Brad, great set of instructions and step-by-step guide. I ended up building two of these for my kiddos (one red and one blue). I modified the design a bit so you can flip the bed over to make it a standard twin (just with a big head board and footboard). So we have one lofted bed and another un-lofted loft bed. Love the channel. Keep up the good work.
Just got done with this build using your plans. I did add additional 2x4's on the back side of each step of the ladder just as you did at the top to prevent a foot grab where the mattress sits because my daughter said the single 2x4 edge hurt her feet as she was climbing.
For my daughters queen size loft bed I just took her existing bed and added 4 (4x4) legs and supported it as needed. Now when she gets older I can just take the loft extensions off and she will have her original undamaged queen size bed. Worked out great and was cheap
Man, this comes at a great time. My dad and I were planning on building two of these in the next couple of months. Now I don't have to reinvent the wheel. Thanks for another great vid!
@@Fixthisbuildthat one question, what is the measurement from the floor to the bottom of the bed, just wondering cause I wanna add a desk for me to work at.
I would have absolutely loved this as a kid! It would have been so cool to come home from a long day of school and start reading comics under my bed fort!
I'm feeling a bit of nostalgia watching this. I built my son the same bed 3 years ago and ended up using 2x4's and 2x6's. It's still holding up very well. I also added on the small platform on the footboard going from Ana White's plans. Other than that, I pretty much built Jay's version of the bed. My daughter has been asking me to build her a bed as well. But I'm not sure it will be the same design as she will probably want more of a day bed or modern design.
Just used your loft bed as inspiration for mine. But mine, I might add, is a queen sized (adult) futon loft bed with two tatami mat panels. I’m using the 2x6 mattress frame, 2x4 legs, 2x2 matttess supports (holding the tatami panels), and 1x3s for the slats. Pocket joinery on the mattress frame, 2” screws countersunk to connect the legs to the mattress frame, and 2 1/2” screws to connect the 2x2s to the side 2x6 mattress frame boards. I also used a bit of glue for the 2x2s as well.. (hoping the screws will hold the weight that will be placed on them!!!) Also, I incorporated yakisugi (shou Sugi ban) into the process, creating a darker wood, and an amazing grain texture! The feel of the ebb and flow of the grain is lovely! As for your bed, I wish that I had one as a kid!!!!
Just finished one of these and its pretty awesome! unfortunately all my twins are Twin XL, so 5 inches longer. Instead of extending the whole thing 5", I extended it 3" and rotated the bottom piece of the bed box to lie flat. This also helped with the gap between the box and the top step. Anyhow, my son loves it!
When I was a kid, my Dad made me a similar loft bed, but he used nothing but 2x6's for the head and foot, assembled flat and then lag screwed into the endgrain of the long rails. Instead of slats, he cut down a sheet of three-quarter inch plywood, and reinforced it with three 2x4 slats screwed into the underside. Biggest difference - he made me a corner desk underneath and mounted a single fluorescent light fixture to give me some illumination. He finished it with a walnut stain and satin poly so it looked more like fine furniture than something you'd find in a kid's room. I kept that thing until I graduated high school and was just too tall to sleep in a twin bed any more. I wish I had some pics of it, it was a beautiful piece.
This is the truth! I’m building two of these at the same time, and I bought 4 right angle clamps, but still need about 12 c-clamps to not lose my mind working on this! I’m thankful to my neighbor’s husband, who had 87 clamps and let me borrow whatever I need.
I have seen a lot of diy loft beds... this one is by far the least complicated design. I like the end product. It looks a lot sturdier than the $200+ loft beds I have found online, plus this looks like it would be easy to add a desk to, or even a fold down murphy bed as a buddy bunk...
Good plans, worth the time saving thanks! I made a few small changes. I eliminated the lower bracing (J and a D); not needed since the "bed frame", the "Head and guard rails" and the L shape leg design create a strong geometry and would make buckling very unlikely. Also my daughter wanted a desk underneath and more headspace there, so I added 4 inches to the feet area. Also her twin bed is a bit more puffy than average twin and she wanted to tuck in her blankets on the sides and feet, so I added 3" to the side and 1.5 inches to the foot of the bed frame.
Love the build my man -- wondering when you choose to use wood glue vs no wood glue? Noticed here it was all just screwed together. Keep up the great work!
