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Thread: Tips for newbie on a crib project?

  1. #1

    Tips for newbie on a crib project?

    Hi Gang, I've been lurking here for a while and have found it a really great place for woodworking info, thanks for that.

    I'm finally going to tackle my first big project. A crib for our baby due in mid June.

    I'm pretty handy so I think I'll be handle it but wanted to ask about mortises. I'm going to end up having to do something like 80 mortises. I don't often do woodworking projects so I don't even have a chisel let alone a mortiser.

    Do you have any tips about what direction to take in terms of mortising technique and how do minimize the tool purchase for this project?

    Thanks in advance-

    [edit]
    For clarity, I just wanted to add that I have lots of "general use" hand tools for household projects
    [/edit]

  2. #2
    If you have a plunge router or purchase one (new or Craigslist) there are many jigs on the net you can make to create these mortises with a router.

    http://www.google.com/search?q=mortise+jig+plans

  3. #3
    Do you happen to have a router?

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    I wouldn't take on anything with that many mortises without at least a drill press and a fantastic set of SHARP chisels. Even better would be a mortising attachment or stand alone mortiser. I have a Leigh FMT and recently built a crib for our first, made the joints a breeze and amazingly accurate. I would recommend the Leigh to anyone.

    You could also plunge cut the mortises with a router if you have one, but they will either require squaring of the mortises or rounding of the tennons. There's no silver bullet here.

    Ryan

  5. #5
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    Would using a cheap doweling jig and round dowels work? I know since they're round they won't resist twisting like a square mortise would, but once the glue sets they should be fine right?

    That way all he'd need is a doweling jig and a drill.

  6. #6

    Router

    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Kitchell View Post
    Do you happen to have a router?
    I don't have a router but that's high up on my list to buy so solutions with a router would be particularly good.

  7. #7
    As Ryan mentioned, using the router will require either squaring the mortise or rounding the tenon, either of which can be done relatively easily, but with 80 will take some time. The easiest, in my opinion, is to round the tenon. To do so, you'll need a round over bit with the same radius as the bit used to create the mortise. Once you cut all of your mortises and tenons, use your router to round over the tenons. This is much easier to do with a router table which can be made relatively easily.

    Good luck...you should be a master at mortise and tenon joints by the end of this project.

    Quote Originally Posted by Savan Thongvanh View Post
    I don't have a router but that's high up on my list to buy so solutions with a router would be particularly good.

  8. #8

    is this a viable shortcut?

    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Kitchell View Post
    As Ryan mentioned, using the router will require either squaring the mortise or rounding the tenon, either of which can be done relatively easily, but with 80 will take some time. The easiest, in my opinion, is to round the tenon. To do so, you'll need a round over bit with the same radius as the bit used to create the mortise. Once you cut all of your mortises and tenons, use your router to round over the tenons. This is much easier to do with a router table which can be made relatively easily.

    Good luck...you should be a master at mortise and tenon joints by the end of this project.
    What if I didn't round the tenon but made it a little more narrow than the mortise and a HAIR wider? Would that pressure fit and glue be stiff enough to compensate for the hollow that exists from the round in the mortise? Smaller square peg round hole.

    Also, what's a good way to "knock off" the sharp edges of the slats I'm putting the tenons on? The wood I've looked at has sharp edges from planing.
    Last edited by Savan Thongvanh; 01-12-2011 at 5:38 PM.

  9. #9
    Though it requires a significant investment, I highly recommend the Leigh FMT. My buddy bought one and built his crib with it. I have used it and built an outfeed to the bandsaw and a baby gate. It really is a sweet and very accurate jig.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Savan Thongvanh View Post
    What if I didn't round the tenon but made it a little more narrow than the mortise and a HAIR wider? Would that pressure fit and glue be stiff enough to compensate for the hollow that exists from the round in the mortise? Smaller square peg round hole.

    Also, what's a good way to "knock off" the sharp edges of the slats I'm putting the tenons on? The wood I've looked at has sharp edges from planing.
    No, that is not a viable solution. Your tenons should be the same dimensions as your mortises. You can rife the corners off the tenons with a chisel or sharp knife.

    Corners can easily be sanded round.

    Have you thoroughly researched crib safety? I make children's furniture professionally and can tell you real horror stories about what can happen due to design flaws in furniture.

  11. #11
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    I would also consider 3 layers of wood where you were planning the mortises. The two outside are solid strips of wood. The inside layer is made up of blocks of wood, with spaces in between to hold the tenons.

    Or go Neander and buy a mortise chisel the width that you want the mortises and do it by hand.
    http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...gory_Code=TBMC
    Veni Vidi Vendi Vente! I came, I saw, I bought a large coffee!

  12. #12
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    I had plans for a crib which I never got a chance to build (9 months isn't actually a long time). The slats were 3" wide and ~2" apart (they were spaced per CPSC guidelines, I checked). The wood was 1/2" thick with 1/2" round tenons on the ends. So you only had to drill 1/2" hoes in the rails. The tenonning jig was a piece of PVC pipe. Place the slat in the pipe, and using the table saw with the a dado bladed raise to the right height, roll the pipe with the slat stick out the end over the table saw place. Use the miter gauge to hold the pipe and slat square to the blade.

    It really is a cool method. I actually used it tonight to make a pin to fix a dining room chair. I needed a 5/8" dowel and only had 3/4" round stock and don't have a lathe.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Savan Thongvanh View Post
    What if I didn't round the tenon but made it a little more narrow than the mortise and a HAIR wider? Would that pressure fit and glue be stiff enough to compensate for the hollow that exists from the round in the mortise? Smaller square peg round hole.
    I am not sure if I understand this correctly, but if you meant to make the tenons square and leave those half circles at the end of mortises empty, yes that would work fine as long as your stock is big enough to cover those holes. Those areas are mostly end-grain joint and give very little strength to the joint.

    An easier option I have tried is to make a long groove along the length of the wood you want to have your mortises sequentially. And then have little filler blocks in between the spindles. Easy and fast.

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