Create-A-Bed® Standard Horizontal Murphy Bed Construction, Assembly & Installation Video

the creative ed Murphy bed mechanism was designed for the do-it-yourselfer with basic woodworking skills and tools this patented mechanism uses gas Springs instead of metal Springs it requires no floor mounting and was designed for years of daily use and comfortable sleep the unique locking leg design prevents the bed from being lowered without first opening the legs this helps avoid possible damage to the bed that could result from the bed being lowered improperly this video is to be used in conjunction with your illustrated step-by-step construction booklet to construct a Murphy bed using the creative bed Murphy bed mechanism before you start this project read through the instruction booklet intended for use with the wood product you plan to use and review this tape from start to finish this mechanism and these instructions were developed after years of engineering and field testing the measurements and mounting positions of the mechanism combined with the recommended materials to create a Murphy bed that will raise and lower easily and provide years of trouble-free use you can add decorative molding and trim to create the Murphy bed that suits your decor but you should not substitute materials or deviate from these instructions without first calling CA be incorporated toll-free at this number advanced woodworkers and professionals can substitute quality hardwoods for the materials we specify in the instructions but you should still check with our technical assistance department first unpack your mechanism and check to see that these parts are included three printed booklets a yellow booklet you'll use if you're building your bed cabinet out of veneered or furniture grade plywood a white booklet you'll use if you're building your bed cabinet from a combination of particle board and plywood and a blue booklet that you will use to assemble and install your Murphy bed after you have constructed the cabinet components - black piston gas Springs four ball stud plates two upper and two lower and twelve black number ten by three quarter-inch screws and eight tea nuts with machine screws to bed stops with screws two locking leg latches with attached cables two pair of male female pivot rod plates with washers to eclipse 40 nuts with machine screws and twelve number 12 three-quarter inch zinc screws two steel leg hinges with sixteen number eight five-eighths inch round head mounting screws and two locking washers and two elastic mattress retaining straps if any parts or components are missing call this toll-free number the basic tools required are a power drill a power saw jigsaw Phillips head screwdriver flat head screwdriver tape measure hammer and straightedge or framing square this is the time to choose the material to build the bed cabinet to separate construction booklets are included in your kit the yellow one for plywood construction and the white one for a combination of particle board and plywood construction We strongly recommend veneered sometimes referred to as furniture grade plywood for the construction of the bed cabinet because plywood is much stronger lighter and more durable than particle board select the construction booklet for the wood material you'll be using and discard the other booklet a bill of materials and cut sheet is included in your booklet refer to these pages to calculate the amount of wood components and other construction materials you'll need to purchase your bill of materials also includes the recommended size and weight of the inner spring mattress you'll use on your Murphy bed the Murphy bed cabinet you'll be constructing consists of the following parts identified by letter here and on the cut sheet in your construction booklet Part A the inner wood bed frame and leg hinge struts parts B the two side rails part C the foot rail Part D the head rail Part II the bed face panel Part F the bed headboard parts G the to bed cabinet verticals part H the bed header parts I the four wooden legs and part J the quarter-inch plywood mattress support using the safety precautions appropriate for the tools you're working with cut the wooden pieces described on the bill of materials to reduce waste refer to the cutting guide in your booklet we'll start with part a the inner wood bed frame part a consists of the frame struts and the two frame sides the length of your frame struts and their spacing will depend on the size of the bed you're building refer to your construction booklet start with two frame strut pieces run a bead of wood glue along the three-quarter inch wide edge of the first frame strut glue the narrow edge of the first frame strut to the bottom half of the second frame strut checking to make sure that the ends are flush drill pilot holes approximately eight inches apart and nail with inch and a half finished nails or number eight inch and a half screws place the frame strut assemblies on a flat surface as shown note the orientation of the two Center struts place the frame sides at the ends of the frame struts space the frame struts according to the dimensions required for the size of bed your building mount the frame struts between the frame sides using an eighth inch drill bit countersink and drill pilot holes through the frame sides into each end of the L shaped frame struts screw the number