We purchased a bassinet for our newborn grandson, I am officially a Grandpa! I ordered the bassinet on Dec 21 last year, and it finally arrived just a few days ago, all the way over from the Ukraine. It's a nice piece. But it doesn't have a stand, my daughter wanted something built by dad for her newborn and I said at least I could do the stand for the basket. By the way our Grandson was born 1/28, his name is Everett, and boy is he a cutie!

Below is the bassinet in it's factory rocker stand. This is the website image.

So that stand is what I am building, but it's going to look different, I am borrowing the rockers from my shaker rocking chairs I make, but the rest of the stand will be about the same. Mine is made from Walnut.

For such a seemingly easy looking stand, getting it laid out in my head and note paper was difficult, the bottom of the basket has cleats that lock into place with the cross members, so to get the height just right, with the angle of the sticks, man it was tough, don't know why it just was. So I ended up making the rockers first, then doing a full scale layout on the bench with the dimensions known from the website.

I used a portion of my Shaker Rocker template for the end outline and with a bendy board I created the bottom and top rocker line and drew it out, then jigsawed just to the line.

I worked on one rocker for now, I got it perfect, shaved it right down to the line and cleaned up any imperfections from the jigsaw.

I used the first rocker to draw the second rocker out and cut it, then ganged the two up and planed them together.

And here we have two identical rockers. While I was gang planing the rockers (above) with my shave, it didn't even occur to me to keep an eye on square so the top and bottom rocker edges are square to the sides, it really matters! And I didn't catch myself till half way through cleaning them up, I said to self "CRUD!". No doubt the edges are slanted or whacked or something, so I set my square up on the edges, and all be doggone danged, they were square! Even a blind squirrel finds a nut right?

The whole reason I had to get the rockers made first is this was the way in my head to get it right so the bottom cleats of the basket would meet the cross members, I know it looks really easy, but man, for some reason I was scratching my head, it really helped to get it laid out on the bench life size.

Once I got it all laid out I cut up the parts and laid them down. Then I cut an identical set for the opposite side.

I'm gluing and screwing everything together, so I cut some plugs from some scrap whatever I had laying around, I can't remember what this wood is called, it's an exotic, I had a chunk of old Ebony (African Black Wood) for the longest time that I used to cut plugs from, but it finally wore out and I couldn't get anymore plugs out of it.

These tapered plugs will fill the counter sunk screw holes.

Of course, our shop dog "Lady" has to lay right where my path of travel is! See ya'll with some more progress shots and commentary. Thanks for following!

Lookin good “Grandpa”!!!

Congrats!!!

Congrats, Papaw!

That's awesome!

Nice work so far.

Edited February 2Feb 2 by Handfoolery

Awesome news John! Congratulations Grampa and Gramma!

Looking forward to more pics of the project. It'll be sooner than you can imagine that you'll have another companion in the workshop.

Congrats Poppa John and Nana as well! You're in for a whole new life! Very nice build on the stand! You'll have all kinds of new woodworking projects coming!

Congrats!

And Lady looks to be very secure in her supervisory role of your progress so far (good sign when the dog is relaxed!!). 😉

Another day, I took the two top rails of the assembly and marked for the screw pilot holes, they are slanted so I took to my ShopSmith Drill Press and matched the angle with the tilted table, this is where this drill press really shines, not only does the table have a great built in tilt function, but the table carriage also cranks in and away from the machine, and the variable speeds on the fly.

I just grabbed the nearest item that was long and skinny to chuck up and set the tilt of the table to my guideline. Then chucked up a bit and drilled away.

As we move along! I now have two sides screwed and laid up on top of each other and I drilled the screw pilot holes for the top rungs and the rocker rungs, you may be able to see the holes. I stacked the two frames and taped them together with blue tape and drilled them at the same time. the two frames are identical, actually it surprised me how perfect they came out. As stated before it's been awhile since I've been active in the shop, since I am retired I am getting my water wings back on. So things are still feeling a little discombobulated, I am missing the rhythm and flow I had a few years back when I was much more active. So when something turns out pretty darn good these days, I am quite surprised.

Without a single screw yet, I clamped it all together before I drilled the rest of the way through the parts to be joined, I wanted to make sure everything could line up well and the bassinet fit into the frame, which it did, I should of gotten a picture of the basket in the frame. I did have to make a couple adjustments to the top rungs in and out, to fit between the cleats on the bottom of the bassinet, then clamped it all up tightly, and now I'm ready to drill the screw holes all they way for final glue up and assembly.

