raynefyre
Taste the Rainbow
Item List:
2 - 2'x4'x1/2" sheet of ply (top & bottom)
2 - 2'x23"x1/2" sheet of ply (sides)
1 - 47"x23"x1/2" sheet of ply (back)
1 - 3"x4'x1" board (litter dam)
3 - 3"x2'x1" board (legs)
2 - 2"x4"x1" board (window frame top & bottom)
2 - 2"x21"x1" board (window frame sides)
1 - 2"x17"x1" board (window frame center piece)
2 - 18"x22"x.08" Optix plexiglass
2 - 4" PVC vents
3 - 2.5" hinges
2 - silver latches
1 - tube of caulk
bottle of wood glue
1 5/8" screws
1 1/8" screws
black acrylic paint
polycrylic sealer
The pieces, everything cut to size. I cut the framing for the window at 45 degree angles, except the center piece, to make it fit neatly together.
Next, I cut a 1/2" high groove down the center of the inside of the window frame pieces on the table saw. Note, you have to do it on both sides of the center piece.
Next I had to cut the vents on a band saw because they were too thick for the ply. I screwed them to a 2x4 to keep them perfectly vertical to run them through the saw properly. Here's a pic to show what I did.
I put the cage together starting with the bottom on its side and adding the side walls and the back. Next came the top, the legs, and the litter dam. (Note: I pre-drilled everything to make sure nothing split. Countersinking is preferred too. Glue all pieces together too.)
Painted the outside of the cage black (to match the rest of our furniture). Also, the inside was coated twice with polycrylic sealer.
Installed the Optix and screwed the frame together. Door complete.
Next I cut two 4" circular holes in the back wall for the vents. Their centers are 12" in from the sides and 9.5" up from the bottom of the inside of the cage. Just wedge them in with some glue and use the hinges to attach the window frame to the cage. I put one dead center and the other two are 2" from the sides. The latches were attached 12" in from the edges of the cage. Lastly, I coated the inside with two more coats of polycrylic to make sure it was sealed good. Waiting for it to completely dry overnight before I caulk all the inside corners and edges. Here's the final product.
I was able to use a lot of things in my shop so I didn't have to buy them. Here's the cost of what I had to buy to build this.
1 - 4'x8'x1/2" sheet of high quality birch ply ($35 at Carter Lumber)
2 - 4" PVC vents ($2 each at Lowes)
2 - 18"x24" (cut to size) pieces of Optix ($6 each at Lowes)
2 - sets of 2.5" hinges ($2 each at Lowes)
1 - set of latches ($5 at Lowes)
Total: $60 plus I ordered a radiant heat panel from Pro Products coming in Wednesday which was $100. So total for the whole cage would end up being $160. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.
2 - 2'x4'x1/2" sheet of ply (top & bottom)
2 - 2'x23"x1/2" sheet of ply (sides)
1 - 47"x23"x1/2" sheet of ply (back)
1 - 3"x4'x1" board (litter dam)
3 - 3"x2'x1" board (legs)
2 - 2"x4"x1" board (window frame top & bottom)
2 - 2"x21"x1" board (window frame sides)
1 - 2"x17"x1" board (window frame center piece)
2 - 18"x22"x.08" Optix plexiglass
2 - 4" PVC vents
3 - 2.5" hinges
2 - silver latches
1 - tube of caulk
bottle of wood glue
1 5/8" screws
1 1/8" screws
black acrylic paint
polycrylic sealer
The pieces, everything cut to size. I cut the framing for the window at 45 degree angles, except the center piece, to make it fit neatly together.
Next, I cut a 1/2" high groove down the center of the inside of the window frame pieces on the table saw. Note, you have to do it on both sides of the center piece.
Next I had to cut the vents on a band saw because they were too thick for the ply. I screwed them to a 2x4 to keep them perfectly vertical to run them through the saw properly. Here's a pic to show what I did.
I put the cage together starting with the bottom on its side and adding the side walls and the back. Next came the top, the legs, and the litter dam. (Note: I pre-drilled everything to make sure nothing split. Countersinking is preferred too. Glue all pieces together too.)
Painted the outside of the cage black (to match the rest of our furniture). Also, the inside was coated twice with polycrylic sealer.
Installed the Optix and screwed the frame together. Door complete.
Next I cut two 4" circular holes in the back wall for the vents. Their centers are 12" in from the sides and 9.5" up from the bottom of the inside of the cage. Just wedge them in with some glue and use the hinges to attach the window frame to the cage. I put one dead center and the other two are 2" from the sides. The latches were attached 12" in from the edges of the cage. Lastly, I coated the inside with two more coats of polycrylic to make sure it was sealed good. Waiting for it to completely dry overnight before I caulk all the inside corners and edges. Here's the final product.
I was able to use a lot of things in my shop so I didn't have to buy them. Here's the cost of what I had to buy to build this.
1 - 4'x8'x1/2" sheet of high quality birch ply ($35 at Carter Lumber)
2 - 4" PVC vents ($2 each at Lowes)
2 - 18"x24" (cut to size) pieces of Optix ($6 each at Lowes)
2 - sets of 2.5" hinges ($2 each at Lowes)
1 - set of latches ($5 at Lowes)
Total: $60 plus I ordered a radiant heat panel from Pro Products coming in Wednesday which was $100. So total for the whole cage would end up being $160. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.
