Sandal Woods

Woodworking with passion

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The rocking cradle in action

I received several request to show the cradle in action while rocking. Readers wanted to see the effect of the 27-inch radius on the action of the rockers. The following 1-minute video illustrates this — click on the link below and the video will appear in a small window, with the background darkened:

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Click here

It is not a perpetual-motion machine, so someone will have to provide the rocking power. I chuckled while watching and listening to our granddaughters discuss who will be the first to rock their new baby in the cradle.

I am working on resolving a problem with the aspect ratio of the video. Once this is resolved, I will be able to post the actual video directly in this article. Meanwhile, you can view the video by clicking on the link above. Thanks for your patience!

— Al Navas

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A cradle deserves a quality bottom

I have never quite seen the point in making an heirloom quality cradle with a plywood bottom. A much better alternative is to make the bottom using a hardwood, and allow for cross-grain wood movement to avoid damage to the bottom.

For this cradle I milled ¼-inch boards, and used shiplap joints (Note: each division on the gnomon is exactly inch):

Details of the shiplapped joint on bottom boards.

 

The shiplap joint consists of rabbets on adjacent boards, such that each rabbet overlaps the one below. The exposed board edges will be separated by about 3/32-inch when installed; this will allow for seasonal growth and shrinkage, as the wood absorbs and loses moisture during periods of high and low humidity in the region.

The following photo illustrates the appearance of the bottom after creating the joint:

The shiplapped bottom boards in place.

Note: As with drawers, the boards are oriented across the width of the cradle. From the photo above, growth and shrinkage will occur along the length of the cradle, from head board to foot board. Therein lies the importance of the shiplap joint and wood movement.

With the foot board removed, the following perspective shot gives a better idea of the appearance of the bottom in the cradle:

I would never use plywood in a cradle!

 

I am looking forward to the glue-up, so I can start work on the rockers. Only then will I begin to consider application of a nice varnish finish on the cradle.

Stand by!

— Al Navas

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Why you must trust your eyes

In an earlier post a few days ago, I told you to use only chalk and a pencil to do a layout. Now I will show why I suggested you do so.

By way of background, I must first explain that I used to worry about being able to design a piece. More accurately, I worried sick about not being able to design a piece properly. But then I started letting my eyes take over, trusting them, if you will, to draw pleasing curves. Below you see the results. Try it!

This is the first clamped fit of the cradle I am building. In this first photo I show the foot panel in place. Note that I did not cut to the original line I drew in chalk. Why? Because I chickened out!

However, I cut the foot panel about two inches above the chalk line. The chalk line is still in place, although I had to trace it from the faded line following machining of the edge at the band saw. Note the cut just above the chalk line:

Cradle fit before cutting the foot board.

 

I think the foot panel makes for a better design in this next photo — I simply removed the piece I cut earlier:

Cradle fit after cutting the foot board.

 

Although the shortened foot panel makes for a more pleasing form, I am still not completely happy. It still feels “chunky”; as a result, I will cut make the cut at the chalk line, to give it a more pleasing appearance.

In the next photo I show the head panel laying on the foot panel. I was interested in learning how close my eye captured free-hand the curvature I felt I wanted. I surprised myself, as the curve appears to be nearly identical to the curvature of the head panel! The proof:

Original curve in chalk on the foot board, under head board.

I look forward to your comments. How do you:

  • Approach the layout for a new piece?
  • How do you draw curves so they appeal to the eye?
  • Make changes if the results don’t please you?
  • Make a decision to start over, because the form simply does not appeal to you?

— Al Navas

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