Image below is the bassinet frame dry fitted together.

Some of the newer guys may not know who I am, so now ya know, there's me, the knucklehead! Oh ya, you can also call me GRANDPA thank yew very much! 😉

After I got it all glued screwed and tattooed, I set her on the ground and rocked it back n forth, and felt a flat spot in the rocker. I set it in my vise and set a straight edge down the bottom of the rockers, and sure nuff, you can see about 4" of flat. So I got the spoke shave out and took out the points before and after the flat and it was resolved, I had to do this for both rockers since both rockers were patterned.

For some reason this is so satisfying to me, inserting my home made tapered plugs into the screw holes, I don't know why, it just is.

I used my flush cutting saw to take them down to the surface. You gotta be careful, there is a tendency to attack these plugs with this saw from one side only. You should score a cut line all the way around, then approach the cut from both sides of the plug. If you finish the cut from one side all the way through. on the outcut, you'll take some splinters of the plug with the final draw and along with that you'll leave a gaping tearout in the side of the plug that extends below the surface.

Once I got all the plugs set and trimmed, I sanded with my ROS at 80 grit to get it evened out and uniform. Then from 120 up to 320, I stopped there.

So, as I stated, I'm still getting my water wings on, and I forgot that while sanding around the harder wood specie plugs, the surrounding wood (walnut) is going to sand out quicker than the exotic wood end grain of the plugs, after sanding for some time, I started noticing the plugs were rising higher than the walnut.

The only way I could fix it is to plane the plug area flat and start over in the sanding for those areas. While planing the plugs flat again, I realized how easier it would have been to trim the plugs down with my block plane to begin with, the flush cutting saw in very hardwood plugs, takes a bit of time.

At this point, the rocking frame is all assembled, sanded out, and a coat of finish is on it now as I type, I should have some finished shots in the next day or two! Then delivery to the new families home. 😊

Thanks for following!

Excellent GrandpaJohn. Just like riding a bike; it all comes back pretty quickly once you get in the rhythm and can quit or not when you want.

4 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Excellent GrandpaJohn. Just like riding a bike; it all comes back pretty quickly once you get in the rhythm and can quit or not when you want.

Ya know Gramps, it took me awhile to realize, if things are going not right, or if just feel like taking a breath and a sit down, I can! Back in the day with a full time job, I always felt like anything I did had to be started and finished in a weekend. It feels wonderful to know, hey, I'm done for a few hours, I'm going inside to watch some news, or eat, or not, or whatever! I am really digging this retired life.

Looking real good there, GrandpaJohn!

Just remember that the promotion doesn't automatically entitle you to membership in the "y'all gotta bring me donuts" club! 😆

Slammin'!

As for your "water wings", don't fret it. As you do more woodworking in your shop it will either come back to you, or you will develop new pathways for the mind and body that work for you.

You have the time, now, enjoy yourself. It will come back.

The rocking stand was delivered today, and it fit perfectly and our kids loved it. 😊 The final coat finally dried and I was able to buff it with #0000 steel wool and wax, the sheen really evened out nicely after final buffing. We had Mass at 10am, then immediately after Mass we headed to our daughters, so I only had a little bit before we left for church to finish the finish, I sat in front of the TV this morning watching my Sunday news shows, with a towel laid out over the carpet, and the stand on top as I buffed away, just in time to get in my Sunday best! It really was right down to the wire.

Bassinet in its stand at our daughter and son n law's home.

The basket looks lovely in the stand.

Little Everett, our grandson.

An adoring grandma (my lovely wife).

And that's a wrap folks! Thanks for following me along with this special project, and your support as I find my way back into the woodshop, after a long hiatus. ❤️

Beautiful!! Good work John! An heirloom they'll treasure for life!

7 minutes ago, MrRick said:

Beautiful!! Good work John! An heirloom they'll treasure for life!

Thanks Rick❣️

I'm one of those woodworkers now, the grand dad building for his grands!

I can see alot of wooden toy cars coming! 🚕

Edited February 9Feb 9 by MrRick

Awesome! And so worth it.

2 hours ago, Handfoolery said:

Awesome! And so worth it.

Thanks!

Great work John and congrats on the new addition to the family!

Excellent John. Looks like Evertt is quite peaceful in his new digs; of course it could be grandma's watchful eye keeping him comforted too. This should buy you some time before you start Everett's next, "big boy" bed.

BTW, if you didn't sign and date this project, it'll give you both a good excuse to go see your grandson. Don't forget your marker though or you'll have to make yet another trip.😉