Baby Cot

[Matt Conradi]

Hi Guys,

So got great news, we have our first little one on the way, though it is still very early on I'm excited and can't wait to get started.

I was hoping to delve into the knowledge trust for some guidance on making a baby cot (I tried using the search function but can't seem to get it to work).
The specific design itself I will draw up soon, but at this stage I was thinking either a drop down side or a swing open side (Does it even need to be able to open?), with a shelf underneath for bits and bobs. and try to set up the cot to have adjustable height. I'll do a bit of goggling for recommended sizing for the available mattresses, and recommended heights and gaps.

I was hoping I might get some guidance in the best timber to use and finish to apply, as I want to be sure it will be safe for the little one.

Also if anyone has recommendations on design tips that will make the cot easier to use it would be greatly appreciated.
as far as I know the baby just sleeps in it, and it will need to be strong enough so if it climbs on it the cot doesn't break.

Thanks in advance guys.

Matt C

[ironik]

Congrats!

If you or your significant other is a little shorter you'll want a side you can drop down or have the cot at a height you can reach into easily so you can pick up bub, or stand and reach in to sooth. You will probably want enough depth to take you over into toddler years so it's safe enough that they can stand up without climbing or toppling out, or having the rail drop down under their weight.

I'd avoid any horizontal bars so that they can't use them to climb out (I think why you see every cot design with smooth vertical bars). One of mine managed to use a mobile that attached to the vertical slats as a foot hold - disaster was averted but we only used ones that attached to the very top of the cot from that point onwards.

The gaps should be wide enough that you can see through and get plenty of air flow, but not wide or narrow enough to get a limb or head stuck.

Make sure when you finish it/paint it that you do it with something that is non-toxic and hopefully seals the wood from liquids. Guaranteed they will chew on when they are teething and a bit more mobile and those liquids I speak of you will soon have the joy of finding out.

BTW I'm not speaking from experience building one, but we did purchase 2 different commercial models.

[Superbunny]

Remember there is an Australian design standard for cots etc, do a Google search for it. I' not saying you can't do what you want just the standards have good reasons for certain design aspects of cots.

SB

[Matt Conradi]

Hi Ironik,

Thanks for the info, yeah the biggest thing I am worried about is timber and finish selection, so it'll be safe if the bub decides to chew on the timber.

Hi SB
I've done some research and got some basic info for the Australian requirements to be safe for bub, I haven't read the standard yet (AS2172:2003) but will try to get a copy for a read:
- vertical slat spacing to be between 50mm-95mm
- min side heights from top of mattress to be 600mm side up and 250mm side down for cot in lowest base position and 400mm and 250mm for highest base position.
-gap around mattress to sides < 20mm all around
- no gap between 30mm and 50mm (baby limbs can get stuck).

I've been looking at designs and am thinking to add shelving to on end as well, I figure it will be good for storage and help make the cot more ridged.

Any recommendations for timber selection and finish would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Christos]

I certainly don't want to discourage you in this project and I am only just saying this to keep your options open.

When I found out that we were expecting our first child I did think that I would also make a cot. I knew the timeline of when I needed to start and finish. As it so happened we went looking at the baby outlets to get some ideas on prices of prams etc and found a cot that was one on special, floor stock only.

We made a snap decision and purchased it.

[Pratty]

Congrats on the news mate, exciting time and myself had the same ambition of building my first cot as well, had started and the build was using WA jarrah, was intending it to be a family heirloom once finished, but things turned upside down when i found out we were expecting twins, well there goes idea, no way i can build two cots in the time frame, job cancelled and down the baby shop with credit card in hand buying double of everything.
as one of the otehr forum members has stated, you must refer ot the australian standards as they are very particular with mechanisms and size spacings for the childs head etc, coatings to be used etc, all this information is available on line in a PDF form, suggest you read it thoroughly before getting too involved in the build.
Other than that, i wish all the best in the build and hope to see photos of the progress , be keen to see thefinished product as i never got to build mine in the end.

[Pratty]

Hi matt, sorry mate, i didnt read the post correctly as you had already researched the standards reqiured. :-)





Hi Ironik,

Thanks for the info, yeah the biggest thing I am worried about is timber and finish selection, so it'll be safe if the bub decides to chew on the timber.

Hi SB
I've done some research and got some basic info for the Australian requirements to be safe for bub, I haven't read the standard yet (AS2172:2003) but will try to get a copy for a read:
- vertical slat spacing to be between 50mm-95mm
- min side heights from top of mattress to be 600mm side up and 250mm side down for cot in lowest base position and 400mm and 250mm for highest base position.
-gap around mattress to sides < 20mm all around
- no gap between 30mm and 50mm (baby limbs can get stuck).

