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Post by Bexi87 on Jan 30, 2016 22:12:09 GMT
Thanks DC, I still get a kick of pride everytime I look at it Most people that visit don't believe I'm capable of building something taller than myself, I've been told a few times that I don't need a TV, all my visitors watch the girls for hours!
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 31, 2016 7:41:52 GMT
LOL! Yeah . . . they are pretty fascinating, aren't they!
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 31, 2016 16:31:14 GMT
A few little alterations after 6 months sounds fair enough, I'm glad the whole thing brings you happiness in more than one way
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Post by bouncy on Jan 31, 2016 17:58:35 GMT
Thanks DC, I still get a kick of pride everytime I look at it Most people that visit don't believe I'm capable of building something taller than myself, I've been told a few times that I don't need a TV, all my visitors watch the girls for hours! It's so true! I get the same if they turn up whilst I'm putting the gerbil cages back together. They take over building the maze of tubes between them, then watch fascinated whilst they find their way around and tackle particular bits they built for them!
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Post by saddlers on Feb 1, 2016 13:47:29 GMT
Nice set up, well done
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Post by Bexi87 on Mar 22, 2017 20:19:42 GMT
I'm itching for a project to focus on, and the cage is starting to look a little rough around the edges, so I've decided I'm going to make a few changes/improvements over the next few weeks Cage WallsFirstly I want to replace the current vents with mesh. Primarily so I can attach things to the walls of the cage but it will also obviously help airflow (for record I've not noticed any issues with ventilation - the cage gets a deep clean every 6 weeks or so with a tidy up once a week and it never smells). The existing holes in the walls are about 26cm x 9cm - should I try and make them bigger before I replace with mesh? ShelvesCurrently the shelves are supported by brackets but I'm thinking of replacing them with blocks of wood that the shelves can sit on instead. I think it will help the stability of the cage and probably look a bit prettier! I'm also thinking of putting a layer of mesh just under the shelves so I can hang things on each level, rather than just on the top. LightingThe lights I currently have seem to have survived quite well but don't provide enough light for me - plus the little sods have 'removed' one set so their top level is currently in darkness! I want to continue with LED lights but not sure if I want to use one light per level, or two? I'm going to have a browse of all our cage pictures for inspiration but if anyone has any recommendations/advice I'd love to hear it! LayoutCurrently the top level is split into 2 shelves () with a gap in the middle to fit the wheel in. I'm wondering about making it either; - a full level with a suitable gap for the wheel & access, or; - reduce the shelves to give me more hanging room. Obviously that would reduce the CARA slightly so I'm not sure what I should do? I'm also going to give it a quick sand and a new lick of paint inside as there are some unpleasant stains which show up very clearly on a white background
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 22, 2017 21:43:11 GMT
I can't imagine needing to increase the size of the openings over which you would place mesh. If the current size has worked well, then it still should, but with better effect perhaps.
I love the idea of putting some mesh on the underside of the shelves to allow for hanging. How will you do that? I would think that you would need at least a cm of space between the shelf surface and the mesh to allow room for things to poke through in order to grab the wire? I also think that with that space, you could maybe attach flat LED lighting strips to the surface of the shelf, and they would be protected from chewing by the barrier of the mesh. What size of mesh do you plan to use?
Where will you put the girlies while you are painting and such? I'm not sure about the wheel idea and stuff. Brain is tired and not picturing for me. Can you draw diagrams of your ideas?
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 23, 2017 11:16:00 GMT
At 26x9cm, I think the vents are bigger than they look. Changing to mesh will certainly allow more air flow. I think it might be worth considering making the lower vents bigger. You don't need to touch the top set because they are so near the open ceiling. I wonder if you could cut the middle out of the vents so you could reuse them as edging for the mesh?
I think the brackets are fine. I don't know if you have done this since taking the photo, but if you attach a screw from the bracket into the shelf at the end of the bracket support, you will stiffen and strengthen everthing up.
I guess a layer of mesh would work fine for attaching things. I just screw in cup hooks or eyelets when I want them for hanging things.
For the top shelf, I think I would just add a piece in between the two current shelves leaving space for the wheel. Is there a reason why you can't lower the wheel enough to put a full shelf above? I think if you take out that level to use the space for hanging, the drop looks a bit far, but maybe you could play with the shelf spacing to make that work out if they are into hammocks and that type of thing. I don't think they usually mind if the hanging things aren't far above shelf level, it just makes it easier for them to chew them.
