Crib for my soon to be son

[Josh Willner]

Hi Sawmill Creek,

This is my first time posting up here and I am super excited to share my plans with you all and get some feedback. I am an amateur woodworker with ~10 projects under my belt have a little experience with mortise and tenon joinery for which I am planning on using for the crib.

The crib will be made from figured cherry (picture attached) and inexpensive 1/2 dowels stained to match.

I have looked up all the safety requirements and am going for 2" spacing between dowels.

I have not yet determined how I am going to make the crib "floor." I am attempting to make the crib with all joinery no hardware and re-use the back of the crib to be a headboard for a full bed as my baby grows up. Would love some advice!

Crib Wood.jpgWes Crib Side.JPGWes Crib Birdseye.JPGWes Crib.JPG

-Josh

[Lee Schierer]

You can easily make your own cherry dowels with a round over bit and a table mounted router. 1/2" dowels might be a little light weight if this bed is used for a 2-3 year old. You also need to determine what you plan to use for a mattress.

[Frederick Skelly]

Josh,
Congratulations on your soon to be newborn and welcome to the Creek! Glad you've joined us.

Couple thoughts for you...
* I agree with Lee - 1/2" is too small. Go to 3/4".
* Sand and stain one dowel before you commit to using something other than cherry. That way you can say "Yup, that looks ok (or not) before you are committed. (Personally, I'd buy cherry dowels.)
* Go buy the mattress and build the crib around that.
* I'd use 1/2" baltic birch plywood to support the mattress.

Good luck! Keep us posted on your build!
Fred

[Mel Fulks]

Congratulations to you! I propose a different approach. A traditional crib cradle acknowledges the temporary smallness of a baby and it's nice to make them a permanent ready and cozy refuge for future generations. There are many nice crib designs. A bed is different . How many of you still wear your "stretch snowsuit" ?

[Josh Willner]

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I will step up to 3/4" dowels.

I'm have started looking around for affordable cherry dowels as well

[Matt Wolterstorff]

Probably a little late for the OP, but I made a crib for my daughter three years ago, I put a lot of thought into the design to make it convert from a full crib, an extra panel that allowed it to be setup as an open toddler bed, and finally serve as a headboard and footboard of a twin bed. Being our first, by the time we felt comfortable transitioning from full crib, we went straight to a twin bed and never used the toddler bed setup. My wife had also decided to re decorate the entire room from nursery to toddler bedroom, and ended up using an entirely different twin bed set. The only real advantage of the crib design now, is the fact that it breaks down nice and flat to get tucked away in the basement.