Outdoor Pillows. Jane from Maflingo shares plana unique, yet simple bifold futon frame plans to create a futon that is a couch or sofa first, then a bed second. I didn't stain mine, since I didn't want the finish to get scratched up and damaged during the move. Fold the edges of the fabric to reinforce it and prevent tearing, - Staple the fabric into place on the sheathing. Maximize Your Space.

Patent pending. All rights reserved. No take-backs. If you're up for it, let's begin. If not, there's probably a rerun of the Simpsons on right now. If you're lucky, it'll be one that doesn't suck but don't hold your breath. This is a futon. It's part sofa, part bed, but so much cooler than a sofa-bed.

If multipurpose furniture were Transformers, the futon would be Optimus: confident and understated; the sofa-bed would be Wreck-Gar: trashy and hyphenated. In building this, we want a functional, sturdy hopefully aesthetically pleasing , affordable piece of furniture that will last you at least through college with proper care.

Most importantly, it must be comfortable. However, this is largely up to you. I can recommend the cushion materials and methods for making the cushion itself, but how they feel to you and what you are getting for your money will be independent of what I say or do. In other words, for comfort, you're on your own. Just use your best judgment, and if you want, experiment with other methods. This is a low-profile, smaller futon. The futon frame will be approximately As a bed, it will be 54" deep and The combined mattress is 54" x 72".

This is slightly shorter than a standard full. The reason for this is that a standard sheet of plywood is only 48" wide, and 24 is a factor of both 48 and 72, thus, using six 24" x 27" cuts, we can get away with a single Build Your Own Futon Frame Plans Queen sheet of plywood. If we made it standard full, 54"x75", we would need two sheets of plywood to accommodate the dimensions we need six 25" x 27" pieces.

I realize that in reality, we won't get two 24" pieces from a 48" piece. Because of the saw, we'll end up with a 24" piece and a But, for our purposes, it's fine. Cushion thickness will vary depending on the materials you use and how much you use, but expect around inches of thickness with my method.

For reference, my old futon had a 3" mattress and I had no trouble sleeping on it. The mattress itself will be split into 6 sections of 24" x 27" for modularity. Of course, you could make the mattress in however many pieces you wish. The seat will be about 16" off the ground where your legs hang off. The armrest will be In the bed position, the bottom of the mattress will be about 14" off the ground. You could easily build this entire futon using bolts and screws reinforcing butt joints, but there would be a lot of visible hardware showing.

In an effort to maximize aesthetics, I intentionally set out to build this with as few bolts, screws, or nails showing as possible. The best way to reduce the number of visible fasteners is to reduce the actual number of fasteners. Because of that, this futon is largely held together by mortise and tenon joints and hidden fasteners. As a matter of fact, almost every major joint load-bearing is a mortise and tenon joint.

The only exceptions will be the long pieces of the frame, which are held together with a lap joint and reinforced with 2 bolts. Every other non-major joint will be a dowel inside a butt joint. The rear of the frame is reinforced with a few screws a pocket-hole joint , but it is still fundamentally a mortise and tenon joint.

If you have the know-how to make zippered covers, more power to you. Although I used other sources as reference material, the designs specified on this project are my own. They were cobbled together after careful observation of dozens of other futons both in real life and in photographs and schematics.

It is not a copy of a single design, but an amalgam of them all, with some simplified ideas of my own thrown in. I have tried my best to give credit where it's due, but if there is any dispute, feel free to contact me. However, don't pull an Apple on me an say I stole your rounded corners. It's a futon - they all fundamentally look the same. This design is a first draft. I drew it up once, and have made no major modifications to it - much like my English essays.

And, if it's anything else like my English essays, it'll be barely passable. I'll make a note of the optional stuff as we go along. As always, pricing and availability will vary based on your location. I recommend you read the entire Instructable before beginning the project, since I will be giving a sets of alternative directions here and there. You can mix and match these alternative direction with the directions I give to customize your futon.

The main directions I provide are how I built my particular futon. The alternatives I give will either make the project easier, or harder, depending on what you are looking for in a futon. If you are a complete beginner, I would recommend you just follow my main set of instructions, word for word, and not try to make any modifications as you go along.

Zipper Extra hinges for more strength. Don't use your forehead. Sandpaper - several sheets of 40 grit to grit at least, but higher is ok. Otherwise, be prepared to call your doctor with tendonitis, because you're going to be stroking a lot of wood Word of warning: home improvement stores I won't say which one, but let's say it rhymes with Bone Creep-Oh tend to not cut lumber very accurately.

This is because they offer the service mostly to help you fit lumber in your car , not do precision cuts. Because of this, be prepared to have to do some sawing, or sanding no matter how you cut your lumber.

Here are the length cuts and dimensional cuts for plywood , grouped by brackets, with each bracket representing a single piece of lumber. Lightly use the pencil to mark the cut beforehand, then erase it afterwards if you have to.

All measurements here are in inches. As always, measure twice, cut once, and try not to lose any fingers. They're a little smaller.

Same with the 4x4s. Be sure to take this into account if you decide to substitute anything using the alternatives.

My studs were 1. I'm assuming yours are the same too. If not, adjust all the measurements in the rest of the steps as needed. If you're having trouble cutting the sheathing, I'd recommend clamping a straightedge, like a yard stick, onto the sheathing and using your Dremel multipurpose bit to cut the wood.

Place the Dremel turned off on the edge where the cut should be. Make a small mark where the edge of the Dremel cutting guide is. Then, position the straightedge at that mark and clamp it down. Follow the straightedge with your cutting guide and you should end up with a perfect line.

However, I had no trouble cutting it with the carpenter saw. The sheathing is slightly smaller than the 24"x27" specified. This is because when folded, two of the pieces will meet. Having 27" pieces will cause them to obstruct each other.

You don't have to follow these groups of cuts exactly. I'm just assuming you purchased the lumber I suggested on the previous page, but if you bought longer or shorter lengths, cut them however you want, as long as you are capable of getting all the necessary lengths. Sand down the wood a bit to make it a little smoother.

Focus especially on the cuts. Sand them down to avoid splinters. Also sand down the sharp edges of the sheathing. Once done sanding, clean the wood. Wipe it down with a clean, lightly damp, cloth.

If you can squeeze water out of the cloth, there's too much water and it will soak into the wood. You want this water to stay on the surface and dry up as fast as possible. The sheathing needs no more work. Set it aside. If there is any tree sap on the lumber, clean it with some rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth. It should dissolve and come right off with a little elbow grease.

Using either a light pencil, or a sticky-note, you will number each side of each piece with a number between Look at the picture for clarification. This is mostly to help me communicate with you, since it's easier to say turn clockwise to side 3 , rather than saying turn clockwise until a flat surface is facing up and the surface with the hole is pointing right.

Label each identical piece with a consecutive letter. This Build Your Own Futon Frame Plans In China will help you keep track of which piece is which, and will make it easier to perform the same work on multiple pieces of wood. Use the carpenter saw for large cuts, and use the dovetail saw for smaller cuts. Whenever cutting, it helps to clamp down the wood to a stable surface. Work slowly. Let the saw do the work for you. Don't force it.

Since we don't have the aid of power tools or benches with jigs to get straight lines, pay attention to what you're doing. We only have one chance to get it straight the first time. If you're worried about making a mistake, then under-cut - leave some material behind, and sand or file it down later. Better to undercut and sand for 5 minutes than over-cut and ruin the joint.

I will describe the method for creating a tenon for one piece. The rest of the tenons will be created using the same basic method. I will give the measurements for each piece.

Start with S1 facing up. Draw four lines 0. Stop when you've reached an intersecting line. This is the tenon. Use 0. This will create a 2. Return all the pieces to their corresponding piles. This step involves cutting the armrests to make them more comfortable.

This step is entirely optional and is purely aesthetic. It does not really add anything functional to the futon. At the last minute in building this, I realized I didn't like the idea of having sharp corners on the armrests, in case someone fell and hit their head or something. It was also more comfortable for a hand to grip the rounded corners than a rectangular end. One thing I didn't intend, but just ended up happening, was that the grain of the wood came out beautifully in the rounded corners.

It looks even better with some stain. At the S5 edge, draw a mark 1" in from S4. The holes we drill will be used for the wooden dowel. Plan appropriately. Use the corresponding drill bit for your dowel size. The method for drilling with remain the same for all holes. Just adjust the final hole size and depth for each hole.

The dowel hole depths do not have to be exact, but keep it in the ball-park. To drill a hole: - Begin by marking the appropriate location. This will give you a starting indentation point to create your pilot hole. The pilot hole must be as straight as possible. Stray even a little bit and it will throw off the alignment. At the intersection the center , drill a dowel hole. If you are using different size nuts and bolts, adjust the drill bit accordingly. Each lap joint will have two bolts reinforcing it.

If you are not using barrel nuts, just repeat the 37A-F steps for 37G-H. Do not go all the way through. Use an appropriate bit for the barrel nut. Mine were 13mm wide. These holes should meet up with the other holes you drilled. We will now drill holes to prep for the cushions.

Sheathing: - We will drill some holes in the sheathing to allow the cushions to "breathe. I ended up drilling six 2" holes along the top and bottom, but you can do as many or as little as you want.

I used a 2" hole cutter, but if you don't have one, just use your largest drill bit. Just don't drill within 3.

