Baby Cribs

[Mike OMelia]

OK, I build guitars, maybe one piece of furniture. My son wants us to build a baby crib. These things have safety issues. Advisable? Anybody have plans?

Mike

[jim sauterer]

I built my grand daughter a crib that turns into a full size bed.the plans were from wood magazine.that was 7 years ago but it came out great.have fun.

[Matt Day]

Definitely safety standards involved. Rail spacing, rail height, etc.

I didn’t build a crib for my kids because for all the effort involved it would have only gotten 3-4 years of use for my 2 kids. Didn’t seem worth it. Bought one used.

If you can plans for a convertible one that can be turned into a bed, that might be worth it - like Jim suggested.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Sorry to be piling on, but MAKE SURE you understand the safety issues - especially as it relates to spindle spacing, drop sides, mattress fit, etc... (these are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head; in no way comprehensive).

Or, consider a cradle?? It may get used less for a given child, but they are smaller, easier to store when not in use (or display), and maybe more likely to be passed on as an heirloom(?).

A noble project! Enjoy!

[John M. Smith]

I built one for my 2 children. And now my second granddaughter is sleeping in it. At the time I got plans and all the hardware needed from Rockler. Not sure if they still carry it. Hand turned all the spindles. Made a canopy for it too. I also made one for good friends at the same time. That was a lot of spindles to match. My wife didn't know I was making one for us. I just told her it was for Ken and Beth. Kept half of everything hid from her. After I got it finished, I set it up in the nursery while she was out. I really surprised her. I say go fir it. Have fun. It will be a family heirloom.

[Bill Dufour]

Make sure the spindle spacing is up to the newer standards. Older plans may be fine if the spindles get spaced close enough. It is not spaced so the head does not go through it is actually so the shoulders don't fit when the are on their side. That width is less then a head width. The kids go out feet first not head first.
Bill D

[Mel Fulks]

Cradles are out only when babies are out. New stuff on the floor is a trip hazard. I like the "above it all" cribs.

[Richard Coers]

A plastic teething cover on the top rail is a great idea. Use a finish that will stand up to puke, crap, and disinfectant. Fit between the bed and mattress is critical. Too much room and the baby can roll between them and suffocate. Buy a mattress first.

[Bill Dufour]

Do not use the bumper pads. They are a safety hazard.
Remember the 5 gallon buckets are a drowning hazard for toddlers with only a few inches of liquid in them. Article in the news here a family left a pot of beans on the floor to soak, they had a toddler, end of story.
Bil lD

[Jim Barstow]

I built a crib about 7 years ago and did a lot of research before building it. The safety standards are there for good reason and reflect many years of data collection. I built it so that the depth of the base could be moved up and down. For a young baby, you position it higher and as they grow, you move it down.

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[Jim Dwight]

I built a crib and changing table for my second grandson late last year. I used plans from Wood magazine which were pretty good. But if you use them, I would NOT put in the cross bolts. I found it difficult to get the holes to line up. It worked but was quite frustrating at times. The plans also suggest use of threaded inserts for the mattress height changes and I see no reason they could not also be used to hold the corners together. Another change I made was to eliminate the extra holes for when you use the headboard and footboard with rails as a double sized bed. When little Calvin is ready for that, I will just inlet the pieces for regular bed rail fasteners.

I used white tinted Resisthane as a finish. It is pretty tough. I sprayed it on. I hated to paint the maple I used but it is what my daughter in law wanted and it came out pretty good.

You did not mention a changing table but I will also comment on that. I just made a dresser I've made before and they like but I put a piece on top to keep him from rolling off. It is dadoed to go over the dresser top and then a couple screws hold it to the back. So when he is not an infant any more, the rolling protection comes off easily and you have a normal dresser. I did not see that in any plans, I just dreamed it up.

[Myles Moran]

Sorry to be piling on, but MAKE SURE you understand the safety issues - especially as it relates to spindle spacing, drop sides, mattress fit, etc... (these are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head; in no way comprehensive).

The other big one I learned of recently is any protrusions on top of the crib, like a decorative finial. Should the child manage to shimmy up the slats and get over the top (or partially over) you want to make sure that they'll have a clear fall to the mattress or floor without anything that could catch them on the way down.

[Dylan Wyatt]

Here's one I built for a this Christmas. Search the Google machine, you will find all of the requirements for rail spacing, height of rails, mattress size, etc...

IMG_20200109_175318.jpg

[Clark Hussey]

I used white tinted Resisthane as a finish. It is pretty tough. I sprayed it on. I hated to paint the maple I used but it is what my daughter in law wanted and it came out pretty good.

I am building a cherry convertible crib now. My Daughter wants it white. We settled on a white wash so some of the grain shows. Still haven’t decided on a top coat.

[johnny means]

Here's one I built for a this Christmas. Search the Google machine, you will find all of the requirements for rail spacing, height of rails, mattress size, etc...

IMG_20200109_175318.jpg

I built children's furniture exclusively for many years. Liability loomed large and I saw danger in everything. That bolt setup on the drop front scatters the bejesus out of me. I'd feel much better if they were the type that required a double action to open.