| Project by jeff_wenz | posted 960 days ago | 2521 views | 15 times favorited | 13 comments |  |
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This crib is for my son, Deacon. It was finished 2 days before his birth. I told my wife I wouldn’t be late, but I never promised I would be early, either.
Anyway, the crib design is a mash up of 2 different designs we both liked at Babies R Us. It was made to compliment the dresser for the nursery. I bought the Wood Magazine’s crib plans to get critical dimensions, but never used them other than to find the resource for ordering the mattress spring support (www.ProductsAmerica.com) and some of the baby safe specs.
The crib is made of cherry. It is finished with 2 painted-on coats of General Finish’s gel stain in java. 6 or so coats of sprayed on Deft’s brushing lacquer (satin) is the finish.
One of the reasons I liked this design was it offered me the challenge of bending wood. I had always seen David Mark’s bent wood lamination technique and I wanted to try that sometime. I was able to practice that here. the sides and part of the headboard each have bent wood lamination in them. The sides have seventeen 1/8” ply’s to get the desired width. Used MDF forms lines with cork (and packaging tape) along with Dap’s weldwood plastic resin glue. My wife helped me clamp it up and I think I even heard the statement, “Now I see why you need all those clamps.” That was music to my ears!
The adjustable crib mattress supports were made from 1/8” steel. This was my first attempt at metal fabrication and the results were satisfactory.
The spindles are mortised into the bottom and the tops slide into a groove where they are glued and brad nailed in place. I used some kerfing to comply to the bent shape.
This is a transitional crib which means it can be a crib, daybed and headboard/footboard of a full size mattress. So it should grow with the kid.
Just to take this project to the next level, I added a 6 foot rope light to the back of the headboard with a dimmer switch. So the crib has a built in indirect lighting “night light”. The glow of the light off of the wall is perfect.
My 5 day old baby seems to like napping in the crib. It will be a few weeks before he starts sleeping there permanently.
-- Jeff, North Carolina
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13 comments so far
Skylark53
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2271 posts in 1257 days
#1 posted 960 days ago
Well, now you’ve got another family heirloom. Beautiful work. Congratulations too on a beautiful baby boy. Cool name.
-- Rick, Tennessee, John 3:16
Beginningwoodworker
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13238 posts in 1869 days
#2 posted 960 days ago
Thats a beautiful crib.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
Rick
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24 posts in 2348 days
#3 posted 960 days ago
They are both beautiful. Congratulations.
-- Rick
Maveric777
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2592 posts in 1273 days
#4 posted 960 days ago
Congratulations Dad! You most definitely done good.
-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.
coop108
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30 posts in 1308 days
#5 posted 959 days ago
Beautiful work. Congratulations.
-- ccooper1970@gmail.com
ZeroThreeQuarter
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120 posts in 1254 days
#6 posted 957 days ago
that’s gorgeous! i’m curious to see a pic of it with the “night light” feature on. that alone seems like a selling feature that they should start integrating into cribs!! (or i can build it into the crib we already have!)
-- Your mind, much like a parachute, works best when open.
ND2ELK
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13495 posts in 1970 days
#7 posted 955 days ago
WOW! I am impressed with your crib. It looks very similar to the one I made. You did an outstanding on it. You should be proud of that beautiful crib and baby. Congratulation! Were you able to get your hardware from Babies R’us? Thanks for posting.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
saucer
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59 posts in 1143 days
#8 posted 953 days ago
Nice job Jeff. Wish i could have watched you make it.
-- It has been deemed bad for you hence there for it is illegal.
jeff_wenz
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112 posts in 1747 days
#9 posted 951 days ago
Zero,
Here are some photos of the night light feature. It consists of a 6’ rope light ($6 from Lowes) and a lamp dimmer switch ($11 from Lowes). I found the dimmer switch is REALLY nice as the light can be turned down to practically no light (or just enough to see if the baby’s eyes are open or to find a pacifier).
Here is the lamp dimmer switch.
As you can see, even in daylight, the 6’ rope light is enough to glow off of the wall.
-- Jeff, North Carolina
jeff_wenz
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112 posts in 1747 days
#10 posted 951 days ago
Tom,
I looked closely at your crib while I was doing my planning. It is similar, but your columns take your project to the “next level”. I purchased the bed rail hardware form Rockler, the mattress springs from Products USA. I fabricated my own mattress spring support system out of 1/8” metal and 10-32 bolt harware from Lowes. the feet are attached by hanger bolts.
-- Jeff, North Carolina
Roger
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9479 posts in 1000 days
#11 posted 162 days ago
A really beautiful build Jeff.
-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net
Todd_S
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6 posts in 162 days
#12 posted 162 days ago
Jeff,
This is a pretty amazing crib. We are expecting our second child (I buiilt a sleigh crib for our first) and of course my wife wants a different style this time around. I showed her your pictures and think we now have a winner.
-- Todd, Ohio
dungbeetledad
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5 posts in 114 days
#13 posted 114 days ago
Wow! Very nice – love the lights too!!
-- "It'll feel a lot better when it stops hurting."
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