1st Rattle for our 2nd Grandson

[Roland Martin]

We were blessed last week with the arrival of our second grandson "Life is Good":D He came 2 weeks early, but baby and mother are healthy and doing very well. I decided to try my hand at turning a rattle, no finish on it yet, will either finish with salad bowl finish or walnut oil.

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[Tim Thiebaut]

Congratulations on the new grand child, still waiting on my first my daughter is taking her time...which is good. Nice rattlle, I am sure the baby will enjoy it.

[Ken Hill]

I've got so many requests for these I have to get off my butt and make some!

Very big congrats to your new grandson...now go spoil him!!!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congratualtions on the new grandson Roland! Life is, indeed, good!

Nice rattle.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nice rattle Roland. Congrats on the grandson.

[John Keeton]

Roland, a big congrats on the grandson #2!! And, a nice job on the rattle, too. You have a ways to catch up to my 14 grandkids - 11 of them boys!!

[Roland Martin]

Roland, a big congrats on the grandson #2!! And, a nice job on the rattle, too. You have a ways to catch up to my 14 grandkids - 11 of them boys!!

WOW, John! You win, we only have 1 daughter & 1 son. I surrender:D. I guess the Keeton name will live on for a while:)

[Kieran Kammerer]

Roland,

Looks very nice,however, I am not sure it would pass the test for being a possible choking hazard. The link for guidelines is http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumsmallparts.pdf. Given potential risk for tree nut sensitivity/allergy, walnut oil is probably best avoided.
As a pediatrician, I have to be on the look out for these things. I know none of us would ever want to make something that would cause avoidable harm to one of our own/friend's/relative's kids.

Thanks. Kieran

[Steve Schlumpf]

Roland - Congrats on your second Grandson! Good looking rattle - he'll enjoy it!

[Roland Martin]

Roland,

Looks very nice,however, I am not sure it would pass the test for being a possible choking hazard. The link for guidelines is http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumsmallparts.pdf. Given potential risk for tree nut sensitivity/allergy, walnut oil is probably best avoided.
As a pediatrician, I have to be on the look out for these things. I know none of us would ever want to make something that would cause avoidable harm to one of our own/friend's/relative's kids.

Thanks. Kieran

Kieran, I made sure that I stayed within the 1 3/4" diameter, which I believe to be the magic number, but hadn't considered the nut allergy issue. I haven't started the finish yet and will avoid using the walnut oil. Thanks for the insight.

[Kieran Kammerer]

Kieran, I made sure that I stayed within the 1 3/4" diameter, which I believe to be the magic number, but hadn't considered the nut allergy issue. I haven't started the finish yet and will avoid using the walnut oil. Thanks for the insight.

Roland,

I can't tell from the photo, however, I think both ends need to be at leat 1-3/4 wide. Those babies just don't know what end is up!

Thank,
Kieran

[Roland Martin]

Roland,

I can't tell from the photo, however, I think both ends need to be at leat 1-3/4 wide. Those babies just don't know what end is up!

Thank,
Kieran

Hmmmmm, need to do more research I guess:confused: Seems though I've seen them turned this way in other posts, but doesn't mean it's the correct way. Thanks.

[Baxter Smith]

Congratulations on the 2nd grandson Roland!

[Roger Bullock]

Congratulations Roland. I've seen these before and always thought it would be neat to make a few.

OBTW John, if those 14 grandkids ever find out you can make things on the lathe for them your bowl turning time is over. :(

[David E Keller]

Congrats! The rattle looks good as well. Thanks to Kieran for the link...

[Neil Strong]

Roland,

Looks very nice,however, I am not sure it would pass the test for being a possible choking hazard. The link for guidelines is http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumsmallparts.pdf. Given potential risk for tree nut sensitivity/allergy, walnut oil is probably best avoided.
As a pediatrician, I have to be on the look out for these things. I know none of us would ever want to make something that would cause avoidable harm to one of our own/friend's/relative's kids.

Thanks. Kieran

Roland's rattle, being 5" long, passes the regs, according to my reading of them:
"A small part is any object that fits completely into a
specially designed test cylinder 2.25 inches long by 1.25
inches wide that approximates the size of the fully
expanded throat of a child under three years old."
On suitable finishes, the experts say leaving it raw is the only completely safe option. If you really want to use a finish then mineral oil (as in baby oil or pharmaceutical laxative) is the safest option, which has FDA approval as an additive in foods to 10 mg/kg of daily consumption http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v50je04.htm

If I had any concerns it would be about the glue. Is it toxic and is there any risk of the glue letting go and releasing its contents?

I'm sure the bub and parents will love the rattle. Bet it gets used as much as a teething stick (on the handle end) as a rattle...:D

[Kieran Kammerer]

Roland's rattle, being 5" long, passes the regs, according to my reading of them:
"A small part is any object that fits completely into a
specially designed test cylinder 2.25 inches long by 1.25
inches wide that approximates the size of the fully
expanded throat of a child under three years old."
On suitable finishes, the experts say leaving it raw is the only completely safe option. If you really want to use a finish then mineral oil (as in baby oil or pharmaceutical laxative) is the safest option, which has FDA approval as an additive in foods to 10 mg/kg of daily consumption http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v50je04.htm

If I had any concerns it would be about the glue. Is it toxic and is there any risk of the glue letting go and releasing its contents?

I'm sure the bub and parents will love the rattle. Bet it gets used as much as a teething stick (on the handle end) as a rattle...:D


http://www.cpsc.gov/BUSINFO/testrattle.pdf


More info than ANY of us wanted to know about rattles! After reading this, I still think that if any part of the rattle passes through the test block, it is not considered safe. When I googled images of wooden rattles, they all seemed to have substantial ends on each side.

I was planning on turning one for the granddaughter of one of my partners. Decided on a different gift after recalling the parents were both lawyers in DC. I still plan on tryingto turn some for other friends.

Kieran

[Neil Strong]

http://www.cpsc.gov/BUSINFO/testrattle.pdf


More info than ANY of us wanted to know about rattles! After reading this, I still think that if any part of the rattle passes through the test block, it is not considered safe.


OK, different criteria used in that second doc. In which case none of the baby rattles I've made for family and friends would have passed. I'll have to add more of knob on the end of the handle in future.

[Roland Martin]

Thanks to everybody for the congrats & chiming in on the finishing risks and the size constraints "which I'm still confused about, by the way":D That's too funny about your lawyer friends, Kieran, no guts, no glory!:D

[Kieran Kammerer]

Roland,
You inspired me to make a router jig for making up some rattle blanks. The jig came out of an article form (I think) Nick Cook. Allows you to use a one inch cove bit to cut the grooves that you eventually fill with beans and then glue the two pieces together. I of course I had to try it out. Turned a real quick rattle out of pine and filled the inside cavity with some metal screws. Sounds good when shaken but definitely failed the safety test on all levels. Will make sure I post some pictures of the "real" ones when done. All the best.

Kieran