I've been looking at designs and am thinking to add shelving to on end as well, I figure it will be good for storage and help make the cot more ridged.

Any recommendations for timber selection and finish would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Matt Conradi]

Hi Christos,

Yeah will diffidently be easier and most likely cheaper to get a store bought one, but it is the perfect chance to have a go and missus might let me get some tools that I am missing. :)

Hi Pratty,
Done a bit of research but I still need to read the standard itself, I didn't realise the standard goes into coatings and mechanisms, I'll try to get a hold of a copy today.

Cheers Matt

[BobL]

Thanks for providing the standards specs on sides up/down.

As first time expectant grandparents we dragged out and dusted down the family cot which I built 32 years ago.
The cot was used by 8 babies from 4 different families over the years and constantly assembled and disassembled so is now in need of some repairs and a coat of paint.
The frame uses dowels and some of the joints had lost their glue connections.

The cot is modular ( comes apart very easily) and is customisable to be used in may ways
Here you can see the basic structure and how the piano hinged front and top can be lifted and folded to allow the carer to easily access the bub
The lower front side is normally left in place but can be removed when the cot converts to a small bed.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24861&d=1150111012
Apart from the "side down" height being too low, the other measurements are up to standard but it should not be too difficult to modify the side down mechanism to meet the standard.

It was built like that because we had a cat and the intention was to add fly wire to keep the cat out. However, the cat showed no interest in bub and so I never added the fly wire.
The barred top proved very useful for hanging toys and mobiles and being cubby like the cousins adored playing in it.

The legs have extensions, which when fitted places the base of the cot up high so the carer does not have to bend too far to pick up bub.
When the leg extensions and sides/top are removed the cot turns into a small low bed that a small child can easily get in/out of and can thus provide an intermediate size bedding arrangement.

[ian]

Hi bob

it has to be said ...

that cot looks more like a cage than a cot :)



To add to the advice already provided

be sure that the cot never contains anything resembling a cord or is placed near a blind cord -- one of the wife's school friends lost a child to strangulation from a blind cord.


also,
as well as a cot you will probably want a change table -- ours was around chest height and had two shelves used to store the nappy changing paraphernalia.


IMO, it's best to keep the cot as a simple cot.
our son's progression was
bassinet
small child's bed
standard bed when he was around 4

[Matt Conradi]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the info, I'll keep it real simple, at the moment the idea for the drop down side will be a hinged set up and I am thinking to cover the hinge gap with a strip of leather if it looks like somewhere that bubs fingers might get caught in.

At the moment just waiting till we figure out the size mattress we'll use so I can dimension the cot.

Cheers Matt

[ajw]

I built a cot for my first bub too. That was 24 years ago. Sounds like you're on the right path. I got the mattress first, then designed everything around that. It handled all three of my kids, and is now pulled apart in storage waiting for grandchildren some day.

The cot will get a bit of a beating over time. Kids shaking it wanting to draw your attention, and chewing on parts of it when teeth start to arrive.

All the best with the build, and the new bub.

cheers,

ajw.

[AngelaPetruzzi]

Firstly congratulations, Exciting times ahead and no doubt some sleepless nights too.
Well..that’s one way of getting some new tools...good idea.
The timber species depends on whether you want to create a family heirloom or if you are not really sentimental, it may just be a stepping stone to creating other projects.
A denser timber will last longer and will dent less with teeth and knocks etc.
The colour of timber will then depend on, will you oil it or varnish it with a clear to highlight the colour or paint it? If painting, then the species may not be a critical factor.

A clear or transparent penetrating oil is going to be easierto repair or rejuvenate as well as highlighting the natural colour and grain of the timber you are working with. A varnish, whilst maybe a harder coating, will be difficult to repair any scratches made, plus is it child/ food safe?

To achieve a different colour to a timber if colour is what you are after, one you can use a timber stain but here you will always be adding an element of difficulty when it comes to repairs....wether using a natural or synthetic coating.

Paint is the other option. Which again may be nice, as long as you know the paint is safe.
The first part of knowing whether a product is safe for kids it to know what is in it. If a shop won’t tell you what’s in a product then the next question is why.

If you have not yet decided on a product, then maybe check out the Livos Kunos natural oil sealer. Not only does it have a full ingredient disclosure for you to make an informed choice, but it is also certified food safe and safe for toys as well. http://www.livos.com.au/gallery_furniture (http://www.livos.com.au/gallery_furniture) on this link there are several cots made by the Natural Bedding Company. Some have been oiled and one is painted.

Re the design, apart from naturally observing the standards....ask your wife her thoughts.

Good luck with it all and enjoy the journey into fatherhood.

