Jherek
Well-Known Member
I've seen a few pictures on here of an "Alu Cage by Otten" but I cannot for the life of me find this anywhre through Google. Where are these available? How much are they? Thanks in advance. :happydance:
"Alu Cage"
- Thread starter Jherek
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Prime654
Well-Known Member
I fell in love with them too, but Otten cages are available only in the netherlands.
Heres there english website:
http://www.ottenpetcages.nl/en/
and more samples of their aluminum cages:
http://www.ottenpetcages.com/nl/dept_139.html
I looked into making one custom here in canada, The aluminium square tubes can be bought at home depot in 8' lenghts as well as the wire mesh (galvanized though), and plexi glass. The only thing I couldnt find was a method to connect the alum-tubes in to corners to make frames for the mesh. Otten apparently sells connectors, but they never got back to me with a price, and shipping them probably would have cost a fortune.
If you happen to be or know a hobby weilder, they could probably put one together.
Heres there english website:
http://www.ottenpetcages.nl/en/
and more samples of their aluminum cages:
http://www.ottenpetcages.com/nl/dept_139.html
I looked into making one custom here in canada, The aluminium square tubes can be bought at home depot in 8' lenghts as well as the wire mesh (galvanized though), and plexi glass. The only thing I couldnt find was a method to connect the alum-tubes in to corners to make frames for the mesh. Otten apparently sells connectors, but they never got back to me with a price, and shipping them probably would have cost a fortune.
If you happen to be or know a hobby weilder, they could probably put one together.
Jherek
Well-Known Member
Dangit, they looked so amazing too 
I'll have to find someone to commission anic:
I'll have to find someone to commission anic:
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
There is a girl that had something similar made. She bought it from the US and shipped to Canada. I hope she doesn't mind my posting her picture here. Except with this one, if you use bedding, it won't hold it.
http://www.cde-animalcages.com/
http://www.cde-animalcages.com/
Prime654
Well-Known Member
Ohhh... custom cages based in california, that is tempting!
If only i could get my hands on those "nylon plugs" (the grey squares you see in all the corners) I'd probably able to make one myself.
If only i could get my hands on those "nylon plugs" (the grey squares you see in all the corners) I'd probably able to make one myself.
Christie
Well-Known Member
Holy Frig!!!!! Those are sweeeet cages!!!!! I want one!!!!!
MarcusB
Active Member
Welding aluminum is pretty tricky as far as welding goes because of the low melting point. I sure as hell can't do it properly! I can get it done easily here in Fredericton because the guys in the Mechanical Engineering shop do that kind of stuff for students and they're willing to take on non-school projects if you're the one doing the bulk of the work.
Your best bet is to do some drawings up and call an autobody shop and inquire about having the frame for the cage welded up for you. If you know exactly what you want I can do something up in 3D modeling software and email the drawings to you.
You do have some options, however. I firmly believe that you can make a very reasonably priced frame using small PVC tubing OR wood to make the frame.
If you buy 1/2 x 1/2 "hardware cloth" by the roll you can do some interesting things. I made a cage using a hardware cloth roll and a huge rubbermaid bin I just cut out the sides of the bin (huge squares of plastic so there's basically no plastic left on the front and back except for a strip on the bottom to retain the bedding and strips around the outside to keep the whole thing structurally stable.
Next, I cut the screen out to match the holes, placed it on the inside of the plastic bin and drilled holes about once every 2 squares of mesh along the outside. Use a "pin vice" http://www.kathrynloch.com/FWThumbnails/6pinvice.jpg if you want control and don't mind calloused hands Take some 22 gauge or larger steel wire (look in the picture hanging area of a walmart or the like) and thread it through the holes like you're sewing.
Presto- a cheap, easy cage to make. It's not beautiful but it does the trick and you can hang things like normal in it. I did this style cage up for my boys in a night and it only cost me about $30 (with lots of hardware cloth left over afterwords).
What's easier? Take 1" wide wood strips of reasonable thickness (I'd try and get 1/4" thick) and make a frame the size you want. Next, cut the hardware cloth to size and staple it onto the inside of the frame, making sure all the wood is covered by mesh. Note that the staple gun should be loaded with staples that aren't longer than the thickness of the wood.
Using that method you can easily make a cage in an afternoon. If you're really keen on it you can stain the wood. Reptile keepers use this method (except not with all that mesh ) to make very nice cages for cheap.
I plan on making my own cage at some point in the future and if and when I do I'll post a tutorial.
Your best bet is to do some drawings up and call an autobody shop and inquire about having the frame for the cage welded up for you. If you know exactly what you want I can do something up in 3D modeling software and email the drawings to you.
You do have some options, however. I firmly believe that you can make a very reasonably priced frame using small PVC tubing OR wood to make the frame.
