Brian’s Cradle for Maggie

I was just waiting for the arrival of our first granddaughter to build a cradle. I’ve had this pent up desire to do this for years, and when the news came of the pending addition, I had to get serious about a design decision. I knew the basic shape that I wanted included a swinging pivot, but it took a while to decide on the rail style. I was either going to turn spindles or go with a mission style. Ultimately I chose the mission style, as the wood I choose was white oak. Instead of mortising the rails I choose to use a groove and filler pieces. The construction was easier and I went with the spacers cut just a bit proud, a simple sanding brought them level with the top and bottom rail.

The final two tests were “mom’s” approval–which was a breeze. As you can see, Maggie is a tougher inspector; perhaps it’s her angle of view?