# Japanese Tatami Style Bed (the bed that never wears out)



## Alex Beck (Feb 14, 2019)

Tatami style japanese bed, made from reclaimed 2x6 oak boards that were originally railroad car flooring. Half lap joints on the perimeter frame w/ 3/8 oak dowels, dovetail on the center beam to prevent movement in tension, mortise & tenon frame & legs w/ hook knife carving, brass butterfly inlay over any large knots to give strength, also have an adjustable 5th leg directly underneath the center of the bed. 
I have a steel framed bed and after a few girlfriends its not unusual to see some bowing at the center or dents in the drywall behind the bed. This bed frame is different, you don't buy a mattress that sags in 3-5 years, you purchase an all-wool sleeping mat that can be washed and turned. The frame allows the boards to be flipped after a length of time. If the board is bowed, you flip the bow upwards and this allows indefinite life for the wood frame. 
I made a matching foot table, all mortise & tenon, mahogany keys on any stress cracks. Eventually, ill be making a similar bed for myself.

Reactions: Like 7 | Way Cool 7


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## ripjack13 (Feb 14, 2019)

Wooo....that's a perty unit. Nice....real nice.


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## Alex Beck (Feb 14, 2019)

Thanks Marc, 
After building that bed, I cant wait to build myself a similar bed. I'm so sick of purchasing an expensive mattress just to have it sag in the middle, Guess thats the fastest way to make you buy a new one, they used to make them so you could flip them, but now they market them as "pillow top" so you can't flip the mattress.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Feb 14, 2019)

Alex Beck said:


> Thanks Marc,
> After building that bed, I cant wait to build myself a similar bed. I'm so sick of purchasing an expensive mattress just to have it sag in the middle, Guess thats the fastest way to make you buy a new one, they used to make them so you could flip them, but now they market them as "pillow top" so you can't flip the mattress.



Yep, I had just had mine replaced, the warranty covered the sag. It is a platform mattress. So you can't flip it either. I made my own platform based on the futon platforms. I don't have a pic on my tablet, but I'll try to remember to get one when I'm on my pc in the morning. It's the second one I made like it. I left the first one in CA when I moved.


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Feb 15, 2019)

Very sweet B!!


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## ripjack13 (Feb 15, 2019)

Found some...

This thing is beefy, and doesn't move at all. So my walls have no dents. :)

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 3


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## DKMD (Feb 15, 2019)

Nice work on the bed! Love the joinery details.


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## Alex Beck (Feb 15, 2019)

Solid, did you have to reinforce you floor joists to put that beast in the bedroom? Lol

Reactions: Funny 1


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## ripjack13 (Feb 16, 2019)

Not yet. But the fatter I get I may have too...

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Graybeard (Feb 16, 2019)

Any recommendations on a specific mattress? We need to replace ours and it's on a Danish platform similar to the one you built.


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## SubVet10 (Mar 23, 2019)

I love it. Shame I "recently" bought one of those space age beds thanks to Uncle Sam jacking up my hips.


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