Woodworker's Journal 1992-16-6, страница 44

BUILD THIS POPULAR CONVERTIBLE COUCH

Futons have become enormously popular of late— and for good reason. They easily convert from a sofa 10 a bed, making them ideal for spare rooms, small apartments and college dorms. And. since they are reasonably lightweight, you are less likely to suffer a week of sore muscles after moving one. We've worked out a design that simplifies the construction, so even woodworkers just starting oul should be able to tackle this project with little difficulty. Our Futon, which is queen sized, is made from maple, but a softwood like pine is also a good choice—especially if you warn to keep costs to a minimum.

In ihe sofa position (see Side View ), the seat section tilts down at a 3 degree angle. The ends of the support cleats rest flat on the fk>or, and the two knobs are lightened to lock the back and support cicats in place.

To convert the Futon to a bed. simply loosen the knobs and straighten ihe seat, back and support cleats (see Fig. 1). Note that, as the back section is lowered to the floor, the seat section pivots up to create a flat sleeping surface.

In the event you can'l find a satisfactory mattress locally, we've listed a mail-order supplier for a good quality Futon mattress (see Mattress Source). Since mattress sizes tend to \ary a bit. it's best to have your mattress on hand before starting the project. It's never easy to make adjustments after a project is completed.

Prepare the Stock

Begin b\ selecting enough five-quarter stock to make the two seat cleats (A), the two back deals (C) and the two support cleats (D). Also, select enough 44

one inch (⁴A) stock to make the seal front (B| and the 13 slats (E). When selecting the wood, look for straight-grained stock that's free from large knots or other defects. Boards that are cupped or tw isted should be avoided.

If you purchased rough-sawn boards, you'll need to thickness plane the -V-i slock to I in. and the ^AU stock lo in. thick. If you don't have a thickness planer, most lumber dealers will, for a small charge, plane the hoards for you.

Cut the Parts to Size Next, rip the 1 in. thick stock to 5¹/? in. wide tor the six cleats. Then, rip the V* in. thick slock to 4'/^ in. wide for the seal front and V/i in. wide for the slats.

Once all the parts have been ripped to width, crosscut each one to the lengths shown in the Bill of Materials.

Shape the Cleat Parts

The two seat cleats can now be cui lo final shape. First, lay out and mark ihe taper and the 4 in. radius curve (see Fig. 2). Then, using the band saw, cut ihe

taper and the curve. Make the saw cui slightly on ihe outside of the marked line, then sand exactly to ihe line.

Still referring to Fig. 2, mark the location of the -7* in. diameter through hole in each seat cleat. Once marked, bore each hole using the drill press. It's best to use the drill press here, and for all the holes that will follow (including those for the threaded inserts), as it's important for them to be square.

The back cleat has a 15-degree angle and a 3'/i in. radius cut on one end, and a 2-7a in. radius on the other (see Fig. 3 and Side View). The support cleat has a in. radius on one end. while ihe other end is square.

Cut ihe 15 degree angle on the back cleat, then use a compass to scribe ihe various radii on each of the parts. Cut them out on the band saw. A disk sander. if >ou have one. w ill make it easy to sand the band sawn edges.

A '/2 dia. by "M in. deep hole is bored in each back cleat lo accept a ⁵/ie> - 18 by ⁵/fe in. long brass ihreaded insert <G). Referring to Fig. 3. lay oul and mark

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