I wonder if anyone can steer me to a set of plans to build the Ultimate Baby Cradle”.
The four or five pictures I have seen under google search aren’t what I am looking for. I was hoping to find something that required articulate work using hand tools.
Replies
Is Ulimate Baby Cradle a specific design of a cradle, or are you looking for what someone says is a great cradle?
Alan - planesaw
I'm looking for a cradle that someone has built to give me fresh ideas. The few plans I have seen on Ebay and the woodworking magazines are very nice. However I am hoping for something slightly different.
Smaugs_gold,
The following link is to a post I did two years ago. In it I describe a cradle I built for our youngest grandson, Samuel. His little sister now occupies it.
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=26654.1
I will attach a couple pictures more of the cradle, and one with Sam checking on little sister, Evangeline, "Eva".
very nice workmanship. You must be proud of the cradle and it's contents.
Doug.
Well, you got that right -- on both counts. Once you decide and get the cradle built, be sure and post photos with any related stories.
Alan - planesaw
Forgot to add a link another unique cradle.
http://www.jordanwoodboats.com/bt2.htm
Alan - planesaw
I gotta say, this is along the lines of what I am looking for. Not a nautical person by nature, (nor is my daughter), but I do love the davits, and may incorporate something similiar in the cradle I hope to build.
Thank You for the input.
Doug
Look for this on Amazon. Nice book.
The Expectant Father's Cradle Boat Book.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
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Before you begin choppiong wood, go to the local 'babys R us' place and see what size mattress and mattress sheets are available. Then... go at it. It's very embarrasing to build a cradle and not be able to fit the matteress into it.
been there, researched it, mama didn't want it. SawdustSteve
Standard cradle pads are 18x36". I'll email you a picture of a cradle I'm making in a few days. I have about 80% of it done. This cradle is cherry, raised panel sides,coopered hood and instead of cutouts in the sides I will make handles to lift the cradle. This is a floor rocking cradle, not a pendulum type. Theres plenty of handwork in this one, a good bit of machineing too.
mike
I built the following cradle for my grand daughter 8 years ago and thought it was very nice. Sorry I don't have a picture of it that I can show you.
Heirloom Cradle in Woodsmith Magazine #48 December 1986 page 8. If you go to the Woodsmith Magazine on line I'm sure you can order the plans or check the your library and they may have the magazine and plans.
Hi, building something for your baby is wonderful and you will be very proud of your accomplishment and so will your wife!
But a baby cradle doesn't last very long. A baby crib will be good for a few years and is a great project. Here are a few pictures of the one I built for my little girl. It' made out of red oak and african padouk.
If your are interested, reply and I'l give you more info. Good luck in your nice project!
I am interested in the particulars. Did you use any plans? Where did you get the hardware?
Thanks,
Alan - planesaw
Hello, I did purchase the plan on http://www.plansnow.com/crib.html, It's called Heirloom Baby Crib. All the hardware is available for sale on the website.
I live in Québec, Canada so shipping and dollar exchange rates were too expensive. I decided to buy an old crib to get a few parts from it ( The mattress spring, stabilizing bar,support angles, bumper springs and a few other metal parts) and I made the metal crib rods my self from 3/8 steel rods. I also made the locking mechanism for the gate from rod and steel plates.
The plan had both fore and aft gates movable. I decided that one side was enough so I modified the plan to have one fixed gate and one movable gate.
If the price for the Hardware seems good to you, by it! What I did was A LOT OF METAL WORK. plus I had to build a metal bender from hard maple to bend the crib rods.
The crib is rock solid and will probably last for centuries. My second kid is coming in middle may and will use the crib as well. it still looks like new after a couple of years of use.
I will probably send the crib rods and locking mechanism to get chromed cause the steel has tarnished.
The Oak was great to work with and the African Padouk gives an incredible look to the crib.
If you need more info or more pictures just give me a shout, I'l be glad to help!
Hope to see some pictures of your future project , Steph.
Steph,
Wow! That crib does have a lot of love put into it. My dad built a crib size bed for me before I was born ('47), but it had four drawers underneath it, solid plywood ends and such. He was making something to save money and space at the time and wasn't even thinking heirloom. But, it held my two sisters also, our son and daughter, and many, many other children it was loaned out to.
Because of its size and weight, it had to be taken apart everytime it was moved. That meant unscrewing woodscrews each time. Sometime in the 80s it was "let go" to the scrap pile.
I checked out the price for hardware --- $111.00. I can see why you did your own metal work. I think it makes sense to pick up a used crib for free or $10 and scavenge the hardware off of it.
Thanks for the info.
Alan - planesaw
That looks very pretty, very safe, and it looks like it was made with a lot of love. I hope you see a few grandkids sleeping in it one day. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
I just finished this out of curly maple
Not very good pics and not smart eenough to delete the double :)
hey 8quarter:
NICE JOB .................cool!!!!!!!!!!
Question: What joinery did you use in connecting the side; head and foot panels to the corner posts????
sailho
THe joinery is all mortise and tenon. Just because I wanted a clean inside. And I follwed the 17th century plan details which made it a little more complicated to build. But it could be fairly simple if changed some of the details. You could do it with pocket hole screws and plug the screw holes to simplify it a little OR use a frame and panel as when buildng kitchen cabinet doors and keep everything flush on the outside and it would be even more simple..The legs are one piece turned so they won't break off.Good Shavings
Dave
This is very impressive. It is along the lines of what I am looking for. Something few others have tried.
How much use does it get?
I guess it will get as much use as it gets :). its the third one I've made and with 9 kids and 16 grand kids they get passed around a little. The first one I made my youngest son was born in and then his son. So they will last at least 25 years :) There probably more for show than anything else since the little gelphlings frow up so fast. But if your a good catholica and have a dozen kids or so it will be worth it. I have the plans for it
Dave
Here is a cradle I just finished. The plans were from furnitureplans.com. I modified the plans slightly when making the pins and plugs. I also made the ends raised panels rather than just plywood as the plans called for. Hope it give you some ideas.
Say, I know that this is a very old post, but furnitureplans.com is now defunct, but I want to build the last posted cradle from their plan. I have seen other pics from those who built it, but that last one was from 2017. How can I get those plans?
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