want to make a new base for an antique bed - help

pinkparrott

Hi all we have a very old 4ft victorian cast iron bed but it needs a new base.

I was thinking of putting wooden slats across it like many new beds have , do i need a special type of wood or will any normal timber do.

Also strange question (i'm a woman and new to DIY) can i drill through metal? as the frame has no holes in it to secure the wood .

I thought if i drilled holes through both i could secure each end with a bolt .

any other ideas? thanks

Red_Cat

Hi I had a similar issue wuith a 1930's bed.

To answer your Qs in reverse order:

Yes you can drill through metal. You will need a metal cutting drill bit. A drill with variable speed is handy too, otherwise you might need to cool the drill bit.

The slats are the easiest way to make support. I just used pine that was pressure treated and planed. Otherwise you can plane it yourself to get smooth surfaces so it doesn't catch on the mattress . Be sure to sand off the edges you cut too.

The ones I made were actually easily sawn and sanded. If you don't want to drill the bedstead itself, you could make one or two timber "ribs" which could be screwed to the slats, such the the ribs were perpendicular to the slats. The ribs could then lie under the slats, so the slats would still provide the top surface for your mattress.

Of course, this assumes that no other bars from the bedstead are in the way.

Good Luck!

Red Cat

pinkparrott

hi the beds cast iron so would that still be ok to drill in to. I've googled it and you can buy slatted bases for antique beds but they are £150 ++:eek:
which i can afford at the moment.
so think i will price up the slats and make ribs/side bits to sit underneath, but whilst googling it one site suggested using tie wrap ties to fix it to the bed rather than drilling and i think this is an ace idea so am going to give it a go.

thanks

Tim_Deegan

Wooden slats would be fine. You can buy packs of 5 or 6 planks from Wickes with the corners rounded off, so they are ideal. Waht is important when deciding how many slats you need is the type of mattress you have?

With an old victorian bed it should be fine to drill through the metal without weakening the structure. However you don't really need to fasten them in place as long as there is something to stop the planke moving lengthways.

ormus

try freecycle for a bed, with the wooden slats. use the slats and throw the rest away.
or even ebay. find a local seller.
used beds are very cheap on ebay, due to delivery issues. again just use the slats.

Tim_Deegan

ormus wrote: »

try freecycle for a bed, with the wooden slats. use the slats and throw the rest away.
or even ebay. find a local seller.
used beds are very cheap on ebay, due to delivery issues. again just use the slats.

This may or may not work, depending on the exact length of the slats for each bed. They do vary.

ormus

aye. i think it goes without saying that you would check the sizes of the slats first.
but if they are too long, its no problem.
if too short, there will be a simple way of installing extra supports.

ukmaggie45

Cast iron is very brittle, I really don't think you should drill it! :eek: It's not like steel or aluminium. I fear if you try to drill it the whole thing will shatter. :eek:

I'm sure there are more knowledgeable folks on this forum, but wanted to alert you to the possible danger to your cast iron bedstead.

I think the 1930s bed quoted earlier would prob be made of steel, not cast iron.

Try looking for how beds were fixed in Victorian times - just google or try wikipedia. It would be a shame to wreck a Victorian cast iron bed.

Good luck with your project!

Maggie

Tim_Deegan

ormus wrote: »

aye. i think it goes without saying that you would check the sizes of the slats first.
but if they are too long, its no problem.
if too short, there will be a simple way of installing extra supports.

That's why I think it's just less hassle if you buy planks of wood, then cut them to length.

Tim_Deegan

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

Cast iron is very brittle, I really don't think you should drill it! :eek: It's not like steel or aluminium. I fear if you try to drill it the whole thing will shatter. :eek:

I'm sure there are more knowledgeable folks on this forum, but wanted to alert you to the possible danger to your cast iron bedstead.

I think the 1930s bed quoted earlier would prob be made of steel, not cast iron.

Try looking for how beds were fixed in Victorian times - just google or try wikipedia. It would be a shame to wreck a Victorian cast iron bed.

Good luck with your project!

Maggie

Cast iron is brittle, but not that brittle. Victorian beds were probably over engineerd, and would be very strong.

If it has a very smooth surface, then it is more likely to mild steel. If it isn't very smooth, then it's more likely to be cast iron.

Sorry if I'm starting to sound like a know it all, but I did spend 16 years in the electroplating trade.

timmmers

Maybe I'm being thick...but how was the bed constructed originally? I have one and recently gave another away, The one I gave away had fabric lattice where you want to add planks...and fittings for these underneath the rails. A !!!!!! to get tight I imagine, but it was comfy and had some give. Basically it was upholstered like under an old dining chair.

The one I still have uses a metal mesh attached to the bed rails...and it's a double so it takes some wieght sometimes. It's really comfy and springy compared to even my brand new bed. The mesh is fine steel and attached with screws and washers at various points round the frame. A small HSS drill and self tapping screws and washers would do this easily.

t