eight to inch wood screws flush you apply pre-glued veneer tape to the upper edges of the side rails and the upper edges and ends of the foot rail and headrail measure a length of veneer tape two inches longer than the piece you're taping with the glue side down place the veneer tape on the edge to be taped and heat the tape with a warm iron apply pressure to the veneer tape with a small block of wood trim the ends and edges of the veneer tape flush with the surface you special edge trimming tools are available that make this process easier refer to your construction booklet for the mounting positions of the lower ball stud plate and the female pivot plate determine which side rail will be on the left and which will be on the right side of the face panel position the side rails with the right side rail on your right and the left side rail on your left with the top banded edges away from you on a flat surface pull the two template pages out of the booklet and place the right side rail template on your work surface above the right side rail and the left side rail template above the left side rail please note that the placement of the metal mechanism components is different for different bed sizes and may vary from what you see here starting with the right side rail use the measurements on the template for placement of the 1-inch pivot hole mark and drill a one-inch hole through the right side rail for a cleaner hole and to avoid damaging your work surface place a scrap of wood under the side rail before drilling now measure and drill the 1-inch hole in the left rail create a spacer by cutting a piece of wood 5/16 of an inch thick using the measurements indicated on the template measure the distance from the center of the one-inch pivot hole back toward the end of the side rail and mark mark a perpendicular line down from the edge place the 5/16 inch wood spacer between the finished edge of the side rail and the ball stud the pencil line should be centered in the center hole of the ball stud plate use a square to align the ball stud plate on the side rail mark the positions of the mounting screws drill three quarter inch diameter holes through the left side rail insert the three tea nuts through the inside of the side rail screw the machine screws through the lower ball stud plate into the t-nuts you drill two pilot holes for the two number ten three-quarter inch screws taking care not to drill all the way through the side rail do not overtighten mount the lower ball stud plate on the right side rail using the measurements on the right side rail template you place the left and right side rails on edge with the ball stud plates facing the outside closest to you starting with the right side rail lay the rail outside down mount the female pivot plate to the inside of the right side rail press the female pivot plate into the pivot hole screw the plate flush to the rail using the number 12 three-quarter inch zinc screws provided in the kit now mount the female pivot plate to the left side rail you start with the right side rail keeping the ends and bottom of the right side rail flush with the end and bottom of the inner bed frame use an eighth inch drill bit to drill five holes one and one quarter inches deep through the wooden bed frame into the right side rail drill five number eight one and one quarter inch wood screws flush snugging the inner wood bed frame to the right side rail you can glue and screw these pieces if you prefer repeat these steps to mount the left side rail to the inner wood bed frame you mount the foot rail part see to the side rails and inner wood bed frame by first checking to make sure the sides and bottom are flush drill a 1/8 inch pilot hole 2 inches deep through the foot rail into the side rails drive to number eight two inch long wood screws flush into each side rail you next drill 8 1/8 inch pilot holes 1 and 1/4 inch deep through the inner wood bed frame into the foot rail do not drill all the way through the foot rail drive the one in 1/4 inch wood screws flush attach the headrail by drilling 8 1/8 inch pilot holes one and 1/4 inch deep through the inner wood bed frame into the headrail drive the 1 and 1/4 inch screws flush again do not drill all the way through the head rail for best results examine both sides of the face panel pieces parts e to determine which sides will be the front or bottom of the finished face panel component apply wood veneer edge banding tape or melamine edge tape to the three outer edges of the two bed face panel pieces parts e to create the appearance of a bifold or score the center of the two panels 1/8 inch deep the full length of the panels create the hole for the leg by first marking the center of the left face panel piece measure and place a mark halfway between the taped edge of the face panel and the center of the panel mark the position of the leg hole by measuring down four inches from the second mark refer to the booklet for the dimensions of the leg hole mark the hole and use a jigsaw or plunge router to create a rectangular hole four inches down from the top finished edge of the face panel you repeat on the right side face panel you turn both face panels over so that the fronts are good side down and the unfinished edges are next to each other you on the backside mark 1/4 inch pencil line along the full length of each panel along the finished long edge