Community Playthings The Community Loft MODEL 2 CLASSIC User manual

e Community Lo
Model 2 Corner
L330 / MODEL 2 CORNER PRODUCT GUIDE

for your safety…
Railing must be less than 3½" away from
the wall of your room, or more than 9".
Anything in between is an entrapment
hazard.
Test the joints for stability before allowing
children to play on the structure.
Do not provide anything on the top level of
your lo which children can use to climb
over the sides.
Changing a lower level panel or splicing
an addition to a standing lo is not
recommended as it is not possible to keep
the structure stable while liing weight-
bearing rings.
Each platform should be held down on at
least two sides by panels and/or plugs to
prevent the possibility of a child pushing up
the oor from below.
Each platform section, whether 2'x 2' or
2' x 4', will bear a load of 750 lbs., or the
equivalent of one teacher and fourteen
average ve-year-olds.
CAUTION
is product is intended for indoor use only.
Build the lo right where you want it. Do
not reposition assembled los by dragging.
is Product Guide contains important
information. Please save for future reference.
You may want to move your lo or change
your lo conguration later on.
is product is intended for use by children
of immature judgment; therefore supervision
is required at all times.
is Model 2 lo is appropriate for children
3–7 years old.
Children should not be in the room during
setup.
is lo requires a minimum classroom
ceiling height of eight feet (96"). e gap
between the ceiling and the top railing must
be at least 9".
If your room has a sprinkler system for
re protection, you should have your lo
placement checked by a local re inspector.
Your lo should be placed where hanging
ceilings, ceiling xtures, windows or
skylights are not accessible to children.
Do not attempt to build or take apart your
lo by yourself. You need at least two adults
working together to do this safely.
Use the patterns supplied in this Product
Guide. We cannot take responsibility for
free-form structures.
WARNINGS
Failure to follow these warnings and the assembly
instructions could result in serious injury or death.
community playthings®

Hi!
ank you for choosing the
Community Lo. I know you
are looking at a pile of boxes
right now, and wondering if it is possible to
make a lo out of it all. Of course you can!
is book will lead you along, step by step. So
x yourself a cup of coee and settle down to
read this guide before beginning to build.
e rst pages show what each piece looks
like, and how many of each come with this kit.
en come the Basic Skills: the real nitty-gritty
techniques you need to build your lo. e
best step is next: Building your lo. e Model
2 Corner has 4 drawings of the lo as it looks
while you are building it. From these drawings
you can see where each part is meant to go.
Each drawing is accompanied with a checklist
before you move onto the next step. You will
probably want to refer back to the basic skills as
you build.
We have also included instructions for taking
your lo apart.
Important maintenance and cleaning
information is found on pages 20-21. You
can extend the beauty and life of your lo
by following these simple tips. And of
course, keep in mind the “for your safety”
information on the facing page.
If you have any questions, don’t
hesitate to call Customer Service
at 800-777-4244. We’ll be glad
to help you!
CONTENTS
Getting Started...........................4
Basic skills ..............................6
Building your lo .......................16
Maintaining your lo ....................20
Cleaning your carpets....................21
Taking apart your lo ....................22
Contents

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4
GETTING STARTED
Lay the pieces of your Model 2 Corner kit on
the oor. You will see there are short panels
and tall panels. e short ones are for the rst
and second layers of the lo; the tall ones are
for the third layer.
Lay panels of the same size together so you can
nd them easily. Make sure you have all the
parts shown on these pages before beginning
to build your lo.
If any parts are broken or missing, do not try
to assemble your lo. Call Customer Service
right away (800-777-4244) and we’ll send you
replacement parts.
1 Tall Clear Panel1 Carpet Panel 6 Single Dowel Panels
12 Post Extenders 10 Long Posts
6 Couplings (22")
2 Couplings (29")
7 Single Solid Panels 4 Short Clear Panels 8 Single Arches2 Diagonal Arches
14 Arch Supports
70 Connector
Rings
13 Caps
1 Circular
Plug
Getting Started

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1 Diagonal Dowel Panel
3 Short Posts
1 Double Arch 1 Double Platform3 Single Platforms
2 Stairs
1 Diagonal Platform
2 pairs of Stair Railings

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6
2Slide a connector ring at side down onto
each long post.
BASIC SKILLS
We said no-tools assembly and we meant it.
But you will need a friend to help you. It takes
four hands to build a lo, but no tools at all!
Basic Skills
1Screw rubber feet into posts until they
are snug.

Model 2 Corner 7
3Stand two long posts and slide a
short panel into the connector rings. 4Capture the panel by sliding another connector ring at side up onto each post.
6
To add the next panel, li one of the con-
nector rings and use it to capture the new
panel. Assemble your lo by following the
drawings on pages 16–19. Go slowly; it is
not easy to replace a panel aer a layer is
placed on top.
5Check the joints. Every panel should be
locked in place by four connector rings.
Repeat this step for each panel as you
build your lo.

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8
8Screw post extenders on top of the short
posts which will support your landing.
Do not over tighten the posts. Align the
sides. A slight looseness will not aect
the stability of the nished lo.
7Warning:
When arches are used on the 2nd level
they MUST be supported underneath by
Arch Supports!
10 Place the landing platform in position,
and add stairs. All four corners of the
stair should t into connector rings.
9Slide another connector ring at side
down onto each post.

