Hi all,

Just bought a bedframe made of Malaysian rubberwood -- and yes, I did
ask that it was from a properly managed source before I bought it :-)

The frame itself is fine but the slats that came with it are some of
the skankiest wood I've ever seen -- and I've bought wood from B&Q.

A couple are really heavy, some are very light almost like balsa, some
are grey like they've been left in the rain, some have got a 30 degree
twist in their 55 inch length and several are riddled with woodworm
holes --- well over 150 holes in one slat --- and where the saw has
gone through one piece, the exposed tunnels are quite powdery.

I know that no-one's going to use their best timber for the slats but
am I being unreasonable in asking the supplier to either replace them
with undamaged timber or pay for me to replace them myself with pine?

I'm not happy about taking the 30 degree twist out by tightening them
to the frame (particularly since the assembly instructions say that the
use of power tools for assembly will invalidate the warranty) but I'm
most worried about introducing woodworm into the house. I can imagine
the shop saying that the flight holes indicate the woodworm are long
gone, but I'm not sure that's the point. And I don't fancy sousing a
bedframe in insecticide.

The bedframe was =A3200 so not the most expensive but equally not the
cheapest and I would like to keep it if possible because I like the
style and, slats aside, it seems decent quality. It was paid for on a
credit card so at the end of the day, I could just reject it if the
supplier won't budge but I would prefer to sort things out amicably and
reasonably for both parties.

Would appreciate any opinions/perspectives on where to go from here.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

Would appreciate any opinions/perspectives on where to go from here.

Back to the shop. Take the dodgy slats with you and tell them you want
merchantable quality ones. If they can't supply them straight away, ask
for a refund of, say 20% so you can buy some replacements - but be happy
to settle for 10%.

I've used 3/8 inch ply for slats before now - they'll manage a 3ft
unsupported width with no problem.

wrote:

Would appreciate any opinions/perspectives on where to go from here.

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...burning+stoves

:-)


--

On 29 May 2005 11:27:40 -0700, wrote:

I know that no-one's going to use their best timber for the slats
but am I being unreasonable in asking the supplier to either replace
them with undamaged timber or pay for me to replace them myself with
pine?

They should supply slats of "merchantable quality" twisted and wormed
don't meet that IMHO. If you take the money to provide you own bear in
mind it gives them a hook to hang an invalidated warranty on. Also
slats are not planed square, the edges are rounded so as not to
present a sharp edge to the matress. Even if you have a router your
time isn't free...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

OG wrote:

I've used 3/8 inch ply for slats before now - they'll manage a 3ft
unsupported width with no problem.

Or if he uses pine, go for 1". 3/4" is only just.

NT

wrote in news:1117413442.941246.268030
@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

OG wrote:

I've used 3/8 inch ply for slats before now - they'll manage a 3ft
unsupported width with no problem.

Or if he uses pine, go for 1". 3/4" is only just.

NT


Or buy sprung slats (from Ikea - around £10 per set). Need a central bar as
well - but that can be dead simple. Definitely more comfortable than pine
'planls'.

--
Rod

Rod wrote:
wrote in news:1117413442.941246.268030

Or buy sprung slats (from Ikea - around =A310 per set). Need a central ba=
r as
well - but that can be dead simple. Definitely more comfortable than pine
'planls'.

tell me more... cheap too. I'v never found anything better than wood
slats, but I dont use slats as supplie with beds, theyre mostly air.
Rather make a set so at least 2/3 of the space is wood, not 15% with
numerous small sags and prematurely dying mattresses.


NT

wrote in
ups.com:

Rod wrote:
wrote in news:1117413442.941246.268030

Or buy sprung slats (from Ikea - around £10 per set). Need a central
ba
r as
well - but that can be dead simple. Definitely more comfortable than
pine 'planls'.

tell me more... cheap too. I'v never found anything better than wood
slats, but I dont use slats as supplie with beds, theyre mostly air.
Rather make a set so at least 2/3 of the space is wood, not 15% with
numerous small sags and prematurely dying mattresses.


NT

We got these:

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...lay?catalogId=
10101&storeId=7&productId=42683&langId=-20&parentCats=10103*13740

Had to chop them down in length a little - can't remember but I think that
we got the 900 mm ones. Made a centre support (something like 75 x 50) with
a couple of well attached legs.

The support the slats provide is fine and it is just a bit less dead than
solid pine.

The slats are made of something like birch ply and are Lithuanian.

--
Rod

wrote:
I'v never found anything better than wood
slats, but I dont use slats as supplie with beds, theyre mostly air.
Rather make a set so at least 2/3 of the space is wood, not 15% with
numerous small sags and prematurely dying mattresses.

What happened to iron frames and sprung wire? I suppose you could
make an attempt with angle iron, springs, and chain-link fencing...

Rod wrote:

We got these:

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...lay?catalogId=
10101&storeId=7&productId=42683&langId=-20&parentCats=10103*13740

Had to chop them down in length a little - can't remember but I think that
we got the 900 mm ones. Made a centre support (something like 75 x 50) with
a couple of well attached legs.

The support the slats provide is fine and it is just a bit less dead than
solid pine.

The slats are made of something like birch ply and are Lithuanian.

mm, looks good. I always noticed thinner slats were a slight
improvement, but not robust. Thin hardwood should resolve that problem.
Thanks.

