I'm about to embark on my first project this weekend - building a bed frame. (Google "Simple bed plans", click the wood gears link, (US) Queen size)
It's a little bit ambitious, but I think I should be able to get the bulk of the work down over 2 weekends.
As the title suggests, I'm a little bamboozeled by the sheer amount of different types of wood available. This bed is for the guest room, so I'm not after any fancy hardwoods, I was expecting to buy some softwood from a builders merchant and be able to crack on, but it seems a bit trickier than that.
I get a good discount at Jewsons as I work for the same parent company, so I'd prefer to get the stuff from there. Their catalogue is not really suited to the uninitiated so I'm not really sure what type of wood I require, or what I have to do with it when I get it home to stop it from warping.
I'm sure the best timber would be some PSE stuff, but it's not available in the sizes I require (eg headboard needs ~225x50mm) so I'd have to go with kiln dried sawn timber which goes up to 225x50. I'm concerned that I don't have the skills to plane it and keep it square, but I guess thats the fun of woodworking. But my main worry is that once I get it home the moisture content will change and it'll warp. Is kiln dried timber stored outside? seems pointless to me, being in the uk, but as I said, I'm no expert.
The other option i suppose is getting PSE timber, buying a bazillion clamps and laminating the stuff together. I'd still have to plane the stuff to smooth it out I imagine, but over all the effort would be less.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks
V
It's a little bit ambitious, but I think I should be able to get the bulk of the work down over 2 weekends.
As the title suggests, I'm a little bamboozeled by the sheer amount of different types of wood available. This bed is for the guest room, so I'm not after any fancy hardwoods, I was expecting to buy some softwood from a builders merchant and be able to crack on, but it seems a bit trickier than that.
I get a good discount at Jewsons as I work for the same parent company, so I'd prefer to get the stuff from there. Their catalogue is not really suited to the uninitiated so I'm not really sure what type of wood I require, or what I have to do with it when I get it home to stop it from warping.
I'm sure the best timber would be some PSE stuff, but it's not available in the sizes I require (eg headboard needs ~225x50mm) so I'd have to go with kiln dried sawn timber which goes up to 225x50. I'm concerned that I don't have the skills to plane it and keep it square, but I guess thats the fun of woodworking. But my main worry is that once I get it home the moisture content will change and it'll warp. Is kiln dried timber stored outside? seems pointless to me, being in the uk, but as I said, I'm no expert.
The other option i suppose is getting PSE timber, buying a bazillion clamps and laminating the stuff together. I'd still have to plane the stuff to smooth it out I imagine, but over all the effort would be less.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks
V