[Matt Conradi]

Hi ajw,

I figure the mattress was the right place to start, only problem is that there seems to be tons of available sizes and bugger if I understand why they wouldn't all just be standard.

Hi Angela,
Would love for it to be a family heirloom, but the skills just aren't there, so I guess it will be more of a learning curve.
At the moment I am thinking Jarrah will be the way to go, just need to find a supplier for the sizes I want, I found a previous post on here that talks about lazarides as a supplier for timber so once I dimension it, I'll drop in and say g'day.
If I can get the jarrah, then will probably go with a clear finish, so the Kunos natural oil sealer #244 or something similar, will probably work.

Thanks for all the info

[gdf26562]

Congrats on the pending arrival.

I recently made a cot for my daughter, I went against the drop down side, to hard, and made it so the cot matress base was able to be dropped down three levels, using a stainless steel clips, so the first level is close to the top to allow easy access for mum, the next level is when bubs can stand, and the final level should prevent climbing for a while, when he does start climbing the side can be removed completely and replaced with a strip of timber to keep the cot stable and then it can be used like a small bed.

Graham

[Matt Conradi]

Hi Graham,

I like the sound of that, think I might steal the idea, guess it also means that if we have another bub we can still use the cot.

Thanks

[BobL]

Congrats on the pending arrival.

I recently made a cot for my daughter, I went against the drop down side, to hard, and made it so the cot matress base was able to be dropped down three levels, using a stainless steel clips, so the first level is close to the top to allow easy access for mum, the next level is when bubs can stand, and the final level should prevent climbing for a while, when he does start climbing the side can be removed completely and replaced with a strip of timber to keep the cot stable and then it can be used like a small bed.

One problem with that design is the older and heavier bub gets the harder it is for the mother to bend over and pick up.

[Christos]

One problem with that design is the older and heavier bub gets the harder it is for the mother to bend over and pick up.


That's why mothers should be doing weights at the gym.

[IanW]

Matt, somehow, I never had the time to make a cot for my own kids. We were moving house & country with a 3 month old baby, so we just had to get a cot asap, and it just sort of hung around through the next couple. I did make a cradle for #3, from a design in FWW that particulrly appealed to me. 361230 We got about 4 month's use out of it, so not a lot of return for effort, but it was a fun project. At the time, I was teaching myself to turn, and those thin spindles were a great lesson!

Fast forward 30 years, and I finally made a cot for grandchild #1 (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=180250). If you read the thread, you'll see the general design was set by the prospective parents, but I looked up the relevant standards too, & tried to comply with all the safety stipulations. Gap sizes between slats/spindles are important, and they also insist there be no protruding ends that a child could catch clothing on & be hung up, if they tried to climb out (so my cradle wouldn't comply, these days).

I was going to incorporate drop sides as a matter of course, but the parents asked if the cot could convert to a small bed once the child was past the cot stage. I thought that a good idea, as I did make a small bed using a cot mattress for my kids to transition to, and they used that up to the age of 7 or 8. I made a couple of similar beds for nieces & nephews, who got about the same mileage form theirs, so they gave a greater return on effort! But making drop sides that were completely removable so it could convert to a bed taxed my limited design abilities, so after some consultation with the customers, it was decided to go with sides that could be simply removed, when required. That was much easier to managfe. As I said in the thread, we never used the drop-sides on the cot we had for my own kids, but other folk said they certainly did, so I guess we all vary in how valuable we find that feature. The mechanism on the cot we used was a bit cantankerous (and had a nasty habit of pinching fingers if you weren't careful), so we always left them in place & lifted the kids out - good weight-bearing exercise! All of my kids were pretty athletic, too (until they got to their teens!), and started 'escaping' from the cot very early on, so switching them to a small bed seemed logical. The way grand-daughter is shaping up (almost 2 already! :o), she won't be contained by her cot much longer, either, so the switcheroo will be happening soon, I think.... :U

Cheers,

[Matt Conradi]

Hi Ian,

That cradle looks awesome,
And so does the cot, very similar to one I found on the web that I like the look of.

So many ideas,

Thanks

[Master Splinter]

Shellac is reasonably drool-resistant and quick n' easy to retouch, and it's about as food safe as you can get as it actually gets used on food and tablets as a protective coating.

[Matt Conradi]

Hi Master Splinter,

Thanks, I think that might be a go,
Plus I have never used shellac before so will be worth a shot.

Thanks

[Zsteve]

I made two cots to the standard a while ago. Both to the same design, used a simple sliding drop side with concealed shallow sort of tounge n groove with simple catch. Bought the mattress firsts then designed clearances around that.

Both made out of tassie oak ( frames) with end panels and slats of red cedar. Finished it with shallac. The timber and finish was quite hard wearing- and only got chewed with the young fella, daughter was fine.