PVC piping for bed

[americanspirit]

Is there any reason not to use PVC pipes to build a bed frame or any other frame?  I am thinking of lightweight structures. I am learning we need to pay attention to wieght- IE, using alot of wood etc.  Thanks!

 

[nature lover]

I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t work unless you’re as fat as me. And I would still use a board on top under the mattress but that is still much less weight than using 2x4s and such underneath. And you can still leave room for tubs underneath to use for storage. Or you could use PVC as a frame and put up a hammock. That’s one of the fun things about building lots of different ways to do it. The only limits are your imagination your skills in your money.

 

[tripper]

Haven't tried it but it sounds like a bad idea, it will warp and crack over time I am sure. Wood is so much more versatile, you can make drawers and storage bins with wood. Bed frames are not that much weight, and having a sturdy platform is important for a good bed.

 

[bullfrog]

Bob Wells no build build recommends using sections of PVC as legs as an easy way to make a metal bed frame level. I have used a 1/2” piece of cabinet grade plywood (80”x30”)that was held up by 4 totes(20”x30”) sitting side by side with a cargo strap holding the totes in place against the wall. The plywood was pretty well held into place on three sides by the walls. I could slide out one tote at a time or even two if both were not on one end without disturbing the bed. You could use milk crates or any combination of storage containers and not need a frame. Very light weight set up.

 

[maki2]

I would not do it with the thin wall white PvC tubing. But the grey  scedule 40 heavy wall or the thck wall black waste pipe ABS should be stong enough. The white will be much more likely to fracture if it gets stessed and it will get stressed. Also be sure to add support. Legs and cross bars where you are likely to sit down as that area and the outside corners take a lot of stress.

 

[nature lover]

Maki2 - you are right schedule 40 is better. I fall into the old habit of calling all of that “plastic“ stuff PVC technically it’s not all the same the thick walled schedule 40 is much more substantial. Calling it all PVC is like calling every paper hanky a Kleenex. You’re right again.

 

[americanspirit]

I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t work unless you’re as fat as me. And I would still use a board on top under the mattress but that is still much less weight than using 2x4s and such underneath. And you can still leave room for tubs underneath to use for storage. Or you could use PVC as a frame and put up a hammock.  That’s one of the fun things about building lots of different ways to do it. The only limits are your imagination your skills in your money.

Thank you, since I posted this question, magically many videos came up about using pvc. Ya know the invisible thing that follows us online

 

[americanspirit]

I would not do it with the thin wall white PvC tubing. But the grey  scedule 40 heavy wall or the thck wall black waste pipe ABS should be stong enough. The white will be much more likely to fracture if it gets stessed and it will get stressed. Also be sure to add support. Legs and cross bars where you are likely to sit down as that area and the outside corners take a lot of stress.

Thanks! I will keep that in mind. I hadnt thought of the grey or black piping,

 

[highdesertranger]

first off there is absolutely no reason to use 2x4's on any build. I know a lot of people do but plywood and 1x2 or 2x2 is much lighter and much stronger. they build boats and airplanes that way without any 2x4's.

as far as using PVC pipe I have to ask why?

highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

Boats and planes are built with lighter wood pieces because they use a structural engineering method called "stress skin panel". Those smaller pieces of wood are completely  bonded to a "skin" which makes every piece including the skin into a single whole structure that is lightweight and much stonger than any single piece of it. If you dont understand why they can use those small pieces of wood and how it has to be put together then you are going to lead people into a situation where they do it wrong and have that those small pieces of wood break apart under loads that they can't support. They have to know how to span a long legth such as a bed by putting supports in. But some people want a full length opening. They also don't realize that on a piece of lumger such as a 1x4 that it is the 4 inch side that resist flexing to help prevent bowing under loads. So a thinner but wider piece of wood can be used invstead of a thicker piece.

But I agree that 2x4 lumber is not required and is much too heavy. Using it comes because building houses is all most people know how to do. They don't typically know anything about other engineering methods. Just like at one time people who were building houses only used large timbers and the method we now use for framing houses seemed totally unsubstantial to most people.

