Baby Cribs

[michael dilday]

I built an entire bedroom suite for my grandson. Dresser, changing table, coloring table and a crib. The crib is a convertible crib that converts from a crib to a toddler bed to a twin bed. That way you get more years from it. Plans from WoodStore.net.

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[Mel Fulks]

There are accounts as old as the Bible of women losing a child by "over laying " them. But NO design changes have been
made in women! And I'm okay with that.

[mreza Salav]

Designed and built this over 10 years ago for our first child. All the commercial ones we saw were very low quality.
Both children used it as a crib and now it's turned into a double size bed.
The floor has two layers, one (as you see) for when an infant and one lower when a toddler. The two front sections get bolted to two long rails for a double size bed.

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[Jim Andrew]

My wife bought a new baby bed when the 1st granddaughter was born 15 years ago, and the front side can be moved up and down. That is now illegal. Make your sides the same height. Saves money for hardware. If I were going to build one, would go to garage sales and buy an old one for the springs and hardware. Would also give you a pattern and measurements.

[johnny means]

There are accounts as old as the Bible of women losing a child by "over laying " them. But NO design changes have been
made in women! And I'm okay with that.

It's pretty much universally agreed that sleeping with your infant is a bad idea. Every OBGYN/ midwife/ pediatrician advises strongly against it. So, in a way, mothers have been redesigned.

[Lee Schierer]

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...

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With those four corner posts sticking up above the side rails, I don't believe your crib design meets the safety rules for infant cribs..the following is quoted from the CSPC: Check Your Crib for Safety

There should be:

A firm, tight-fitting mattress so a baby cannot get trapped between the mattress and the crib.

No missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or mattress support.

No more than 2 3/8 inches (about the width of a soda can) between crib slats so a baby's body cannot fit through the slats; no missing or cracked slats.

No corner posts over 1/16th inch high so a baby's clothing cannot catch.

No cutouts in the headboard or foot board so a baby's head cannot get trapped.

Cribs that are incorrectly assembled, have missing, loose or broken hardware or broken slats can result in entrapment or suffocation deaths. Infants can become stranguled when their head and neck become entrapped in gaps created by missing, loose or broken hardware or broken slats.

[Mike OMelia]

Yeah, starting to think this is a bad idea.

[Andrew Seemann]

I'd save "grandpa's woodworking" for something that will get used for more than a couple years and that they will remember.

Side note, I had the same iron crib that my grandmother used. All of her kids and grandkids used it. My dad did sandblast off the lead paint before my brother and I used it. That probably explains something, but I am not sure what For our kids, we just bought a new one from Babies R Us. Even though the old one was still available, my wife and I decided that infant safety technology had probably advanced in the last 90 years, and that after 65 years (from my grandmother to my brother) the family had gotten their money's worth out of it.

[Jim Becker]

I haven't commented so far, but my thoughts...in addition to the safety challenges for building a crib, there is also the real fact that a crib is a pretty short term use piece of furniture for many families. Convertible is nice, but that just "adds to the fun". What I might do in this situation is to acquire a reasonably priced commercial offer that is the style and color that the recipient wants for the baby's room and then MAKE the complimentary furniture pieces which tend to be things that are approachable to build and flexible enough to be used for a much longer time; maybe up to the point where the child becomes more of an adolescent/teen and can fully express their own tastes.

[Mel Fulks]

I've enjoyed this thread ,and learned some stuff. Was just reading other sources and I looked up Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome. With most of the deaths the parents do not see or hear anything happening. All of the "safe" habitat shown
is pretty hard to see into. I submit that for the safe designs to be effective they need a mike and video camera above them.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Use a finish that will stand up to puke, crap, and disinfectant.

I'll just add - ammonia....
Newborns (up to about 18 months) are tiny powerful ammonia factories. When you get the first wiff of the diaper pail - you'll know why I said this.

Ammonia is the solvent for shellac and many of the acrylic latex paints.

Alkyds are usually resistant.