Raised dog bed frame plans, sized to your space

Parts

Cut list

Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.

Steps

• Tape measure
• Speed square
• Pencil
• Drill/driver
• Clamps
• Safety glasses
• Hearing protection
• Dust mask
• Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
• Miter saw, or circular saw in two passes, for 4×4 posts
• Jigsaw
• 1″ spade bit
• Countersink bit
• Sander, 120 and 180 grit

Underlined words have a short explanation: hover or tap them. All of them are on the glossary page.

1. 1Before you start

   Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.

   Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.

   Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.

   • Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
   • Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.

2. 2Cut and label the parts

   Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.

   To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.

   Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.

   Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.

   Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.

   ✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.

   STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.

3. 3Build the rail box

   Stand the end rails (B) between the long rails (A) on a flat floor, top edges up. The inside of the box is 36 1/2″ × 27 1/2″: the cushion plus 1/4″ each side.

   Glue the ends of each end rail (end grain: thin coat, two minutes, second coat). Drive 3 screws, 2 1/2″, through the long rail into each end rail's end, predrilled and countersunk.

   Measure the diagonals and push the box until they match.

   • Tip Drill a pilot hole for every screw within 2″ of the end of a board, or the board will split. Then countersink so the screw head sits flush.
   • Tip Measure both diagonals, corner to corner. If they match, the assembly is square. If not, push the long diagonal's corners toward each other until they do, then let the glue set.

   ✓ Diagonals match within 1/8″ and the box sits flat on the floor without rocking.

4. 4Add the corner legs

   Turn the box upside down on a flat floor, so the rails' top edges are on the floor.

   Stand a leg (C) in each inside corner with one end on the floor: that end is now flush with the rail tops, and the leg sticks up 3 1/2″ past the rails' bottom edges.

   Glue the two faces of each leg that touch the rails. Drive 2 screws, 2 1/2″, through each rail into the leg: 4 per leg. Then turn the frame the right way up.

   • Tip Cut all four legs against one stop block so they are exactly the same length; that is what keeps the frame from rocking.

   ✓ All four legs touch the floor, so the frame doesn't rock, and their tops are flush with the rails.

5. 5Screw in the deck cleats

   On the inside of every rail, draw a line 2 11/16″ down from the top edge: the deck's underside sits on it, so the deck surface ends 2″ below the rail tops.

   Glue each cleat (D on the long rails, E on the end rails) with its top edge on the line, between the legs, and drive 1 1/4″ screws through it into the rail every 6″. Longer screws would poke out of the 3/4″ rail.

   • Tip Spread a thin, even layer of glue on one face with a finger or scrap: enough that a little beads out when you clamp, not so much that it runs. Wipe the squeeze-out with a damp rag right away, or scrape it once it turns rubbery; dried glue blocks stain and finish.

   ✓ Lay a straight board across the cleats in a few places: it touches every cleat and sits level.

6. 6Notch and fit the deck

   Cut a 3 5/8″ square notch from each corner of the deck (F) with a jigsaw, so it drops in around the legs with 1/8″ to spare.

   Drill 1″ air holes on a 6″ grid across the deck, at least 3″ from the edges. They let the cushion breathe and dry, so it doesn't get musty.

   Drop the deck in onto the cleats and drive 1 5/8″ screws through it into the cleats every 8″, countersunk so the cushion never rubs a screw head.

   • Tip Clamp the work so the line hangs off the bench, use a fine-tooth wood blade, let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood and push gently: the blade bends if you force it, and the cut wanders.

   ✓ The deck sits flat on every cleat and doesn't creak or flex when you press on its middle.

   STOP. Sand every hole and notch edge smooth: a dog's claws and belly will be on it every day.

7. 7Sand and finish

   Sand every face and edge of the frame with 120 grit, then 180 grit, always moving along the grain (the lines in the wood). Sanding across the grain leaves scratches that the finish makes darker.

   Soften every sharp edge and corner with a few strokes of 180-grit paper on a block, so edges don't splinter or chip.

   Vacuum the dust, then wipe with a tack cloth or a barely damp rag and let it dry 10 minutes.

   Use a water-based polyurethane or a water-based paint: they smell less and cure faster than oil-based finishes. Skip anything labelled "exterior only" or for decks.

   Brush on thin coats along the grain, sanding lightly with 220 grit between coats once each is dry. Three coats on surfaces that get wet or scratched.

   Let the finish cure a full 7 days before your pet uses it: pets lick, chew and sleep on it, and finish that is dry to the touch is not yet cured.

   • Tip Pine goes blotchy under stain. If you want colour, brush on a pre-stain conditioner first, or use a gel stain.
   • Tip Finish the back and underside too. Wood that is sealed on one side only can cup as the seasons change.
   • Tip Work in a warm, dry, well-ventilated room. Below about 50°F (10°C) most finishes dry slowly and cloudy.

   ✓ The surface feels smooth and even, with no drips on the edges and no dull, dry patches.

8. 8Add felt pads and the cushion

   Stick a felt pad under each leg.

   Drop the cushion in. The deck is checked for a 60 lb dog landing on it (twice its weight) in the middle.

   ✓ The cushion fits inside the rim without bulging over it, and the frame doesn't slide when the dog jumps in.