Crib for my Son

I created this for my son before he was born. Made from pine purlin and rafter scraps from a timber frame house I had been working on, this was a long, drawn-out project that took about 4 months. The pine was crooked and twisted, I had to set-up and take-down my borrowed workstation every day. The birds eye Maple had long bounced around my collection-waiting for the perfect use as a top rail. Not only did I want my son’s first year or two to be in something that I built, but I want his grandchildren to use it.

This design allows assembly and disassembly with nothing but a rubber mallet. It also allows, with the same rubber mallet, switching the deck from 12″ below the top rail during infancy, to about 30″ below the top rail when the child begins rolling over, crawling, and the glorious moment when they first stand.

We had heard that babies invariably “crib”, like when a horse chews at its housing constraints. I didn’t believe it. Nonetheless, the proper shade of coffee was selected from several cafes, and sealed with food-grade linseed oil.