Cot and Change Table (including WIP) - Lots of Pictures
Hi All,
Its been a while since I've posted any of my work on here, and its been a while since I have built anything worthy of these forums. But late last year I was given some exciting news, being that we're expecting our first child in July. So after the news had sunk in, I put my woodworkers cap on and began designing a cot. I went out and looked at the current available designs on the market and while some of them were nice, I thought I could easily craft my own out of better materials for similar or cheaper money.
I did my research (thanks in part to these forums) and obtained the details from the Australian standard for cots, regarding spacings etc. for the bars and the gaps permitted. I decided against a drop-side, as there is quite good reasons why they are no longer on the market. The design I settled on was a bit of a traditional convertible toddler bed / cot.
The design is loosely based on the Boori country cot, which you can remove the sides from. My design uses fixed sides, with the ability to raise and lower the sides and bolt them into a different position.
I will give a basic run through of the steps involved in the project. This project was the first time I have used a router, so this was a big learning experience for me. This whole project was constructed using a double flute 6mm bit, and a 1/8" round-over bit.
1. Design was mocked up in Sketchup.
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C.../0/L/Cot-L.jpg
2. The obligatory timber purchase from the big green shed.
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0128-M.jpg
I chose to build it out of Tassie Oak as its a good durable and easy working timber. Total cost of materials was around $400 (which it doesn't look much like on top of the Forester).
3. Once unpacked in the garage / workshop it looks a little more respectable.
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0129-M.jpg
4. The design was intended to be 5 separate individual parts (4 sides and the mattress base) so that when the time comes to pack it up, the whole thing can be flat packed. The design includes a whole stack of (144:? in total I think) partial mortice and tenon joints for each of the slats, so there was no way I was cutting them all by hand, so a Jig was needed. This is what I came up with:
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0133-M.jpg
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0134-M.jpg
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0132-M.jpg
The jig allows me to cut 5 slats at a time, so it made short work of the huge number of these things.
Quite happy how they turned out.
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0135-M.jpg
5. Next step was to cut the sockets (mortices?) for the slats (tenons?) to slot into, once they were done they were test fit and was surprisingly solid even loose fit with no glue.
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0148-M.jpg
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0147-M.jpg
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0146-M.jpg
Lather, rinse, repeat. Both sides completed:
http://shines.smugmug.com/Projects/C...IMG_0151-M.jpg
6. Repeated the process for the ends, which were made out of different stock for the slats, 65x19 instead of 40x12 so the jig needed to be adjusted to suit the thicker stock. All came together reasonably easily and good tight joints.
