Making the headboard is the task of the day.  But first I sanded the side pieces that I completed yesterday.  these are now ready for installation.

 Then I roughed out the lumber I need to make the part blank for the headboard.

The grain needs to run side to side - so that it will expand and contract at the same rate as the tall part of the side pieces - so I've made up several short pieces that will be jointed and glued together to make the panel for the headboard.  But first I need to flatten one side and one edge on the jointer, then surface plane them to 3/32 over finished size.  This panel will not go through the surface planer, so I'll need to take it to finished size on the big drum sander.  Removing very much wood this way will take a very long time, so I work with minimal overage.

 Jointed, planed, trimmed to width and jointed again to smooth the edge trimmed on the table saw, I arrange the panels for the best appearance and mark the panel with an alignment V.

 Then it's off to the assembly room to glue and clamp the pieces into a panel.

 While that sets up I begin roughing out wood for the foot board and the crown piece.  I like this piece for the crown because the wild graining will look great when it's cut to shape.

 I process the pieces to make the footboard blank, joint the center edges and glue them up.

 When the big panel is ready I begin sanding it down to remove any glue-joint ridges and smooth it.  The open ended design of the drum sander allows me to sand a panel up to 32" wide by doing one half, flipping it around and doing the other half.

Many, many light passes gets the job done.

Then I make up a little sled for the table saw with an adjustable foot support and movable hold-downs.  I use it to cut first the side tapers, then adjust the foot support (using my template as a guide) to cut the "ears" at the top.

I took photographs of that step and of the completed panel, but something happened to those and they are not on my camera.

All that remains is some sanding and the headboard will be ready to join to the side pieces.

Tomorrow we'll make the footboard and we'll be ready to put together the cradle body.

See you then!