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Refinished antique cradle

Project by Ben Griffith posted 227 days ago 344 views 4 times favorited 6 comments Add to Favorites Watch

This cradle was made in 1897 by my great great grandfather in Pentz, Nova Scotia. Its first occupant was his daughter, my great grandmother. Since then her siblings and many of her descendants have slept in it, including myself.
Two and a half weeks before my wife’s due date we picked up the cradle. It had been refinished in the ‘60s and the shellac finish was showing its age so I decided to refinish it and also to fix the loose joints where the legs connect to the uprights. Eight days before my wife’s due date I had the stand taken apart and stripped and ready to put back together, and the cradle itself about 1/3 stripped. On that day, March 10, our second son was born. For his first few days at home he slept in the portable crib that we have. My father and I spent the following weekend stripping the rest of the cradle and putting three coats of garnet shellac on it. I also made a bottom for it out of 1/4” birch plywood that just sits on the three existing slats. It was finished 6 days after our son was born, which, according to the original “schedule” means I finished it 2 days early. :-)


6 comments so far

View JRowe's profile

JRowe

4 posts in 227 days


posted 227 days ago

Beautiful job and congrats.

-- JRowe

View mtnwild's profile

mtnwild

1979 posts in 406 days


posted 227 days ago

Cool story and a fantastic heirloom still in use. Looks like for quite a few more years. Congratulations to your great great grandfather for such a wonderful piece and to you for carrying it on with respect.

-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.

View jack1's profile

jack1

363 posts in 906 days


posted 227 days ago

Looks like it’ll last another 112 years! Nice job.

-- jack -- measure once, curse twice!

View ND2ELK's profile

ND2ELK

6065 posts in 652 days


posted 227 days ago

Great looking cradle! You guys did a beautiful job on the restoration. Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

View pcc's profile

pcc

6 posts in 273 days


posted 227 days ago

That’s great I love stories like that it just confirms how much better solid wood and real craftsmanship is than that mass produced stuff sold today. I must say though your wife and yours collaboration looks much better than the crib. Congratulations.

-- Warning: Sharp chisels are dangerous and should be handled with care. Dull chisels are even more dangerous and should be sharpened.

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

15557 posts in 456 days


posted 226 days ago

Good job .Nice story.

Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

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