Garage shelves to cage?

[Annie95]

Ive been thinking of purchasing something like this and transforming it to a cage, anyone have any ideas? The shelves In it are just particle board, so I'd probably do the stick down linoleum wannabe tile on them. I'm just not sure where to begin I guess with it, or If I'd be better off to just stick with my critter nation cage.

www.amazon.com/Heavy-Garage-Storage-Adjustable-Shelves/dp/B014OE6JCU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3/147-5348859-3706616?ie=UTF8&qid=1532395493&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=industrial+metal+shelves&dpPl=1&dpID=415amXlsv9L&ref=plSrch

[bouncy]

I've done it! I loved the idea because the frame is metal, and the shelves themselves sit inside the metal frame too!! I used ply and perspex for the sides, then made a front panel with doors and just bolted it on!

I couldn't get big enough shelves at a decent price, and I had an awkward space to fill, so I used smaller ones and bolted them together! There used to be three in there (now two), but it’s large enough for four. The shelves you're looking at will give a CARA (including 4" cut outs to allow access between levels) of 4032"². That's roomy enough for four goos, and almost five!

I'll put some pictures up later, and take you through what I did, but it may not be until this evening

[deguconvert]

I was replying last evening when my internet failed and I completely lost what I had written. I think this is an excellent choice!! You can do a lot with this frame, the size is awesome, and the materials will work really well for you. If you search Amazon for wire mesh cloth, 1/2 inch opening, galvanized, a whole ton of items will come up, one in particular seemed an excellent fit it was 36 inches tall and 50 feet long. That give you more than enough to enclose the whole frame and build doors using the mesh . . . and have some left over for whatever else you might want to do. Splash guards can be put on each shelf using 1X4 softwood kiln dried plank, which you would cut to size for each edge. Build your own doors by building wooden frames and cover them over on the inside with the wire mesh cloth (covering the wood right to the outer edge to prevent chewing). The metal frame will work well for anchoring hinges for the doors.

It will be really great for making your own cage!

Bouncy's cage is an excellent example for you to see and to use for inspiration!!

[Annie95]

I was also looking at something like this which would be easier to fabricate in the meantime.. but I wasnt sure if the compartments would be an issue, or if they'd like the more areas to hide out?

I suppose I could always cut put the upper compartments for just large levels... but structurally I'm not sure how that would weaken it..

[savvy]

Could you turning on its side and cut archways through the compartments? They can be reinforced with metal strips for extra strength as you would need to cover the edges anyway to prevent chewing.

[Annie95]

The more I look the more concerned I get with the depth, it's only about 12" deep so I don't think that would work on second thought..

[winic1]

Have you looked on your local craigslist and online tag sale, facebook, etc. sites for another section of critterr nation cage? i see them sometimes. just make sure it's a critter nation, not a ferret nation (the bars are wider.)

[Annie95]

I have looked, and all the people I've seen are asking new price for clearly used.. frustrating..

[winic1]

Have you looked on your local craigslist and online tag sale, facebook, etc. sites for another section of critterr nation cage? i see them sometimes. just make sure it's a critter nation, not a ferret nation (the bars are wider.)

[winic1]

sorry, computer burp

[winic1]

Hate when they do that, "I paid $500 for this cage, so I want you to pay me $300" yeah, but I can buy it for $150, new, delivered to my door, clean and shiny, not my fault you overpaid, or claim to because that's the highest price you can find listed for it....

if you see an ad has been sitting there a while, make them a lower offer. They might just take it.

[winic1]

petco lists the add-on unit to double the cage size for $130.

[deguconvert]

Those shelves looked like they have potential, until I realized they are sitting on top of a table . . . they are really quite tiny. Too small to be of use.

[bouncy]

OK, here you go!

I had an awkward space for my second group so, with that and cost in mind, I went for boltless units with shelves of 31x81cm. These could be built as one tall single unit, or two short ones. The floor to ceiling part on the side is 1.5 units stacked. The upper two levels give them run through access to the big section on top of the Liberta cage with the big boys in. This is three half sections bolted together along the long side to create two levels of 81x93cm.



Each shelf board is covered with sticky backed plastic.  I cut 10cm off the end of four boards to allow access between the levels in the tall unit, and covered each exposed edge with aluminium U profile. It means that they have to leave the big bit and go down a level in the tall bit to access the lower big floor but, hey, they like running!

The sides are plyboard, cut to match the frames of the units. To avoid a build up of urine spray overtime, the sides facing the inside are also covered in sticky backed plastic. The units themselves, and the panels, are all held together with machine bolts, penny washers, and locking nuts. The perspex bit is their burrow bin, which Spud LOVES. 

For the doors, I made a pine frame that fits the unit. I then put in crossbars in to correspond with where I'd put the shelves for the levels. I then made doors to sit inside each frame "hole", and fixed the using piano hinges. That means every level has full access! You'll see the big unit has board to keep the crap in. The tall unit had board too, but Sausagegoo decided they were sizeist and kept chewing windows! They've been replaced with aluminium.

I love the shelving units because virtually all edges are protected by the framework, especially if you cut the mesh on the doors to cover the whole of it.  If circumstances change and I want to add to it or rearrange it, I can do so very easily. The only time-consuming bit would be changing the doorframe! 

[Annie95]

That is absolutely incredible. Do the doors open sideways or do they kind of fold down?

[bouncy]

I've made them to fold down, but you could have them open the other way. Problem is, it's difficult to have a 1m wide door for goos, and putting in a central pillar to have double doors means more work to goo proof! I put the hinges at the bottom of the door so they open and have nowhere else to go (like falling on my head!)

Tools wise, I only needed a drill, tape measure, screwdriver, saw, and spanner.