cradle finished

[Stephen Pereira]

73643

Hi all,

Here is a picture of the cradle we made for my grandson. As a beginner to woodworking I made lots of mistakes and I had to be creative in covering them up

I frequently used the search function of this forum to see what others had to say about various techniques, tips, tools etc.. there is lots of good information to be gleaned and I thank everyone who takes the time to write.

[Bonnie Campbell]

That is a beautiful cradle! :eek: I wish I could be so talented. What a lovely family keepsake it'll be.

[Richard Magbanua]

Beautiful!!
Tell me, what kind of brass accents are those and where did you get them? They add a very nice touch!

[Mike Duffy]

Beautiful!!
Tell me, what kind of brass accents are those and where did you get them? They add a very nice touch!

Yes. Beautiful work. And I'd like to know about the brass, too. Thanks.

[Matt P]

Great work..

[John Timberlake]

Great job. I don't see any mistakes, so you must be good at covering them. Will be an heirloom for generations.

[Stephen Pereira]

Thanks for all your generous words.

The brass accents I made out of solid brass round stock on my 9" South Bend metal lathe.

The small plugs in the end of the cradle that cover the screws were supposed to be wood. We messed up by dyeing the project before the wood plugs were inserted. It would have been next to impossible to sand wood plugs flush without ruining the finish so I made shouldered brass plugs whose ID was larger than the countersunk hole.

The larger plugs that cover the home made bed bolts are also shouldered and tapped the same thread as the bed bolt. Thread the bed bolts on both ends or use all thread. Thread the brass plugs on the all thread to hide the holes.

The pin that keeps the cradle from swinging I turned free hand on the same lathe, it was the first time I attempted to machine a ball.. turned out not perfect but acceptable . As soon as I figure out how to resize the picturres I will post them if anyone is interested.

I used the search function of SMC to answer many many questions I had on construction/finishing techniques. Thanks to all who took the time to share their knowledge with others.

Steve