If you enjoy building with wood, why not put your talents to work to spoil your four-legged friend? It’s easier than you think to make something special that will get your favorite pet purring — or their tail wagging!
Need ideas? HGTV personality and skilled carpenter Darren Keefe uses supplies from 84 Lumber to create a combination window seat/daybed with a pull-out doggy trundle bed, transforming an underused space into a fun, cozy nook.
MATERIALS LIST:
• Birch plywood
• 1-by-inch poplar
• 18-gauge brad nails
• Wood glue
• Wood filler
• Sanding pads
• Pocket screws
• 2-inch directional casters
• Caulk
• Paint
TOOLS:
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Circular saw
• Miter saw (optional)
• Speed square
• Palm sander or sanding block
STEP 1
Use pocket screws to join 3/4-inch birch plywood, milled down to dimensions with a circular saw. Match the existing baseboard at 10” and use 1.5-inch poplar for the face frame and trim work.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a large table to work on, purchase a piece of 4-by-8-foot foam board insulation, lay flat and use as cutting surface. The plywood will have an even surface to rest on, mitigating any pinch of the saw blade in the milling process. Set the plunge depth on the circular saw slightly past three-quarter inches and the blade will pass through seamlessly without bottoming out.
STEP 2
Plywood on its own will naturally sag past 36 inches, especially with weight on it, so add column-like supports as part of the design. These act as separators for the bookshelf. Then double the plywood at the sides of the structure and top. The face frame will also help with rigidity. If possible, anchor the piece on the existing wall.
STEP 3
Use an 18-gauge cordless nail gun and glue to attach the popular face frame, following with wood filler to conceal nail holes.
STEP 4
For the doggy bed platform, mill a simple rectangle from three-quarter-inch birch plywood (the dog’s size will inform the overall day bed size). Attach fixed directional wheels to the bottom, allowing the bed to move in and out of its pocket (if you have a smaller dog, drawer slides will work).
STEP 5
Frame sides with poplar and use the 10-inch baseboard as the face of the doggy day bed, allowing it to camouflage itself as part of the existing baseboard. Fill nail holes, then sand, caulk all seams and paint. Finally, add vertical kick-down door stops to anchor the bed so Fido can’t use it as a skateboard.
Ready to get started? Visit 84lumber.com.
This article is courtesy of Brandpoint.