Not sure if you did, but I would screw down some or all of the slats at both ends. I made beds in the past with a similar design and the 2X6’s that the slats sat on bowed outwards over time and then the slats fell through. I ended up having to use a small 1/8” cable with a turnbuckle between two eye bolts in the centre of the 2x6’s to pull them back together so that they weren’t spreading and dropping the slats. Love the bed, kind of wish I had built this for our boys instead of mates beds, since they have small bedrooms
wow, those boards much have really bowed a ton! I have them on 2x2's so they'd have to bow over 1.5" combined. But we are actually changing out the mattress, so I'll probably just whip some screws in there for good measure. Thanks!
Great plans Brad! I made this with my 4-year old and he loves it! We skipped the mattress, opted for yoga mats, and installed an escape hatch. It definitely wasn't $75, but the funnest $250 I've spent with my son thus far! For my first major woodworking project, I'm pretty satisfied! I posted a video about it if anyone is interested! Cheers, and have fun everyone!
Happy Holidays. Thank you for sharing the experience with everyone. Inspired me to do the same project for my son. Bit that would have to wait until spring. Cool channel as well. I follow you on ig but definitely will favorite this video, very informative.
This build caught my interest. I am a carpenter, so I am going to do some minor changes, using 2x3s instead. I noticed you drilled pocket holes, but didn't use some of them. Am I correct, and why?
Now all I need to do is pray that my client doesn't see this video. I made him a bunk bed that looks exactly like this, and I charged him $350. But then again, materials for his bed cost $250. Good wood costs a lot over here.
Even if you got the lumber for $75 you have to charge for your time and overhead, so I think $350 is actually cheap. Way too cheap if you spent $250 on materials!!! Don't undervalue your work!
My mind is blown just watching this guy do his work. I don’t have the tools are the means to build something like this yet, so I’ll just have to build my daughter a crappy one 😂
From now on for the rest of my life I will use "peas and carrots" when referring to when something is good. Also, extra points for the use of "garish".
Hey brad. I purchased the plans for this bed and am trying to build it but I have a few questions. Is there a way to contact you with those questions? Please let me know. Thank you!!!!
Great build, was just wondering you mentioned that you could use pocket holes for the L shaped pieces. Where would you put pocket holes so they are not seen from outside and also go into the meat of the wood?
I would put them on the inside of the 2x4's and still glue it. The glue is what provides the strength. So even though the screws are going out the joint will be very very strong. Then I'd plug the holes and paint over them
Excellent video, like all of yours are. Question when you pocket holed the corners my understanding is the angle that the screws went in to the end board are weaker than if you would have done it from the outside. I hope you know what I mean. Could you comment on this? Many thanks and I wish I had seen this when my kids were little as this would have been a great project.
I think it's a matter of need vs capability. Is the way I did it less strong...probably. Is it still fully capable of holding the load...absolutely. The real holding power is from the frame attaching to the legs with 6 screws per corner. The frame boards technically don't even have to be joined together
I bought your plans and they are very helpful. Can you please share what paint and primer brand did you use? I want something that is good quality and yours seems like a good one. Also, can you please list out the drill bits used?
Brad, great set of instructions and step-by-step guide. I ended up building two of these for my kiddos (one red and one blue). I modified the design a bit so you can flip the bed over to make it a standard twin (just with a big head board and footboard). So we have one lofted bed and another un-lofted loft bed. Love the channel. Keep up the good work.
Having a carpenter for a dad = awesome!! 😊
having an engineer with a whole factory of his own is >>>>>>> awesome!!
Just got done with this build using your plans. I did add additional 2x4's on the back side of each step of the ladder just as you did at the top to prevent a foot grab where the mattress sits because my daughter said the single 2x4 edge hurt her feet as she was climbing.
This is amazing that you can do this! Your family is lucky to have you.
For my daughters queen size loft bed I just took her existing bed and added 4 (4x4) legs and supported it as needed. Now when she gets older I can just take the loft extensions off and she will have her original undamaged queen size bed. Worked out great and was cheap
Man, this comes at a great time. My dad and I were planning on building two of these in the next couple of months. Now I don't have to reinvent the wheel. Thanks for another great vid!
Awesome! I'd love to see the builds when you make them
Thanks for the shout out. And yes, that is definitely painters tape blue :)
Those cleats were a lifesaver, Jay! Install was so much easier with them 👍
@@Fixthisbuildthat one question, what is the measurement from the floor to the bottom of the bed, just wondering cause I wanna add a desk for me to work at.
I would have absolutely loved this as a kid! It would have been so cool to come home from a long day of school and start reading comics under my bed fort!
yeah, same here!
I'm feeling a bit of nostalgia watching this. I built my son the same bed 3 years ago and ended up using 2x4's and 2x6's. It's still holding up very well. I also added on the small platform on the footboard going from Ana White's plans. Other than that, I pretty much built Jay's version of the bed. My daughter has been asking me to build her a bed as well. But I'm not sure it will be the same design as she will probably want more of a day bed or modern design.
