Crib adjustable mattress height

[SFlagg]

I built a crib for my first daughter out of chechen (now 3) and now my second daughter is just transitioning into it and out of Mom & Dad's room.  (stealth gloat)

Anyway, I did use one of those mattress spring assemblies, but if I had to do it again, I would make it out of wood the way you are considering.  The mattress also is a very tight fit and intentionally so.  There's probably 1/2" of play with the bare mattress in the crib.  Once the mattress protector and the crib sheet is added, it is snug.  Many things have changed in the industry with regards to regulations, and I would recommend you do your research before the build.  Someone mentioned up thread that there was a maximum distance between slats - I forget what it was, but that piece of information and the size of a crib mattress where the most important design considerations of my build.

I've enjoyed having both my kids use that crib, and whether we have another or not, I certainly hope that at least a few decades down the line it has another tenant.  It's one of the best things I've ever built, and it's important, so it has to be done right.

Good luck,
Steve

[Eurekan]

Just finished making a crib for the upcoming grandchild (6). Yes there are standards for everything. There is a standard for the crib size along with one for the mattress. They are not the same. Go figure. What I found was that the standard is "flexible". Mattresses are not all the same size and neither are the manufactured cribs.  Yes there is a maximum spacing for slats it is 2 3/8. 

As for the mattress support I used a 1/4 inch plywood over 4 longitudinal 1 1/2 supports glued and screwed. Also across the ends. Go to Babes R Us and look at the mattress support system. It's simple and that's what I used. Knockdown bolts and locknuts. After I assembled it I stood on it and it worked fine so unless you have a real real big kid I don't see a problem. 

A tip. Put a cutout in the center for a handhold. Makes putting the support in so much easier.

[FS7]

This is really helpful. I know about the slat spacing (2 3/8", I think) and the posts being flush with the top. I know about teething rails, and even though I can't imagine children being able to bite into the bubinga (I can't), I'll protect it.

I have read that there are regulations governing the spacing between the mattress and the frame, but I have not found anything. I know the reasoning behind it, even if I find considerably more specious than others. Apparently all the nannies up (or down) the road have determined that she'll need to sit in a car seat until she's 8. By the time she's 8, she'll probably have a government-mandated bubble to live in. But I digress.

It's good to know that 1/4" is too tight. I was planning on something similar, so I'll definitely widen that a bit. 1/2" might be OK - snug, but not too tight.

With the frames, I can easily see pine and plywood, a pine lattice, all of that. Children aren't heavy and even an 80 pound dynamic load is not going to do much. At this point I'm thinking threaded inserts on the posts (which will allow it to be flush and have a clean appearance) and then a reinforced L bracket (like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2-in.../202034088) with machine screws in the posts and wood screws in the frame. Is that overkill? It would be easily movable, and nothing will stick out. Another option is the Rockler box spring fasteners, which look extremely heavy duty (way more than an infant will need).

Then again, if I will need threaded inserts no matter what (whether I use a metal frame or a wood frame), then I think it would be easiest to attach those movable hooks. I can't seem to find what I'm thinking of (a piece of sheet metal with a hole on one side and a hook on the other). Is there any reason I can't use eye bolts or eye hooks for this purpose?

[David G]

You are under a certain time constraint.  Might be easier to just buy the mattress hardware.

I can email PDF hand sketches of the Products America mattress dimensions.