 

[americanspirit]

first off there is absolutely no reason to use 2x4's on any build.  I know a lot of people do but plywood and 1x2 or 2x2 is much lighter and much stronger.  they build boats and airplanes that way without any 2x4's.

as far as using PVC pipe I have to ask why?

highdesertranger

I am looking at different options, I was thinking PVC would be lighter weight

 

[JuanKnucklehead]

The only reason i can think of not to use 1x2 and the smaller wood planks, Would be at most Home Depots & Lowes are bowed and twisted, Out of the entire bin, sometimes there are 0 straight boards to use.

 

[jonyjoe303]

I actually used the 1/2 inch pvc piping to lift my sleeping bag off the van floor. It's only lifted about 2 inches from floor, and it works great. I would have no problem using it to build a real bed, 1 or 2 feet off the ground if needed. You just have to add cross beams etc the higher you go. It will make for a very light construction.

I use the 1/2 inch pvc pipe from home depot, I don't remember the exact length but it was around 8 feet and it cost less then 5 dollars, very inexpensive. The expensive parts are all the fittings elbows/etc to connect. I drilled a hole at all the areas where the fittings and pvc pipe connect and just bolt them together, instead of gluing. I want a tight fit that won't come apart. I used hardboard on top of the pvc pipe to place my sleeping bag, the hardboard is also lightweight and cost around 6 dollars at home depot.

The reason I used the pvc pipe is because I want my van as light as possible, I previously had a problem with not being able to smog my van because it was too heavy for the dyno.

 

[bagabum]

If you make it from PVC, but, by this time you probably already have but I haven't seen a "what you did follow-up", make sure you glue it, all joints,  or it will squeak when moving around on it. Everything I make is from plywood and cleats and wood glue.  I go to the box store and hand pick the lightest straight white pine 2x4's in the stack  and then rip them on my table saw.  Why, because I like straight wood which stops at anything below a 2x4 except for the stuff you purchase  by the foot.  (amazing how much difference in weight they can be) Surely you have a propane powered table saw stored  under the seat..    kidding

 

[tx2sturgis]

You can actually buy 'furniture grade' pvc pipe and fittings.

Available in various colors and won't have printing on it nor will it be rated for pressures or temperatures.

https://www.pvcfittingsonline.com/resource-center/furniture-grade-pvc

 

[americanspirit]

I actually used the 1/2 inch pvc piping to lift my sleeping bag off the van floor. It's only lifted about 2 inches from floor, and it works great. I would have no problem using it to build a real bed, 1 or 2 feet off the ground if needed. You just have to add cross beams etc the higher you go. It will make for a very light construction....

Thank you for the info, I hadnt thought of slightly raising ot off the floor rather than up higher,

 

[treesprite]

As a long-time reef aquarist, I have a good bit of experience with PVC. My trial run of my Kia Soul build was done on a PVC base, because I didn't want to do all the work with wood until I was happy with the heights of things. My bed and my cabinetry were all on top of 1" schedule 40 PVC framing, but are now all wood.

PVC will indeed bow in longer stretches if there is weight on it. But it isn't the long stretches that break. What breaks are the joints where people didn't properly attach the connecting fittings. If you brace in short lengths, there won't be bowing.

The more bracing you use to eliminate bowing, the more joints you have with PVC fittings. The more joints you have, the more likely you are to have a break in the structure if you don't properly secure the fittings.

The bed platform I made was 66" long. I only had PVC glue to keep the fittings together, and there was no separation or breaking apart. If you are expecting more weight than an average person, or you don't trust PVC glue, then you can bolt the pieces together after properly gluing them (either regular metal, pvc or nylon bolts and nuts). The frame held up just fine, and now it's the base for a sewing table in my apartment (I extended the legs to make it taller).

The pvc fittings and bracing are going to add to the weight, and when you consider that all those fittings will made your cost much more than if you had used wood, you are probably better off using wood.

The only reasons I can think of for using PVC for building furnishings instead of wood, other than if you already have a bunch of pvc sitting around, are the lack of tools, the need to do a quick job, and the need for a material than can withstand water exposure without having to do any surface prep or painting.

 

[tx2sturgis]

The only reasons I can think of for using PVC for building furnishings instead of wood, other than if you already have a bunch of pvc sitting around,  are the lack of tools, the need to do a quick job, and the need for a material than can withstand water exposure without having to do any surface prep or painting.

And it's very light, compared to steel or wood.