Hello,

So I've been an uncle for a few months now and the grandparents have
been given an old cot by friends to use when they baby sit my nephew.
The cot is a bit worse for wear and I wondered about stripping it and
repainting it (or rather varnish it since that was the original
finish). The thing is I'm worried about it being chewed. I wasn't sure
if I might dabble making a couple of wooden toys but again, knowing
how children like to put everything in their mouths, what is best to
paint things with?

TIA

On 13/10/2010 16:00, Fred wrote:
Hello,

So I've been an uncle for a few months now and the grandparents have
been given an old cot by friends to use when they baby sit my nephew.
The cot is a bit worse for wear and I wondered about stripping it and
repainting it (or rather varnish it since that was the original
finish). The thing is I'm worried about it being chewed. I wasn't sure
if I might dabble making a couple of wooden toys but again, knowing
how children like to put everything in their mouths, what is best to
paint things with?

Internationl Paints claim their Japlac range is child safe, although the
general advice seems to be to use water based paints.

Colin Bignell

On 13 Oct, 16:00, Fred wrote:
Hello,

So I've been an uncle for a few months now and the grandparents have
been given an old cot by friends to use when they baby sit my nephew.
The cot is a bit worse for wear and I wondered about stripping it and
repainting it (or rather varnish it since that was the original
finish). The thing is I'm worried about it being chewed. I wasn't sure
if I might dabble making a couple of wooden toys but again, knowing
how children like to put everything in their mouths, what is best to
paint things with?

TIA

check out "osmo wood wax" - good stuff - they have various finishes &
colours - easy to apply to bare wood too....

Jim K

On 13 Oct, 16:00, Fred wrote:
Hello,

So I've been an uncle for a few months now and the grandparents have
been given an old cot by friends to use when they baby sit my nephew.
The cot is a bit worse for wear and I wondered about stripping it and
repainting it (or rather varnish it since that was the original
finish). The thing is I'm worried about it being chewed. I wasn't sure
if I might dabble making a couple of wooden toys but again, knowing
how children like to put everything in their mouths, what is best to
paint things with?

TIA

I wouldn't worry. Paint has been non-poisonous for years. (When dry)
There are also eco-friendly paints that are water based.

In article
,
harry writes
On 13 Oct, 16:00, Fred wrote:
Hello,

So I've been an uncle for a few months now and the grandparents have
been given an old cot by friends to use when they baby sit my nephew.
The cot is a bit worse for wear and I wondered about stripping it and
repainting it (or rather varnish it since that was the original
finish). The thing is I'm worried about it being chewed. I wasn't sure
if I might dabble making a couple of wooden toys but again, knowing
how children like to put everything in their mouths, what is best to
paint things with?

TIA

I wouldn't worry. Paint has been non-poisonous for years. (When dry)
There are also eco-friendly paints that are water based.

The o/p is right to be concerned. To my certain knowledge a varnished
stage prop cigar has caused collapse and temporary heart/breathing
difficulties in an actor that had been drawing on it in a performance.
Rather unhelpfully I don't know the varnish brand or even type but the
speculation was that it had some anti-fungal constituents.

Get COSHH data for anything you intend to use.
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's ********

"Fred" wrote in message
...
Hello,

So I've been an uncle for a few months now and the grandparents have
been given an old cot by friends to use when they baby sit my nephew.
The cot is a bit worse for wear and I wondered about stripping it and
repainting it (or rather varnish it since that was the original
finish). The thing is I'm worried about it being chewed. I wasn't sure
if I might dabble making a couple of wooden toys but again, knowing
how children like to put everything in their mouths, what is best to
paint things with?

TIA

If you do strip it down to bare wood, you could just oil it with linseed oil
or similar edible oil )taking care to check for preservatives/fungicides
first.)

(I remember chewing the pink painted cot (was my sister's first) as I sat in
it many moons ago: probably what destroyed my brain...)

S

Spamlet wrote:

If you do strip it down to bare wood, you could just oil it with linseed
oil or similar edible oil )taking care to check for
preservatives/fungicides first.)

(I remember chewing the pink painted cot (was my sister's first) as I sat
in it many moons ago: probably what destroyed my brain...)

Destroyed your brain? I think not. You must be a medical marvel if you
can actually remember stuff you did when you were young enough to fit in
a cot.

