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 1 of Assembly, Part 2 of Assembly, and Attaching the Beds.
The IKEA KURA loft bed can be a bit wobbly on its own, so I opted to add cross braces to the bed base to improve stability and make the bed more solid. (My kids are sleeping on this bed, after all!)
The pictures show the process a bit out of order since we actually worked on some of the bracing before we finished building the bed base only because I needed my dad's help with that part, and that was when he was available. I recommend just doing the braces when you are all done putting the bed base together.
For the braces, I started with two 2x3s that were slightly less than 38-1/4". (These were actually "oops "cuts from the head and foot of the bed base.) I then bought another 8' 2x3 and cut it in half so I had two more pieces that were just under 48 inches each.
Step One:
With the bed base upside down, take one of the longer 2x3s and clamp it in place as shown. One end of the brace should be placed in the corner that has no long 2x3. If you have the skill and tools to fit the brace directly into the corner with a square cut, that would provide the most stability. We opted to do a straight (angled) cut using a miter saw. In order to mark your cut line, you need to place the wood piece so that it doesn't overlap the bed base at the top or bottom inside the corners. It will need to slide right into the open space between the boards.
Once you have your cross brace clamped in place where you want it, draw a line where you will need to cut the wood on each side.
Step Two:
Cut the wood. The first cut should be pretty straightforward. For the second cut, error on the side of too little cut because you can always trim it shorter. Check with each cut to see if you have trimmed it short enough to fit in the opening.
Step Three:
If you cut the board right, it should look like the photo above. If it slides down a little bit, that's okay. It just needs to be close and to fit tight from end to end.
Screw the board in place with two 3-inch screws on either end as shown. (If you are painting, and the rest of your wood is already painted, you should paint the cross braces before you screw them on to the bed base.)
Step Four:
Repeat on the other end of the bed.
Step Five:
Flip the bed base over. Taking your two remaining 2x3s, repeat the clamping, measuring, and cutting process above, placing your boards on the back side of the bed. When you are finished cutting, the boards should fit in the spaces as shown. (Note: we did this part earlier in our bed construction process because that's when my dad was available to help.)
Using two 3-inch screws, attach the ends in the corners as shown, making sure to paint first if necessary.
Step Six:
This part is more complicated. You will need to drill holes where your braces meet in the middle, and these holes will need to be at an angle. If you have a pocket jig, it might come in handy at this point. (I am not sure; I have never used one.)
Do your best to get the screws attached as shown with one 3-inch screw attached to each board in a staggered pattern angled through the mid-beam support on the back of the bed base. The screw heads will probably stick out a tiny bit, but this should't be a problem.
Your bed base for your IKEA KURA trundle conversion is now complete!
I highly recommend one final clean up and paint of the entire structure, but other than that, the next step is to attach your IKEA KURA to your new bed base!
Previous Page: Assembling the Bed, Pt. 2
Next Page: Attaching the Beds
How to Add a Trundle to an IKEA KURA Bed:
The IKEA KURA loft bed can be a bit wobbly on its own, so I opted to add cross braces to the bed base to improve stability and make the bed more solid. (My kids are sleeping on this bed, after all!)
The pictures show the process a bit out of order since we actually worked on some of the bracing before we finished building the bed base only because I needed my dad's help with that part, and that was when he was available. I recommend just doing the braces when you are all done putting the bed base together.
For the braces, I started with two 2x3s that were slightly less than 38-1/4". (These were actually "oops "cuts from the head and foot of the bed base.) I then bought another 8' 2x3 and cut it in half so I had two more pieces that were just under 48 inches each.
With the bed base upside down, take one of the longer 2x3s and clamp it in place as shown. One end of the brace should be placed in the corner that has no long 2x3. If you have the skill and tools to fit the brace directly into the corner with a square cut, that would provide the most stability. We opted to do a straight (angled) cut using a miter saw. In order to mark your cut line, you need to place the wood piece so that it doesn't overlap the bed base at the top or bottom inside the corners. It will need to slide right into the open space between the boards.
Once you have your cross brace clamped in place where you want it, draw a line where you will need to cut the wood on each side.
Cut the wood. The first cut should be pretty straightforward. For the second cut, error on the side of too little cut because you can always trim it shorter. Check with each cut to see if you have trimmed it short enough to fit in the opening.
If you cut the board right, it should look like the photo above. If it slides down a little bit, that's okay. It just needs to be close and to fit tight from end to end.
Screw the board in place with two 3-inch screws on either end as shown. (If you are painting, and the rest of your wood is already painted, you should paint the cross braces before you screw them on to the bed base.)
Step Four:
Repeat on the other end of the bed.
Flip the bed base over. Taking your two remaining 2x3s, repeat the clamping, measuring, and cutting process above, placing your boards on the back side of the bed. When you are finished cutting, the boards should fit in the spaces as shown. (Note: we did this part earlier in our bed construction process because that's when my dad was available to help.)
Using two 3-inch screws, attach the ends in the corners as shown, making sure to paint first if necessary.
This part is more complicated. You will need to drill holes where your braces meet in the middle, and these holes will need to be at an angle. If you have a pocket jig, it might come in handy at this point. (I am not sure; I have never used one.)
Do your best to get the screws attached as shown with one 3-inch screw attached to each board in a staggered pattern angled through the mid-beam support on the back of the bed base. The screw heads will probably stick out a tiny bit, but this should't be a problem.
Your bed base for your IKEA KURA trundle conversion is now complete!
I highly recommend one final clean up and paint of the entire structure, but other than that, the next step is to attach your IKEA KURA to your new bed base!
Previous Page: Assembling the Bed, Pt. 2
Next Page: Attaching the Beds
How to Add a Trundle to an IKEA KURA Bed:
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