you with the bed face panel still lying face down but the two unfinished inside edges together make sure the quarter-inch pencil marks are visible on the outer finished edges apply construction adhesive to the inner wood bed frame aligning the sides of the bed frame with the quarter inch pencil marks lay the assembled bed frame on top of the face panel pieces making sure the top edge of the assembled bed frame is flush with the top finished edges of the bed face panels the face panel must extend one quarter inch on both sides of the bed frame assembly the bottom end of the face panel will extend one quarter inch past the bottom end of the bed frame working one side at a time screw the section mark X first keeping the end flush screw the section marked why making sure there is a quarter-inch face panel overhang at the bottom screw the section marked Z you repeat on the other side proceeding in the XYZ order drill pilot holes and screw the remaining struts to the face panel about six inches apart taking care not to drill all the way through the face panel apply construction adhesive and nail or screw the two leg hinge struts to the inside of the face panel over the tops of the leg holes in the face panel make sure the struts are flush with the tops of the leg holes you make for wood legs three-quarter inches thick three inches wide and seven inches high only two legs will use the leg hinges the other two legs are fixed to the face panel and used to lower the bed you will attach a standard drawer or door pull to each of the four wood legs the spacing of the holes in the legs will depend on the style and size of the pulls you select measure the span between the pull holes and drill two corresponding quarter inch holes through each of the legs countersink the screw holes on the backsides of the legs so the screw heads will be flush with the wood leg be sure to mount the pool before mounting the leg hinge the measurements and orientation of the hinges on the legs are very important for the proper operation of the leg hinge and the locking mechanism position the hinge with the large open end up three-quarters of an inch from the top edge and 1/2 inch from the side edges as shown drill pilot holes and screw for number eight 5/8 inch screws to secure the hinge to the leg to mount the legs with the hinges to the face panel and frame strut push the hinge end through the opening in the face panel make sure the wood leg is flush against the face panel drill pilot holes and screw to number eight five-eighths inch screws through the holes at the end of the hinge inside the face panel drill pilot holes and screw the remaining two number eight five-eighths inch screws into the hinge you will have to drill and screw at an angle the locking leg latch is located at the top of the bed in the footboard the latch is connected to the leg hinge with a length of cord the latch locks the bed in its closed position when both legs are open the cord retracts the locking latch and the bed can then be lowered for use be sure to perform these next steps in order drill a quarter inch hole above the upper right hand edge of the leg hinge through the bed strut measure the distance from the inside of the side rail to the quarter inch hole in the bed strut from the outer edge of the foot rail measure over the same distance you measured inside the face panel and add three quarters of an inch the thickness of the side rail and Mark from the inside edge of the face panel measure nine sixteenths of an inch on the foot rail and mark drill a one-inch diameter hole completely through the foot rail and frame strut a Forstner drill bit is a helpful tool for this step push a locking latch cord first into the hole in the footboard with the flat side facing forward if the latch does not fit snugly or is loose in the hole wrap masking tape around the widest part of the latch until it fits snugly push the cord through the quarter inch hole in the frame and out through the leg hole remove the screw closest to the hole in the leg strut and add the lock washer replace the screw about halfway pull the cord tight to retract the locking latch and wrap the cord under the washer clockwise and tighten the screw do not trim the excess cord until you've applied a finish to the wood lay the cabinet verticals parts G on your padded work surface with the outside sides down and the taped edges out start with the left vertical measure seven and one-quarter inches from the front finished edge and four inches down from the top edge and drill a hole one quarter inch in diameter and one half inch deep be careful not to drill all the way through the vertical insert the bed stop pin into the hole and attach it with a number eight 5/8 inch pan head screw you refer to the booklet for the mounting position of the upper ball stud plate measure from the bottom of the vertical and the front finished edge of the vertical and mark drill a 5/8 inch diameter hole 1/2 inch deep recess the nuts side of the upper ball stud plate into this hole use a square to line up the plate and drill four pilot holes and screw in for number ten three quarter-inch screws you drill v pilot hole completely through the vertical and turn the vertical over locate the pilot hole and drill a quarter inch diameter hole insert one t-nut turn the vertical back over and screw a quarter-inch machine screw snugly into the t-nut