Crib design

[Rich Enders]

I will be building a crib for a grandchild, and would appreciate any suggestions from design to materials to construction methods. My daughter would probably appreciate something that can be modified for use for years to come.

[David Masters]

I built the Wood Magazine 3 in-one bed (http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/home/enlarged-3-in-1-bed-illustrations-issue-173-nov-2006/) which was well received from my daughter for her first child. The plan called for maple as the wood choice, but I made my bed out of white oak. There is a company identified in the plans that has a hardware kit specific to the Wood Magazine design. There is also a matching dresser design that is offered, but which I decided I didn't have time to make before my granddaughter arrived. I've finished the crib and toddler section, and I'll wait until my granddaughter is a little older to finish the side rails to make the bed into a twin.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?223223-First-Project-Completed-Oak-Crib&p=2327036&highlight=#post2327036

Dave

[Mike Cogswell]

I just completed a crib using a modified version of the Wood Magazine plans and delivered it to my daughter this Thursday (6/4). The Wood design assumes you are building from dimensioned boards, so they expect parts thicker than 3/4" to be laminated. I made mine from 4/4, 8/4 and 12/4 suger maple and furniture grade 3/4" suger maple plywood. The bed rail cleats and bed mattress support slats are from 4/4 poplar. My daughter wanted a straight rather than curved top rail on the headboard and slats rather than solid plywood on the crib ends. Since I eliminated the solid plywood on the ends, I mortised the end slats well into the top and bottom rails.

Here are the three configurations in my shop and the finished crib with springs and mattress.

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And here it is at my daughter's house.

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Before the crib, she wanted a dresser/changing table, so I built this first.

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Next up is a five drawer chest and a pair of night stands to complete a furniture set that should carry my grand daughter into adulthood.

[Jamie Buxton]

For decades, there's been a style of crib called a dropside crib. The federal Consumer Protection Agency made these illegal a few years ago, from safety concerns.

[Mike Cogswell]

Blueberry approves of the crib. Promptly fell asleep and slept for three hours the first time she was in it.

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[Jerry Miner]

Awwwwwwwww!

[Lee Schierer]

There are safety standards (http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/cribs/) that apply to crib construction. Some of these are no brainers, but others you may not be aware of. Please review the safety standards before starting your build to insure your design is as safe as possible to avoid potential tragedy.

[Rich Enders]

Thanks guys for both the design and safety ideas. One more thing. Columbia Forest Products has a "cleaner" plywood called Pure Bond. It is listed as formaldehyde free. Columbia's website listed Home Depot as the retail source, but when I went to my local store the only product in stock was the one shown in the attached photo. Has anyone had any experience with using either product? The Depot stocks this one in 1/2", and 3/4" in both oak faced, and birch faced.315355