The holiday season is fast approaching, and if you want to show off your welding skills to your relatives who are visiting from out of town, why not consider welding something they can use while they visit? There are all kinds of great projects that will come in handy during the holidays such as a table or even a coffee table. However, you could provide yourself with a durable piece of furniture and a great addition to your guest room by welding your own futon.
Futons are a versatile piece of furniture that have a very simple construction that will be easy to make at home. While it may take a little time to get the hinges just right, a futon is a great project for the home and hobby welder.
Here are some plans from Lincoln Electric: Futon Plans.
The materials required for this project include the following:
6 ……… 3/8” diameter pins (roughly 6” long)
110’….. B-line or box tubing
3 ……… heavy duty door hinges
Cut the B-line or box tubing into the following:
4 pieces……….. 2’10”
8 pieces ………. 18”
2 pieces ………. 2’7”
4 pieces ………. 6’
4 pieces ………. 2’3”
6 pieces ………. 2’
2 pieces ………. 6’1
The instructions provided by Lincoln are quite thorough for this project. However, keep in mind that this futon will be under a lot of stress in the sitting position. Make sure your weld joints have been cleaned, tacked properly, and then welded with sufficient penetration. Go the extra mile to make sure each joint is strong enough to support several people at a variety of angles.
When you’re done, don’t forget to grind the welds down until they are smooth and then paint the futon so that it doesn’t have any rough edges that will catch a mattress or sheet.
