Completed Cradle

[Sheik Hans]

Well i 've lurked around here long enough without showing anything i have ever completed so here goes .

I made this recently, its the first time i have actually, as a hobbyist 'had to work to a deadline .
The cradle started off as a copy from an old American Woodworkers article i found in Google books "Molly's cradle"by Robbi Staples .It looked great and i thought i'd have a go at copying it . After checking it i thought it was rather small so i scaled it up a little . Well a lot really
I've been sitting on part of a timber contents of a bankrupt door makers factory for quite a while now so i thought it was time to get of my backside and use some of it . So all the components are re machined from door casings ,frames or offcuts .Its a bit of a miss matched piece i know . Bits of Oak ,Ash ,Cherry ,Walnut and some unknowns .
It is a far cry from the original design .I wasn't too keen on the pivoting in the original . I replaced this with no squeak roller bearings and a brass spindle . My joints are all hand cut and boy do i need to practice my dovetails . The spindles were a bit repetitive to make .I don't have a wood lathe i have a small engineering one that i used with an Ashem Crafts trapping plane (highly recommended tools) .All the spindles have character ,ie none are the same . Indexing all the holes for the spindles was fun trying to keep everything straight . And glue up of the sides was harder than i thought it would be .,never enough clamps . I cheated a little on the cross support and made brass knockdown bolts instead of through tenons .Overall i 'm pleased with my labours and conveniently a Moses basket fits straight into the cradle so whilst the childs small she isnt rolling round in the larger cradle .

 

[xy mosian]

Well it looks good from here Sheik. Well done.
xy

 

[Grahamshed]

Certainly looks a nice bit of work.

 

[Orcamesh]

and it looks good to me too!

I also like the large axe hanging on the wall just in case you get hacked off one day and decide to make match sticks!!! ;~)

 

[herriott67]

it looks brilliant i also found this design and was thinking of copying it but i started designing my own instead and i have to agree on the pivoting idea, i dont like it at all but i have been toiling to find the right ironmongery for the job can you tell me where you got the right stuff. thanks

 

[Sheik Hans]

Herriot .... I actually made the fittings .. > Joys of having an engineering lathe . All i used was a brass rod , a roller bearing and a small mild steel bush . I fitted the bearing into a bush .Cut the edge of the bush with a hacksaw ,to key it for glue . Forstener bit drilled bush into the hanger and araldited it in . I think the roller wouldn't of glued so well on its own . Turn a brass rod to fit in the bearing ,Bored a hole thru the frame with a 14mm 3D bit (rod was 14mm) then trapped the rod in place by drilling and counterboring a brass screw with a file flattened end . No doubt this isnt a correct procedure but its holding well so far . If you buy the bearing you will be able to choose the rod accordingly and turning will not be an issue apart from the bushing which could probably be plastic .. Drill frame to rod diameter etc .
I buy bearings here http://www.bearing-king.co.uk/ no affiliation but they have always treated me fairly (re did a Multico planer and a grinders main bearings )

Orcamesh . As for the axe . It is to disuade any unwanted attention .People find it a little alarming when i start shaving with it ....

 

[Orcamesh]

Orcamesh . As for the axe . It is to disuade any unwanted attention .People find it a little alarming when i start shaving with it ....

Nice touch! :lol:

 

[woodbloke]

Joys of having an engineering lathe . All i used was a brass rod , a roller bearing and a small mild steel bush . I fitted the bearing into a bush .Cut the edge of the bush.

Nice job...I've often thought that there's some merit in having a small engineering lathe in a wood 'shop for bits and pieces like this - Rob

 

[Sheik Hans]

At £25 plus for a pair of knife hinges, a small lathe would make viable sense . They aren't exactly rocket science to make .Ok the full size Mill is really an indulgence but its only really an oversized router . If i could settle on just one hobby my workshop would be a little more user friendly.

 

[Richard T]

Sheik Hans Wrote: " If i could settle on just one hobby my workshop would be a little more user friendly."

Here here to that; I have a forge, a saw mill and a metalwork shop - no wood work space as yet but I will be able to build one thanks to the other interests. :?

 

[Harbo]

+1 re small lathe. Just used my tiny Unimat 3 to make a replacement tightening screw for my old Marples Mortice Gauge.
20mm brass rod for the head and 1/4" steel rod for the shaft.
Borrowed the 1/4"BSW taps and dies from a friend.

Rod

 

[Sheik Hans]

The trouble with buying all these toys is that the basic machine isnt all you need .Take the lathe for instance (a fairly recent acquisition) for this job of making the knockdown brass bolts .I came to drill the holes in the rods and found i couldnt fit my exisiting (for the mill) keyless chuck in the tailstock .Had to order a new morse taper adaptor ,Wait a week for delivery etc . And then every time you think of something else you need to make you end up having to buy more bits .Engineering bits seriously add up in cost and the consumables side of things tips and tooling don't last long if you are as rough as i am .I laugh i made the cradle out of free wood .The total cost of the job must run into about £20k of kit over the years and i'm only a hobbyist Its making those hinges look cheap ..