I would guess that getting the cradle 4-6 months before the baby's arrival would give all the "nasties" time to outgas. Maybe finish it and leave it outside under a shed roof or breathable tarp?

Shawn

: Infant’s lungs are very sensitive. I would be concerned about varnish
: out-gassing even long after it has been applied. Long term exposure to
: such gasses could lead to life time repertory problems for an infant.
: Check with the manufactures my guess is that they will strongly recommend
: against using varnish in infant furniture. When our daughter was on the
: way we had an old crib refinished. The refinisher would only use shellac.

: I would check with the manufacture on the epoxy as well. Epoxy has far fewer
: dangerous vapors than varnish and I think it stabilizes more. But I would
: still check. A day of research is a small price to pay, to avoid a
: lifetime of regrets.

: Good-luck
: Don