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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.

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