Why do they sell this stuff?

I was in my local big box store again, this time for some stain. I came across a two in one stain and polyurethane concoction. It boasted a nice color and a two coat process that would leave a nice matte finish. So I bought it.

The next day I decided to look on the internet to see if there are any tips or tricks to using the stuff. To my horror, there is nothing good to say about the stuff at all. Everyone is recommending to throw it out and do the stain first, then urethane after. Thankfully, I have not opened it yet, and will return it and get the stain and urethane - separately. Whew! That was close!

In the meantime, I used the wood filler to close up the gaps and cracks (crappy whitewood). I will have to go back and sand it smooth before I can treat for staining. I hope I can get the staining done this weekend. I also have to drill the pocket holes and pilot holes too!

Sanding for the finish

So, last weekend resulted in a learning experience that could be classified as frustrating, but overcome. I learned the hard way that white wood sucks for making anything besides a chock block for a vehicle. I found so many cracks and holes during my sanding, that I ended up removing chunks of wood from the boards in an attempt to get out the cracks. My theory being that removing the cracks will help make the boards less susceptible to cracking later.

One of the notches resulting from crack removal...

I have also ordered wood filler and pre-stain treatment as I am getting ready to assemble within the next weekend or two. My research on the 'net has told me that this cheap wood will stain in a blotchy manner unless treated. OK - I'll try what they say.

The base frame of the bed

Sanding, sanding, sanding... Holy crap it is a lot of sanding. I started with 60 grit, then 100, then 150, then 180, then 220. I also read that this was the proper manner to do so instead of going straight to 220. I did skip over steps for the cedar spars, and found that there was a significant difference in quality. The white wood boards are extremely smooth and nice (it was also very satisfying to feel the difference at the end of each step) while the cedar still feels grainy. I am okay with that a the cedar will not be seen or touched once the mattress is on. I plan to leave it unfinished for the cedar aroma.

When I bought the wood, I thought the grey looked cool - as I was sanding, I decided that this was the softer, more flawed outer part of the tree and regretted buying them...

The sanding was tedious, but the whole time I was thinking about the next project. I was also thinking about how to improve my skills by using mortise and tenon, box joints, or dove tail joints. I am eager to learn those as I think it will add a level of professionalism to my projects if executed well. We will see what the next project is and how I will incorporate one of these into it.

Here is the miter saw and stand I got for $280 from a pawn shop. It really made cutting the boards a breeze!  (Ignore the mess behind the tool!

I realized that the platform bed was going to be too low on its own, so I bought these legs from a big box store ('never stop improving') to raise the bed. We'll see how this works out...

From the beginning...

So I decided to give my future Wife a bed for our wedding. My previous experience with woodworking has mostly been follow instructions and make a lot of mistakes as I attempt to fabricate something cheap and not a whole lot of trust needed if I don't succeed. Now I have promised to build a bed. And as a wedding present. No pressure.

Jess understands that I am not trying to build the best bed in the world, and that I have a lot to learn about woodworking. So she is extremely patient and supportive and thankfully doesn't expect much (we are on a budget!).

So here I am. Deciding to write a blog about my failures and triumphs, probably because I know no one is listening... I have to admit, I have already failed. On a few things. The wood I bought previously was 1" think, when the plans called for 2". Not a big deal structurally, but I didn't take the new dimensions into account when I cut some pieces, so I am starting over.

I also tried to be fancy and used a router on the edges - the same edges that mate to another board. Needless to say there were unsightly gaps, and as I was using 1" thick (well 3/4" actual) some of the wood cracked when I drove in the screws. Lastly, I did not actually think about the dimensions of the planned bed, and when I started assembling, realized the bed was going to be very low - too low for our preference (would have dropped the bed 6" from its current height - where we like it).

Now I have thicker wood (although I have to join them to make a wider board), legs (verified to give us good height), and some more determination. I hope this round goes my way...

You can take a look at the plans I started with at http://www.thedesignconfidential.com/2011/08/free-diy-furniture-plans-build-viva-terra-inspired-vintage-fir-platform-bed-full-size