This post is part of a tutorial on turning an IKEA KURA loft bed into a bunk bed over a trundle. For the other pages in this series, go to the Introduction and Disclaimer, the Parts List, Prepping the Wood, Part 2 of Assembly, Cross Bracing, and Attaching the Beds.
Before you start drilling any holes, make sure you pay careful attention to where all of the screws are going to be in the end. You will need to stagger the screws properly to ensure that none of them run into each other. I have included detailed photos of my own screw placement, but as you may see in some of the photos, I did have to go back and fix a few mistakes, so be careful where you drill your holes!
When it comes to drill bits, you will want to use a countersink bit if possible to lessen the chance of splitting the wood. You will have a lot of screws in a relatively small area, and wood splits need to be avoided as much as possible!
In order to ensure that the screw grips the wood well, you only want to drill through the first piece of wood. I attached my countersink bit with 1-1/2 inches of the drill bit exposed.
Finally, you can premark your drill holes and use a drill press for most of the wood pieces, or you can drill as you go along using a hand drill. I did it both ways at times, but I found that I made the most mistakes when I tried to use the drill press because I was more likely to put the hole in the wrong place.
Step One:
Take one of the 2x2 leg pieces and lay it perpendicular to one of the long 2x3 pieces as shown with the 2x3 standing on it's narrower side. Make sure that it is square. You want to drill the hole about one inch from the end of the leg so that there is room for another screw running perpendicular to it later. Use a 3-inch screw.
Clamp everything before drilling and screwing to ensure nothing slips during the process. Use a rag or towel to prevent scratching the wood/paint with the clamps.
Step Two:
Repeat the previous step with another leg on the other end of the 2x3.
Step Three:
Position the shortest 2x2 in the center of the 2x3 as shown and connect the pieces using a 3-inch screw.
Step Four:
Take another one of the long 2x3 boards and, laying it flat on it's 3-inch side, position it between the legs flush against the middle support as shown. Use a 3-1/2 or 4-inch screw to connect it to the middle support.
Step Five:
Drill holes as shown and use 3-inch screws to connect the leg to the second long 2x3. Make sure to leave room between the holes for a screw going perpendicular to these ones.
Step Six:
Repeat on the other side.
You should now have a fully connected rectangle.
Step Seven:
Repeat steps one and two as shown before using another long 2x3 and the last two 2x2 legs for the front of your bed. The legs will only be attached with one screw each at this point, so be careful moving it around. (Notice in this picture the extra hole on the leg. That was a mistake I made using the drill press. I had to use wood filler to fix it later.)
Previous Page: Prepping the Wood
Next Page: Assembling the Bed, Pt. 2
How to Add a Trundle to an IKEA KURA Bed:
Before you start drilling any holes, make sure you pay careful attention to where all of the screws are going to be in the end. You will need to stagger the screws properly to ensure that none of them run into each other. I have included detailed photos of my own screw placement, but as you may see in some of the photos, I did have to go back and fix a few mistakes, so be careful where you drill your holes!
When it comes to drill bits, you will want to use a countersink bit if possible to lessen the chance of splitting the wood. You will have a lot of screws in a relatively small area, and wood splits need to be avoided as much as possible!
In order to ensure that the screw grips the wood well, you only want to drill through the first piece of wood. I attached my countersink bit with 1-1/2 inches of the drill bit exposed.
Finally, you can premark your drill holes and use a drill press for most of the wood pieces, or you can drill as you go along using a hand drill. I did it both ways at times, but I found that I made the most mistakes when I tried to use the drill press because I was more likely to put the hole in the wrong place.
Take one of the 2x2 leg pieces and lay it perpendicular to one of the long 2x3 pieces as shown with the 2x3 standing on it's narrower side. Make sure that it is square. You want to drill the hole about one inch from the end of the leg so that there is room for another screw running perpendicular to it later. Use a 3-inch screw.
Clamp everything before drilling and screwing to ensure nothing slips during the process. Use a rag or towel to prevent scratching the wood/paint with the clamps.
Repeat the previous step with another leg on the other end of the 2x3.
Position the shortest 2x2 in the center of the 2x3 as shown and connect the pieces using a 3-inch screw.
Take another one of the long 2x3 boards and, laying it flat on it's 3-inch side, position it between the legs flush against the middle support as shown. Use a 3-1/2 or 4-inch screw to connect it to the middle support.
Drill holes as shown and use 3-inch screws to connect the leg to the second long 2x3. Make sure to leave room between the holes for a screw going perpendicular to these ones.
Repeat on the other side.
You should now have a fully connected rectangle.
Repeat steps one and two as shown before using another long 2x3 and the last two 2x2 legs for the front of your bed. The legs will only be attached with one screw each at this point, so be careful moving it around. (Notice in this picture the extra hole on the leg. That was a mistake I made using the drill press. I had to use wood filler to fix it later.)
Previous Page: Prepping the Wood
Next Page: Assembling the Bed, Pt. 2
How to Add a Trundle to an IKEA KURA Bed:
How much did this cost you?
ReplyDeleteI looked back at my notes where I priced everything out, and I did the shopping for this project and another project at the same time, so it's difficult to separate what was what, but my best guess is that I spent around or just over $100 on everything including paint but not including the KURA bed itself, which was a hand-me-down from a relative. The trundle bed and the mattresses are also not included in that estimate. I was able to borrow all the tools I needed from relatives. I hope that helps!
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