How to Install a Murphy Bed Desk Combo?
A bed by night and a desk in the day! Murphy bed-desk is an excellent option for people who are short on space and need both pieces of furniture. You can either purchase one or build one yourself. While purchasing one is an easier option, if you build one, you can choose the components yourself, satisfying that you have built a sturdy product using premium quality materials at a reasonable price. An added benefit of building your Murphy Bed Desk is that you will cost-effectively have control over design.
If you’re trying to build your own Murphy bed desk combo but don’t know where to begin and what materials to use, read this article to get a step-by-step explanation as to how you can cost-effectively build one.
Tools Needed to Build a Murphy Bed-Desk
You will need the following tools to build your desk cum bed. You can purchase the tools online or from the home center.
- Drill machine
- Handsaw
- Cutting Guide
- Nailer
- Miter saw
- Metric tape
- Circular Saw
- Forstner Drill bits
Steps to Build Your Murphy Bed-Desk
1. Slice the Plywood
Once you’ve assembled all the required tools and raw materials, the first step is to chop off the plywood in the right measurements required to build a Murphy bed desk. Mark out the lines on the plywood and then cut it using a circular saw and the cut with a handsaw.
2. Chop the Edges
Next, you make cutouts of the edges to attach with the cutout rectangles with nails and glue. The edging should be about 1/16 inch wider in thickness.
3. Sanding the Plywood
Once the glue dries up, you should sand the edging flush with plywood faces. Avoid sanding through the plywood’s veneer as that will spoil its look.
4. Drill Holes in The Plywood
The next step is to drill holes on the sides, bed ends, and desk ends to attach the nails and hardware. Don’t forget to use a measuring tape to place the holes in the accurate placement.
5. Assemble the Carcass and Face Frame
Then, you will have to assemble the carcass. In layman’s language, it means to assemble the entire structure or the skeletal structure, as in the sides, shelves, and bottom stretcher of the Murphy bed desk together. Once you’re done assembling the carcass, you attach the face frame with glue, nails, and screws.
6. Assemble the Desk and Bed Separately and Attach the Pivot Pins
To assemble the desk, you need to attach the desk back and ends to the platform. First, you drill the holes in the angle iron desk stiffener. Flip the desk over and secure it to the stiffener with 3-inch wood screws. For the bed, once you cut the radiused corners of the bed end, you sand it and attach the front and back ends to the rails.
7. Side Hardware
Once you’re done installing the desk hardware and the pivot pins, you attach the side hardware. The pivot arm plate and spring bracket should be attached using hex-head bolts and cap nuts. The last step is to insert the locking pins in the holes you drilled previously.
8. Attach the Bed to The Desk and Then to The Carcass with The Locking Pins
To combine the two, you set the desk on the floor and slide the bed ends in place in the pivot links on the desk with the rod, securing both of them together. Once you’ve secured both the desk and the bed together, you attach it with the carcass using trunnion screws in a line with threaded holes in the pivot arm plates and thread them in. You can hook the pivot arms under the tribe areas.
9. Set the Mattress and Strip Lights
The final step is to place the mattress in the bed frame and secure it with elastic straps at the corners. You should use wood screws and flat washers to attach the straps to the bed platform. Finally, you can install LED strip lights for an added effect. However, that is optional and depends on your preference.
Conclusion
Adding a Murphy bed desk in your home is a great idea if you’re running short on space and don’t like furniture cluttered around. Its a great addition to your house when you’re hosting guests, too. As we mentioned earlier, you can either purchase a ready-made one or build one yourself. We have given you a detailed manual to build your Murphy bed desk.
If you follow the steps we have laid down for your reference, building your Murphy bed desk should be quite simple. That’s all for now, but if you find any hassle in building your bed desk, you can comment in the comment section below.
