Thread: Baby Change Table - Trolley

Looks nice, simple and functional.

I have been tasked to make a change table as well. I'm going to make this one: http://www.am-wood.com/july99/baby.html looks simple which works for me.

Job well done.

Cheers
Wayne

Great use of recycled timber mate. Don't you just hate working with old oregon. Splits, knots and it's very soft so marking it is a problem.

Well done. Bubs will be a happy camper.

Nice work

Love the extra detail with the fluting

Thanks for the feedback guys . Yeh Gumby recycled timber is tricky but the price is right! Wayne your project looks great and I did look at these options. I tended to think a straight foreward chest of drawers option was preferable as the young child could then use it as a simple chest of drawers once the nappy changing was no longer necessary. Then time beat me and I had to come up with the goods so the quick option won the day. I have no regrets though as the ability to wheel it about is a real bonus - plus it is knockdown construction so can be dismantled and stored easily if necessary. I did enjoy tinkering with the table router with it's construction as it was the first play with that.
Cheers.

I have to agree with you Teejay, when we looked for a change table for our daughter they were far too low, and will no doubt give a bit of back trouble.

I think they are made for the same people that many hotel showers are for, you know the ones that come up to your chest at best.

Teejay

Nice. I like the fluting too.

Can you tell me the height from the top of the top rails to the bottom of the change mat? It is about 100mm or a bit more? I am working on a changetable of almost exactly the same design from leftover decking boards and I am unsure how high to make the top rail.

Also, what did you use for the bottom of the shelves? MDF?

Cheers

Trav

Hi Trav,


The top of the side rail to the mat base would be about 100mm. The all important thing is to ensure your top rail is marginally below the side of the mat as these little critters aren't so much likely to pounce off the side of the table but rather more likely to get their tiny arms or legs caught under the rail and hurt themselves. I used typical stud size timber about 75mm x 38mm for all frame components.

Also from some months of use I have noticed the bub spends a lot of time kicking feet and legs all over the place so be sure to round of the timber in the area the legs hang out.

The shelves I saw in the $400+ shop models were about 4mm MDF and all sagged. I used 6mm thick 3ply and routered a groove into the rails to accept it - works really well. Bit of mucking around lining it all up but a nice strong tidy result .

Also I swamped the unit in white gloss enamel - one coat before assembly and one after - so maybe I won't be able to pull it apart easily - happy with the result though.

I did like the effect of the brass style knock down bolts in the assembly. The nuts I used were the barrel style and to be honest now with enough experience of using the barrel nut versus the screw in countersunk nut I strongly recommend the countersunk nut - heaps easier to align during assembly - I waffle but I hope you see I learn't something worth noting if you go this way.

Cheers

Hi Teejay

Thanks for the response. It was really helpful.

I know what you mean about the knockdown barrel nuts, but I'm unsure what you mean by screw in countersunk nuts. Do you mean tha nuts that have a screw thread on both the inside and outside, where you drill a hole into the rail, screw in the nut, and then screw in the bolt through the leg? (does that make sense??).

I think I will finish with tung oil or equiv. I want to keep the timber look.

Cheers

Trav

Yes Trav, the nut that has the big thread on the outside is the go. Now with the bolts I got a heap from that mail order place in WA called Timbecon and although their nuts and bolts are cheaper than the ones in Bunnings I found the bolts from WA are more like a nickel or cadmium plating where the one's in Bunnings are brass plated and a much nicer gold finish and only about 30c dearer each.

Tung oil is a much nicer finish if you have timber worth displaying - mine was full of knots and dags and timber fill so heaps of lovely white paint was the go.

Hope to see your pics sometime

Trav that dimension from the top of the rail to the mat base is more than 100mm - see below diagram for a section here.

Cheers

Thanks Teejay.

I'll attach some photos when I'm done.

Trav

Nice work TJ