Show me your cradle

[Dan Mages]

Thanks again everyone. How difficult is this project? Is it feasable for someone with limited skills, tools, and experience?

Dan

[gary Zimmel]

Hi Dan

I have also built a couple of cradles like Cliffs.
A walnut one that was just finished.
And a tiger maple one with birds eye panels that was built a little over a year ago.
Here is a link to them.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=115692

Even though the cradles are only used for a few months they are sure to be family heirlooms.
Go for it!


.

[Frank Hagan]

Here's the one I built for my first grandson. It converts to a rocker style one on the floor and is now used for toys. Except when he crawls into it for an impromptu nap now, nearly three years later!

[Joe Scharle]

Here's one kind of like your original Q. Didn't use a plan, just built from a picture and the store bought mattress/pad. It's obvious I didn't spend a lot of time on this (one day) and I used 3/8" dowels (most likely), for the pickets.

[Matt Meiser]

This is the one I built as probably about my 3rd woodworking project. In the pictures I hadn't gotten the hardware for the hinge point and have temporary bolts in there. Its assembled with visible brass screws so it can be knocked down for storage. Good thing since its been in a box for 7 years now. Like previous posters, I think we used it for 3 months. We got the covertible crib that converted to a toddler bed and when she started to outgrow that I built a twin bed.

Its very basic other than doing all the mortises. I used a DP mortising attachement and sold it right after this project. You could do them with a forstner bit and clean them up with a chisel. If I had to do it today, I'd make the slats with rounded edges and cut all the mortises with the Domino.

[Tim Self]

This was for the second Granddaughter. Oak w/maple spindles. Support is in ebony stain.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Dan,

You can find it at furnitureplans.com. One caveat, on the drawing for the ends, the bottom dimension looks like its for the width of the entire piece. It's actually the width of the bottom only and doesn't take into account the taper from the widest part to the bottom. So if you cut to that dimension your part will be short. DAMHIK. Also, if I remember, the dimension of the copper pipe for the hinge may be off.

Cliff

[Stephen Musial]

JEFF

Which one of the grand kids was a smoker?

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

[IMG]file:///Users/faustmruggiero/Desktop/cradle-detail-2.jpg[/IMG]The first guy to rock in this cradle just turned 31. The pics are old Polaroid shots that we scanned to attach to this thread. At the time Snoopy was a big thing for the kids. After several short periods of use, the cradle is stored right next to the carved rocking horse waiting for the next generation.

cradle2.jpg

cradle.jpg

cradle-detail-2.jpg

cradle-detail-1.jpg
Butch

[Bruce Page]

Butch, that's a really sweet cradel. You can see the love built into it.