My daughter already has the daybed and now wants this instead 😀
Just used your loft bed as inspiration for mine. But mine, I might add, is a queen sized (adult) futon loft bed with two tatami mat panels.
I’m using the 2x6 mattress frame, 2x4 legs, 2x2 matttess supports (holding the tatami panels), and 1x3s for the slats.
Pocket joinery on the mattress frame, 2” screws countersunk to connect the legs to the mattress frame, and 2 1/2” screws to connect the 2x2s to the side 2x6 mattress frame boards. I also used a bit of glue for the 2x2s as well.. (hoping the screws will hold the weight that will be placed on them!!!)
Also, I incorporated yakisugi (shou Sugi ban) into the process, creating a darker wood, and an amazing grain texture! The feel of the ebb and flow of the grain is lovely!
As for your bed, I wish that I had one as a kid!!!!
Great video, you inspired me to make a bunk bed for my girls.
I wish I had a shop like yours 👍😁
Nice Work.. as usual. Yes, the pinching lumber is common and dangerous for amateurs.
Yes, it can definitely scare you if you aren't ready for it
Man, I'm from Mexico and this video is amazing! You have filled me with inspiration ❤
Just finished one of these and its pretty awesome! unfortunately all my twins are Twin XL, so 5 inches longer. Instead of extending the whole thing 5", I extended it 3" and rotated the bottom piece of the bed box to lie flat. This also helped with the gap between the box and the top step. Anyhow, my son loves it!
Would love to see a pic, I want to build this and also have a TwinXL.
@@dustincathers9575 I meant to blog about it. I’m traveling so I’ll have to send details at the end of the week.
When I was a kid, my Dad made me a similar loft bed, but he used nothing but 2x6's for the head and foot, assembled flat and then lag screwed into the endgrain of the long rails. Instead of slats, he cut down a sheet of three-quarter inch plywood, and reinforced it with three 2x4 slats screwed into the underside. Biggest difference - he made me a corner desk underneath and mounted a single fluorescent light fixture to give me some illumination. He finished it with a walnut stain and satin poly so it looked more like fine furniture than something you'd find in a kid's room.
I kept that thing until I graduated high school and was just too tall to sleep in a twin bed any more. I wish I had some pics of it, it was a beautiful piece.
Wow, sounds amazing and that's great you have such a fond memory of something from your dad. Hope my boy has the same memories!
Really cool. Pass it onto your kids and remember what he did and build it. Or heck, rebuild one for yourself 😂.
Looks really good
thank you!
Just looked at the one you built. That thing is a beast!!! Nicely done!
@@Fixthisbuildthat Thank you very much. It was a little intimidating, but I loved building it even more than most of my other stuff.
cole idea love the coler.
how long does it take to bild and paint?
I definitely hit my head on the fan in my childhood room getting onto the top bunk many times 😂
Just love the way you built, that color hah! amazing.
Dad of the freaking year! Looks great
Awesome video, now I just need $500 worth of clamps.
Let me grab my planer. Standard first buys for a diyer. Hammer, screwdriver and then planer.
And fancy machinery😄
Ctfu
😂😂😂😂
This is the truth! I’m building two of these at the same time, and I bought 4 right angle clamps, but still need about 12 c-clamps to not lose my mind working on this! I’m thankful to my neighbor’s husband, who had 87 clamps and let me borrow whatever I need.
Hoping to have my own carpentry business and love watching your videos and I am going to watch you for tips so thank you...
Last year I built almost the exact same bed, same color and LEDs, Looks great!
must have been reading your mind!
GREATEST DAD EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I try at least :)
Annnd now my 4 y/o wants a new bed... Gives me an excuse to get back in the shop!
Great work Brad; looks great!
Oh that's a perfect age for this! He could easily walk under it for years. My guy is 9 and is a bit too tall to stand full upright. Have fun!
Man that paint job looks perfect. Maybe just the camera and lighting but looks great.
Thanks, my boy loves it!
So unique idea my son will love this loft bed too 👊
I have seen a lot of diy loft beds... this one is by far the least complicated design. I like the end product. It looks a lot sturdier than the $200+ loft beds I have found online, plus this looks like it would be easy to add a desk to, or even a fold down murphy bed as a buddy bunk...
