Canopy Camp Bed This bed was constructed basically the same way as the first bed of this type, with the cast iron bed fastners. I purchased them from VanDykes Restorers, as Whitechapel Ltd. (previous supplier) seems to have gone out of business. For the bed I used item #02005992; for the canopy rails I used item #02007080. To find other sources type 'bed hardware' or 'reproduction hardware' into your favorite search engine. The bed measures to accomodate a full-sized futon.

Legs: each leg has it's own little pedestal so that it will stand on it's own. This helps in setup. (Fig. 1)
These legs were constructed of fir 4x4's planed down to 3x3. The previous bed used pine weather-treated 4x4's and they warped terribly. The 'pedestals' were made with corner moulding and a 4" post cap from the fencing section at Home Depot. The fastners are placed high enough on the leg so that a rubbermaid tote can fit under the bed. (Fig. 2)

Bedrails: Note that the slat supports (a 2x2) don't go all the way to the end. Otherwise they won't all fit together. I used pine 2x6's and 2x2's for these, same as the previous bed. The ends were prepared for the fastners using a drill & chisels (It's what I've got). More accurate and less tedious cuts might be made with other equipment.

Bed slats: Note the corners are cut, this is to allow for the corner of the leg. All slats are cut so that they can be rotated or flipped. This gives longer life and helps prevent excessive warping in any one spot. (Fig. 4)
I used 3/4" sandply plywood, for it's smooth finish.

Finials: the finials just sit on top of the legs. No fastner needed. They are constructed by making a box with moulding to fit the leg. It is important to insert a 1/2" thick square that fits flush with the top of the box. It can be glued in and secured with finishing nails. (Fig. 5)
The finial is a post finial from the fencing/ pressure treated wood area of your local Home Depot (or Lowes, or whatever) or you can use furniture finials that you'll usually find near the moulding section. You'll want to remove the screw that comes already inserted in the finial, and glue it firmly in place on top of the box. I used a couple of screws to secure it from the inside of the box. Wood glue is great, but fixtures like this will come apart without additional support under the stress of transport & storage, etc.

Headboard: The head legs are grooved so that the headboard can slide in, after the rails & slats are in place.

Upper legs: Leg extensions sit on top of lower legs. Moulding forms a sleeve, and a peg is inside the sleeve for stability. (Fig. 7)

Canopy rails: A lighter weight bed fastner is used to attatch the canopy rails to the bed legs. (Fig. 8) I used 1x6's for this part.

Curtain rods: these use tab-top curtains, and drop into the slot at the top of the legs after the canopy rails are in place. (Fig. 9)

Canopy: I used a bit of sunforger canvas & made a large rectangle the size of the bed, and screw-in snap fastners (available in the camping section at your local Wal-Mart) hold it in place atop the canopy rails.

Note: After a few uses, the screw-in snap fasteners kept tearing out of the fabric, so I attached an upholstery velvet valence to the canvas canopy. This slides over the top of the rails but holds the canopy in place without fasteners. I left holes in the corners so that the pole caps would still slide over the top of each leg.

The curtains are a drapery weight brocade, heavy enough to give a good barrier against cold temperatures. Lining them with a lightweight muslin would be a great idea, and I'll get around to it someday.(Fig. 10) They are a dark color to help keep out light in case your pavilion is accidentally pitched under a street light. When not in use, if you fold them neatly to put them away you'll never have to worry about nasty weird creases. Heavier fabric is not so forgiving when it comes to releasing those creases, especially if it's been stored that way for a long time!

The bed breaks down completely with no part over 7 feet long. (Fig. 11)

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