[Xist]

You can kind of see where I extended it on the left.

I built a platform bed a while ago, but I managed to cut virtually every board crooked in two axes. The saw is set for 0°, but before working on this project I used one of my speed squares.

Weird how 0° seemed a couple degrees off.

I once tried using a wooden clamp as a straight edge. I clamped it down as hard as I could and it still moved. I would screw down a board on the waste side. The holes tended to not go in right where I wanted them and even when I screwed in a straight edge exactly where I wanted it, I still managed to cut crooked.

The Canadian on the Home RenoVision DIY channel showed holding down a straight edge and cutting perfectly.

Well, he is a professional, and I am anything but, although that has worked better than anything else so far. Since I usually hold the speed square [and board] with my left hand and saw with the right I need to measure over 4.25", which isn't as easy as going the other way, which I believe is 1.5".

I may be cutting more or less straight, but I still have issues drilling straight. I guess that I should punch each hole before I pre-drill it so at least the bit doesn't walk, but that won't help me keep the other side where it is supposed to be.

I cut the extensions pretty well, but I didn't screw them together quite straight, and there is a bit of a gap, so I screwed in those 2x2s to make it rigid. I am going to cut the corner off of each one to match the rest.

The diagonal pieces in the back corners are original. You can barely see 2x4s that I screwed under the back 2x6. The one on the right is to support the extension that you cannot see and the one on the left is for symmetry.

This was originally screwed into the walls at the original owner's house, but Mom forbade that.

I don't even know how to make it rigid.

I added that 2x6 across the back. I wanted a 2x4, but I didn't see a full-length one in the garage, so I super-sized it.

You may notice that it is 1.5" higher on the right.

Yeah...

I just screwed in the corner pieces so that each end fit best, but the right side was originally 4" lower than the left, which I didn't notice until after I attached the 2x6". That bothered me, so today I pulled out my bed, unscrewed the bracket holding the right side, removed the corner piece, and determined that it was at least 1" longer than the other, so I trimmed it.

Then the angles on each end were off, so I redid them, which was a pain, because they were no longer 45°, which makes it more difficult to measure out 4.25".

I may need to sharpen my circular saw blade. It takes too much effort to make some cuts and the last time that I used it today it took three passes to get through a 2x4, it just kept climbing up.

So, I trimmed the right diagonal piece, filled in the old holes, screwed it in its new position, and then moved behind to adjust the 2x6.

I found myself pondering the sensation that conjured the image of a screw extended out of the leg and into my groin. I examined the situation and determined that indeed, there was a screw stabbing Superman's speedo region.

I managed to pull away, determined the best position and angle for a new hole, drilled it, and was a little off.

The screw now sticks out a fraction of an inch.

Filling the holes is fun. I dip dowels the right width in Gorilla Glue and it seems like most of it squeezes out of the hole, so I wonder what good I am doing besides making them look less noticeable.

I trimmed them with a utility knife and sanded them.

They don't really stand out.

I don't think the rungs on each side are the same height and maybe the diagonal pieces are at slightly different angles. All that I know is that the right side went from 4" lower to 1.5" higher.

We will see if I try a third time.

You can see the right brace on the front. I figured the triangle would provide much more rigidity than a folded piece of steel. Those are the only pieces that I have bought so far. I have been using leftover screws from the deleted half, some screws that are over 5" long, a box of 1.5" screws, and four big L brackets on the back, two attaching the original 2x6 to the legs, and two attaching the new 2x6 to the legs.

Despite six metal brackets and those diagonal pieces, it still wobbled too much for me to use it until I screwed two 2x4s at 90° and screwed them to the back corner.

It was the perfect length and hardly moves anymore, even with my brother and I up there--extremely briefly.

To do:

1. Decide whether I am putting the rest of the deleted railing on the back right or just two 2x4s. I want symmetry there, too, and having something on the right would help me climb up there.
2. The front-right leg is bowing! I think that I will replace the bracket and the small 2x4 with a 4x4. I think that I will cut 2x4s to fit in the back and then full 2x4s in front of those.
3. Diagonal braces inside the ladders and under the actual bed.
4. If it finally seems secure, build a desk down there and set up my desktop with 43" monitor.
5. Finally remove the tools, leftover lumber, leftover fasteners, and tarp with as much sawdust as possible, then vacuum extensively.
6. Run ethernet.
7. Set up some of my LED work lights. I wear a headlamp when I work down there!
8. Finally get rid of Dad's old treadmill and bring in my dresser. Then I can finally get my clothes off of the bookshelf and out of the small filing cabinet inside the door!