YABR

[Tazmaniandevil]

Yes, another baby rattle.
I can't seem to make enough of these things. This was turned from a piece of sycamore blown down in 2012. This particular piece was dried in the airing cupboard.

This was turned to a cylinder using a spindle roughing gouge, then shaped with bedan and skew. I'm really warming to the skew, now I have worked out how to use it. (with no small thanks to Brendan Stemp)
A friend has told me of a local car boot sale for baby stuff and has suggested going along with a box of these. I wouldn't have the first idea of what to charge though.

 

[andersonec]

I may be speaking out of turn but I am not so sure on the legality of these, the HSA may have something to say as regards the ease of them entering the throats of babies and causing them to choke, I was talking to Brian Clifford and he says he stopped making them for that very reason.

http://www.turningtools.co.uk/projects/ ... attle.html


Andy

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Well every day is a school day. Although there may not be any UK regulations, it is defo worth thinking about.
I'm an old fashioned type who believes babies should never be left unattended with toys, but there's no telling what others might do

Cheers for the info.

 

[duncanh]

There are UK and EU toy regulations that include choking test guidelines. If you look at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file25392.pdf there's a diagram of the tube used for testing. Basically if the diameter of the ends are greater than 31.7mm then it should be ok.
I'd make sure that all surfaces are sanded to a reasonable quality to ensure that bacteria won't gain a hold (I know that wood is generally better than plastic but better safe than sorry).
Also, always use wood that isn't prone to splintering - I use sycamore and beech but one turner recently told me that he'd been told by trading standards to only use fruit woods. I can't find any reference to this in any regs.
I use a toy safe finish but can find no regs on this either

 

[yorkshirepudding]

I use sycamore and beech but one turner recently told me that he'd been told by trading standards to only use fruit woods. I can't find any reference to this in any regs.r

I think this is a case of an official trying to impose his own views. I would avoid yew though.

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

The knobbly bit on t'end measures out at 34.5mm
I keep forgetting the world has gone mad, and that adults are no longer allowed to have any common sense. Must be my age.
I often wonder how much of it is just to keep 'elf 'n safety type peeps in a job?

 

[Sheptonphil]

What was our mortality rate from everything we are being protected against these days?

I seem to have managed to avoid all the pitfalls pretty much unscathed, except of course the stings, burns, cuts (most of which didn't leave a lasting mark, although some did, physical not mental), twisted ankles, bruises, duckings in the canal on home-made rafts, eating dirt, cowboys and indians with bows and arrows (don't know anyone who lost an eye, plenty of bruises though), walking 3/4 a mile to school at 5 or 6 across two busy roads (Tufty helped there), and all manner of other 'threats to my wellbeing' that has made all our generation learn from our experiences through life.

Growing up was certainly more fun not knowing if what we were about to do was dangerous.

Phil

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Absolutely. I feel the world has gone mad.

I gave that rattle to the mum-to-be today and she was completely knocked out by it. Quite a compliment considering she is a carpenter by trade. (although she did some turning at college during her apprenticeship she never really got the bug)
I'm particularly chuffed with how I have come on, especially with the skew, since getting my lathe.

 

[yorkshirepudding]

I agree with most of the comments regarding H+S gone mad. It was first introduced to prevent unscrupulous employers placing their staff in dangerous situations. Now it has grown to include all walks of life where common sense used to prevail. This seems to be the way of all government quangos and such. By growing they wish to prove their value. Poor deluded people.