Crib question

[Don Fearn]

So, I'm going to be a grandpa! It's about time.

But that means I need to make something of wood and have it done by early August!

I'm thinking of a crib that will convert into a bed and when I search for one, the Rockler "3-in-1 Transitional Bed Plan" seems to dominate. It looks doable and, with some modifications, like something I'd like to make for my grandchild. But are there other, better designs out there?

Anyone else make any woodworking projects for a grandbaby that you'd like to share, especially ones that are practical from day one through the child's life? Let me know any suggestions you might have, please . . . .

-Don (gonna be "Gramps" for the first time)

[John]

Instead of a "universal" bed, what about a toy/blanket/whatever chest

• bench?

These designs run the gamut from the pedestrian to the sublime:

?sec_id=7&subsec_id=115&con_id=1088alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking - toy chest - Jack Caruso (Cinderella inlay done with natural wood colors).

John

[Chrisgiraffe]

I'm on the same boat. I've looked at Rockler's 3-in-1 and like the concept but the design seems a little cheesy. There's a similar (but better, in my opinion) design that was featured in WOOD magazine last year with a matching changing table. The bed is in Issue 173, Nov.

2006, the matching changing table is in Issue 174, Dec./Jan. 2006/2007. On thing I did was went to Babies R Us (and other baby furniture stores) and had a look at the 3-in-1's to get a sense of size/design/matching items. The WOOD design is pretty much in line with most of what's sold and can be easily modified to suit your children's decor/tastes.

Congratulations and best of luck!

:-)

[Twayne]

Since you're in design stages, it's handy too, for something like that, to check product recall lists for like items; they might help avoid a gotcha or two in the final product. Worked for me at least, even gave me a couple of better ideas than my own.

[Lew Hodgett]

search

dominate.

Any crib/youth bed unit will have a relatively short service life unless it gets passed along.

Think I'd consider a dresser, chest or similar case goods piece.

Lew

[hex]

Agreed -- even with 4 kids, the number of sleep hours spent in a cradle is small; glad I built one since it's got family history (butternut milled on my grandpa's farm by dad and uncle in the 60's, sat in hay mow until the 90's, then turned into a cradle ). As much as I hate forced heirloomism, I think I'll have grand children residing there in the (DISTANT!!!) future.

I wouldn't build a toddler/youth bed since toddlers and youth tend to be really hard on furniture. You don't want to cry when the kid gets hold of the book of stamps and or permanent markers and decorates the head board.

Changing table convertable to dresser may be a good one. Or for the really ambitious, a rocking chair sized to fit the momma.

[DonkeyHody]

JOAT recommended a child's rocking chair the other day. We had an antique one given to us, and my kids got far more use out of it than they did the cradle I built. But hey, you have time to do both, right?

DonkeyHody "We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it - and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove-lid again---and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore." - Mark Twain

[N Hurst]

I agree about the rocking chair. My 15 month old loves rocking chairs, and has loved them since before he could walk. He I set him in a pint sized rocking chair and he had a blast just moving around in it.

He now does the same thing with the 100+ year old rocking chair in out house, though now he's big enough to climb into on his own, much to the chagrin of his mom!

I think a well-made rocking chair would have a nice, long life of use as a piece of furniture, a toy, a decoration piece, and then once the first baby grows up, it can begin the cycle again.

-Nathan

[ROY!]

The cradle I'll be building for my nephew's kid will take 2 months to build and take the kid 2 months to grow out of.... hmmmmmmmm ROY!

[Twayne]

Dunno; sounds like he has a good plan to me. Things like that get used for "future" children, or passed to other family members, friends, etc. etc.. It's also a pretty nice act of love and something he/they could all be proud of. Mine have so far gone through my son and grandson, and my daughter wants hers too but I can't afford to ship it to Colorado! They want it bad enough they're driving over this spring and renting a u-haul; makes gramps feel great anyway.

[Randy Melton]

I built a crib for my son two years ago. I enjoyed designing and building it even though he spent slightly over a year in it. I thought he might appreciate it later in life if he has children and manages to keep it until then. I didn't worried about that, I built it for my own satisfaction.

I published my notes on the web at: *

* * * * * think it is pretty easy to build a decent wooden baby crib and is within reach for most woodworkers. To help you make a decision, try the "shake" test on some of the cribs in the store.

When my son turned two we moved his crib mattress into a firetruck bed my wife bought. I've spent the last couple of weeks looking at fun designs for boys beds. I'm thinking about building him a plane bed, or a truck bed. I'm involving him in the design and he likes it.

I'll be happy to answer any questions about the crib I built.

I guess I should mention that my dad built us a cradle which we also used. So there are lots of opportunities to build things for kids.

C> So, I'm going to be a grandpa! It's about time.