What did you do last summer?
Maybe you took a great vacation — and had a once-in-a-lifetime dolphin encounter — or maybe you finally made a dent in that list of books you want to read.
Even though you may not get summers "off" anymore like you did as a kid, there are still plenty of long evenings and weekends during which to keep yourself busy with a productive new project. Some people use their summers to take it easy, while others make the most of their time by embarking on a DIY project they can treasure forever.
And Imgur user rustedgear is definitely one of the latter. Instead of sitting around sipping lemonade, he decided to give his bedroom a much-needed upgrade. It may have taken him the entire summer, but once he was done, he'd turned some wooden boards into a beautiful bed that brings nature right to his home.
Scroll through the images below to see just how this clever DIY-er was able to make a spectacular, one-of-a-kind bed!
Like every good DIY project, this bed frame started with raw materials.
In this case, the raw materials were some rough-hewn black walnut logs from California.
This Imgur user mocked up the design he envisioned for the bed frame by straightening one side of each log and putting in the initial joint geometry.
He says, "I used a circular saw and many clamps to fixture for the long straights and a compound miter saw for the angles."
Doesn't it look just like a giant picture frame? So beautiful already!
Then it was time to fit the boards together permanently.
To do this, the DIY-er used stainless-steel strap sections that were forged and hammered to give the pieces a pebbled texture.
He wrote, "I machined the edges back to straight and cut out the tail section. In this picture I was also sampling out the stainless black solution I ended up using. I wanted to highlight the texture more."
Finally, the stainless pieces were rounded to fit the natural curves of the wood using a hand trim router.
The strength of the stainless-steel joints were tested to make sure they could hold a mattress and a person's body weight.
They passed the test!
Next, it was time to attach the frame to a base that would eventually hold the mattress.
Slats were added, as well as welded stainless-steel legs.
Although the black walnut boards were gorgeous, they did come with some imperfections.
This Imgur user wrote: "For the knot holes and some of the bug holes, I filled them with copper chip and epoxy."
Once all the holes were filled and sanded, it was time to oil up the pieces so they would have a soft, finished shine.
He allowed the oiled headboard piece to dry in the sun, bringing out the wood's natural beauty, and highlighting the grain.
Once everything was oiled and dry, it was time to assemble the frame in his bedroom.
"Please ignore the mess of tools and boxes," he wrote.
Once the bed was all assembled, the wood seemed to glow!
He cleverly kept the outsides of the boards in their original, rough shape.
For this DIY-er, sleeping now feels like it occurs right in the trunk of a great black walnut tree!
This DIY-er's hard work proves that with a little imagination and elbow grease, you can make one-of-a-kind furnishings that will be cherished forever!
Would you like to take a nap in this DIY bed? Let us know in the comments.
Please SHARE if you believe the best things in life are handmade!
