Crib

[Jim Wallace]

I've updated my website with a photo essay and video of my son and me building a crib for his daughter Margaret who was born the first week of August. Here's the link: https://jimwallacewoodturning.com/new-2/

We built this crib using green white oak riven from a tree that had grown on our farm. I want to thank the people on this website that have posted information on building their cribs as this was very helpful in planning our project.

 

[Raymond]

Great looking crib, Jim. Is she your first grand daughter?

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Thank you for including the photo essay of the building process. This is a VERY impressive piece of work, and one that should last many, many generations. Well built! I'm especially impressed w/ the captured rings in the walnut spindles for her to play w/. Great idea!

 

[Jim Wallace]

Yes, Raymond, she's my first grandchild. I'll just be the proud granddad and give you one more pic:

She's 6 weeks old now, but this was taken on the day the crib was installed in her room when she was 2 weeks old. She's not sleeping in it yet, but we had to get a picture of her in it.

 

[Jeff]

In addition to the crib chronicle I enjoyed the other links at your site. I'm from Massillon and LOML is from Maple Heights so we share similar roots and ages. I also noticed a Fisher wood stove in your kitchen...had a Mama Bear Fisher years ago too.

 

[Mike Davis]

Very nice spindle design, why is one upside down?

 

[Jim Wallace]

Lost my concentration right at the end, Mike. I didn't notice it until I was putting finish on it. My only consolation is that since the length of a crib mattress is roughly the same as the width of a double bed mattress the ends will be discarded once she can climb out of the crib and the sides will become the head and foot boards of a full sized bed.
I pointed this error out to one of my friends who owns an historic home in Wake Forest. He said that when he was having the house painted the painter pointed to one of the porch balusters which Drew had never noticed is upside down. The painter said that carpenters used to do this for luck.

 

[Mike Davis]

I thought you may have done it for good luck.

The old quilt masters would always put in one obvious mistake to show humility, nothing in this world is perfect.

 

[Jim Wallace]

Well, thanks for that, Mike. There isn't much that will do more to keep you humble than something like this. Especially now that you all know that it wasn't intentional.

 

[sawman101]

What a well thought out and planned project! I thoroughly enjoyed your photo essay Jim, and look forward to more of your work being published for our enjoyment. The crib is definitely now a family heirloom that will endure through many generations. Congratulations on such a fine project, and cute granddaughter.:eusa_clap

 

[Canuck]

Well done!!!
I am sure that it will provide years and years of service.

Wayne

 

[cyclopentadiene]

Nice job Jim.

I think this is the first piece of furniture that I have ever seen you build. That is a nice idea to build the crib into a convertible to later use as a bed.

Because you used hide glue you could in theory disassemble and flip the spindle. I know that is not always as easy as it sounds.

 

[Jim Wallace]

Thanks, Jeff. As far as getting it apart goes, I know people writing about hide glue always emphasize its reversibility, however, I think they're mainly referring to its use in veneer work and musical instrument building. With thin stock you can penetrate the glue joint with heat or water (or both - steam) to soften the glue. In a mortise and tenon joint it's pretty hard to separate the two pieces. These tenons are about 1" deep at each end and there are 14 of them that would all have to come apart at the same time. I've tried to take stools legs out of the top (one at a time since I had cut off the legs) because someone broke a leg and I wanted to salvage the crotch figured seat. After hours and quarts of boiling water poured on both sides of the joint (a tapered through wedged tenon in a 1 1/2" thick seat), and using a sledge hammer to try to drive the joint apart I finally drilled it out and reamed it larger.