Rocking crib design

[jb94]

Hi,
Turns out babies grow very quickly and the little man is already growing out of his Moses basket and he’s only 2 months old!

I’ve made a full sized crib for his nursery but need something for downstairs and I am considering making a ‘travel size’ or ‘spacesaver’ cot - slightly smaller mattress size.

He likes being rocked in a bouncer and I thought why not make a rocking cot.

I’ve seen a few different designs, rocking moses basket holders tend to have rockers on the long edge, whereas cots have the rockers on the short edge. I’ve also seen some that have a vertical arm with a rocker pin or hanging bolt so the leg/arm is stationary and the crib contained within swings.

I would have thought the rockers on the long edge would be the most stable and less likely to tip, which is why I find it odd that the majority of commercially made ones are rockers on the short edge.

As I’ve got a dog stability is key as I don’t want an inquisitive dog jumping up and knocking it over. The swinging arm design has advantage of a pin that can be inserted to lock the mechanism.

As for design I was thinking of basically doing a scaled up Windsor - solid base with dowels for the bars so joinery is straightforward.

Has anyone build one of these swinging cribs or has any ideas?

Cheers

 

[Blackswanwood]

I’m about to make this (and a cot) for the first grandchild. That cot in your photograph is smart - what size mattress is it using?

 

[jb94]

Thanks! And congratulations on the grandchild!

My crib fits a 120x60cm mattress, and the base goes up and down with a simple chock held with machine bolts.
Sides come off for storage / moving, brass screw and the through dowel for strength / alignment.

The rocking cot in the video looks great thanks for sharing, simple design. This is basically what I had in my head. He uses a 32x16inch mattress so 80x40 ish.

The only thing I’d maybe add (time permitting) would be an acorn to the corners so you have something comfy to hold to rock

I’m looking to use the 100x50 as that’s what’s available in the uk

 

[jb94]

Slow progress but I’ve got the timber I need.

My wife didn’t want it quite so chunky as the above video, so I’ve got just under an inch planks of oak for the bottom skirt (where dowels go into) and the posts will be around 2 inch square, tapered down after the bottom skirt to a round.

I’ll add the rocker at a later date and focus on making the bulk of the cot first.

The top (dowel bar) will be around 3/4 inch.

Only problem is the dowels, I’m going to buy them in, best size I can find is 1/2 inch (I think any smaller may be too weak), but with 1/2 inch bit it doesn’t give much meat either side of a plank (pine scrap in picture) and I worry if that would make it weak.

I know the general rule is 1/3s for dowels/M+T

Wondering if I should but up a wider board on top to give some more meat for dowels to go into?