PENDULUM CRADLE

[J T]

As some of you know, I'm not a fan of cradles. Cute idea, but the kid outgrows the thing in just weeks, then it takes up room, and collects dust. Unlelss you can unload on someone else that thinks theyd're cute. Better to make a rocker, then you can rock the kid to sleep, put the kid to bed, or on the floor (believe me, a baby will sleep anywhere, once they get to sleep), then you sit in the chair and relax. Then you can keep the chair, and use it, untill you've got grandkids, then you can give the rocker to your kid, and make one for yourself thats not all beat up.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green

[John]

Absolutely.

When looking around for cradle designs and ideas just over a year ago, more than one person gave me this advice.

I should have listened to them, but flushed with the pride of approaching grandad-hood, I reckoned I knew better.

Combined a whole lot of ideas and designs until I arrived at a one-off pendulum cradle for my fast-approaching new grandchild (grandson as it turned out), in Scots ash with a dark hardwood trim (materials alone came to twice what a store-bought cradle would have cost me). A few years ago I'd have made it in a week, but I'm increasingly disabled these days, with about an hour of productive work in me each day at best. The job took me three months, and left me hors de combat by the time I was finished (having needed to push myself as the birth approached). Just about everyone who saw it reckoned it was a work of art. Some refused to believe I'd made it myself, and one visitor offered me a very substantial sum if I'd sell it to him on the spot (refused of course). I have to say I was extraordinarily (and immodestly!) proud of it.

My son seemed pleased with it, but my daughter-in-law clearly thought I'd made a custom cradle simply because I was too cheap to buy a 'proper' one for my first grandchild.

All academic, as the in-laws breezed in a week after grandson was born, with a (suspiciously) expensive store-bought cot, and my cradle ended up in the attic.

I've now assembled a collection of books and plans on traditional and other wooden toys - usual predictable grandad stuff. But whether or not I'll bother when anything other than Mothercare plastic seems to be viewed with suspicion, I really don't know.

The design shown here is a pretty good one, but Joat's advice is good. Take it.

John

[George]

You had only boys? Girls use their cradles for a long time. Some even take them with them when they marry and leave home. Daughter's offspring, she says, will sleep in the same cradle she and her younger brother did, as well as, in succession, the cabbage patch dolls, the stuffed bears, the pom-poms and college texts.

Make the join of the sides to the ends with fasteners - bronze bolts in threaded inserts, for instance - and you can pack the entire cradle into flat boxes - two if twins - and ship them to an APO via USPS. Makes it possible to store the thing in the back of a closet if the twins are boys....

[cselby]

I was teaching Industrial Arts in a small town years ago, when my wife was pregnant with my #2 daughter. Money was tight and I built a swing cradle for the upcoming baby using reclaimed packing crate wood that cleaned up very well. I spent the 3 days my wife was in the hospital building it and without bragging, Idid a nice job. I too was offered obscene money for it as I was taking home from the school. She slept in that thing for her first 5 months. After that is was used for dolls or loaned out for other kids. 24 yrs later that same daughter had my first grandson and this cradle came out of storage for him and got cleaned and polished. But, apparently, it wan't quite good enough for the boy . He needed new, not some beatup old junk. My daughter sold it at a garage sale last spring for 15$. Such is life.

Will I build another? Absolutely. Will I give it to my #2 daughter? I'll think about it.

Pete

[J T]

Tue, Nov 1, 2005, 8:20am George@least (George) mumbled: You had only boys? Girls use their cradles for a long time. Make the join of the sides to the ends with fasteners

Yup, only boys, I figured out right from the beginning how to do that.

There "is" a gap between girls sleeping in a cradle, and using it for dolls. Cutsey dust catcher in the meantime.

If I was gonna make a knock-down cradle, I would make one that went together with no extra parts - things to lose, in other words. If you google, there's already plans out there.

I still say a rocker makes more sense. You want your baby girl to have a cradle for her dolls, make one later - dolls never outgrow them.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green

[J T]

Tue, Nov 1, 2005, 6:10pm (EST+5) [e-mail] remembers: Will I build another? =A0 Absolutely. =A0 Will I give it to my #2 daughter? I'll think about it. Pete

My advice? Make another cradle immediately, as nice as you pssibly can - show it to your daughter - then sell it for an obscene amount - being sure to tell your daughter exactly how much you get - then take the money, buy some nice wood, and make yourself a really nice rocking chair.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green

[J T]

For some strange reason, I receved an e-mail requesting cradle information. I would have thought my views on cradles would have scared anyone off, but either he is a brave soul, or mentally disturbed.

I did reply politely tho. I.e., I didn't e-mail him back, but am replying here. LMAO

Actually, I prefer questions and responses here, because then everyone can benefit from a response, rather than justone.

