I am in the process of building a new cage for my glider, but I need a bit of help. Is PVC pipe or wood best to use for the frame? I am thinking wood but maybe PVC would be cheaper. Also what kind of wood should I use and should it be stained/shallacked with anything? Also I am having problems designing useful doors with hinges and clasp. Any help would be appreciated.
Re: I need help brainstorming
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#34913 01/26/0503:15 PM01/26/0503:15 PM
I would use PVC pipe because it's more sanitary and easier to clean. For the doors, what I've seen is you make the door hole in the cage, then the door should overlap the hole atleast an inch or two. For hinges, you can just use J or C clips and the door will swing. A lot of people use mini bungees for clasps, but I have something different on my cage but I'm not sure what they are called. If you go to the hardware store you'll find a ton of different clasps you could use.
Re: I need help brainstorming
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#34914 01/26/0503:23 PM01/26/0503:23 PM
I am talking with a friend now that can get me good wood for almost free, so I think i will use that. What kind of wood is best to use and can the wood be painted? I want this cage to look nice, not something thrown together real quick. Good idea on the c clips, i think ill have to use those for my door.
Re: I need help brainstorming
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#34915 01/26/0505:55 PM01/26/0505:55 PM
I also need help deciding on what type of base to put on it. Should i make the bottom the wire mesh and have a pan that can be easily taken out and cleaned, or should i put some sort of filler bedding down and no wire on the bottom?
Another decision i need to make is about the shelves within the cage for food/water/etc. Should those be made of the wire or should they be solid. I like solid, but then again solid would be harder to clean. opinions anyone?
Re: I need help brainstorming
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#34916 01/26/0506:54 PM01/26/0506:54 PM
For the floor just do it wire mesh with a tray under it. Mine like it and it is much easier. My shelves are solid. it is harder but I have washable fabric all over the cage and I just wash it in the machine. As for the food I put all their trays inside a rectangular tubaware container, then I just clean that (if its not you need to find some way to fasten it or it wont stay in the same place and will end up on the bottom). I used wood but I did it different than most. I used 2x2's. then I put one side of the mesh on the inside of the wood and then the other on the outside. Do you know what I mean? (I attached a "Scratch paint image" a drawing of what I mean. (you might need paint to view it.
Re: I need help brainstorming
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#34917 01/27/0501:03 AM01/27/0501:03 AM
If you use wood, use pine but you must shallac it. 4-5 coats with a light sanding inbetween coats and let each coat dry for 24 hours. PVC pipe has another advantage over wood. It is much lighter! Wood cages can be heavy especially large cages.
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