If you buy 1/2 x 1/2 "hardware cloth" by the roll you can do some interesting things. I made a cage using a hardware cloth roll and a huge rubbermaid bin
I just cut out the sides of the bin (huge squares of plastic so there's basically no plastic left on the front and back except for a strip on the bottom to retain the bedding and strips around the outside to keep the whole thing structurally stable. Next, I cut the screen out to match the holes, placed it on the inside of the plastic bin and drilled holes about once every 2 squares of mesh along the outside. Use a "pin vice" http://www.kathrynloch.com/FWThumbnails/6pinvice.jpg if you want control and don't mind calloused hands
Take some 22 gauge or larger steel wire (look in the picture hanging area of a walmart or the like) and thread it through the holes like you're sewing.Presto- a cheap, easy cage to make. It's not beautiful but it does the trick and you can hang things like normal in it. I did this style cage up for my boys in a night and it only cost me about $30 (with lots of hardware cloth left over afterwords).
What's easier? Take 1" wide wood strips of reasonable thickness (I'd try and get 1/4" thick) and make a frame the size you want. Next, cut the hardware cloth to size and staple it onto the inside of the frame, making sure all the wood is covered by mesh. Note that the staple gun should be loaded with staples that aren't longer than the thickness of the wood.
Using that method you can easily make a cage in an afternoon. If you're really keen on it you can stain the wood. Reptile keepers use this method (except not with all that mesh
) to make very nice cages for cheap.I plan on making my own cage at some point in the future and if and when I do I'll post a tutorial.
MarcusB
Active Member
OH OH! I've got it!
You can buy a right angle connector plate thing at hardware stores. It looks like a steel plate cut like this: |_ but there's a hole predrilled in both corners at about a half inch back from the end. the plat's about an eighth of an inch thick. Using standard bolts, nuts and washers you can use that corner piece to connect two aluminum channel pieces at an exact right angle without welding!
I've done this before when I made aluminum railing for use in a loading bay at a plant I worked in one summer. It's super easy to do- honestly!
I'd take each of you shopping and point these parts out if I could... I certainly can't find decent pictures online. :?
You can buy a right angle connector plate thing at hardware stores. It looks like a steel plate cut like this: |_ but there's a hole predrilled in both corners at about a half inch back from the end. the plat's about an eighth of an inch thick. Using standard bolts, nuts and washers you can use that corner piece to connect two aluminum channel pieces at an exact right angle without welding!
I've done this before when I made aluminum railing for use in a loading bay at a plant I worked in one summer. It's super easy to do- honestly!
I'd take each of you shopping and point these parts out if I could... I certainly can't find decent pictures online. :?
SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
I have a couple of large bin cages that I use if needed as baby cages or travel cages ... much too small for rat cages as rats need a min of 2 cubic feet of cage space per rat .... so I assume that your cages must be similar to the cage Dalhas used to have and are very very tall due to the hardware cloth.
The problem with hardware cloth is that it is galvanised and so will be difficult to clean, will absorb urine, etc. as will wood.
If you have found powder coated hardware cloth in NB, I'm sure many people would be interested ... people in the states have it.
The problem with hardware cloth is that it is galvanised and so will be difficult to clean, will absorb urine, etc. as will wood.
If you have found powder coated hardware cloth in NB, I'm sure many people would be interested ... people in the states have it.
MarcusB
Active Member
SQ said:
Yeah- the Hardware cloth does make it a bit tall, but it was cheap and effective. Like I said before- I've put cage resizing way way way up my priority list now that I've read more on this community. Most of my rat info came from fellow snake enthusists... so I was a bit misguided regarding necessary enclosure size. :doh:
All I can do now is build them a better one
That I know I can do since building a wooden framed cage with hardware cloth is cheap and easy. I'll look out for some powdercoated stuff, but I might be able to find a cheap powdercoater using engineering contacts around here.MarcusB
Active Member
It seems that the "PVC coated green" hardware cloth is fairly common online, so I'm going to call Home Depot and Kents tomorrow and ask if they have it. I'll update this as info becomes available.
Jherek
Well-Known Member
If you buy 1/2 x 1/2 "hardware cloth" by the roll you can do some interesting things. I made a cage using a hardware cloth roll and a huge rubbermaid bin
Next, I cut the screen out to match the holes, placed it on the inside of the plastic bin and drilled holes about once every 2 squares of mesh along the outside. Use a "pin vice" http://www.kathrynloch.com/FWThumbnails/6pinvice.jpg if you want control and don't mind calloused hands
Presto- a cheap, easy cage to make. It's not beautiful but it does the trick and you can hang things like normal in it. I did this style cage up for my boys in a night and it only cost me about $30 (with lots of hardware cloth left over afterwords).
What's easier? Take 1" wide wood strips of reasonable thickness (I'd try and get 1/4" thick) and make a frame the size you want. Next, cut the hardware cloth to size and staple it onto the inside of the frame, making sure all the wood is covered by mesh. Note that the staple gun should be loaded with staples that aren't longer than the thickness of the wood.
I already have a large enough (modified) cage, I just really loved the design of the Alu Cage (check out the smexiness: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1963&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=90 ).
NezumiNeko
Well-Known Member
The Alu Cage is the sexiest cage. Ever. BUt I couldn't find it on Otten.com.
CD&E Animal cages are way too pricy.
CD&E Animal cages are way too pricy.
