 One
of the greatest joys in woodworking is to watch as the project you’ve
made for someone is
used and appreciated. This Pendulum Cradle will not only give you these
pleasures, but will continue to be used and appreciated for generations
to come. And, since this is true, you can consider it to be a true heirloom
– a part of you that’s destined to be around well into this
century…and perhaps even the next.
Designed with simple, classic lines, the construction of this Cradle is
very basic…and its joinery quite durable. Its most notable features
include wide feet to prevent tipping, a locking pin on the basket, and knock-out
wedges that allow you to break down the Cradle into just a few compact parts
for easy storage and/or transport.
1: Glue up the stock where necessary, according to the List of Materials.
A set of Double
Bar Clamps will help you keep everything true while the glue sets. Use
a portable belt sander to smooth the surfaces of the glued-up sections.
2: Transfer the patterns onto all of the parts that are
to have contoured edges (A,B,C,D,E, & F). Mark the locations of the
pivot holes in the headboard (E) and footboard (F). Do not cut out any
of the contours yet. 
3: Cut the mortises in the feet (A), posts (B) and stretcher (C) with
the
Hollow Chisel Mortising Attachment . If you don’t have a Mortising
Attachment, start with a 3/4" Router Bit…or drill several holes
in a line, then clean out the ends with a wood chisel.
4: Cut the tenons on the bottoms of the posts (B) and ends of the stretcher
(C), using your Dado set-up Dado
Set Up or an ordinary saw blade with a Tenoning Jig.
Once you’ve cut your tenons, round the ends of the stretcher tenons
(NOT the post tenons) with a rasp.
5: Drill holes. First, insert the post tenon into the mortise in the foot…then
drill the 1/2" dia. through holes for the dowels (P) that will be
used to peg the cradle sides together (See Fig. 3). Then, drill the 3/4"
dia. pivot holes in the posts (B), headboard (E) and footboard (F).
Finally, line up a post with the headboard and drill the locking pin hole
through the post and into the headboard.
Continue...
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Pendulum Cradle