My Father, The Carpenter *Now With 1st Pic*

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C

Cait

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
3,510
Location
Pasadena, CA
I told my dad I'd be buying the FN, and he kind of went like this: :shock:

He said he was going to build me a cage for Christmas, and if I bought the cage, well... Now usually, I don't like to nurse anyone's ego. But he's my dad. I'm a daddy's girl. And my dad's thing, besides the Army and NASCAR, is building stuff. Tables, hutches, stands, etc. That's what he does. So I agreed to let him build a cage... But said I can't wait for Christmas to roll around. He agreed to start building this weekend or the next, which works out for me.

I'm wary. I know how homemade wooden cages go... They get stinky, they get gross. It's what they do. So in the back of my mind I'm going "He's going to build this thing, he's going to be so proud, and then in two months I'm going to have to trash it and go get the FN anyway".

The things we do for those we love.

But I was thinking about it... Is it possible to build it to where it doesn't hold the god forsaken smell of male rat pee? I've seen them made with melamine or laminated wood... Does that actually work? I've heard of using water based Kilz on particle board. But I'm not sure any of that will work out in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, we sat down and talked about it, and decided on dimensions. I measured the space their cage is now to get an idea of what could actually GO there. We decided to build it 5 feet tall, but with a foot underneath it for a stand, so I can store their food and stuff underneath it. Then go 4 feet wide, but I can only go 2 feet deep. :/ I have to get to my closet somehow! The back and sides would be solid, and the doors would take up most of the front, and use that fun green coated mesh.

So I'd split it into two levels, with a 6 inch lip on each level because... I love YN too much to switch over to fleece or towel liners. Then on each level a set of barn doors. And a few shelves in there, voila, cage. (I know, I make it sound so simple.) I could use eyelets and hoks to hang their hammocks and tubes from.

Any ideas on what I can do to make this thing last a little bit longer than what I assume it's going to? Anything you would do?
 
Instead of letting him go ahead and waste time, could you level with him about what will happen? If you don't want to be the killjoy, blame us!

He could make you all kinds of neat wooden rat toys instead (log cabins, little perches, etc). I have found that those respond fairly well to being sprayed with vinegar periodically and then let to dry for a few days.

The cage, on the other hand, would reek in no time and then he would be so disappointed.
 
I tried to reason with him (carefully), and he throws this one at me: plexiglass. He wants to put in plexiglass pans, with the back and sides going up about 7-8 inches. Which... Would keep the pee off of the wood and, and I'd just have to wash down the walls whenever I change out the litter. He's sneaky, and apparently has read up about wooden cages. For those who have never tried to reason with him, I'll let you know something... he's pretty much impossible. Once he gets an idea, he will do it. Where there is *his* will, there's a way. -.-

Doesn't plexiglass absorb smell too? I remember reading that somewhere, but I might be wrong.
 
Ah, stubborn fathers! A very familiar situation. All you can do is try. You gave him fair warning, and he thinks he has a solution, so go for it. I don't have any experience with Plexiglass, but Dahlas has.
 
I knew from the get go there was no disuading him... But you're right, I gave him fair warning. Heh.

I won't be the one moving it, though, when it's yuck. >.<
 
LOL! Your dad makes me laugh. Though I do wish my dad built stuff. Er... I wish he'd help me build stuff, cause I like wood. Post pics of the cage when it's done!
 
No experience with plexiglass but I would think it could be kept pretty sanitary, the problem would come in what you use to join the sides of the pan to the bottom?
If you are not totally past the point of trying to dissuade him and are still in the discussing pros/cons stage you might mention that if you get a mite problem you need to put all your wood in the freezer! :sad3:

If he wants to do a trial run to iron out the bugs I could always test the prototype for you :giggle: and even post bi-yearly (fake-dated) photos of kids enjoying it even if it had to be tossed...

Sounds like he's doing his research about materials anyway, I got give him credit for that - as well as being a helluva loving dad to show that his desire to give is tailored to his daughter's loves!!!! Hard to say about the cage but your Dad is a keeper eh?
 
I'm actually bargaining with someone for a homemade cage like that right now on CraigsList, they used melamine and fleece liners and kept a few generations of rats, then ferrets in there and its still in excellent condition from the pictures.

I did ask the woman how hard it was to clean, she said it was super easy, but I dunno.

The only real con I have with it right now is that its bigger than my refrigerator...its about 6 feet tall, and 2ish feet deep, like yours is going to be, lol, I don't think I'm going to have room for it....and I'd have to lug it up two flights of stairs to my apartment, lol.


If your dad wants to consult someone who's MADE a long lasting cage, I'll gladly send you the woman's email address, I'm sure she could give better details and maybe give him tips tricks and ideas (and give you cleaning advice!).
 
My dad is spectacular. I could not have asked for a better one, and every day I am SO thankful that I have him. Which is probably the main reason I don't really have the heart to flat out refuse him... I've given up. He'll build it, and we'll see how it goes. Who knows... Maybe he will be the one to make a good quality homemade cage!