Thanks! It's a very simple and easy design 👍
Great job. Lucky kids to have a good wood working dad👍
Good plans, worth the time saving thanks! I made a few small changes. I eliminated the lower bracing (J and a D); not needed since the "bed frame", the "Head and guard rails" and the L shape leg design create a strong geometry and would make buckling very unlikely. Also my daughter wanted a desk underneath and more headspace there, so I added 4 inches to the feet area. Also her twin bed is a bit more puffy than average twin and she wanted to tuck in her blankets on the sides and feet, so I added 3" to the side and 1.5 inches to the foot of the bed frame.
I´m tring to buy the plans on gumroad, but is not working :(
Nice build. Interesting colour too.
Great job! I don't think the color is garish, but then again Blue is my favorite color. tfs
Love the build my man -- wondering when you choose to use wood glue vs no wood glue? Noticed here it was all just screwed together. Keep up the great work!
This bed is a beast! I will make three for my creations.
Could be an easy bunk be conversion too!
Great Video! Just got the plans, my daughter is very excited. Cheers from Canada!
That's an awesome bed and the color really pops well!
Thanks, David!
Brad; Excellent video! Thank you for sharing your process! Not positive I can build it as well, but you've made me want to try it for sure. Thank you!
Nicely build!! I recently built 2 beds for my kids.
thanks!
Amazing video . And to be honest , this is the first RUclips video I ever watched . Completely watch that is
Not sure if you did, but I would screw down some or all of the slats at both ends. I made beds in the past with a similar design and the 2X6’s that the slats sat on bowed outwards over time and then the slats fell through. I ended up having to use a small 1/8” cable with a turnbuckle between two eye bolts in the centre of the 2x6’s to pull them back together so that they weren’t spreading and dropping the slats. Love the bed, kind of wish I had built this for our boys instead of mates beds, since they have small bedrooms
wow, those boards much have really bowed a ton! I have them on 2x2's so they'd have to bow over 1.5" combined. But we are actually changing out the mattress, so I'll probably just whip some screws in there for good measure. Thanks!
Great plans Brad! I made this with my 4-year old and he loves it! We skipped the mattress, opted for yoga mats, and installed an escape hatch. It definitely wasn't $75, but the funnest $250 I've spent with my son thus far! For my first major woodworking project, I'm pretty satisfied! I posted a video about it if anyone is interested! Cheers, and have fun everyone!
Simply awesome great job👍👍👍
Appreciate it!
Another awesome build. Thank you.
you're welcome!
Good job dad!
Happy Holidays. Thank you for sharing the experience with everyone. Inspired me to do the same project for my son. Bit that would have to wait until spring. Cool channel as well. I follow you on ig but definitely will favorite this video, very informative.
Thanks, and hope your kiddo loves it when you make one!
This build caught my interest. I am a carpenter, so I am going to do some minor changes, using 2x3s instead. I noticed you drilled pocket holes, but didn't use some of them. Am I correct, and why?
Always enjoy your videos 👍✌️
Definitely investing in a planer
it's a wonderful tool!
As someone who's hit their head on a fan in the morning, you learn pretty quick
I love it. Such a cool design.
Nice work on the loft bed Brad! Thank you for sharing the video with us all.👌👍😎JP
you're welcome!
😎
Awesome job Brad! 😃👌🏻👍🏻👊🏻
thanks, Fred!!
Very Nice 👍
Thanks for sharing
What a great looking BED... Love the colour as well.. The best looks solid and cool 👍
Awesome! Nice work! Now to make one for my toddler lol
I'm sure he/she will love it!
Thank you! My son will enjoy it
Great Build Brad. 👍👏
thanks, Gary!
the workshop is complete.. everything is easy to do..
Sounds like sister needs to get the 2.0 version with an integrated desk.
Or integrated dress up station. I already made her a desk too, and no way I'm getting rid of that thing!
Really nice bed, Brad. My grandchildren are even too old for this but it looks neat.
thanks, William!
would you see any issues if this was done with 1X4, 1X6 in place of the 2X4 and 2X6s?
Great build man! As always!
thanks!
How much weight would this bed hold? Looking to make a loft bed that can hold a full bed and two adults. (would make it a bigger size with same plans)
Now all I need to do is pray that my client doesn't see this video. I made him a bunk bed that looks exactly like this, and I charged him $350. But then again, materials for his bed cost $250. Good wood costs a lot over here.
Even if you got the lumber for $75 you have to charge for your time and overhead, so I think $350 is actually cheap. Way too cheap if you spent $250 on materials!!! Don't undervalue your work!
$100 for the tools, labor and experience to make the bed is a bargain for your client.
350 is super cheap for hand made bunk beds when selling...I don't sell a single twin under 400...🤔
@@Fixthisbuildthat one thing i learned from the joker, "if you're good at something, never do it for free"
Jhuliz AJL - Construction grade 2 x 4s would work fine IMO
Very great job nice bed👍👍👍
thanks!
