dcustoms Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 I had a customer give me a picture of this bed that she said that she wanted made to fit a California king. I have some thoughts about how to build it but I don't even know where to begin. If anyone can help in any way it would be greatly appreciated. I uploaded a Sketch-up model of it and attached it to this post. The approx dimensions are 78 5/8 wide by 103" long by about 30" high.peri bed.skp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Heidi. heidi. Lord, almighty, does that ever get the imagination running! Stunning design, but boy are you in for a wild build. Off the top of my head, this looks like it could be built as a cross between an upside-down airplane wing and a torsion box assembly table. Start with the upper platform upside down, attach a set of ribs and then laminate multiple layers of something on top. 1/8" bending plywood would seem to be the natural choice; but for a curve this gentle, you could probably get away with a layer or two of 1/4" MDF on the inside, covering it with a skin of appearance grade plywood on the outside. This looks like the sort of thing that requires a massive (ca. 96" square) vacuum press. If that's not an option, you'll end up building an external form that is the negative of the desired curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 I'd say for the sides, you can get away with one, two at most, pieces of hardwood. Simply layout the curve and cut by jigsaw or bandsaw. Glue / attach this to your torsion box body and nobody will realize it's made from particle board, MDF, and plywood. The curves look like they would hide the internal frame work, so it should be doable. I'd look up platform bed plans on Google (or similar) for free plans, and try to add in the curved aspect later. Most of the platform beds are only a couple of inches off the floor; this would probably be about 18 inches to 24 inches off the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhl.verona Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 That's the Mazzali Emiselene. The 'Scheda Tecnica' link gives a PDF which describes what it is built of. Mostly poplar plywood, some MDF and a veneered surface, as Rob Horton guessed. Very difficult to reproduce as a one off that way, I'd think. Whether or not you can 'copy' it as a commercial venture I'm not sure, but I'd imagine it is a copyrighted design, so probably not. Perhaps you could use that as a starting point for a Californianised version? Then you could simplify the design to meet your own build capabilities. There is a USA distributor: Mobili De Angelis Corp, 216 Front St, New York, NY 10038, USA. Tel. (212) 406.5500 Judging by the position of the foot, there is a lot of support taken up by the curve, rather than being transmitted through to the feet. Lots of fun there, methinks. Dimensions are 1800mm x 2400mm x 550mm. Good luck! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnell Hagen Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 That looks like a fun project, at about 1/8 size. Your gonna want a vaccuum bag. It is by far the easiest way to deal with a glueup like that. I'd also take a hard look at the logistics. A Cal. king bent lam bed frame that doesn't disassemble will be very big, very heavy, and won't play well with staircases, narrow hallways, and small doors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcustoms Posted November 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 Thanks for all the responses! As you can see it will be a huge challenge and I have been thinking hard about the logistics of the hole thing. Part of me was thinking about making it in two sections split down the middle and assembled on site with some sort of knock down fasteners. I was thinking I would go the bent lamination route with a large vacuum bag, any thoughts on the substrate? I was thinking 1/4 inch plywood but I would have to use 10 ft sheets. This is just such a big project. The customer also gave me the option of designing a different bed that would go along with that design aesthetic. we will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted November 2, 2011 Report Share Posted November 2, 2011 I'd think having it break down into two (or four) sections would be a very useful thing. Having recently moved, I can tell you that any time it either bends or slips through the hallways, everybody will be happy. I just had a queen to deal with, and thankfully the bed was brand new when it was delivered in: the factory guys realized the box spring wouldn't make it upstairs. They had to send it back to the factory and special order a "split queen" boxspring. Each half of the boxspring is slightly smaller than a twin box spring, and so light one kid can pick one up. (Carrying it is another thing... especially klutzy kids...) What if the plywood was under tension throughout that curve, requiring being hooked or restrained by the base unit in some way? that would enable some maneuverability around curves and stairs, but still retain strength for a bed... Then again, a call to the distributor / manufacturer seems to be in order here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Think torsion box not solid lamination. Split at the midpoint of the arc. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 "Trying to copy a bed design. need help." That's all you needed to say, it's now a matter of public record on the Internet where nothing goes away. You're guilty, do not pass go, etc... It's a commercial design and if the manufacturer has registered a copyright for it(most likely), you'll be subject to civil statutory penalties(that means a judge or jury has no say in the amount) if challenged. Can you afford a $6-figure-plus fine and attorneys fees? Not to mention, you've now stolen someone's intellectual property, that makes you a thief. Theft is theft, whether it's someone's car or flat-screen or their unique idea. You have a couple of options here: You can contact the manufacturer and license the right to modify their design for whatever fee they ask or you can tell your potential customer to contract with them for what they want. That's about it. Anything else and you're playing against the house and whether you get caught or not, you're still a thief. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Don't mean to come down hard on you but property is property, whether it's physical or intellectual. Someone went to a lot of trouble to produce this design, it's unique and it belongs to them. Profiting from their work without their permission and compensation is theft, pure and simple. Sorry if I rained on your parade but facts is facts and you need to know... Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Conceptual separability!! Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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