How do you make a sofa that converts into a bed?

Simply put you make a box and give it a lid that telescopes to double its size.

OK! But how do you do that?

Well since a picture is worth a thousand words, here's 3000.

This is one half of the lid. It is in two halves to reduce the weight that will have to be lifted when accessing the storeage underneath.

The reason for the gap in the middle is that I've used up my supply of timber so I shopping trip is needed to finish this and to make its twin.

When completed the bed will be 2m x 1.4m, big enough even for me!

I could have been riding my bike...

Yesterday got rained off but today was lovely. The bike group was on a run and the temptation to get the gear on and go for a ride was very strong. If I'd got some work done yesterday I'd probably have succumbed . However conscience got the better of me and out came the power tools.

The second section of the sofa bed is now done. I propped the sections up so that you can see how they will go together.

That's not all...

Just in case you thought that was all I'd achieved last weekend here is the evidence that I'd also trimmed back the foam and fitted the wall panel over the window and made a ply box to surround the offside wheel arch.

The channel running up the middle of the van is where the cables for the lighting will run. A removable cover will be added later.

I got the power! (credit: Snap 1990)

After several hours of chipping away at bits of wood I've discovered that I don't have the requisite skills with hammer and chisel to form even the simplest of timber joints. Having never had woodwork classes at school (or since) this should not have come as any surprise, however as I had a book and the arrogance of the uninitiated it was a bit of an eye opener.

Fortunately being a gadget nut I have accumulated an impressive array of power tools, so having admitted to myself that I am no master craftsman I delved into the dark recesses of the garage and liberated the router from the "I'll find a use for that, one day" shelf. Well that day had arrived and although initial caution was exercised (this is a scary machine) I was soon removing wood with sufficient precision to make some very tidy joints. All the while this sound track was playing in my head

This is the fruit of my labour, the first section of sofa-bed.

Ever discovered something was harder to do than you thought?

Well I just have.

Having cut the wall panel that will go over the window (which required lots of "offering up" and trimming of the profile) I needed to insulate around the window. I could have used my hi-tech blanket but it would have to be cut into small pieces, so instead I decided on expanding PU foam in a can... because I thought it would be quick and easy!

How wrong was I?

The instructions explained that the foam is cured by moisture so the surface should be prepared by being made clean, grease free and moisturised! And this is where the problems began. The surface is inclined gloss paint which I'd damped down with a water spray and I was trying to get a liquid to stay where it was put.... platting fog might have been easier!


The only thing that seemed to work was applying small blobs, leaving them to cure and then coming back to add blobs between the cured blobs. The whole process took nearly a full day and looks like something from a horror movie.

On the upside, following some trimming, the wall board can now finished which means that I can now start on the furniture.