Location: Gilbert, Arizona

Hobbyist or Pro: Hobbyist

Project Name: Ikie’s Crib

Wood Species: Poplar

Finish Used: I used a rag to apply two coats of GF Java Gel Stain, then two coats of GF Gel Urethane, light sanding between coats.

Project Description:

So I noticed that there weren’t any cribs on the list of viewer projects so I figured I’d submit this one for review. It’s pretty minimalistic, but I think it has a nice modern charm to it.

I decided to build the crib for my brother Sam and his wife Hilary when I found out that they were expecting their first child (Isaac or “Ikie” for short). I felt like it was a pretty good excuse to get out in the shop and make some saw dust. So I called up my brother and told him that I wanted to make them a crib and surprise his wife with a nice custom crib for their nursery. He thought it was a great idea and so the design process began. Sam sneakily investigated what style of crib Hilary wanted and then sent me a scanned copy of a page that he tore out of a parenting magazine where they had found the “perfect” crib.

It took me a couple months to complete the project (a lot of evenings and weekends) so as I made progress on it, I would send pictures to Sam. Well, it turns out that the secret mysteriously got leaked and Hilary knew that the crib was coming but her reaction upon delivery was still priceless.

There are a few things that I would do differently if I were to do it again (isn’t that always the case!?) but overall I think the build went well. Now my wife and I are expecting our first baby and with what I learned building Ikie’s crib, I should be able to make something for us that we’ll be able to cherish for many years.

Here are the project details:

-Full size baby crib (fits a standard 52×27 inch mattress)
-Solid poplar
-Stained with General Finishes Java gel stain and finished with GF gel urethane topcoat.
-Crib springs can be adjusted to 4 different heights
-Can be converted into a toddler bed.

Construction Note:

To make all of the mortises for the vertical slats I just ran a groove down the length of the rails and then glued spacers in to create the individual mortises. After the glue-up, I cleaned everything up with a couple passes on the jointer. It seemed to work well and the glue joints were barely noticeable since I used such a dark finish.

I have been working on project that has consumed my life. My little sister (I guess not so little anymore) is expecting a baby boy and I told her that if and when she got pregnant I would build her a 1 of a kind crib. I used hard Maple and Cherry and the contrast is beautiful. I watched episode 47 and it turned me onto water-based finishes, as I have never used anything but oil-based and it always has a slight tint to it like you describe in your video. Water-based is perfect for this project because the finish is crystal clear and I will be able to see the wood in it’s most natural color for much longer (hopefully).

In fact, all of the videos you have out on the site have helped me in so many ways, your end table ones showed me how to set up and use a template and flush trim bit. I have several which I have never used simply because I did not know how. When I first found you online, I was simply a beginner in every sense of the word (I just had the ability to carve wood and not build anything out of it). Since that time everything I have learned, from going to my first hard wood store to selecting and milling my own rough cut lumber (episode 4) to mortise and tenon joinery and the first project that ever required me to cut and glue different hardwoods together (episode 7) which turned out beautifully. I owe it all to you and your website.

So many people have benefited from what you do. What I have personally learned from you will last a lifetime and hopefully the furniture I have built will as well. Here are a few pics of the process and the finished product. You can see my wife and son performing quality assurance testing. There is no reason for this crib to ever hold more than 20lbs but we needed to test it at about 150 for safety right!

It looks a bit big, but it is a 3-in-1 crib that goes from a crib to daybed to full size with headboard and foot board. The sides of the crib attach to additional pieces I made for a nice shelf /book case so they are not discarded.