sixdogs
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2007
- Messages
- 13,269
- Location
- Ohio
- Tractor
- Kubota M7040, Kubota MX5100, Deere 790 TLB, Farmall Super C
The wife loves two old metal beds we have but I have struggled for years making mattresses fit beds designed for springs of 100 years ago. Nothing fit, was always the wrong height never worked. So, here's how I fixed that and have the firm bed I've always wanted. This is part one of two since I could only post 10 pics and need more. Look for part two of building the wooden box spring.
To make an old metal bed fit a mattress of today, you have to lengthen or replace the rails, brace them for cross rail supports and make brackets to hook to the bed frame so you can get the bed apart for transport. You also might have to widen the bed brackets or adapt as I did. Here's what I did.
Below---Got everything ready, got some angle iron for the new side side rails and set things up best I could to get a start.
Below---The biggest part is hand fabbing the brackets to fit the side rails to the bed. Tension is all that holds them so it's grind and fit. Make the brackets mock up and weld to side rails. Here's one of my one-off brackets in test fit. Then, mock up the side rails with undersupport angle.
Below--Clif Notes version and all done. Painted Deere semi gloss black. Notice I "stepped" the side rails up to get the height needed. The cross slats that fit in the metal side rails are thin rectangular tubing-not shown- and I think 1" x 2" or maybe 3". Wood sags over time.
For the box spring, I made my own wooden one but can only post 10 photos as one time so look for Part Two and making the wooden box spring.
To make an old metal bed fit a mattress of today, you have to lengthen or replace the rails, brace them for cross rail supports and make brackets to hook to the bed frame so you can get the bed apart for transport. You also might have to widen the bed brackets or adapt as I did. Here's what I did.
Below---Got everything ready, got some angle iron for the new side side rails and set things up best I could to get a start.
Below---The biggest part is hand fabbing the brackets to fit the side rails to the bed. Tension is all that holds them so it's grind and fit. Make the brackets mock up and weld to side rails. Here's one of my one-off brackets in test fit. Then, mock up the side rails with undersupport angle.
Below--Clif Notes version and all done. Painted Deere semi gloss black. Notice I "stepped" the side rails up to get the height needed. The cross slats that fit in the metal side rails are thin rectangular tubing-not shown- and I think 1" x 2" or maybe 3". Wood sags over time.
For the box spring, I made my own wooden one but can only post 10 photos as one time so look for Part Two and making the wooden box spring.
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