Woodworker's Journal 1994-18-5, страница 38
Jenny Lind Cradle Wx I ' _ There seems to be some near magical connection between being a woodworker and building a cradle. A cradic. no matter how crude, often became the first serious project, made perhaps of necessity but always with love. A visit to any museum of early Americana bears witness to the diversity of cradle design. You'll see crude pioneer versions, trough-like and well-worn from generations of use, but also much fancier "Cadillacs." showing little if any evidence of wear and tear. The original of the Jenny Lind cradle featured here resides in the renowned Wallace Nutting Collection at Berea College in Kentucky. (See the Wallace Nutting and Berea College sidebar on page 41 for additional information.) Jenny Lind. from whom this furniture style look its name, was a Sw edish soprano (1820- 1887) whose voice captivated first the continent of Europe and later the world. Ever the enigmatic personality. Lind considered opera immoral, refusing to sing roles that she considered evil. She eventually left the opera to tour with P. T. Bamum as the "Swedish Nightingale." The popularity of the Jenny Lind sty le, essentially a modified Victorian style, continues even today. Many popular furniture catalogs still feature their own versions of Jenny Lind-stylcd cradles. Don't Have A Lathe? Although the Jenny Lind cradle requires sev eral turnings, you can build the cradle even if you don't own a lathe or possess turning skills. Simply order a kit that includes the necessary turned parts from Berca's woodcraft program. (See the Kit Source page 44 for details.) Getting Started You'll lind the cradle fairly easy to build. We suggest that you complete the turnings first. Next, form the mortised and tenoned parts, and then make the rockers and comer sweeps. (Note: If you intend to use the turning kit supplied by Berea College, keep in mind that you'll need to allow about 4-6 weeks for delivery, because each kit will be turned to order.) We sized the cradle to accept a standard 18 X 34" mattress, which you can buy at a bedding or department store. The Turnings The turnings include a pair of long posts (A), a pair of short posts (B). a crosspiece (C), and the spindles (D). Wc provide full-sized patterns of all lumed profiles lo help simplify the turning. The length of the turned parts (with the exccp- 4fi September/October 1994 Woodworker's Journal |
