[doraymon]

Hi Guys,
 
My little one is crawling and we expect him to start walking very soon. I need some suggestions on how to child proof my (relatively) heavy bookshelf speakers which are placed on a 0.5m high bench.
 
My main concern is that the baby could pull the speakers on him and hurt himself.
 
Would heavy duty velcro help? Any other ideas?
 
Thanks a lot from me and the little one!

 

[ClieOS]

3M Command?

 

[doraymon]

  3M Command?

Yeah, I thought about it however the Command is done for holding pictures so it has a high shear strength.
 
In my case the baby grabbing the top of the speaker and pulling it would cause a tensile load, mainly on the back feet of the speakers.
 
Would the Command do the job also in this case??

 

[yage]

A fence of sorts might work best. Then he won't be fiddling with the electronics either.

 

[RRod]

Yeah, I support the fence idea too. I converted our play-area fence into a "guard the electronics fence" once walking started. If that's not possible, then something involving a drill is probably in order. If you have any baby-proofing companies in town, they might have ideas, but don't expect them to be audiophile friendly. And enjoy the gradual reduction in your usable table space that is about to occur.

 

[doraymon]

   And enjoy the gradual reduction in your usable table space that is about to occur.

Thanks! Truly encouraging... 

 

[ClieOS]

Take a picture of the area and maybe we can give you some better idea.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I had a similar problem about cat-proofing my speakers - simple solution was to never let him inside the room where the speakers are unless I'm there also. What kind of room are your speakers in anyway? If it's not for example in the living room then just keep the door closed.

 

[doraymon]

Take a picture of the area and maybe we can give you some better idea.

That's the situation. The tv will be hanged to the back wall to for the same reason. The bench will become free and I wanted to place my speakers there, as now they are placed in a bookshelf in a very non-audiophile position.

 

[doraymon]

I had a similar problem about cat-proofing my speakers - simple solution was to never let him inside the room where the speakers are unless I'm there also. What kind of room are your speakers in anyway? If it's not for example in the living room then just keep the door closed.

Unfortunately that's the living room and since we are in Hong Kong the rooms are quite small. The fence is also not a solution, the room it's too small!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Unfortunately that's the living room and since we are in Hong Kong the rooms are quite small. The fence is also not a solution, the room it's too small!

 

I can't think of any solution that wouldn't compromise the speakers' finish with adhesives. There are clamping speaker mounts made for pro-audio monitors, but those clamp mounts are attached to platforms that a very active child may still knock over.

 

If you can though still try to visit a pro-audio store (usually it will also have instruments and those are the ones that will be prominently displayed. Ask for any such clamping mounting solution that you can for example mount onto a wall, so that there won't be a stand/pillar that your kid can knock down. Mount them as high as you can, pro audio solutions can be angled down anyways; also, neatly install the cables running along the walls and safely behind the TV where the child can't see them and tug on them."

 

If you can't find any, don't worry, you're not alone. I've seen many For Sale posts that go, "RFS: HT/audio room converted into nursery" or "Condition 7/10: My toddler poked the tweeter and midwoofer wave guide" or "RFS: Stroller can't fit in trunk, so subs and amps and speakers that need said amps must go." 

 Might as well just use headphones for the time being since you can for example build or buy an audio rack with a glass door that you can lock when not in use, and the headphones go in there along with the other electronics (whereas while these were made for speaker systems, the speakers can't fit inside).

 

[Wiljen]

I hate to sound rude but the simple answer is there is no mechanical substitute for supervision.   If you really want to keep the baby and your equipment safe, be in the room with them and teach them to leave it alone.

 

[yage]

  Yeah, I thought about it however the Command is done for holding pictures so it has a high shear strength.
 
In my case the baby grabbing the top of the speaker and pulling it would cause a tensile load, mainly on the back feet of the speakers.
 
Would the Command do the job also in this case??

 
Since the fence seems to be out, I think Command strips would do fine. We hung up a a Hot Wheels race track on our finished wall with the supplied Command strips and getting the damn things off without harming the paint / drywall underneath took considerable patience and force (both of the shear and tensile variety). It didn't seem to leave a mark on the wall, but if your speaker cabinets are veneered, the veneer might get pulled away from the MDF if you're not careful enough.
 
Another option is to pack away the good speakers and buy a pair of cheap ones and use Command strips or velcro on them until he's grown up a little and knows better.
 
Enjoy this time in their life. Pretty soon he'll be running, dancing, and singing. Make sure to capture it all so you can embarrass him later with the footage.

 

[RRod]

We use these to make a second barrier in front of our actual gate protecting the electronics, but they might suffice themselves for protection and they won't take up too much extra space around the desk.

 

[Steven Stone1]

Your child is more valuable than the speakers. I would use some small Brackets and wood screws to attach the speakers to the furniture surface. Yes, you will have screw holes in your speakers and furniture, but it's better than dents in your baby