I already have quite a nice miniature bed—except that what I really wanted was a Victorian brass bedstead. However, in my “scale”, they are virtually impossible to come by—I’ve never seen one.
So, I decided to make my own. Now first off, I don’t solder.
I’m hopeless at it. I could just commission what I want from someone on Etsy,
for example, but I was sure I could make a half-decent job of creating one
myself.
I bought a lot of brass tubing, (and then bought a load more
when I realised it was completely wrong) plus threaded rod. The idea was to use
the rod to hold it together rather than just gluing it, and using nuts on each
end to tighten them up. Of course I didn’t want just ordinary brass nuts, I
wanted something decorative that wouldn’t look out of place. In the end I
decided on acorn or dome nuts.
I started by taking the original bed I had, and copying the
measurements onto brass tubes, with some minor changes. You can see the
original bed later in the post next to the drafted bed.
Next I mocked it up using tape. This would help me see how it would look.
I also added the brass balls I had bought to act as bed knobs. The ones shown are the smaller version I used for the feet, I managed to find another set that was just slightly larger for the top. I added them all to threaded rods, I’m not bothered about them being able to be unscrewed (although it may come in handy for cleaning), but I wanted to make sure they were secure, and this seemed the easiest option. I also found some small brass washers that add just a touch of extra detail.
The next step was the one I had been dreading—drilling the
holes. I have a Dremel, and bought the drill stand for it so I could get a
nice, straight hole, and not have to try to hold a rod, the Dremel, and press
buttons. It’s all too messy that way.
I needed to buy another chuck for the drill as the holes I
was making were just too large for the Dremel’s factory fitted chuck. I also
discovered that the Dremel drill stand does not come with any kind of vice, so
I bought that too. This one takes rods very nicely as it has a groove to hold
them steady.
Marking up each piece was difficult, ad you have to think in
3D, making sure that every piece will fit together as well as you can. It was
complicated by the fact that I wanted two bars along the sides of the bed, this
was to give the bed additional strength, but also to hold the mattress in
place.
I used my ruler with a grove in the middle to create a
centre line on each piece, and marked them off. Each end and the base have
brass rods, and all needed holes drilling that were as accurate as possible, so
each time I measured matching bars, I did them together. If I could create a
thread at the end of each bar I would have been tempted to add the little nuts
on there too, but I don’t have that sort of equipment.
There were two types of holes, therefore, some that went all
the way through, and others that went half-way. To mix them up would be a
problem, so I did them in two batches, using the stopper on the drill stand to
remind me on the half-way holes.
Once they were drilled I could add the threaded bar, and
nuts. These things are TINY. I had to guess as to how much space on the bar
they took up, marking them was little use as I couldn’t get close enough with a
pen to be accurate. (From the amazing https://prime-miniatures.co.uk/,
they do all sorts of super miniature pieces.) It was also complicated by the
fact I had to extend the bar I had as I couldn’t find any that was M2 threaded
and long enough for my needs. So they had to be extended with brass extenders. I
put the sides and ends of the bed together to work out if they were fitting
together and the right size before marking.
Cutting them was also a nightmare. I only have a junior
hacksaw, and I had underestimated just how hard they were to cut. But, in the
end, all were cut, and, amazingly, fitted.
Once they were proven to work, came the painting. This is the part I have been looking forwards to the most. I used a Satin Hammerite spray paint as I didn’t want a high gloss. Although gloss can look lovely, in a miniature scale it can be overwhelming, and look cheap as well as super new. Although I knew the bed would not look old, I didn’t want it to be glaringly new looking. If you buy new dolls house furniture from a cheap supplier you’ll find they use a glass, and it shows every flaw.
I created a spray booth using string and an Ikea box for
shelving that was perfect, if a little low, so I added some card ends to lift
it up. I used to use spray paints all the time in my art degree, so I’m used to
using them. I waited for a sunny, non-breezy day, and spent most of it putting
on a coat, waiting fifteen minutes, rotating them, and putting on another coat
until I was happy with the result. I got one small drip, which is far from
ideal, but isn’t visible.
I then cut the rods to size. I made a mistake here as I cut
some just slightly too short. I should have been patient and bought more rods
and cut them all longer, but in the end they work ok. I may go back and redo
them, but after the trauma of putting the bed together…
I had decided to add in Pinflair Glue Gel to some of the tubes
so they would sit properly and not ride up or down. The threaded rods
themselves actually held the ned together without the need for any glue, but I
thought it would help. I knew it was going to be messy and difficult, and it
was just that. Because there as so many moving parts it was difficult to get
everything lined up and screwed together, and caused a lot of swearing. And
mess. And it’s not a job I want to do again!
The last step was gluing in the feet and top knobs. I added
some bushes in, they don’t fit exactly which is what I wanted, but they do stop
the threaded rods from clattering in the holes so much.
But in the end, it was worth it. It was exactly the bed I
wanted. It looks great, and fits my scale. I love the acorn nuts against the
black, and although it’s not as straight as it could be due to the odd error on
my part, I love it. Now all it needs is a mattress…
Comments
Post a Comment