Custom Book Cradle for First Edition Shakespeare Plays

It’s not every day that you get to create something for William Shakespeare. Katherine Kalsbeek and Anne Lama, head of rare books and special collections at UBC, commissioned us to create just that.

A custom book cradle to house a 400-year-old Shakespeare book UBC recently acquired. Titled “William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies,” and published in 1623, seven years after his death.

We took measurements of the book along with the width and curve of the spine so that we can perfectly replicate the shape to support the book. This was achieved by designing and machining a 3D tool path on our CNC machine.

We designed the book cradle to accommodate a 45-degree posture that best supports the spine. The exterior supports are made from 1.5” solid oak along with 1/4” plexiglass for a seamless display when the book is open. The end result is a sturdy and modern book cradle that perfectly compliments this precious and ornate book.

Looking to complete a custom furniture or prototyping project of your own? Give us a shout, we’d love to hear from you. We specialize in CNC cutting of plywood, hardwoods, plexiglass, non-ferrous metals, leather, and more. Conveniently located in Vancouver, we can accommodate CNC engraving and cutting projects large and small.