morris: Oh, youz right Luna. We needz one. Tell Mommy! So hey Luna, did you hear bout the puppy bowl last night?
Luna: Of course I did dummy, I didn’t sleep through it like you did!
Morris: Oh right, well, I saw some of it, there were loooootz of puppies! They should’ve let me play, I woulda killd em all ded! HYYYYYAAAA! Karate CHOP!
Luna: Morris. Shut up. The humans weren’t watching the puppy bowl, the were watching the SUPER BOWL. Duh. So Mom and Big Daddy TomCat didn’t watch it. But Mom told me she was cheering for the Colts, cause this human Peyton Manning is the quarterfront… no, wait, quarterback, and he throws the ball for the Colts, and he used to throw the ball for Mom’s home place, Tennessee, so she likes him. But she said she’s ok that the Saints won, cause they needed it. She said lots of water went into their houses a few years ago and things haven’t been so good since.
Morris: Ball? What? I’ll chase the ball! I’ll kill it! Ya!
Luna: Aaaaaanyway. Morris, you’re so lame. So next up, I was writing my mailz this morning and I saw that the cops in China (Morris, that’s far away from here, you’d never make it, don’t even try) arrested some sort of hacking school in China. Crazy, they have schools for that! Mom and Big Daddy TomCat talk about that sometimes, I’m not sure what it is but I don’t think it’s good. A gazillion years ago when I first came to live with Mom she got real upset cause some hackers were bothering her at work. She’s so smart tho, she blocked them all and they stopped.
Morris: Don’t worry Mommy, I’ll karate chop them!!!
Mom: Thanks Morris, but I think I’ve got it covered *smirk*
Morris: *mumble* what’s that mean?… whatever. Well, so, hey, Luna, didja hear bout that mean TomCat that put his little girl-kitten in water cause she wouldn’t say her letters? He went all the way across the whole earth to fight against some other people, and he got so upset bout the fighting that he just couldn’t stop being mad. So when he got back home he was trying to get his girl-kitten to say her letters and she didn’t want to, you know like sometimes how Mom wants me to leave you alone but I just wanna keep playing. So then he put her head under water and held her there! I am SO MAD at that TomCat! Rawrrr! But mostly I’m just sad for him and his girl-kitten. I hope theyz get better, cuz it’s so sad that he’s hurt and now his girl-kitten is hurt too. Seez Luna, I can say important stuff too. So there. Nya.
Luna: Morris, sometimes you surprise me. Then I hate you again. That’s all for now folks. I hope you’ll come back for CatChat next week.
Mom: Hey readers, if you have a question for Luna or Morris, be sure to leave a comment. They’ll answer them as best they can, as long as they eat their kibble and go to bed on time. Tata!
Luna and Morris: Bye y’all, MEOW!
Morris: food? please?
New CatChat Segment on SM.com
Hello, and welcome to the new segment on Spunmonkey called CatChat, with Luna and Morris. Today we’re going to get to know Luna and Morris a little better, because they’ll be regularly reporting here on Spunmonkey.com.
SM.com: Hello Luna and Morris. We’re so glad to have you here today, and contributing to Spunmonkey.com.
Luna: Like, it’s totally rad that we’re here.
Morris: Dude. Are you gonna feed us?
SM.com: Yes Morris, just after we finish chatting.
Morris: OK. You promise? I’m hungry. I’m always hungry. *sniff sniff*
SM.com: Yes Morris. I promise. Now, Luna, perhaps you could tell the readers how you came to live in the SM household?
Luna: OK so like, I was living outside, and it was really cold, but, like, I got to play a lot. OK so one day I was trying to climb a tree, but I had to climb a fence first, and I was perched at the top of the fence, cause like, duh, who doesn’t like to perch, and this nice lady came and got me.
SM.com: Sounds like perching on a fence would be scary, were you scared?
Luna: Who, me? Like, lolz, no way! (um. yes. a little. shh.) I love high places! OK anyway, so I lived with this lady, and her TomCat, and a very fat boy cat named Hammy, and a mean old codger named Jaws for a while.
SM.com: Did you like Hammy and Jaws?
Luna: So like, it’s complicated. I played with Hammy sometimes but it took a while to not be scared of him. He’s so fat! lolz! Jaws was just mean, no cat likes him. But yeah, so I stayed in that house for a long time, like a gazillion years-
SM.com: Um Luna, I think it was one year…
Luna: OK yeah, whatever. Anyway, so then after I was all healthy and happy and I got snipped and clipped my foster Mom and her TomCat decided it was time for me to move on to my forever home. So they put up a piece of paper in the big room where my current Mom and TomCat buy the food and my current Mom called the same day. She said I was sooooo pretty, like, duh, And I didn’t need to be snipped and clipped, of course cause I’m so perfect already, that she and TomCat came and got me the same day!
SM.com: And Morris, how did you come to live with your Mom and TomCat and Luna?
Morris: Ayyyyyyyeeeeee!!!!!! Hiyah! I karate chop youuu!
