Affordable Murphy Bed — board plan

What to buy, and which parts come off which board.

Buy 12 boards at 8 ft.

3/4" × 11 1/4" — Pine 1x12

3 boards · 16.6 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 87% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 16 3/8" left over
78 1/2"
1. Box sides — 78 1/2"
Board 2 · 16 3/8" left over
78 1/2"
1. Box sides — 78 1/2"
Board 3 · 5 1/4" left over
47 1/4"42 1/4"
1. Box top, front — 47 1/4"
2. Box bottom — 42 1/4"

3/4" × 7 1/4" — Pine 1x8

3 boards · 6.5 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 53% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 39 7/8" left over
55"
1. Mattress box sides — 55"
Board 2 · 39 7/8" left over
55"
1. Mattress box sides — 55"
Board 3 · 54 3/8" left over
40 1/2"
1. Mattress box bottom — 40 1/2"

3/4" × 3 1/2" — Pine 1x4

1 board · 1.8 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 89% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 10 1/4" left over
42 1/4"42 1/4"
1. Box back supports — 42 1/4"
2. Box back supports — 42 1/4"

3/4" × 2 1/2" — Pine 1x3

1 board · 0.7 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 50% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 47 5/8" left over
47 1/4"
1. Box top, back — 47 1/4"

3/4" × 1 1/2" — Pine 1x2

3 boards · 2.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 94% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 5 1/2" left over
77"12 1/4"
1. Box side trim — 77"
2. Box top side trim — 12 1/4"
Board 2 · 5 1/2" left over
77"12 1/4"
1. Box side trim — 77"
2. Box top side trim — 12 1/4"
Board 3 · 5 3/4" left over
45 1/4"43 3/4"
1. Box front top trim — 45 1/4"
2. Box front support trim, top — 43 3/4"

1/2" × 40 1/2" — Plywood or MDF

1 board · 12.4 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 81% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 18 3/8" left over
76 1/2"
1. Mattress box back — 76 1/2"

Cuts are listed longest-first, which is how they should be made: the awkward pieces get placed while there is still board to place them on. The layout assumes one end of each board is squared off (1") and that every cut costs 1/8" of kerf — the reason six 16″ parts do not fit on a 96″ board.

3/4" × 11 1/4" — Pine 1x12

Board 1 · 16 3/8" left over

Board 2 · 16 3/8" left over

Board 3 · 5 1/4" left over

3/4" × 7 1/4" — Pine 1x8

Board 1 · 39 7/8" left over

Board 2 · 39 7/8" left over

Board 3 · 54 3/8" left over

3/4" × 3 1/2" — Pine 1x4

Board 1 · 10 1/4" left over

3/4" × 2 1/2" — Pine 1x3

Board 1 · 47 5/8" left over

3/4" × 1 1/2" — Pine 1x2

Board 1 · 5 1/2" left over

Board 2 · 5 1/2" left over

Board 3 · 5 3/4" left over

1/2" × 40 1/2" — Plywood or MDF

Board 1 · 18 3/8" left over