refer to the booklet for the mounting position of the pivot rod and plate measure from the bottom of the vertical and the front finished edge of the vertical and mark drill a 5/8 inch diameter hole 1/2 inch deep and insert the half-inch end of the rod into the hole use a square to line up the plate and drill to one-quarter inch diameter holes completely through the vertical using the upper holes in the pivot plate as a guide you tap to t-nuts into the two upper holes from the outside then screw to quarter-inch machine screws through the pivot plate into the t-nuts drill two pilot holes and screw to number 12 three-quarter inch screws through the pivot holes into the vertical repeat the steps to mount the bed stop upper ball stud plate and male pivot plate on the right vertical being sure to measure from the finished edge of the vertical prepare the headboard part f by selecting one side as the good side and applying pre-glued wood veneer tape or melamine tape to both long edges the header part H consists of the header board the front rail the front rail support the rear rail and two mounting cleats with the good side of the header board facing up glue the rear rail to the header board drill five pilot holes through the bed header rear rail and screw the rear rail to the header board with number eight two inch screws create the front rail support by gluing and screwing or nailing the two front rail support pieces together the same way you assembled the frame struts for the face panel attach the front rail to the front rail support by drilling six pilot holes one and one-half inches deep through the rear of the support into the rear of the front rail then glue and screw the two together with one and one-half inch wood screws turn the header board over so that its top side down on your work surface position the assembled rail and supports three-quarters of an inch in from each side of the header board be sure to keep the rail and the edge of the header board flush and drill five pilot holes one and one-quarter inches deep through the front rail support into the header glue and screw the rail assembly to the header board with one and one-quarter inch wood screws cut the mounting cleat to fit between the front rail and the back of the header board and attach it to the header board with one and one quarter inch wood screws three-quarters of an inch from the edge of the header repeat on the other end of the header you we recommend removing all the hardware before you sand and finish the wooden components of your bed there are an infinite number of ways to customize the look of your bed and add to its functionality you can add decorative moldings such as picture frame molding or preformed wood trim to the face panel and verticals you can create a traditional look or a contemporary one by applying crown molding to the bed header and upper verticals and base molding here are some examples of beds built using the creative bed Murphy bed mechanism after you've applied your decorative trim and put a finish on the wooden components reattach the mechanism components referring to the construction booklet if necessary place the two quarter inch thick mattress support pieces inside the face panel assembly on top of the inner bed frame and attach them to the bed frame with 1/2 to 3/4 inch nails or screws measure 16 inches in both directions from the corner of the foot rail and mark use short screws to screw each end of the elastic mattress strip through the plywood liner into the bed frame now you're ready to assemble and install your new Murphy bed using the blue booklet and a few simple tools this part of the video features the step-by-step instructions for assembling and installing your Murphy bed a Murphy bed built using the create a bed Murphy bed mechanism is designed to provide years of trouble-free use when properly assembled and mounted to the wall watch this video from start to finish before attempting to assemble your bed this bed contains stored mechanical energy which can cause serious injury or damage to the bed if improperly handled your bed must be securely anchored to the wall this video will describe installation to wood or metal stud walls as well as masonry walls if you have any questions about any aspect of assembling your bed mounting it properly to the wall or disassembling your bed check the list of frequently asked questions at the end of this video or call our technical assistance hotline at this toll-free number now let's get started carefully move the bed components and hardware to the room where the bed is to be installed you should have the following components the bed face panel two verticals the headboard and the header the packet of hardware should include the following two Eclipse and two plastic washers and two Pistons the tools you'll need to assemble and install your bed are a power drill a stud finder a tape measure Phillips head screwdriver flat head screwdriver and drill bits appropriate for your mounting surface position the face panel face down on the carpet or other padded surface in front of the wall to which you will attach the bed place the ball stud plate end closest to the wall lay the left vertical on its finished edge with mounted hardware facing the bed face panel slide a plastic washer onto the pivot bar slide the pivot bar into the pivot hole on the left side of the face panel until no gap remains between the side of the bed face panel and the vertical snap the metal eclip into the groove at the end of the pivot bar repeat these steps with the right vertical you measure up 15 inches from the end of the vertical and mark mark two points one three inches and one nine inches from the 15 inch mark drill two pilot holes through each of the verticals at the marks with a helper screw the headboard into place using 2 number 8 2 inch screws repeat on the other end of the headboard with the bed face panel remaining facedown on the padded floor with both legs in the closed position against the face panel surface use a helper to help you lift the ends of both verticals to rotate them and the headboard into the upright position with the helper place the bed header on top of the bed verticals making sure that the rear rail is closest to the wall working from the inside of the bed cabinet drill three pilot holes through the mounting cleats into the bed verticals attach the bed header to the vertical with three number 8 1 and 1/4 inch screws repeat this step on the other end of the header take care not to drill or screw all the way through the vertical remove the to bed stops from the inside of the bed cabinet with the face panel still in the lowered position carefully placed the back of the bed cabinet two to three feet away from the wall allowing enough room to work comfortably behind the bed the pistons must be mounted so that the arrow on the label points up snap the lower end of the piston on the ball stud mounted to the side of the face panel rest the piston against the headboard repeat on the other side with the second piston with a helper firmly holding the bed cabinet raise the bed face panel assembly up and push it up into the bed cabinet until the front edge is recessed about three inches the face panel will be very heavy at this point the upper end of the piston can be snapped on reach inside the bed cabinet from the back and snap the upper end of the piston onto the upper ball stud plate mounted on the vertical repeat on the other side if you cannot easily snap the upper end of the piston onto the ball stud your Hardware may be mounted incorrectly or in the wrong position the face panel should not have to be pulled out of the cabinet past vertical to install the Pistons if the wall does not have base molding push the bed cabinet against the wall if the wall has base molding make a cut at the bottom rear of the cabinet verticals to accommodate the molding and push the bed cabinet until the backs of the verticals and the headboard are flush against the wall check to make sure the top and bottom of the bed cabinet are firmly against the wall insert a piece of cardboard in the gap between the face panel and each vertical do not attempt to operate your Murphy bed until it is securely anchored to the wall failure to do so could result in serious injury or damage to the bed your Murphy bed must be properly anchored to the wall using the appropriate fasteners which fasteners you use will depend on whether your wall is of wood stud metal stud or masonry construction three inch drywall screws are used to anchor the bed cabinet to walls with wood studs we recommend using a good stud finder which can be purchased at any hardware store or Home Improvement Center this will help you locate the center of the stud providing the most secure anchor find the studs in your wall and mark them you may need to move your Murphy bed a few inches to the right or left once you've located the Centers of the studs most walls are constructed with the studs 16 inches apart drill three pilot holes through the back rail of the bed header into the studs and drive three three inch drywall screws through the wall into the studs you must anchor the bed cabinet with three screws for a twin or full size bed and four screws for a queen-size bed masonry screws are used to anchor the bed cabinet to walls of concrete mortar or brick construction you must anchor the bed cabinet with three screws for a twin or full size bed and four screws for a queen-size bed using a 5/32 four inch concrete drill bit drill the holes equally apart through the back rail of the bed header anchor the bed by screwing the concrete screws through the back rail into the wall toggle bolts are used to anchor the bed cabinet to walls with metal studs we recommend using a good stud finder which can be purchased at any hardware store or Home Improvement Center this will help you locate the center of the stud providing the most secure anchor find the studs in your wall and mark them you may need to move your Murphy bed a few inches to the right or left after you've located the Centers of the studs most walls are constructed with the studs 16 inches apart drill three pilot holes through the back rail of the cabinet header into the wall pull the bed away from the wall using a 9/16 inch drill bit drill holes at the pilot holes through the metal studs be sure you drill through the studs insert the screw through the back rail of the header now thread the toggle wing on the screw fold the wings back completely and push it through the metal stud until the wings spring open pull the header rail back to hold the wings against the inside of the stud and tighten with a screwdriver you must anchor the bed cabinet with three toggle bolts for a twin or full size bed and four toggle