Top/back plate cradle

**bluegrassplayer** · Dec-22-2006, 9:26am

I've been trying to thing of a lower budget cradle for when I start to build from scratch. Then today I saw this. What are the pros and cons of this?

**Steve Davis** · Dec-22-2006, 11:17am

I've seen cradles made from laminated corrugated cardboard.

**Chadmills** · Dec-22-2006, 4:56pm

I use use a hot glue gun to attach blocks to a board quickly to make up a cradle as I want it, and use spring clamps to hold the workpiece in place, moving them around as needed. I'd want to be very sure of exactly what I wanted before building something more elaborate. Good to just get working!
Tom

**RJinRI** · Dec-22-2006, 5:21pm

I used a 2" thick piece of epp foam with center cut out
happy holidays

**Stephanie Reiser** · Dec-23-2006, 9:06pm

I use an old beach towel, rolled up to support the edges. Then to keep the plate from drifting while carving, I have a block of pine board against the far edge of the bench to hold the end of the plate. It is not secured at all.
I am, however, very impressed by some of the cradles I've seen here in the past.

**mandolinplucker** · Dec-23-2006, 10:29pm

I made a cradle to carve a 2 point and it was sort of primative but it worked well enough. I cut the profile of the top out of 3/4 plywood but I cut it 1/4" smaller than the plates and then, with a chisel cut a 1/4 by 1/4 rabbit so that the plate sits in the recess. For a two point all I needed was one cradle because the plate fit either way. For an F it will require one for the front side and one for the back side. For the next one I will use a router with a slot cutter bit that has a bearing to controll the debth so that the rabbit will be uniform. I will still have to use a chisel in the areas that the router bit won't reach. The first one looked like it was cut out by a " snaggle toothed beaver". It should fit the front and back plates if I allow for the little tab that covers the neck heal. It will require some modifing in the scroll area since the scroll will have to recess lower when I carve the inside of the plate.

**Antlurz** · Dec-24-2006, 1:18am

Plucker..

Instead of going to all the trouble of cutting a rabbit, just trace the top on a piece of 1/4" masonsite and cut it out then glue the outside to the top of your form. Should be a lot faster. Repeat for the other side.

Ron

**testore** · Dec-24-2006, 12:51pm

Check this out closely.It suspends the plate during graduating and I use it during other construction processes too. Not the best pic but I think you can figure it out.

**Ken** · Dec-24-2006, 3:08pm

I make cradles from plaster of paris for each top and back. After carving the outside shape, I mix up the plaster, stuff it into a large zip lock bag and work the top or back into it. Not a production solution, but its cheap and for one at a time building it works great and gives you 100% support while carving the inside. Thought this was pretty common, surprised nobody else mentioned it yet.
Ken