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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2018 20:36:57 GMT
I’m constantly having an internal debate about my cage v a metal cage 😂 I’ve only got a thickets as a spare which isn’t great and I’m having building work done on the house in a few months which means the girls will be in a temporary cage for at least 2 weeks. I really liked having the metal cages, just they take up so much space having four of them in that small spare bedroom. Being able to build upwards will really open the room up.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2018 16:49:53 GMT
So B&Q don’t have any wood so walked all the way there for nothin.
Obviously we wanna use Melamine... two questions:
What thickness board did everyone use?
What type of melamine did you use? MDF or chipboard?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2018 17:36:26 GMT
Cal wants to make it with melamine MDF but you’re looking at £100 for one cage and that’s with no back. Just the sides and top and bottom wood.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2018 18:58:10 GMT
A surprise revelation!!!
I’ve found vivs online that are 120cm by 60cm by 60cm..
They’re £109.99 each..
Two of them to make the 2.4m would be £220 or so.. which is about what it would cost us to make them anyway.
Then I’d just have to pay for a sheet of wood or two to make the full width half level and lights etc.
BUT as you know I work at my LFS and there’s a reptile dude who’s moving in and renting part of the shop.. just asked him where he gets his vivs from and he gets them cheap like trade price and I could have them ordered to work and that might be even cheaper still!!!! Aaaah!
He can get them in that size and in white so fingers crossed they’re cheaper!!
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 25, 2018 12:19:48 GMT
I've used melamine chipboard for shelves, but plywood for structure. I've never seen melamine mdf.
I think strength is going to be an issue with the height you are planning and the non standard design, so you do need to make sure that the structure is strong enough, so I think Cal needs to decide on thicknesses and needs to have a say on materials regarding their strengh. I imagine mdf is stronger than chipboard.
I think you need to check with the viv manufacturer that they are strong enough to stack 4 high with extra weight for shelves.
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Post by winic1 on Feb 25, 2018 13:22:04 GMT
You can always put upright support poles from floor to shelves, floor to top, of each viv, to strengthen shelves and keep them from sagging. Or some partial cross-walls. You can also put support poles or double the wall at each end in order to make them strong enough to stack them. We did that to an mdf shelf unit that we wanted to put a small fish tank on (5 gallon tank means over 50 pounds, rigged), since the tank would be such a concentrated weight on the shelf, we basically built a box to go inside the shelf below, and then uprights on the section below that. Since your vivs would be uniform in size and weight distribution across the units, I would imagine that just supporting the end walls, and maybe the middles, would do it.
If the degus choose to chew the supports you add, you just replace them when they get too weakened. Double function--support and chew toy. We used pieces of thick branches/small logs for our support poles, so they look really nice and natural, but you could use any chewable lumber if you can't access safe tree branches (or safe-tree firewood?)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 14:33:00 GMT
You can always put upright support poles from floor to shelves, floor to top, of each viv, to strengthen shelves and keep them from sagging. Or some partial cross-walls. You can also put support poles or double the wall at each end in order to make them strong enough to stack them. We did that to an mdf shelf unit that we wanted to put a small fish tank on (5 gallon tank means over 50 pounds, rigged), since the tank would be such a concentrated weight on the shelf, we basically built a box to go inside the shelf below, and then uprights on the section below that. Since your vivs would be uniform in size and weight distribution across the units, I would imagine that just supporting the end walls, and maybe the middles, would do it. If the degus choose to chew the supports you add, you just replace them when they get too weakened. Double function--support and chew toy. We used pieces of thick branches/small logs for our support poles, so they look really nice and natural, but you could use any chewable lumber if you can't access safe tree branches (or safe-tree firewood?) Ooh I like that idea of branches!! Thank you I definitely think buying is the way to go... means I don’t have to wait for cal. moletteuk I’ll ask the manufacturers now they do do MDF melamine yeah. Not cheap tho lol
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2018 21:28:39 GMT
Ordered first two vivs!!!
My plan is:
I’ve ordered 2 as that’s all I can afford at £110 each. They’re 120cm by 60 by 60.
Gonna move Pinky and Perky into one and maybe Alfie and Paddy into another if they get on. If not then Pickle and Pumba.
They’ll only have 120cm by 60 by 60 to begin with.
I’ll then move Poppy and Kev into a lazybones and then Alfie and Paddy into a lazybones each (rude right?).
Guy will come and pick up either 2 or all 4 of the cages for £80 each (if he keeps his word). That gives me enough to buy 2 more vivs.
Move Poppy and Kev into a viv, and then Alfie with Paddy. But if not then just one of them if they still aren’t friends.
Then cal will put the full level in all 4 of them, meaning they have 120x60x60 of two levels.
Will put in lights etc too as and when I find some lol.
UVB lamp links pleas would be great. They’d be in cage though so need help with that.
Then as I save the money, I’ll slowly buy another 4 vivs, cut holes in the sides and join them up and we will still have enough board to add the 2nd levels in straight away so they will all slowly get 240cmx60x60 over two levels!!!
It means I can have room and get rid of the cages, the goos won’t be super unhappy and I can do it gradually rather than have to spend £1000 all at once cos I don’t have that lol!
So exciting!
First two will be here by Friday!
They didn’t have white so going for a walnut theme lol.
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Post by misscatafer on Feb 26, 2018 23:26:17 GMT
Very exciting! Cage building is do fun, really looking forward to seeing how this turns out!
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 27, 2018 4:39:49 GMT
Sounds AWESOME, Emily!!
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Post by claire on Feb 28, 2018 6:59:35 GMT
I'm watching this thread intently
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 9:27:43 GMT
The first two vivs are coming Saturday!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 11:09:12 GMT
That’s what they look like. Gonna put fairy lights etc around them for now lol to brighten it up a bit until I get lights!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 11:09:43 GMT
We are gonna leave the plastic vents in I think but put mesh over them on the inside so no chewing.
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 28, 2018 15:52:15 GMT
Are you going to have the lighter coloured wood? The dark one is so dark.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 16:38:31 GMT
Are you going to have the lighter coloured wood? The dark one is so dark. The dark one as it’s walnut and cal loves walnut lol gotta keep him sweet somehow haha! I didn’t want black. I wanted white but that was a no go. Beech is old fashioned so.. walnut it is! Gonna put some fairy lights around them to make them cute for now lol!
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 28, 2018 16:42:22 GMT
I guess if this is for keeping Cal happy, then you go for it. I would, personally, not choose such a dark wood for the vivs. They will be hard to spot in there.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 16:46:59 GMT
I guess if this is for keeping Cal happy, then you go for it. I would, personally, not choose such a dark wood for the vivs. They will be hard to spot in there. I didn’t really think of that honestly lol. But when it’s finished there will be lights in there! So shouldn’t be too hard to spot. Especially with light substrate
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 10:00:27 GMT
THE FIRST TWO ARE HERE!!!!
THEYRE FLAT PACKED AND REALLY HEAVY SO I GOTTA WAIT FOR CAL WHO IS WORKING AWAY SO I’M LIVID BUT YAY THEY’RE HERE TWO DAYS EARLY!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 18:08:45 GMT
They’re HUGE omg when they finally have 2 each they’re gonna have so much space!!!
100% worth £110. Bargain.
I can fit inside it lol.
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