3-in-1 Crib

This week’s very cool project is submitted by Dustin. Let’s check it out and see what he has to say:

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.