I’m building a doll cradle for my grandaughter. The wood is 3/4″ pine. The design calls for a bottom that is about 10 inches across by about 21 inches long. It also calls for the bottom to be glued and screwed to the sides, headboard and footboard. This cradle will live in a dry Utah enviornment. How concerned should I be about seasonal wood movement across the width of the bottom?
Frank
Replies
Could you orient the grain of the head and foot boards vertically, so that they all move together?
Clay
Good idea. I've already milled the headboard and footboard but if critical I could re-do them. I would rather not re-do them if I don't have to.
Then, the next question is - is the bottom being 'fixed' needed for the structure of the thing? Stiffness, keeping it square, etc?
If not, either a) rabbet the edges of the bottom and float it in dados around the interior (like a drawer bottom), leaving some room for expansion, or b) skip the glue and elongate the screw holes to allow a little expansion.
If so, your best bet might be to use ply.
Or, you could try a trick I saw once - saw the bottom in half longways, and install it so that it is only glued-and-screwed along the long outside edges and at the ends (2" or so should be OK) of each short edge, and leave a gap (1/4" should be plenty) between the two halves. That way, if they expand or contract, they will do so into that gap, but you'll have the corners all glued and screwed for the needed rigidity. The gap in the bottom shouldn't affect the use or the rigidity, since that part is rigid enough with the solid head and foot, and the corners are solidified. You can use the screws in elongated holes (but no glue) everywhere but at those ends, if you want.
Or ... is this going to be an heirloom? Even if you build it as you said, it may not tear itself apart until long after its owner has lost interest in dolls ... if ever. If it spends its life in dry Utah and doesn't get 'humidified,' you might not have any problem within the time you care about.
Clay
Thanks for the reply. I decided to elongate the screw holes in the bottom.
Frank
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled