After quite a bit of tweaking and re welding the bracket, the bed is ready for testing. I have some news to share about me and my ceiling gets delivered #boat #bunk #bed
Can we all take a moment to appreciate James' biggest viewer and contributor Alan! He's so dedicated he comes back regularly throughout the day to reply to comments and post his own comment, i applaud your dedication Alan, top guy!!
My daughter is a fan of a band and she’s constantly going on about them in the same way Alan does about me. Rob and I raised a glass to my No1 fan. Alan.
It can be a leecloth like we have on sailboats - heavy canvas fixed at either end. More comfortable than a board & sort of gives a wee bit more width...
The bed slats are bowed so that they can flex adding to comfort, by bolting them to the frame you are not allowing that flex to happen. If you weld a second angle iron frame on top of the first, sit the slats inside the frame with about 5mm clearance and just fix the two slats at each end. this will also add rigidity and prevent the frame itself from bowing. I would also consider using bearings on your hinge points, you'd have zero movement and much smoother operation.
Also with the bed with long expanse across. Is strong enough now but over time metal slowly bends under pressure and will end up a banana bed. Get your mate to or you, get a bit of box steel and weld it underneath the L shape across long part and will reinforce it an stop that happening. You probably only need a piece 2 - 3 foot in the middle so shouldn't add to much weight when you're lifting it.
I eat humble pie James at the moment it looks you have overcome a big hurdle, well done you. I must admit it works much better than I thought it would. There are still some things to overcome, anti roll of the bed boards for one, a ladder for another. Good job at the moment.
Let’s be honest now, James didn’t know it was going to work as well as it does, and there could still be some issues going forward, there are still some things that I would have done differently. I would have liked to see what’s involved in putting it up and taking it down, I have a feeling it will stay up a lot, maybe not. I have commented on the lack of a ceiling, well now we know what he has in mind, I’d like to know his reasoning behind it, I may have missed something. I straight away think there may be problems with using that type of material, it’s very thin. It is a shame about the job, but with his commitments, not just funding the work on the boat, I would put this above ‘ah well James you will have more time to work on the boat’
Gosh things seem to have progressed well recently. That’s almost a bedroom already. Great work. Sorry to hear about the job, but it’s certainly good timing and means you can focus on getting the boat finished.
Build in hand holds from the roof and on the ladder wall. Roof one L shaped running out from the exterior wall and turning to run inline with the bed. Submarine style, and you can hang a curtain from it also for privacy. Plus use chains to hang the outside bed frame from. I have seen a safety rail or better yet safety net made from seat belt webbing that will connect to the frame and chains and can be tucked out of the way for bigger kids and storage. I watched you trying to clime in, make it easy for the kids.
Brilliant... But laying down on the job eh 😂 You'll need a nice ladder and maybe an anti roll off system.. Kids tend not to fly...but can plummet 😮 Oh well. Just more work. ( Does it ever end ??) Good Luck.
Hi James. The extra inch makes all the difference, in the bedroom. 🤭 Have you considered hanging the top bunk from cables or chains? PVC on a ceiling sounds like a very bad idea, to me. Lethal fumes if it catches fire, is just the start. All the best, mate.
I'd inclined to make the beds up the opposite way around to how you tested, ie. with feet by the draughty window, rather than head. Kids may get stiff necks, or neck pain otherwise. Getting breathing away from the windows may also help reduce the condensation issue others have mentioned - but you'll probably need to double glaze to stop it.
Hi James. The bunk bed project is going nicely. The latching/lock up will be interesting. Me myself was thinking that a pivoting piece of wood slotted into the cabinet so that as the bunk goes up, it would push the wood piece into the cabinet and then the wood would drop back out after the bunk passed, to hold the bunk as you set it down. Only problem I see is in putting the bunk back down. Lift, push the wood in and down it goes...... but each side is so far apart you would have to be a circus performer to push both in. Next, the vinyl room panels. They may be too thin and may be wavy and/or expand in the summer heat and get wavy. I know it would be an extra cost. Find the cheapest thin ply and use it as a backing board to the vinyl. In the long run, you would be happier. Finally, sorry about the job. But..... it may be a good thing. The other narrow boat You-tuber took the boat Safety inspector course. Maybe it might be something you should think about. You now have enough knowledge that you would actually be a good at it. Just a thought.....
Good evening James, sorry about your job. Why not have 2 chains each end hanging down from the ceiling and some hooks on the actual bedframe and you could just hook the chains out the way when you’re not using????
Strongly recommend a lee-cloth, for the upper bunk at least. Take some canvas and stretch it under the mattress. Secure it there, leaving at least a 30cm flap hanging over the inboard edge. At each end of the flap insert an eye, and into that splice-in a short piece of cord. Then fix two eye-bolts or brackets onto the deckhead above each end of the bunk's inboard edge. Anyone in the bunk can then lash the canvas flap's ends to the brackets in the deckhead, which will help prevent them falling-out. OK, I know, the boat won't roll but having slept on narrowboats with narrow bunks, believe me, a lee-cloth would have made those nights much more comfortable. Most people turn-over during the night and with a lee-cloth tied-up, that can be done easily, and safely.
Nicely done James ... you mentioned ,nicer looking nuts and bolts ... You see the allen key bokt youve used ...? Well kids scooters ,have a bolt and nut that are both allen key type ,both ends , that have that rounded end look . Theyll look well smart ...if youre interested , google scooter bolts for wheels ... if needed put kids scooters ... You may like
The bed seems more rigid than I feared! I suppose the slats bolted down onto it have helped a fair bit to spread the load. Sorry to hear about the job.
Glad to see you’re carrying on and making alterations to your original design so that it’s stronger. I’m so sorry to hear that your job has gone but I’m sure something else is around the corner. Glad that some of the complainers have wound their necks in this week; there are kind ways of suggesting alterations and there are rude and thoroughly unpleasant ones. No need for the latter. I’ll continue to enjoy watching the progress and I hope everything goes well for you.
Good work James. Maybe weld some kind of grab bar to the deckhead, as well as a ladder system. The kids will enjoy swinging up onto the top bunk (when they are able to reach). Adults will use it too I expect.
Sorry to hear about the job situation but as you say it means more time for the boat. How are you going to guard against young children falling out of bed? The top bunk seems rather high for young ones and kids will be kids.
Very sad news on the Job front. Take great comfort from the fact that you are doing a fantastic refurbishment on project 58. If Sloe Patrol sold that would help or hinder progress on project 58? Keep safe warm dry and virus free.
Getting there, James, sorry to hear about your job. In my opinion it might be a good idea to add a bit more metal back in where you cut it out and possibly another cross brace, its all about the triangles 🔺️. Keep up the good work. Dave [ex Firbob]
Just wondering about the safety of the kid on the top bunk.... When I was a kid, I had bunk beds, and the top bunk had a guard rail so the kid couldn't fall out (although I still did at least once!). Something like a Climbing Net that naval ships use?(for that nautical feel) with some kind of removable fastener or hook (in case they have to use the head in the middle of the night) - and it could also help support the edge of the bunk, too?
Here in 🇨🇦 they sell window kits which include a plastic self adhesive strip (which frames the window) and a clear plastic sheathing which covers the window. To get it taught you finish the job with a hair dryer which tightens the clear plastic. Just a thought.
So, how many sparks found their way into your tea or coffee? ;-D I foresee the need of a gate or net to prevent someone from rolling off. You had remarked about adding a work bench and I was thinking (Oh, oh), if the upper bunk can swing up high enough (to the ceiling), maybe mount a table so it swings down under the gunnel and behind the lowered upper bunk? ;-)