In this step, we will drill holes for the nylon wheels and the traveling bolts. The width of the hole will be the width of your nylon roller shaft. The depth will be equal to the length of the shaft minus 1.

The hole needs to be wide enough to fit the nylon roller. Make the hole wide enough bolt's hex head - Drill a 1" deep hole at the intersection nearest S5 wide enough to fit the nylon roller. Use the Dremel, if needed. For this step, you will be using the Dremel with the multipurpose cutting bit or routing bit , and the cutting guide.

You will also use the chisel and hammer to clean up the edges and corners. To create a mortice: - Draw the outline of the mortice using a pencil see below. If the pieces don't fit, sand the mortice or the tenon, whichever is easier until you get a perfect fit. The last bit of routing. Here, we will route out the channel in which the bolt travels. You will need the Dremel and the chisel. The last two holes were 1. It is these two holes that we will be connecting with a route.

This is the section you will be routing. Because of this, try to leave as much material as possible, while still allowing the bolts to travel through the channel. Draw it on the side closest to S4. Optional for 21A-B You can square out the inner corners of the 2 holes using the chisel. This is not necessary, but it will help the bolts stay in place if it is tending to move around too much and slip. If there's a little less material than required, it's fine.

Just make do and cut each section slightly smaller to accommodate. If there's extra material, accommodate the material by cutting the foam a little larger. We want to use as much of this stuff as possible, and waste none. This step can get a little messy, so I'd recommend you do this on a plastic or paper sheet, or at the very least, flooring that is not carpet.

This will help keep dust and bugs out, and keep the filling in. Make sure to match the dimensions of the sheathing with the foam. Fold the edges of the fabric to reinforce it and prevent tearing, - Staple the fabric into place on the sheathing. There's a little bit more drilling and possibly even routing. However, it's very simple. In this step, we will attach the 37" mattress fame pieces together, then install the hinges. So, to begin, let's start attaching the 37" pieces together. Bolt them into place.

The lap joints are being reinforced with bolts, and do not require glue. This also preserves the modularity of the futon. If anything is slightly off, go at it with your Futon Frame Plans 5g drill until the bolt is fitted and secure.

If they don't, it's upside down. The should be face down ie. It shouldn't be much Build Your Own Futon Frame Plans Quote material A 0. This will allow the hinge to mount flush into the wood. At this point, if you're building the bare bones version, you're practically done.

There will be some minor refinements, but the hard work is over. Erase any nonessential pencil marks. Give everything a good wipe down with a damp cloth. Let's assemble the rest of the frame. Use the pictures for reference. If needed, use a rubber mallet to "persuade" some of the more stubborn joints to fit. Glue is entirely optional. If you're not using glue, skip the step entirely. Use the level every step of the way. If you don't have a level, use your ruler to measure everything over.

As long as your cuts are all fairly accurate, you should be pretty level. S1 should face left, and S2 should face down.. Struts: - Bolt together 39A and 39B using a bolt, nut, and two washers for each hole. Insert 39CD into the mortice in 23A. Place the tenons into their corresponding mortices. Make sure the holes in 21G and 21J are facing outward.

Reinforcement: - Use wood screws to reinforce the structure. Focus on the 21" pieces in the mattress frame.

If a joint is loose, reinforce it with screws, but try to hide the screws as best as possible. Underneath 37GH, there should be a bit of space until you get to 39AB. This presents a problem, because there is no support for the mattress.

In the folded down position, the frame is a little unstable. Putting too much weight towards the back end will make it tip. We'll fix all that here. Line them up with the 21" pieces of the mattress frame. I used the scraps leftover from cutting out the 37A-H lap joints. It should be in the ballpark of 15". Use the remaining two hinges to do this.

The reason why we didn't simply make 39AB and 39CD higher is because the actual height will vary between different futons, due to different hinges, or slightly warped wood. Saving this step to the end ensures that the frame will be properly supported. This next how-to design comes from someone needed to make a futon frame at a size to fit in an RV.

This is one futon design that brings some cool flexibility with it. For example, this futon frame is a modular one where the sofa bed can be configured into either a single or double bed by moving around each piece.

Visit DoitYourselfRV to get in on the action of making this versatile masterpiece. Check this futon frame out over at Woodsmith. I absolutely love this one because it is SO simple and one inexpensive futon frame.

How about next to almost free? This make-it-yourself futon frame is just too pretty. The fact that it can convert into a comfortable lounger sofa is a big plus; adding even more comfort and versatility to your room. So, how do you make a wooden futon? Some plans require and use more tools and hardware than others. Usually within a week you can make something pretty darn awesome. The most difficult parts are really deciding what kind wood you want to use.

Then comes finding the right mattress that will be easy enough to fold when being used as a sofa. Post navigation Previous Post Next Post. By Ben Redman. Posted ,. Search for:.

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