Maple Crib and Changing table

Here is a crib and changing table I did several years ago, that I haven't posted yet.   Both pieces are done in maple with a clear finish.  The crib uses hardware from Rockler and can transition from a low crib bed (as shown in the picture) or a higher surface for a small baby.  This is similar to a bassinet, and works well for a child that is not big enough to climb out.  The changing table has a surface that can accept a changing pad to cushion the surface and prevent the little one from rolling off.  The work surface to the right of it comes in handy for wipes and other supplies.

As I look back at these photos, I'm reminded of  when I built this.  Each of the vertical spindles in the railing of the crib is mortised into the horizontal rails.  To make it even more ridiculous, I didn't cut tenons on the tops and bottoms of these spindles.  To make each slot, I used a mortising machine (the Delta bench top model shown here).  It took several hours and was an extremely painstaking process.  The tool is essentially a drill press, with a square chisel surrounding the drill bit.  The machine has a long handle and is geared to apply plenty of slow even pressure in conjunction with leverage on the handle as you slice the inside walls of the mortise slot clean.  Each slot required several pulls, and as you see how many spindles there are, it took some time.  If you look closely, at the connection point of spindle to rail, you can see some of the holes have less than perfect cuts.  A tenon on the end of the spindle would have covered this (and made for a smaller mortise), as the shoulder would overlap any imperfections.

It's funny as I look at a project like this, I really notice the small imperfections, and can't think of too many things to say about what went well.  Perhaps when things go flawlessly, the results simply speak for themselves.  The mistakes or changes we'd make though are noteworthy, and seem important.  Perhaps it comes from a need to assure yourself that you did in fact learn something, and that you wouldn't make the same mistake twice.