Pram Picture

[Dave R1]

This is from yesterday. I still have a few tidbits to finish up but I couldn't wait to try it on the stand.

I have a little touch up to do on the finish and I need to finish the walnut horncleats for the stand. We're making a mattress and I'm still searching for four 2004 pennies to put over the ends of the sheave pins on the stand.

[Bill Paxton]

That is way too cool, Dave! You've created an heirloom that will be handed down for generations. Nice work.

[High C]

Fabulous!

[John Stevens]

That's beautiful! Is the bow and transom painted brown or is that a stain?

John

[Dave R1]

Thank you gentlemen.

John, the transoms are walnut with clear polyurethane on them. The same as the interior of the cradle.

[Fintan Murphy]

Absolutely beautiful Dave.

How long did it take to build?

And was it from purchased plans?

One of my friends is definitly planning children, and it would be alovely present to make for them (once the boat is finished of course).

[Dave R1]

Thank you Fintan. I started on it in January but there were a fair number of interruptions so it really didn't take very long.

I started with the lines for Gavin Atkin's Little Breton pram which was designed to be a stitch and glue boat. All I had to start with were the offsets and the lines for the Hulls program. I scaled the boat down and designed the keel. Then I modified the planking to lapstrake construction.

The stand is a slightly modified version of the one that comes with the plans for the Baby Tender from Warren Jordan.

I've decided after building this cradle that more planks are needed for each side. I'm in the process of working up one with 6 planks to a side.

[Fintan Murphy]

Please post pictures when you have finished the six-sided one.

If you are interested in selling the plans for it when it's done, count me in.

The idea of building baby cradles appeals to me more than building scale models. I suppose it's the fact that they will be used as opposed to just ornaments.

I daydream about the time I'll be finished the university degree, and be able to give up the day job, and start teaching night courses (more fullfilling - less money), spending my days pottering around, building small dinghys, baby cradles, bookshelves, etc. to make a few extra bob.

Hopefully it will be in the next two years.

And if the current offer we have on the new house is accepted, we'll be another step closer to realising it.

[Dave R1]

Thanks Fintan. I'll keep you in mind for the next version of the cradle.

I was thinking one day that building this cradle was just like building a big model. Its a great way to get the hang of planking and fastening and all that other stuff. I can still move around in the shop and I won't have something that only collects dust when I'm finished.

[capt jake]

A picture of it with teh pretty crying little ballast in it would be cool too.

[JMetzner]

Dave,

When our little one was brandnew, we had a cradle of a similar design, in that there was a "basket" hung from two uprights. It was not of a nautical theme, nor nearly as beautiful as your awesome piece of work here. But one thing it did have was a way to lock the basket to keep it from swinging. That feature was quite handy at times. Have you thought about a way to keep your pram from swinging? I don't see a way to lock it in place.

John M.

Fairbanks, AK.

[Konrad in Lincoln]

As the obnoxiously-proud daddy of my now-9-month-old boy, I can solemnly assure you that your baby will have outgrown that thing by age 7 months! :shock:

But it's still one of the neatest things I've seen plans for online, and I almost built one myself a year ago. :wink:

[Dave R1]

John, I don't have it finished but there will be a way to keep the cradle from swinging.

Konrad, you think we'll get 7 months? I was figuring 6 at best. Then it will become an ark for the stuffed animals.

We've been thinking of naming the kid Noah it it's a boy. Knowing my brother, though, he'd think it funny to give the kid pairs of stuffed animals and I don't think there's room in the ark for that. :shock:

[Barnacle Jim]

Good morning, Dave!

Thanks for sharing the photographs with us. Your pram is a beautiful project, just waiting to be filled with a young baby. Congratulations!

[Barry Pyeatt]

Well Dave, that just about clinched it for my daughter and daughter-in-law.

They are willing to wait a bit for the six panel pram design as they think that would be more appropriate. But I'm afraid that I don't have much say in the matter any more.

Very nice project!

[Dave R1]

Thank you Jim and Barry.

Barry, when will you be starting on the cradles?

[Barry Pyeatt]

Hopefully not until late fall. :?

I would rather make this a winter project than a spring/summer project. The way they figure it is that I will have approx. 8-months to get them done after they tell me to get started. :roll:

[capt jake]

8 months isn't long. Grandpa better get started!

[Dave R1]

Jake's right. Especially if you have to make a pair of them. And what if they're both going to have twins? :shock:

[Barry Pyeatt]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Then I build mini-barges instead!