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 24, 2017 16:30:28 GMT
"I just screw in cup hooks or eyelets when I want them for hanging things."
Mind blown!! What an easy solution that TOTALLY did not occur to me . . . EVER!!
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Post by Bexi87 on Mar 25, 2017 20:03:13 GMT
Yeah I was thinking about maybe making them bigger, shouldn't be to hard to do as the hole are already cut. I have some metal edging that I can use to line the mesh but I like the idea of using the existing vents I've used cup hooks before but the cage looks messy now because there are little holes all over the place and I find it so annoying! I like that the mesh will also protect the lights from the little teeth DC - I'll try and do some drawings of what is in my head!
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Post by Bexi87 on Mar 30, 2017 20:23:55 GMT
I'm trying to work out which way to attach the batons to the cage for the shelves to rest on. Would you have them thin side against the wall, or the thick side? I've decided I'm going to staple the mesh to the underside of the batons so there is a gap between the mesh and the shelves so I can hang things and protect the lights!
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Post by winic1 on Mar 31, 2017 1:28:22 GMT
I would put them so that the longer side is against the wall. gives a stronger support to put the shelves on, even tho the top it is resting on is not as wide, it is more firmly attached to the wall that way, and less likely to bow or bend, as there is more thickness being pushed down on. (Did I make enough sense to understand? it's getting late here.)
Then you also have more space to protect the lights, and more room for when you are trying to hook something through the mesh, remember that the thing you're hooking through has to have enough room to go up through the mesh all the way to the opening part of it.
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 31, 2017 10:08:41 GMT
What winic says ^^ long side flat on the wall.
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Post by Bexi87 on Mar 31, 2017 13:05:51 GMT
Perfect thanks - I was trying to find some that was square but it would be huge so I'll go with thinner wider pieces.
Just need to figure out which lights I want to use and then next weekend is project cage - refresh 😄
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Post by Bexi87 on Apr 2, 2017 13:13:44 GMT
Ugh I'm struggling with lighting.
I currently have 60cm LED strip lights which plug in via holes on the back of the cage at each level but I'm struggling to find anything less than 1m long.
I like the idea of having longer lights but I'm unsure if I could attach them as horseshoe shape rather than a straight line. Has anyone done this with LED striplights?
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Post by Bexi87 on Apr 5, 2017 19:50:07 GMT
Finally I've made a decision about the lights and am pretty much ready to go. Here are my (badly drawn) plans which show what the cage is like now and what I want to change (red bits) Current vents becoming larger and covered in mesh; Shelves being reshape so the girls can run up, rather than jumping horizontally; Shelves will sit on wooden batons rather than brackets. The lights will be attached to the bottom of the batons; The girls will be going into the thickets on Friday night so I can crack on first thing on Saturday morning and hopefully have it painted by midday Saturday. One question, has anyone attempted to cut a horizontal surface with a jigsaw? The cage isn't stable enough, and I'm not strong enough, to turn it on its side to cut...
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 6, 2017 1:24:43 GMT
ARRGH!! Wish I had the skill set to answer your questions, Bex!! Like your plans!!
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Post by ntg on Apr 6, 2017 10:16:59 GMT
How stable is the cage if you put sideways pressure on it? As I imagine you'll have to lean against it a bit to get a straight cut on a vertical surface with a jigsaw (but I'm no DIYer). If nobody here gets back to you quickly you could try a diy forum to see what advice they have to offer?
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Post by bouncy on Apr 6, 2017 11:42:16 GMT
I've got to say I'm happier not using a jigsaw. I just drill holes and saw between them.
Re lighting, have you thought of using a rope LED? I started off with the littlies having strips but, like you, they destroyed the top level. It's working really well on the Liberta with a rope, and I've got a spare rope. Thinking of wrapping a layer of mesh around it and running it through.
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Post by Bexi87 on Apr 6, 2017 14:06:22 GMT
I've got to say I'm happier not using a jigsaw. I just drill holes and saw between them. Re lighting, have you thought of using a rope LED? I started off with the littlies having strips but, like you, they destroyed the top level. It's working really well on the Liberta with a rope, and I've got a spare rope. Thinking of wrapping a layer of mesh around it and running it through. The lights are going to be between the shelf and mesh - I'm attaching mesh to the bottom of the batons so I can hang stuff on each level 😊 I might try and do it by hand with a saw. Will see how I feel!
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