# What I've been doing for the last couple of days...



## cfellows (Jun 14, 2011)

As my significant other and I have aged, our bed keeps getting higher and higher as we keep buying thicker mattresses and adding foam toppers in the quest to make it softer on our aging bodies. Recently the wife has begun complaining about the difficulty of getting in and out of bed because of its height. She wanted me to cut some off the legs to shorten it, but I was reluctant to chance ruining it since I had spent 6 months building it out of solid walnut a number of years ago.

I suggested we replace our existing 9" box springs with low-profile, 5 1/2" units and she agreed, but a trip to the store revealed a price tag of over $400, more than we were willing to spend. On the way home, the wife suggested maybe we could just cut ours in half. Yeah, right, I chuckled, unable to imagine where I would even start such a project. This wasn't the first time she had suggested something that sounded utterly ridiculous. Well, guess what... that is exactly what we wound up doing. Here's the pics.

Here is the second box spring after we removed the 25,000 staples holding the cover on...







Here's a picture of the innards...






Another view...






Here I've begun cutting it in half, one spring at a time...






And a closer look showing where each spring is cut...






Here's how it looks after cutting all the springs and removing the top. Now I have to remove the residue, yuck, more staples...






All cleaned up, ready to start putting it back together...






And here's the top half back on the base, ready to start stapling...






The first box spring is completely back together and is 3" shorter than before.  This second one is ready to be put back together. In addition to some marriage points, I did get a new tool out of the deal. There was no room under the metal spring framework to hammer staples into the wood capturing the foot of each riser. So, I bought a new pneumatic palm nailer. It did work just find with the staples once a rhythm was established. 

Chuck


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## slkride (Jun 14, 2011)

Now that is a project plus,should boost your point standing up with the wife to the moon!!!!!

 I've done alot of strange things but don't know if I would had the nads to tackle that one.

 Well done Chuck                    

                                          Tom


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## Maryak (Jun 15, 2011)

Chuck,


 :bow: :bow: :bow:

That's another brownie points project put to bed ;D

Best Regards
Bob


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## bentprop (Jun 15, 2011)

Good on you for not paying those thieves $400,Chuck. You've learned another new skill,building mattresses :big:.
And a new toy is just icing on the cake!


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## Rayanth (Jun 15, 2011)

I'm curious... but isn't the box spring the solid part that goes under the mattress? Why not just make one of them out of wood, instead of cutting everything up on the existing?

Guess my thought process is just different 8)

Not that your way was bad or anything... you DID get a new toy! Just saying...

- Ryan


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## cfellows (Jun 15, 2011)

Rayanth  said:
			
		

> I'm curious... but isn't the box spring the solid part that goes under the mattress? Why not just make one of them out of wood, instead of cutting everything up on the existing?
> 
> Guess my thought process is just different 8)
> 
> ...


My approach would have been to build two boxes out of pine and plywood. But, the wife pointed out it would have been heavier, would still have cost around $100, and would probably have been about the same amount of work. And, I do get a certain satisfaction from re-using something I already have.

Chuck


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## Rayanth (Jun 16, 2011)

Hmm. I'm of that younger generation that's willing to throw out and buy/build new, than find a way to tear something apart and fix it or use it in another way ;D

Just shows we all have things to learn from each other, regardless of age or situation.

- Ryan


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## ronkh (Jun 16, 2011)

I was going to throw my youngest sons old bunk bed out but here is part of it recycled as a storage unit.
Bottom draw the brown woody stuff for my boats.
Mid draw for flat brass and tubing and top one plastic bits.
Top cabinet holds light tooling such as slips, mics, box of taps etc.

Just gotta find a place for him to sleep now. 



I forgot about getting a replacement bed. Rof}

Regards,

Ron.


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## Stan (Jun 17, 2011)

I haven't seen one of those box springs for many years. The mattress stores now call that piece of furniture a 'base'. It is just a plywood box with a padded top and covered with fabric to match the mattress.


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## cfellows (Jun 17, 2011)

Stan  said:
			
		

> I haven't seen one of those box springs for many years. The mattress stores now call that piece of furniture a 'base'. It is just a plywood box with a padded top and covered with fabric to match the mattress.



Yeah, mattress stores say that their 'base' reduces wear on their brand of mattress and won't honor the warranty on the mattress without it. Just a bunch of sales hype as far as I'm concerned. One more way to get their fingers in your wallet!

Chuck


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## Groomengineering (Jun 17, 2011)

Gotta keep the Mrs. happy, good job Chuck.  Thm:


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## cfellows (Jun 18, 2011)

Thanks all, for the kind words. For the past week, we've been painting the bedroom, fixing the bed to reduce the height, etc. Today I had to go around the ceiling where it meets the wall to straighten out the line between the wall and ceiling color. That was slow and tedious! Lots of other house projects ahead of me, but we are nearly done with the bedroom. Maybe I can get some shop time (the good kind) in now.  

Chuck


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## mhh (Jun 18, 2011)

So thats how a box spring mattress looks like on the inside! ;D 

Removing staples is without a doubt something that shows true love!


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## ShedBoy (Jun 18, 2011)

Good job Chuck, that will keep you in good with the comissioner of war and finace. Just one thing, put your grinder guard back on they are there for a reason. If that is a 1mm disc they not only break the easiest but they cut the skin the easiest too. It is a bit hard to build engines with bandaged hands.  I like to see your work.

Brock


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