Anyway, I was asked if I'd ever seen plans for a cradle for twins, or more. Not that I can recall. But, now, thinking about it, I do get a vague picture in my mind of having seen a double-wide cradle, somewhere, sometime. I don't know if I actually ever saw that, or it's just a vision. And, no, I don't smoke, drink, sniff, or whaever, any strange substances. My mental status is all natural. LOL

I would think a double-wide cradle, for twins, would not work great. I'm thinking one kid would keep the other awake, or wahe him/her up if asleep - no experience with two at a time, so I don't know that for a fact. I would think a double-long cradle would work better in that respect - but, again, I don't know, so your choice. I don't think I would recommend a triple-long cradle.

If you've got triplets, and are Hell-bent on a cradle, I would think separate cradles would be the only realistic answer. But, I suppose a triple-wide would work. If you make a pendulum type tho, I'd make damn sure it was make Hell-stout - no sense makeing one, then having it break.

One option, for twins, is one of the rocking chairs, with a cradle on the side. You could then rock one kid in the cradle, and hold one. A cradle on each side would be appealing, except for the room it would take up, so you could put a kid in each cradle, then you relax in the rocker, and rock the two kids in the cradles. That could work for triplets too, two in the cradles, hold one. There's pictures of authentic (old) cradle rockers on the web, and plans too. I'll check, and post a picture or two later, if I run across any.

My option for a cradle, if I was forced into it, would be a knock-down cradle. There's plans out there for them, or you could always make some up. I wouldn't use one that takes bolts, or any other type of fasteners. Remember, google is your friend.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green

[J T]

This is a puzzle cradle. There's more out there, just goodle for scrollsaw puzzle cradle, or scroll saw puzzle cradle. Easy to make, quick to make, and plenty strong.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green

[J T]

This isn't what I was thinking of. The only rocker/cradle I can remember, had the cradle part at floor leverl - from the colonial era I believe. Be simple enough to attach a cradle on one, or both, side of a rocker, then unhook them later. But, I think this design makes more sense. This is for a kid, and dolls, but be simple enough to make adult size. Even put a cradle on each side, for twins. You could make them so the cradle(s) unhooked later, and use as just a rocker. Or, better yet, leave the cradle(s) on, insert a beer cooler.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green

[Andy]

Joat,

Oh, I'm mentally disturbed, big time. I've inhaled too much sawdust.

Thanks for the feedback. I was hoping you had seen some on the net, I haven't.

I thought of the double wide, and double length and even stacked pendulum. All have drawbacks including how short a time they are used. Maybe a cradle that becomes a toybox?

I'll think of something.

Keep up posting links to the wreck. I have a lot of fun wandering around where you point.

Andy

[J T]

Tue, Nov 1, 2005, 5:30pm (EST-2) andya_NOSPAM [e-mail] (Andy) who doth proclaim: Oh, I'm mentally disturbed, big time. Maybe a cradle that becomes a toybox? And here I was trying to keep your identity anonnymis and you go and reveal it anyway. I would think an open top toybox (the only type I would recommend for little kids) on a removable rocker base would work. But that got me to thinking, if the cradle wouldn't be for your own kid, go ahead and make one or more, then let the recipient worry about the bother after the kid(s) get too big for a cradle - then if they sell it off later, and only get a few $ for it, have some evidence handy to show them they could have gotten a lot more for it. Heh heh. However, if the cradle "is" for your own kid, go ahead and make one if it's "really" wanted, then sell it off as soon as the kid outgrows it - you'll probably have learned your lesson by that time, and will opt for a rocking chair after that.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green

[Deborah Kelly]

That is cute but I would think you would want the cradle the other way so you rock them side to side so all the blood isn't sloshing around from their head to feet lol....

Well personally I would of loved a cradle for my two babies when they where younger and I will probably make one the next time I'm expecting (if I ever figure out what tools I want...lol) But I do like the idea of attaching a cradle to the rocking chair, it would be less work :)

Deborah

[J T]

Tue, Nov 1, 2005, 9:22pm (EST-1) [e-mail] (Deborah=A0Kelly) did sayeth: That is cute but I would think you would want the cradle the other way so you rock them side to side so all the blood isn't sloshing around from their head to feet lol.... I do like the idea of attaching a cradle to the rocking chair, it would be less work :)

The head wasn't where my kids sloshed when shook up. Anyway, I would take it for granted that most people wouldn't rock so fast the kid feels like it's in a paint mixer. Anyway, I've seen a number of cradle designs that rocked from head to foot, rather than side to side. I don't care much for their looks tho, I'd make a sideways one - if I made one.

You could always just attach a rod fro the arm of the rocker forward to a cradle. That should work too.

JOAT If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

- Red Green