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I decided to build a cradle for my new grandson. I got a late start and between problems with the plans I based it on (The plans are in the shop but I will post a link to the plans and give proper credit tomorrow) and some bad weather that stopped me from working on it, it wasn't done for his arrival. He spent his first night in it last night. Plenty of room for him to grow before he needs to move up to a crib.
The wood is Walnut, mostly from stock I had on hand, with Birch spindles that I ordered. The heart shaped covers for the pivot bolt are Birds Eye Maple. Finish is 2 coats of wiped on amber shellac on the Walnut, followed by 2 coats of sprayed on clear shellac. The spindles and hearts have 4 coats of clear. I had some problems with unevenness and runs in the amber and rubbed it out with a rag soaked in alcohol to even out the color a bit. I sanded it with 320 grit before the first clear coat and then with 400 prior to the final coat.
The pivot mechanism is a bit of Southern Engineering based on the components that were available locally. A pair of step bolts were bought at Fastenal and taken to Lowe's to be matched with bushings, nylon washers, and T nuts. The original idea was to fit the legs with plastic or nylon bearings for the step bolt to ride in but I couldn't find them locally so I went with a pair of bronze bushings set in the inside of the legs. The cradle ends were drill so T nuts are countersunk from the inside with the threads even with the outside. Not wanting the bronze bushings to rub against the wood I made a pair of UHMW spacers that fit over the bushing flanges. This sucker ain't never gonna wear out!
The Birds Eye hearts are both decorative and functional. The inside pair are decorative and are set into the counterbore for the T nut with glue. The outside hearts are thicker and have a recess drilled inside that fits that fits over the head of the pivot bolts and keeps it from being able to back out. These are held on with a single brass screw so they can be removed for access to the bolt.
The plans called for lap joints for the rail and stiles on the sides but I went with butt joints and attached the ends with mortise and tenion joints. The alignment of the stretcher to the legs is also accomplished with M&T instead of dowels as called for in the plans. I also changed the shape of the legs and the top of the sides and the end panels to suit my likings.
The stretcher is fastened with 4 screws from the bottom, allowing the stand to be broken down for storage.
I turned the stop pin to keep it from swinging from a Maple cut off. It is 5/8" in the center with a 3/8" section on either end. The leg was bored 3/4" deep on the inside with a 5/8" forstner bit. The hole was carried through to the outside, and a corresponding hole drilled in the end of the cradle, with a 3/8" bit. To add a touch of their Winnie the Pooh theme, the knob for the lock pin was made from the top section of a key blank.
With the Aidan
And being rocked by Daddy!
The wood is Walnut, mostly from stock I had on hand, with Birch spindles that I ordered. The heart shaped covers for the pivot bolt are Birds Eye Maple. Finish is 2 coats of wiped on amber shellac on the Walnut, followed by 2 coats of sprayed on clear shellac. The spindles and hearts have 4 coats of clear. I had some problems with unevenness and runs in the amber and rubbed it out with a rag soaked in alcohol to even out the color a bit. I sanded it with 320 grit before the first clear coat and then with 400 prior to the final coat.
The pivot mechanism is a bit of Southern Engineering based on the components that were available locally. A pair of step bolts were bought at Fastenal and taken to Lowe's to be matched with bushings, nylon washers, and T nuts. The original idea was to fit the legs with plastic or nylon bearings for the step bolt to ride in but I couldn't find them locally so I went with a pair of bronze bushings set in the inside of the legs. The cradle ends were drill so T nuts are countersunk from the inside with the threads even with the outside. Not wanting the bronze bushings to rub against the wood I made a pair of UHMW spacers that fit over the bushing flanges. This sucker ain't never gonna wear out!
The Birds Eye hearts are both decorative and functional. The inside pair are decorative and are set into the counterbore for the T nut with glue. The outside hearts are thicker and have a recess drilled inside that fits that fits over the head of the pivot bolts and keeps it from being able to back out. These are held on with a single brass screw so they can be removed for access to the bolt.
The plans called for lap joints for the rail and stiles on the sides but I went with butt joints and attached the ends with mortise and tenion joints. The alignment of the stretcher to the legs is also accomplished with M&T instead of dowels as called for in the plans. I also changed the shape of the legs and the top of the sides and the end panels to suit my likings.
The stretcher is fastened with 4 screws from the bottom, allowing the stand to be broken down for storage.
I turned the stop pin to keep it from swinging from a Maple cut off. It is 5/8" in the center with a 3/8" section on either end. The leg was bored 3/4" deep on the inside with a 5/8" forstner bit. The hole was carried through to the outside, and a corresponding hole drilled in the end of the cradle, with a 3/8" bit. To add a touch of their Winnie the Pooh theme, the knob for the lock pin was made from the top section of a key blank.
With the Aidan
And being rocked by Daddy!
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