bolts for a queen-size bed after the bed is firmly and securely anchored to the wall flip up both blocking legs and lower the face panel with a helper holding the face panel in the down position place the inner spring mattress inside the face panel and secure it with the elastic retaining straps don't be concerned if it seems difficult to lower the face panel once the mattress is in place the bed will stay down and function easily if the mattress is lightweight and the face panel floats off the floor add some weight under the mattress at the foot of the bed reattach the to bed stops from the inside of the bed cabinet close the bed if the gap around the face panel is uneven push gently at the bottom of the end panel on the side with the smallest gap until the desired gap is obtained if you plan to add decorative base molding to your bed position it across the lower front of the bed cabinet and attach it only to the front and bottom edges of the verticals you your Murphy bed can be easily disassembled and moved if necessary by following these steps do not attempt to take your bed apart without following these steps or you could damage your bed if your bed has base molding remove it first open both legs and lower the bed face panel remove both bed stops with a helper holding the bed face panel down remove the mattress raise the bed face panel back up into the bed cabinet and close both legs the face panel will recess into the cabinet remove the anchor screws from the top of the bed cabinet do not remove the anchor screws with the face panel in the open or lowered position place the bed cabinet two to three feet away from the wall allowing enough room to work comfortably behind it with a helper securely holding the bed cabinet the Pistons can now be removed one at a time use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry up the spring clip located around the plastic head of the upper end of the piston now pull the end of the piston off the ball stud remember the spring clip is just lifted not removed completely repeat on the other piston with a helper holding the outer cabinet assembly close both legs and carefully lower the face panel to the floor unscrew and remove the header with a helper lower the vertical and headboard assembly to the floor unscrew and remove the headboard use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry up the spring clip of the lower ends of both pistons now just pull the end of the piston off the ball stud use the flat blade screwdriver to remove the Eclipse remove the verticals from the face panel here are some of them more frequently asked questions we get from our customers what kind of mattress do I use with my bed this mechanism was designed to use a quality inner spring mattress of up to 12 inches in thickness check the cut sheet page of your construction booklet for the suggested mattress size and weight for your bed size and style I can't compress the piston is it frozen up each piston contains as much as 240 pounds of pressure in order to raise and lower your face panel and mattress easily and cannot be compressed by hand do not attempt to compress a piston in any way except as described in this video and in the instruction booklet you can damage the piston the bed is very hard to open and will not stay down the piston lift mechanism contains enough power to raise and lower the face panel and a quality mattress easily the face panel will not stay down without the mattress if the face panel stays down without the mattress your face panel is too heavy or your mechanism mounting measurements are not correct if the face panel floats off the ground after you've put a mattress inside it you could add a small amount of weight under the mattress at the foot rail end of the face panel to keep it down I pushed my face panel back into the bed cabinet but the piston is still too long or too short to snap onto the upper ball stud plate if you cannot easily snap the upper end of the piston on the ball stud or if the face panel has to be pulled out of the cabinet past vertical to install the Pistons one or more of your ball stud plates is not mounted correctly or is mounted in the wrong place carefully disassemble your bed and check your measurements against those in the booklet you use to build the bed remember the measurements and the white booklet are different than those in the yellow booklet because they are intended for use with different construction materials why does the face panel of my bed sag out of the cabinet if your face panel sags out of the cabinet when you try to close it do not try to push or force it back into the cabinet a sagging face panel means that the mounting position of one or more of the upper or lower ball stud plates is incorrect carefully disassemble your bed and check your mounting position measurements remember the measurements in the white booklet are different than those in the yellow booklet if you try to force the face panel back into the bed cabinet you will damage the pistons and the ball stud plates thank you for purchasing a creative bed Murphy bed mechanism if you have any questions please call us toll free or visit us at our website

Channel: Create-A-Bed

Views: 66,964

Keywords: murphy bed, murphy beds, wallbed, wall bed, create-a-bed

Id: P_9oPob3agU

Length: 46min 29sec (2789 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 04 2015