As for the plexiglass, he was planning on caulking it on there, between the wood and the plexiglass, so the rats can't chew it.

He talked about fiberglass... Coating the inside with it. I don't know anything about fiberglass, but... What happens if they chew it? That CAN'T be good. 0.0 But CAN they chew it? Again, I know nothing about fiberglass. 0.0 It sounds scarier than just putting plexiglass in there.

The more I read about melamine, the more I like it. I hope we can get it here... You just have to seal the cut edges, from what I read. Mmm yay!
 
Cait said:
As for the plexiglass, he was planning on caulking it on there, between the wood and the plexiglass, so the rats can't chew it.
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So that's where I question things - in the joins - close as you can get the plexiglass panels still the caulking is going to have some exposure to absorb the pee to some degree I would think? yeah I'm being picky about a minimal problem but I think your dad is going to put so much effort into this that it's important every nuance is addressed so it can stand the test of time. I think melamine is less microscopically porous than plexiglass? but still your achille's heel will be in the joins.
omg - listen to me - as if I know what I'm talking about :fishbeat: You know where this is coming from? From growing up with a dad who loved to get in his workshop and create things and was a perfectionist about them. :laugh4:

Cait said:
Maybe he will be the one to make a good quality homemade cage!
Click to expand...
No doubt he's intending to, I really think he has a good chance to since he's researching, and really hope he does cause it's gonna be a precious labour of love.
I think on the offchance it doesn't work out you'll end up bleaching & lysol-ing and keeping to hold your ornaments, or a potted plant stand, or maybe even a display case for your rattie curio collection.
Cause it will be your most treasured piece of furniture in days long long in the future when your daddy is gone like mine.
:heart:
not to bum you out at all! just to say how precious this creation is gonna be no matter how well or poorly it can stand up to rattie machinations :D
 
My dad and I built one many moons ago. It was fun doing this with my dad... but ya, in the end, the darn thing lasted only 3 months before I had to tell my dad that it had to go.

But you never know... it might be worth it!!
 
Research reptile cages a bit. They're traditionally made with those methods, and have to be sanitized often, so they need to be liquid resistant. Chew resistant... well no. But make adjustments :p

Melamine is great- I've yet to hear of it getting waterlogged. The big issue with it is weight- it's hugely heavy.

Plexiglass is excellent- fire resistant, hard and easy to clean. But it's heavy and expensive unless you use some very thin stuff.

An aluminum and mesh cage is very buildable by hand. You can definitely make a martins style cage by hand if you've got some pvc coated wire or access to a powder-coating facility.

A wooden cage would be very heavy... I'd try convincing him to go with an aluminum framework held together with bolts.

If you do use wood I strongly suggest using tile floor laminate- you gain perfect water resistance and if you glue it nice and tight it shouldn't get chewed terribly, should it? :?
 
Now he's changed venues... He wants to make it out of sheet metal!

I'm not sure how this is going to work out, but we'll see. 0.0 He's talking about bending and welding and all of this stuff I have no clue about. All I can say is I wish I could just buy my FN.
 
Just make sure he realizes that metal smeeeeells. He'll need to find somewhere to powder coat it. I have a friend who artistically welds for a living who thought he had access to powder coating, he was going to make me a FN inspired awesome cage, but turns out unless he orders the thing to powder coat himself, no access to it, and I don't want smell girls in my house >_<

Maybe you guys could come to a sort of agreement.....you buy a cage, and he could help you with all sorts of little hand made rat houses and toys and maybe a few off the wall shelf ideas (I just ghetto rigged some old plexiglass pieces in my cage as shelves with little latch hooks to hold them in place)
 
I talked to him again today ( I have to let his ideas sit around for at least a day before I come in with something to crush them) and he goes "So basically you're looking for a giant 5 sided cube, that won't retain smell or odor, and won't get ruined if they pee on it? Basically you're looking for a fridge."

So guess what he's doing. Turning a large deep freeze/fridge into a cage. It sounds crazy, but of all the other ideas, this one REALLY peaks my interest. He says he can easily take off the door and build two metal doors (I told him powdercoated and he has a car person who can do that), using the wire front and back panels from the girl's All Living Things cage (powder coated, the paint is chipping on them a bit) for ventilation.

I can't wait to see this, that's for sure!!!
 
It really will be pretty cool, if it works out.

I mean... You can EASILY wipe down a fridge, and it won't retain any smells or gross stuff like wood or metal... He's talking about using aquarium sealant to adhere any extra shelves into it, but fridges seem to have enough "levels" in them to work out pretty okay. I guess that depends on what the fridge looks like.

Which, he's already found an upright deep freeze for free on Craigslist; we just have to wait for a reply back. It was only posted yesterday, so maybe we'll have some luck.

Now I'm pretty excited about this... It sounds too weird, LMAO.
 
LMAO Omg I just got that... WOW. My mind is slow today.

Haha, when it's done, it's thread will have to be called that... "Coolest Cage Ever"... Omg I'm such a dweeb.
 

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