How to Build a Meat Cart Bed
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Posted by ReadyMade
Writer ReadyMade, Photographers Stephen Stickler & Adrian Van Allen
A classic project from ReadyMade issue 1.
Note: This bed is designed to accommodate a queen-size mattress. ReadyMade apologizes for not providing instructions for smaller people with single and double beds, nor for the more ambitious king-size-bed people.
Skill Level
Hard
Active Time
More than a weekend
Cost
$$$
- Two ¾x36x84-inch high-grade raw birch plywood
- Two 2x4x81-inch kiln-dried pine beams
- Three 2x4x69-inch kiln-dried pine beams
- Four 2x4x7-inch kiln-dried pine beams, cut at 45º angles at the ends
- Box of 3-inch wood screws
- Box of galvanized roofing nails, with washers attached
- Box of ½-inch wood screws
- Eight 1-inch L-brackets
- Four 6-inch steel T-straps
- Six 2x½-inch lag bolts and washers
- Four 5-inch casters, 2 with locking mechanisms
- 36-inch chrome handicap bar
- 9x12-foot tarp
- Pack of 100-grit sandpaper
- Pint clear varnish
- 3-inch paintbrush
- Two 36-inch fluorescent tube lights (optional)
- Socket splitter (optional)
- 50-foot orange electrical cord (optional)
- Roll ½-inch masking tape (optional)
- Respirator or protective mask
Materials
- Electric drill
- Adjustable wrench
- Drill bits corresponding to screw sizes
- Hole-saw drill attachments (optional)
- Screwdriver
- Small T-square
- Furry earmuffs (this may get rather loud)
Tools
Go to a big hardware store that will make cuts for you. Assemble all of your lumber and mark your cuts with a pencil. Take it to the person in charge of cutting things and watch closely as he or she cuts it. It’s very important that the cuts be accurate.
Measure your front door and the door to your bedroom. If the dimensions of the bed (72x84 inches) won’t fit through, you’ll have to build it where it’s going to live.
Lay out all the 2x4-inch beams in the pattern indicated. Pre-drill two holes 1 inch apart where the beams meet, then screw 3-inch wood screws into the pre-drilled holes. Follow the same procedure for all four corners. Before tightening the screws completely, make sure that the corners are truly square by placing the T-square at the corner beams.
Place the three 69-inch cross-beams in equidistant thirds from the head and foot beams. Screw into place. Place 45°-angled beams at the four corners and screw into place from inside the frame.
Place the casters at the four corners of the frame, making sure to set the two locking ones on diagonal corners. Pencil in the screw holes for the casters and pre-drill them with a beefy drill bit. With the adjustable wrench, screw the casters in place using the lag bolts and washers. Be patient, this could take a while.
Now you should have a sturdy frame. Stand back a moment and look at your accomplishment. God, you’re good. Now it’s time to spread out the tarp. Place the plywood sections on it carefully so that they form one big 6x7-foot rectangle. Screw the sections together with the T-straps and ½-inch screws, making as tight a seam as possible.
Get a friend to help you lift the frame onto the plywood rectangle. (Tip: Use the casters as handholds.) Attach the frame to the plywood platform using the 1-inch L-brackets and ½-inch screws.
If you don’t get enough already at the office, attach the fluorescent tube lights to the underside of the frame using ½-inch screws. Use the socket splitter to plug both lights into the 50-foot orange extension cord. Tack any extra cord to the beam using a staple gun. Be careful not to puncture the cord or the ply.
Now that the frame is securely attached to the plywood, flip it over so it’s resting on the casters. You can barely contain your excitement now. Look at that. Sand the top of the platform lightly to remove the odd splinter. For a more finished look, tape off a rectangle approximately the size of your mattress (about 1' should remain outside the tape on each side). Brush on one or two thin coats of clear varnish, leaving the section bounded by the tape unfinished (this will prevent your mattress from sliding around during, er, more “active” Meat Cart activity). Allow 8 hours drying time between each coat. If your workspace isn’t well ventilated, wear a respirator or protective mask. Safety first.
Once your cart has dried, center the chrome handicap bar on the side you’ll want to be dragging it around by, then screw it into place. Tap the roofing-nail-and-washer combos over the unsightly wood screws.
Optional step: In the 1-foot perimeter of plywood that borders the space for your mattress, try using a 3-inch hole-saw attachment for your electric drill to cut a glass-size hole near the head of the bed. Use different hole-saw attachment sizes to fit a flower vase or a glass of milk (the wholesome, vitamin D-enriched stuff).
