Usually work on the Breaktime Forum and traipsing over to Knots to see if I can get help – going to become a grandfather and want to make a cradle.
I met Sam Maloof in 2002 and fell in love with his work – I want to make a cradle somewhat like his. See below picture link – question is if I take 4/4 walnut or oak and plane it and joint it down to ¾ and then re-saw the straps that create the cradle basket into thirds – is soaking the strips for 24 hours in water long enough and then bend right way? Or, should I heat the water and the wood for a half an hour better – trying to get away from the heating step but will do as this is how I do my shaker boxes. Thanks Dudley
cradle link http://daddytypes.com/2009/09/22/the_second_awesomest_sam_maloof_cradle.php
Replies
Not a chance you'll get 1/4" strips to bend like that without a healthy dose of steam. Heck, even with steam, it'll be tough. I'd plan on starting with 1/8" and possibly even going down to 1/16" and laminate them back to 1/2" -- 3/4" if you wanna do it without steam.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
Mike - I did not know you wandered off of Breaktime too -- I will try and get away with 3 rips through the 3/4 and if that does not work will go to 5 -- will let you know how it works - still getting the time set aside to do and materials -- will start in January but want to do the home work before I started -- Dudley
Speaking of bending wood, FWIW, I picked up a copy of this book years ago, and finally got a chance to make one of the boats a couple of years ago for a good friend's granddaughter. Made mine, like the one on the top right, out of cedar with mahogany accents and it really turned out great. Had some pics somewhere, but can't find 'em now, but if you want other options, this is a great one. Amazon has it.
View ImageMike HennessyPittsburgh, PAEverything fits, until you put glue on it.
He certainly wasn't an "aw shucks" furnituremaker when it came to pricing his work.
Good on him.
Holy sheet mon. $35k for a cradle!
Denny
Heck, only $35K? That'd be the cheapest part of having a kid. ;-)Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PAEverything fits, until you put glue on it.
$12K less than his rocking chairs....
A bargain!
Denny
As a old laminated archery bow maker (No expert) THIN strips glued together! 3/4 oak is sort of impossible to bend I would think?
I never knew that Sam made a baby cradle. I'd check the openings for modern standards BUT I AM SURE it would never have a recall as it was made by him!
Thank you for that link!
May your new baby in the family always be Healthy and happy! A child is the BEST!
WillGeorge - tks for the good wishes - I am not bending 3/4; I want to run the 3/4 thought the TS 3 times and try to bend that - might end up with a half inch strip 2 inches wide -3-4 feet long -- should I soak over night, or steam for 30 minutes and then bend or should I cut say 5 strips out of the the 3/4 instead of 3 -- trying to get advice as have not bent something like the cradle on the link - only shaker boxes - all the best - Dudley
I would say more thin strips is better. Not sure what SAM did.. And hickory for the face wood. But then again not the wood you wanted to show off!
I would say cut and bend a few stips of wood you like. See what happens.
Edited 12/1/2009 11:58 am by WillGeorge
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