Attempting to kidproof an open rack

EndersShadow

So our 8 month old is crawling now, and is entranced by all the lights in Daddy's entertainment center. Shes tried to turn off the Xbox 360, the APC H15, my Carver amp, etc.

I am looking for a low cost way to kid-proof the front of the rack that has some WAF, and will let me keep using my Harmony One. Before someone tells me to just say "no" shes 8 months old and I cant keep eyes on her 24/7. This is not a permanent solution as she enjoys listening to music and singing along and I plan to foster that in her by putting together a cheap kid friendly 2 channel setup in her room when shes old enough to really use it.

But for now I need some suggestions. Putting up a baby gate across the front of my rack, and around my LSi's and sub just isnt WAF or make any sense.

So anybody got any thoughts?

Here is a pic of what the rack looks like.



I was wondering if velcro'ing a sheet of black tinted plexiglass might be a good idea? Would that interfere with the IR sensors in the Harmony and my gear?

ken brydson

Electric fence, she'll only touch it once.....


































Kidding...:cheesygrin:

Hermitism

My old entertainment center had a glass door which I accidentally broke. I replaced it with black smoked plexiglass. At the time, I had a JVC receiver and it's remote penetrated both the glass and plexiglass without problems.

I've been thinking of getting a Harmony remote. Which Harmony model do you have and would you recommend it?

tonyb

Try the word "NO" when she gets within 2 ft.

rooftop59

When Ellie was that age (she is now 5 and I have 23 month old twins :eek:) I never did anything to baby proof anything. But maybe I was lucky with her; we did very little baby proofing honestly. I did have doors on the cabinet at that house and would close them when not it use (or when just listening to background music) and would just redirect her when we were in there watching a show or music videos (she LOVED paladia). But yours had no doors I take it? I honestly don't know what to tell you except to go to a custom glass placed and have them custom make you glass doors, but that could get pricey. I think with the speakers youll be fine as long as you don't crank it when shes up. All of mine loved to move up to each speaker and put their ear up to it and listen, but they never push too hard.

Honestly I think that you may just have to buy a new cabinet with doors.

EndersShadow

Hermitism wrote: »

My old entertainment center had a glass door which I accidentally broke. I replaced it with black smoked plexiglass. At the time, I had a JVC receiver and it's remote penetrated both the glass and plexiglass without problems.

I've been thinking of getting a Harmony remote. Which Harmony model do you have and would you recommend it?

I have the Harmony One. It is by far the best item I have bought recently. No matter what gear comes into the rack, its easy to program. Its a PITA to set up custom buttons, but once you dive in and learn it, its well worth the investment.

I have 2 one for my HT and one for my 2 channel room.

tonyb wrote: »

Try the word "NO" when she gets within 2 ft.

Doing that, as well as a light swat on the hand and moving her away from it, but again, I cant have eyes on her 24/7 and she cant be in her pack and play forever.

EndersShadow

rooftop59 wrote: »

But yours had no doors I take it?

Yup, totally open front to back.

rooftop59 wrote: »

Honestly I think that you may just have to buy a new cabinet with doors.

May be what we do. I have wanted a nice Salamander or Standout Designs rack for a long time and the wife also likes them, minus the price but you pay for quality.

TNHNDYMAN

Mace has been pretty effective for me so far. Only had to use it once on the little one and twice on the wife...............kidding.


I wouldn't worry too much about her powering the gear off Dan. The real concern lies in your cords in the back- especially power cables. You'll be surprised that they will chew on ANYTHING while teething so that's where I'd put my efforts to protect her more than the gear obviously.

The suggestions above for making your own small screens seem quite doable especially since you have family with all the woodworking skills...

Glen B

EndersShadow wrote: »

So our 8 month old is crawling now, and is entranced by all the lights in Daddy's entertainment center. Shes tried to turn off the Xbox 360, the APC H15, my Carver amp, etc.

I am looking for a low cost way to kid-proof the front of the rack that has some WAF, and will let me keep using my Harmony One. Before someone tells me to just say "no" shes 8 months old and I cant keep eyes on her 24/7. This is not a permanent solution as she enjoys listening to music and singing along and I plan to foster that in her by putting together a cheap kid friendly 2 channel setup in her room when shes old enough to really use it.

But for now I need some suggestions. Putting up a baby gate across the front of my rack, and around my LSi's and sub just isnt WAF or make any sense.

So anybody got any thoughts?

Here is a pic of what the rack looks like.



I was wondering if velcro'ing a sheet of black tinted plexiglass might be a good idea? Would that interfere with the IR sensors in the Harmony and my gear?

