A little extra space helps and can be tightened with a washer if needed
This video is part of a series on Making a Murphy bed. the series landing page is here.
Official Transcript:
This is the one place where I don't always use the template. I know from the instructions that from the end of my box to this first hole right here is pretty close to 1-7/8 inches. So it's something measured. But anyway, I'm just gonna take this plate, set on the outside of my box, and I've made a mark that's 1-7/8 inches down from the end.
I'm gonna double-check myself real quick.
Now I'm just gonna take this drill and drill some pilot holes where each of the bolts is gonna go. There's actually a couple of them that I can't quite get to with a drill so I just have to take a pencil. I'm just gonna reach through from the backside and mark 'em with a pencil. Okay. Go ahead and drill them.
Blowout protection for drilling
Now, I wanna come through with about a 3/8 inch hole, but I wanted to drill the pilot holes first to locate it. Now I'm gonna clamp this block of wood on the backside. And what that helps me with is it keeps from just blowing out the wood on the backside. So we'll just take a couple clamps.
Got that really good and secure.
I'm using a 3/8-inch Forstner Bit to drill through from this side. That gives me a really clean hole on this side.
Even though the bracket's gonna cover it up, I don't want a whole bunch of chips and tear out, they're gonna make it hard to get the bracket tight.
Install the hinge bracket
Now I'm gonna set the bracket down and come back with these screws.
The 3/8 inch holes are a little bit oversized, but it gives me enough room to get these screws to line up and go into the bracket. These have a really big washer head on them. I found that it doesn't give me any problems. The length coming out the other side is actually long enough that if I did have problems with it trying to move on me, I could get a thin Fender type washer and put 'em on here because this is never seen, it's behind the mattress anyway.
But just by having a slightly oversized hole, it really lets me get this aligned well. And that's the last bolt for this side. Now I've still gotta add three of these long screws which come through and hit into this wood blocking. Once I get these screws in, I'll add the bracket for the other side. Both of the hinges will be in, and we'll be ready to move this into the other room. And the next step will be installing it.
Previous segment: 6/ Bed Frame Assembly
The next segment will be on 8/ Building the Bed Cabinet to continue the construction process.
See the whole series here: A Wall Bed That Even Murphy Can Make
—A recovering production trim carpenter, Gary Streigler is a partner in Craftsman Builders in Northwest Arkansas.