Perhaps one way of discouraging chewing might be to mix some Bitrex
in with the varnish. That's the stuff they put in weedkillers to
stop kids tasting it.

Red Lead :-)
Just about every parent told their child they would die if they
touched it... not knowing that the child had almost certainly stuck
their finger in it, then probably picked their nose or such like (and
that was just the girls). Sort of like stuffing socks into the packet
of biscuits or eating the flake off the flake cake, then putting that
one to the back of the packet. Still goes on of course, accounts,
finance... :-)

Some products are perfectly safe when dry, but not when drying - so
read the instructions carefully.

Can use useful to permanent marker on the underside what was used in
case someone wants to touch it up, or check what was used re any doubt
in the future.

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:58:42 +0100, "Spamlet"
wrote:

If you do strip it down to bare wood, you could just oil it with linseed oil
or similar edible oil )taking care to check for preservatives/fungicides
first.)

Thanks. Many replies suggest that paints are only dangerous when wet,
so that's given me more confidence. The linseed oil sounds like the
safest way to go. Do you apply it thinly: just enough to soak in?

Thanks.

On 14/10/2010 13:27, Fred wrote:
On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:58:42 +0100, "Spamlet"
wrote:

If you do strip it down to bare wood, you could just oil it with linseed oil
or similar edible oil )taking care to check for preservatives/fungicides
first.)

Thanks. Many replies suggest that paints are only dangerous when wet,
so that's given me more confidence. The linseed oil sounds like the
safest way to go. Do you apply it thinly: just enough to soak in?

Thanks.

The kids will be grown up by the time linseed oil dries

On 14 Oct, 13:27, Fred wrote:

The linseed oil sounds like the
safest way to go. Do you apply it thinly: just enough to soak in?

Don't use linseed, it's a PITA and it also yellows with age. You're
better using tung oil, which is what nearly all factory-made blended
"finishing oils" will be anyway. For a recommendation, I use Liberon.

Don't put it on too heavily, or else it remains tacky.

On 14 Oct, 16:04, Andy Dingley wrote:
On 14 Oct, 13:27, Fred wrote:

The linseed oil sounds like the
safest way to go. Do you apply it thinly: just enough to soak in?

Don't use linseed, it's a PITA and it also yellows with age. You're
better using tung oil, which is what nearly all factory-made blended
"finishing oils" will be anyway. For a recommendation, I use Liberon.

Don't put it on too heavily, or else it remains tacky.

and watch out your preferred finish si not laced with the urethanes,
alkyd resins etc that you wre trying to avoid in the first place....
googling "product name" MSDS can be your friend....

Jim K

On 13/10/2010 17:25, fred wrote:

The o/p is right to be concerned. To my certain knowledge a varnished
stage prop cigar has caused collapse and temporary heart/breathing
difficulties in an actor that had been drawing on it in a performance.
Rather unhelpfully I don't know the varnish brand or even type but the
speculation was that it had some anti-fungal constituents.

How long was it since it had been varnished?

On 13 Oct, 17:25, fred wrote:
In article
,
harry writes



On 13 Oct, 16:00, Fred wrote:
Hello,

So I've been an uncle for a few months now and the grandparents have
been given an old cot by friends to use when they baby sit my nephew.
The cot is a bit worse for wear and I wondered about stripping it and
repainting it (or rather varnish it since that was the original
finish). The thing is I'm worried about it being chewed. I wasn't sure
if I might dabble making a couple of wooden toys but again, knowing
how children like to put everything in their mouths, what is best to
paint things with?

TIA

I wouldn't worry. Paint has been non-poisonous for years. (When dry)
There are also eco-friendly paints that are water based.

The o/p is right to be concerned. To my certain knowledge a varnished
stage prop cigar has caused collapse and temporary heart/breathing
difficulties in an actor that had been drawing on it in a performance.
Rather unhelpfully I don't know the varnish brand or even type but the
speculation was that it had some anti-fungal constituents.

poss polyurethanes triggering an asthma attack? - happens to me with
Gorilla Glue :(((

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...t-keeps-giving

Jim K

On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:56:00 +0100, stuart noble
wrote:

The kids will be grown up by the time linseed oil dries

That was my worry: that every time you brush past it, you would get
coated.