After two kids and now on the third grandkid who has just started to walk, I've been down the road you're about to travel a few times. The plexiglass does not sound like a bad idea, and should work. I've tried plastic baby gates cable-tied across the fronts of my 2-channel and HT racks, and professional perforated metal covers, attached in front of my gear.

EndersShadow wrote: »

May be what we do. I have wanted a nice Salamander or Standout Designs rack for a long time and the wife also likes them, minus the price but you pay for quality.

Seconded. I moved from baby gates and covers over the front panels of my gear to Salamander Synergy racks with doors and optional keylocks, and haven't looked back. The result was very high WAF, and it solved the problem of little fingers gaining access to knobs and buttons.

rooftop59

Or...put a bra on that dude, unless she's breastfeeding I guess...

EndersShadow

TNHNDYMAN wrote: »

The real concern lies in your cords in the back- especially power cables. You'll be surprised that they will chew on ANYTHING while teething so that's where I'd put my efforts to protect her more than the gear obviously.

Not worried about that. Everything is connected to the APC H15, and that side is too tight for her to get to. And the two main supports in the back of the rack are hollow to allow for cable management, and all my power cables use one side, the data cables and HDMI cable use another.

In theory if she got on the left side and around by the AVR she could pull the ICs connecting the AVR and amp, but thats a bit of a stretch.

Glen B wrote: »

After two kids and now on the third grandkid who has just started to walk, I've been down the road you're about to travel a few times. The plexiglass does not sound like a bad idea, and should work. I've tried plastic baby gates cable-tied across the fronts of my 2-channel and HT racks, and professional perforated metal covers, attached in front of my gear.

Thanks for the suggestions

Glen B wrote: »

I moved from baby gates and covers over the front panels of my gear to Salamander Synergy racks with doors and optional keylocks, and haven't looked back. The result was very high WAF, and it solved the problem of little fingers gaining access to knobs and buttons.

I am thinking short term about going with the screens simply due to cost. Looking at a house purchase potentially in Feb so freeing up a couple hundred (or a grand depending) isnt feasabile right now, and I dont wanna hit up the accountant unless I have to.

I think given the low cost of going with some plexiglass, or something low cost would be easy to get through the appropriations committee right now.

I do think long term though a Salamander is in my future, as its been something I have wanted for a long long time....

nooshinjohn

Have you thought about getting a poo detection dog? Having one trained to defend your gear from your little munchkin sounds like a great way to go.

EndersShadow

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Have you thought about getting a poo detection dog? Having one trained to defend your gear from your little munchkin sounds like a great way to go.

John.... I am thinking auto correct messed you up a bit... not following the underlined portion :razz:

soundfreak1

The mace idea (though effictive) is just crule. Try a dog shock collar with a proximity sensor to give a ( small ) shock when she gets within arms reach. Very effective and leaves no evidence. Works on my daughters cats and her for that matter. Hehehe

smglbrth

tonyb wrote: »

Try the word "NO" when she gets within 2 ft.

Yup, this. Actually it's funny that the first word most kids learn is "NO" because they hear it so often from the parents (maybe not anymore with the "I'm my childs friend" attitude). Children have to realize there are consequences for their actions, earlier the better...

pretzelfisch

I have a very similar entertainment cabinet, with a 10 month old. No does not really work it's still a game. We were thinking of buying an ottoman to put in front. all the gear has plugs for external ir receivers so I can rout that up to where the tv is.

EndersShadow

Yeah, ended up deciding to just not do anything to the rack. Wife wasnt super keen on any of the ideas, so right now pillows are just blocking most of the front of it. Might look at a ottoman since we could use one for storage for her toys anyway, that or a nice little toy chest.

StantonZ

A glass door is simple and cheap; one that small could be done with (1) hinge. I have a (custom built) 7 ft. tall equipment rack with a 3-hinge glass door that's lasted over 20 years.

nspindel

I'm amazed that no one has put up any pics of some nice open racks yet on this thread

tonyb

nspindel wrote: »

I'm amazed that no one has put up any pics of some nice open racks yet on this thread

Well, we had a thread on "open racks" but it drew too many complaints.

steveinaz

I make my grand children wear shock collars, they still love me.

tonyb

steveinaz wrote: »

I make my grand children wear shock collars, they still love me.

......we'll see....wait until the batteries die. LOL.

treitz3

tonyb wrote: »

Try the word "NO" when she gets within 2 ft.

My son, 4 years old now, was told the same thing in a VERY stern voice ever since he was able to understand the tones of voices. We have had tubes and speakers with no grills now this whole time and he understands that there is one area of the house that he need not even go near. This technique works wonders and the WAF [and support] has never been an issue.

Tom

Conradicles

NO worked for me.