After looking online for a loft bed and not liking the quality out there I'm wondering if building it or having built might be better
Nice build.
This project cost me $4,075 once I bought the table saw, router, and mitre saw ...
Lmaoo
Count yourself lucky, mine was over $200k when factoring in the house!
You don't understand. The projects are excuses for the tools.
😂😂😂
You forgot the planer…
Looks great and well built. My only fear is the 1x4 slates, are they strong enough? I'd be worried my kids would find a way to break them.
My mind is blown just watching this guy do his work. I don’t have the tools are the means to build something like this yet, so I’ll just have to build my daughter a crappy one 😂
From now on for the rest of my life I will use "peas and carrots" when referring to when something is good.
Also, extra points for the use of "garish".
😂 😂 👍
big points for garish
Oh wow.. that was awesome to watch. Nice clean work.
Are these 1x4 "TRUE" 1x4s? Cause mine are 5/8" thick in canada and they are slightly sagging and cracking 😂. Could I use a 3/4" plywood instead?
Turned out great thanks for the walk through!
What is the tool you used to cut the biscuit slots?
Love the build! Confused about the $75 claimed price though. Just the wood alone is around $170 anywhere I look :(
This vid was from 2019 - lumber prices skyrocketed during the pandemic ☹️
this when you could by a 2x4 for $2
Not to mention all the tools 😂😂😂
Great tips thank you!
great build for a college bed too, gives space under bed for a desk
Hey brad. I purchased the plans for this bed and am trying to build it but I have a few questions. Is there a way to contact you with those questions? Please let me know. Thank you!!!!
Fixthisbuildthat.com/contact 👍
awesome build!...as always. thanks
Thanks, Douglas!
Cool build mate! You’ve got some awesome quality camera shots in this vids! Well done
thank you!!
So what would you change if you wanted to disassemble it but not have exposed hardware? (Thinking)
6:47 Here I used glue, nails and screws. Screws are weaker than nails when there are shearing forces.
Finally someone using a mask while working. Refreshing
Awesome job man
Thanks!
Are the biscuits + glue actually strong enough to hold the legs without any screws?
wood glue is stronger than wood once it cures, so adding biscuits only amplifies this strength
Check out my new FTBT MERCH store! shopfixthisbuildthat.com
Get the PLANS for the Loft Bed: gum.co/loftbed
Good luck with the sequel
hehehe, you know i'm powerless to my daughter!
You're very talented, skilled! I'm thinking about just living in a tree.😂😆💚🌳
One cost I dont' see... how much paint and primer did you use? I don't know if I need 1 or 2 quarts to cover a whole bed... or a gallon.
👍nice color good job thanks
Essa dica de colocar um taquinho pra abrir a madeira é simples, mais nunca havia pensado nisso.... Obrigado
Great build, was just wondering you mentioned that you could use pocket holes for the L shaped pieces. Where would you put pocket holes so they are not seen from outside and also go into the meat of the wood?
I would put them on the inside of the 2x4's and still glue it. The glue is what provides the strength. So even though the screws are going out the joint will be very very strong. Then I'd plug the holes and paint over them
What type of screws were used and how much weight can this support
Thanks!
thanks for the Super Thanks!! 💪
Excellent video, like all of yours are. Question when you pocket holed the corners my understanding is the angle that the screws went in to the end board are weaker than if you would have done it from the outside. I hope you know what I mean. Could you comment on this? Many thanks and I wish I had seen this when my kids were little as this would have been a great project.
I think it's a matter of need vs capability. Is the way I did it less strong...probably. Is it still fully capable of holding the load...absolutely. The real holding power is from the frame attaching to the legs with 6 screws per corner. The frame boards technically don't even have to be joined together
@@Fixthisbuildthat Thank-you for your quick reply. Very much appreciated.
I need a custom plan for loft bed for my kiddo. Are you able to prepare something for me maybe?
This turned out beautiful! We are planning to make this and alter it a bit to make it a bunk bed. What is the thickness of the mattress you used?
Thanks for sharing that
I think I might make one of these 👍
I bought your plans and they are very helpful. Can you please share what paint and primer brand did you use? I want something that is good quality and yours seems like a good one. Also, can you please list out the drill bits used?
If the plans were a bit wider to allow a full sized mattress; would the build work? Or would the whole plans change on the size of the mattress?
I want to know this one too. Don’t see it in the comments though
What paint and primer did you use for this project? Thanks and awesome job.
Kool!, great job!