Model 2 Corner 9
11 Lay the le stair railing on the oor. (Railings are labeled on their underside.) Ax a
22" coupling (with the shaped end up) to the top end of the railing, by sliding the metal
connectors over their mates on the railing.
Attach a 22" coupling in the same way to the bottom end of the railing.
e sub-assembly should appear as in the picture above.
Repeat this procedure for the right stair railing.
notches
22" Coupling
Le
Railing
Le Bottom
Label
22" Coupling

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13 Capture the railings using connector
rings. en, use short panels to complete
the second layer. Add more connector
rings as you build, so each panel is
captured by four rings.
14 Any stair railing which connects to a tall post at its base must be next
to a panel which extends above the railing, and this must not be an arch
panel. is prevents an entrapment hazard in the angle formed by the
railing and the tall post.
Warning: Never use an arch next to a stair railing.
12 Add the railings. e railings slide into
the stairs with the ‘bottom’ label down.
Hint: Hold couplings and push down.

Model 2 Corner 11
17 Screw post extenders on top of each
post which goes to the third layer. Do
not overtighten the posts. Align the
sides. A slight looseness will not aect
the stability of the nished lo.
15 Slide another connector ring at side
down onto each post. 16 en lay the platforms in place.
18 Check all the joints. en, add the sec-
ond stairs the same way you put in the
rst layer stairs.

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19 Lay the le stair railing on the oor. (Railings are labeled on their underside.) Ax a
29" coupling (with the shaped end up) to the top end of the railing, by sliding the metal
connectors over their mates on the railing.
Attach a 22" coupling in the same way to the bottom end of the railing.
e sub-assembly should appear as in the gure above.
Repeat this procedure for the right stair railing.
notches
29" Coupling
Le
Railing
Le Bottom
Label
22" Coupling

Model 2 Corner 13
20 Add the stair railings. e railings slide
into the slots on the stairs with the
‘bottom’ label down.
Hint: Hold couplings and press down.
21 Use tall panels to create the third layer.
Add connector rings as you go so each
panel is captured by four rings and will
not fall down. You may want to stand
on the platform to do this.
22 Check all joints. Make sure all panels
are where you want them to be. en
ll the hole between the platforms us-
ing a circular plug. Step on the plug
to lock it in place.
23 Screw a cap onto each post to lock
construction together. You will hear
a clicking sound as you turn the cap;
screw it all the way down. If you have
completed your lo according to the
pattern, there should be no panels le
over.

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24 Check that all post feet are rmly on the
oor. If a post needs lengthening, turn
the rubber foot clockwise until the post
is anchored.
For more variety… Try customizing your lo by rearranging the panels. Any panel can be substi-
tuted for another panel of the same size, with one exception. An arch panel may not be placed next
to a stair (see Step 14, Basic Skills).
Did you know you can ip a pattern and build it facing the other direction? It’s easy if you photo-
copy the plan on a sheet of transparent overhead material. Turn the transparency over on a piece of
white paper to work from.

Model 2 Corner 15

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Floor Plan - First Level
Checklist in order of installation:
All 10 long posts?
2 short posts?
5 single solid panels, 3 single arches in
bottom layer?
All 14 arch supports in bottom layer
as in oor plan?
4 single arches, 1 diagonal arch
in second layer to hold structure
together?
77"
77"
14 Arch supports
Building your lo
1
Arch Support
Arch Support

Model 2 Corner 17
Post extender on
short posts.
Checklist in order of installation:
1 single platform landing?
2 post extenders on top of 2 short posts?
1 short post at bottom of stairs?
1 stair?
1 pair of stair railings with 4 short couplings?
4 short clear panels, 2 single solid panels?
1 single arch, 1 diagonal arch and 1 double arch in second layer?
Panels and couplings properly held by the connectors?
2

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Checklist in order of installation:
1 double, 2 single, 1 diagonal platform on top with a circular plug?
10 post extenders on top of long posts?
1 stair, 1 pair of stair railings with 2 short couplings at the bottom
and 2 long couplings at the top?
3

Model 2 Corner 19
Checklist in order of installation:
9 upper panels?
All panels and couplings properly held by the connectors?
All 13 caps screwed down tight?
 Refer to Safety page.
Levelling feet adjusted?
4

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20
Maintaining your lo
MAINTAINING YOUR LOFT
Periodically inspect for cracks, breaks, loose
parts, missing parts, and/or malfunctions.
Check caps to be sure they remain tightly
screwed down. Remove the product from
service when any condition develops which
might make operation unsafe.
You can wash the wooden parts of your lo,
but remember, wood and water are natural
enemies. Don’t soak; work fast, use a sti brush
with soap and water (or a detergent, as you
would for washing dishes).
When cleaning plastic surfaces, do not
use harsh detergents or cleansers. ese
may scratch or mar the surface. Nontoxic
household plastic cleaners should work
well. Test a small patch of the plastic surface
before full application.
If you plan to store your lo, remember it is
made of wood, and needs to be stored in a
dry place.