NT

On Tue, 31 May 2005 09:45:50 +0100, Chris Bacon
wrote:

What happened to iron frames and sprung wire?

You can't flat pack them for home assembly.

wrote in
oups.com:


mm, looks good. I always noticed thinner slats were a slight
improvement, but not robust. Thin hardwood should resolve that
problem. Thanks.

Well - I am of somewhat larger than average size and don't fall through!

Just remembered - we bought three packs - and added a couple of extra slats
from the third pack to each side. We have a kingsize bed and the standard
Ikea length wasn't quite there. (Odd, though, even the slats supplied
stopped substantially short at both ends. As they did on most beds that we
saw in shops. It began to seem normal to see mattresses gently sloping
downwards at the foot end.)

--
Rod

Chris Bacon wrote:

What happened to iron frames and sprung wire? I suppose you could
make an attempt with angle iron, springs, and chain-link fencing...

they were spaced so far apart as to give that famous coarsely
corrugated sleep feeling. A flat wood board was an improvement in
nearly every case.

Why use iron bars and springs when you can use thin hardwoo.d


NT

wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
What happened to iron frames and sprung wire? I suppose you could
make an attempt with angle iron, springs, and chain-link fencing...

they were spaced so far apart as to give that famous coarsely
corrugated sleep feeling. A flat wood board was an improvement in
nearly every case.

What? Rubbish. You are *supposed* to put a mattress on the bed,
you know...


Why use iron bars and springs when you can use thin hardwoo.d

a) What iron bars?

b) Far better ventilation of the mattress.

Chris Bacon wrote:
wrote:

What happened to iron frames and sprung wire? I suppose you could
make an attempt with angle iron, springs, and chain-link fencing...

they were spaced so far apart as to give that famous coarsely
corrugated sleep feeling. A flat wood board was an improvement in
nearly every case.

What? Rubbish. You are *supposed* to put a mattress on the bed,
you know...

you dont say. Obviously that doesnt make it level. When youve got 3,4
or 5 crossbars supporting springs it is inevitable that the end result
will be corrugated.


Why use iron bars and springs when you can use thin hardwoo.d

a) What iron bars?

the bars that support the bottom end of the springs.

b) Far better ventilation of the mattress.

true, but does not outweigh the corrugation effcet, terrible on poeples
backs, far worse than a less vantilate mattress.


NT

bigcat wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
bigcat wrote:
What happened to iron frames and sprung wire? I suppose you could
make an attempt with angle iron, springs, and chain-link fencing...

they were spaced so far apart as to give that famous coarsely
corrugated sleep feeling. A flat wood board was an improvement in
nearly every case.


What? Rubbish. You are *supposed* to put a mattress on the bed,
you know...

you dont say. Obviously that doesnt make it level. When youve got 3,4
or 5 crossbars supporting springs it is inevitable that the end result
will be corrugated.

What sort of system is that?? I have never seen one. I think you are
talking about something else!

Chris Bacon wrote:

What sort of system is that?? I have never seen one. I think you are
talking about something else!

that would make sense. Hers what I was discussing:

Rectangular outer frame

Typically 3/4/5 iron crossbars evenly spaced slung many inches below
the outer frame, with edges bent up to attach to the frame. Bit like
this but more rounded:

: | |
: \___________/

Add lots of large vertical springs:

: | S S S S |
: \_S__S__S__S__/

and chicken wire across the top. Now you have a sprung bed base. Sounds
all very luxurious, but the fact that you will never get a level
surface in practice makes then not so good on the back. Give me a hard
flat wood base over these any day.

I wonder what you were referring to.


NT

wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
What sort of system is that?? I have never seen one. I think you are
talking about something else!

that would make sense. Hers what I was discussing:

Rectangular outer frame

Typically 3/4/5 iron crossbars evenly spaced slung many inches below
the outer frame, with edges bent up to attach to the frame. Bit like
this but more rounded:

: | |
: \___________/

Add lots of large vertical springs:

: | S S S S |
: \_S__S__S__S__/

and chicken wire across the top. Now you have a sprung bed base. Sounds
all very luxurious, but the fact that you will never get a level
surface in practice makes then not so good on the back. Give me a hard
flat wood base over these any day.

I wonder what you were referring to.

I have never seen that construction before. I meant:

--~=================~--
| |

cross-section. The (2"?) angle irons at each side are drilled to
receive the ends of expanding springs (~), every few inches. The
mattress rests on a wire base (=) which has a diamond pattern, with
rather elongated diamonds, which is held all around by the springs.
The angle iron (bed iron) is a complete frame, and has dogs on
each corner which either slot or screw into cast-iron lugs which
screw onto the bed head and foot. Just looked for a picture, can't
find one. These were used very extensively.

In article ,

I have never seen that construction before. I meant:

--~=================~--
| |

cross-section. The (2"?) angle irons at each side are drilled to
receive the ends of expanding springs (~), every few inches. The
mattress rests on a wire base (=) which has a diamond pattern,
with rather elongated diamonds, which is held all around by the
springs. The angle iron (bed iron) is a complete frame, and has
dogs on each corner which either slot or screw into cast-iron
lugs which screw onto the bed head and foot. Just looked for a
picture, can't find one. These were used very extensively.

Sounds like the old Vono bed frame?

When they began to be discarded Vono's were precious
for the quality of their angle iron.

--
Tony Williams.