SM.com: Morris? hello? I’ll give you a nice piece of cat candy if you’ll answer me!
Morris: Oh fine. So Mom and TomCat were shopping for Luna’s grub and saw me at the animal store and TomCat wanted me real bad cause I was tiny and black and cute so they hadoptered me and took me home and fed me lots and now I’m big and vicious! HIYAAAA!
SM.com: So where were you before you went to live with your Mom and TomCat?
Morris: OK so I was lost with my brothers and sisters, Mama couldn’t find us, but this huuuuuge man picked us all up and took us to this place full of animals and he thought I was SOOOO cute that he couldn’t put me in the killing room *shudderrrrr* so he called this nice lady and she came and got me and took me home and fed me lots then took me to the food place for Moms and TomCats to look at me. But I’m so handsome I didn’t have to stay there long!
SM.com: So Luna and Morris, do you guys have any hobbies?
Luna: Um, well, so like, I like to watch. A lot. And sit with Mom, and sometimes if I’m really bored I break the rules just for fun. Like walking on the eating table, and chewing on cables. Yummy cables!
Morris: I’m a ninja!!! I run and run and run and attack invisbible bad cats and I jump on Luna (she doesn’t like that). And I eat! I love to eat! Eat eat eat! Are you gonna feed us now?
SM.com: Soon Morris, soon. So Luna, do you like Morris?
Luna: Um, dude, get real. He’s an annoying little rat monkey! He attacks me all the time for no good reason, my blood pressure is through the roof, and I don’t even have time to talk to my girlfriend cats on the phone anymore! And when I try to call them he takes my kittyphone and smashes it! He’s such a stupid boy.
SM.com: So Morris, do you like living here in the house?
Morris: I LUVS it! It’s so warm and cosy and there’s so much stuff to break! And all I have to do if I want to play with Mommy is break something and let her chase me allllll around and around and around hahahahahahah and there’s always food and water and loads of toys and it’s never cold and I always have Luna to talk to.
SM.com: So do you two have anything in common? Are you actually friends?
Luna: Dude. I can like, for 100% certain say, without a doubt, we are NOT friends! But I think it’s easier to let Morris do what he wants within reason. I mean, he’s gonna do it anyway so I just try to stay out of his way. He really REALLY pisses me off though when he jumps on me. Not cool man, NOT COOL.
Morris: Food? Now?
SM.com: Yes Morris, just one more question. Where did your names come from?
Morris: OK realz fast cause I’m HUNGRY Luna’s called that cause she has a white tummy but everywhere else she’s all black and TomCat wanted to call me Morris, and Mom wanted to call me something clever, so they decided together to call me Morris Blackadder III I think Blackadder is a funny show or something. Whatever. I am SUPER-MORRISSSSSS!!! HEEEEEYAAAAAA!
SM.com: Well thanks Morris and Luna, I’m sure the readers will be happy to hear from your interesting perspectives in the future.
Morris: Give me food now or die.
I exist, I really do!
Well apparently I have fallen off the face of the blogging planet, or maybe I just found better things to do. But in case people are actually still reading this, I’ll update.
Brian is here permanently from Ireland. We’re engaged, wedding is in May 2011 (it’s far away so non-US residents have time to plan).
We got a new cat, in addition to my own cat Luna. His name is Morris, I’m sure there are photos here somewhere. I don’t like him.
I work as the IT Coordinator of the music department at an unnamed university (I’m not getting dooced!) and I love my job. I’m working on several Apple technician certifications in 2010, which will hopefully result in a significant promotion/raise; although really, I make decent money for what I do.
We live in a constant state of disarray. Things are always changing in small ways and that’s the norm for us. I don’t think our lives will ever really calm down, not in the next 10 years or so anyway, so when crazy things happen, short of life changing events, I just don’t bother to blog them anymore. Sorry! We spend our days working and our nights being quiet, playing Wii or XBox, crafting, reading, or otherwise not going out and spending money. There’s a moratorium on that for the next two years. Brian’s looking for a car (this doesn’t count in the moratorium!) but we need to wait for a few things to shake out before we really tackle that aggressively.
We just got back from Tennessee last week. It felt so great to be home in my mountains, but it’s hard sometimes being a guest for extended periods. I had never really experienced that before moving to Ohio. I really would like to get back to TN permanently at some point in the future, but it all depends on how the pieces of our life puzzle land in the next few weeks. Part of me wants to stay here for the financial security, but a big part of me is really homesick, and probably always will be.
I am hoping for some massive news in the next week or so. I’ll be sure to post as soon as we hear.
Quicken, WTF?!
When I upgraded to Snow Leopard the only thing that gave me a lot of trouble was Quicken. It simply refused to download my statement info from my bank. I kept getting the same error, so after a little digging I found this: a “stealth” update that Intuit didn’t bother to tell anyone about! Since I installed it I’ve been downloading away. *Note – I had to use the “alternate” installation method.
Morris
Gone are the days of Luna’s Spaceship, for now she is miffed that we have added Morris Blackadder III to the family.
