Skip to main content

The Big Degu Cage Build - Part Three

The weather held out for most of the day so the cage is progressing nicely. I have all of the pieces which make the shell cut (minus the 2 mess guards) and the bottom section pieces are partially assembled. I still have all of the internal shelves to cut.

MDF pieces which make the bottom outer section of the cage.

There was a little bit of weather drama early afternoon. 2 pieces left to cut and it was approaching 1PM so work stopped for lunch as the weather predicted thunder storms after 4PM. Not so. By 2PM it started to rain but thankfully a half hour dry spell before the real rain started meant the remaining side panels could be cut.

Bottom section outer shell assembled (minus mess guard).

For a pair of novices with next to no carpentry skills (and a little fatherly help) the cage isn't looking too bad. MDF, while relatively inexpensive, is notoriously hard to join as it can split when screwing down into the edge. To combat this we nailed and glued the panels together.

  • First pilot holes were drilled through the 2 narrow sides of the bottom piece. The holes help guide the nails. The MDF I'm using is 18mm thick so a line was drawn 9mm from the outer edge and the pilot holes were drilled along this line at regular intervals. I think there's a bout 7 in total.
  • A generous amount of wood glue was applied to the bottom edge of the side pieces and then nailed to the bottom piece. The sides sit on top of the bottom piece so that the nails are on the underside.
  • Next, pilot holes were made in the back piece along it's sides and bottom edge (9 in each). Again, using nails and glue, the back piece was attached only this time it doesn't sit on top of the bottom. It's nailed to the backside edges of the 2 side pieces and the bottom piece to give more strength.

I'll have to see if I can make a few diagrams showing which way I attached the pieces. Hoping to have it finished by the weekend so that I can paint the outside to match the decor and give it plenty of time to dry before the degus move in.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Degu Cage Plans

Building a cage to house my degus is starting to take over my life. I've spent weeks jotting things down and thinking of ways to make it as degu proof as possible. The problem is that I could probably spend months just making sure I've thought of everything so I've decided to go for it. This morning I worked out how much material I would need for a basic cage structure to the one below (allowing extra for adjustments) and popped down to my local Wickes to order it all. I will also be adding 2 sets of mesh doors and a mesh roof but I haven't drawn these on the diagram. I've gone for mesh doors as the room it will be in is a few degrees warmer than the rest of the house and it will allow for better air circulation. The RSPCA recommends a minumim CARA (cumulative available running area) of 12,000 sq.cm for 2 degus. Owners recommend a CARA of 17,000 sq.cm so I've gone for a happy medium of around 15,000 sq.cm. Ideally I should have at least 2 levels measur...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Degus Have Moved In

This morning 3 little degus became the newest members of my family and they're the 3 cutest girls ever! I was up until midnight filling and dressing their cage ready for them to move in and they are loving it. 2 of them still think that there are only 2 floors and not 4, and all 3 have spent most of the day running in their wheel. Just before I settled down to write this they were all in a 'goo pile' on top of their cabin. It's a little dark in the room for a decent photo and I don't want to use the flash so I'll have to wait until there's a little more light to get a photo of them huddled together. They are all still a little flighty and scared of the camera but I managed to get a few decent photos of them. Don't have any names yet as I'm waiting to see what kind of personalities they have. My brother wants to call them Penny, Amy, and Bernadette… The Big Degu Theory! UPDATE — Here's a little video my brother recorded. :)
Post a Comment
Read more

Dozing Degus

I can't believe I've had my degus for a month tomorrow. I've been a little busy with work this past week but I thought I'd take time out to share a little video my brother took of the girls chillaxing on Saturday afternoon. About 30 seconds in I open the door for a better view. Enjoy!
Post a Comment
Read more