Making & furnishing my first bin

[humfry]

Might not be able to take in a hamster for a few weeks yet but I've been busy preparing a Hamster Palace. Lots of inspiration found on this site, so with a SAMLA bin from IKEA, bolts, nuts & washers from B & Q, mesh & galvanized wire from Wilkinsons, oddments of timber & marine plywood lying around the garage, a roll of willow garden edging from the PoundShop & a tub of PVA glue I've been busy.

The bin lid cut outs were the toughest job - much cursing & several attempts to chop off the odd finger but it is done. The great thing about the IKEA bins is you can buy the lids separately so if you make a complete hash of the job you can get a replacement! I have decided for now not to put in mesh side panels but to drill lots of holes at various level all around - the bin is tough thick plastic & a sharp drill makes very neat holes with no rough edges.

In the photos you can see all the accessories & bits & bobs made so far. A large spread tub makes a wonderful igloo - when/if it get chewed it's easily & cheaply replaced. The water bottle holder is a grated cheese tub with a slot cut vertically for the spout. The holder can be wired onto the side of the bin making it easy to lift out the water bottle for cleaning & refilling. Next time I have an empty cheese tub I'll make a spare.

The willow edging is brilliant - I unwired it all to make loads of sticks then cut them to length & split some to make various ladders, wallbars, seesaw, & a flexi bridge (drilling holes through the sticks & threading stiff galvanized wire. Inspired by the wonderful dowel walls & things elsewhere on the site I made a couple of fences to provide safety barriers to the first floor (a piece of plywood - for which I first of all made a cardboard template to decise where the hatch for the ladder should be. This floor stand on the metal legs of an IKEA Vareira shelf unit - was going to use the actual shelf but it is covered in a perforated pattern which little toes could easily slip into.

Everything wooden is now ready for a sealing coat of dilute PVA. But it will have to wait as I'm away until next week.

Thanks again to everyone here who has inspired all the above - these bin homes are a revolution in Hamster acommodation & such creative fun!

Hope these pictures upload OK - I will do a second post as it only allows me 5

[humfry]

Some more pictures.

Have to admit it is ages since I did anything like this but it has brought out the creative side of me for sure! Although getting to grips with saws & drills etc has been hard work it will all be worth it as you can do so much at so little cost, & know that when hammy has destroyed it you can make more!

[DexterChloe]

wow! Palace indeed! it looks fantastic. :)
I love a good bin cage. I don't think I'll ever buy another cage again now.. they are so versatile and super cheap!
Looking forward to seeing all your accessories put to use what a lucky ham it will be! :)

[humfry]

Thank you - but as said it is down to the fantastic inspirational posts already on here giving me ideas. Otherwise I would not have known where to start! It was initially seeing bin cages that made me definitely want to have another hamster - I think I always felt a bit sorry for my past ones in their barred "prison" cages (even though I got generous size ones) - they were never deep enough for them to really dig around with making a total mess everywhere so I ended up standing the cages in large boxes, then felt sorry cos they could only see out by climbing!!

I'll do some more pics when the bin is ready for occupation. Also inspired by those amazing KNUFF shelves I think I will make the first floor like a little garden with a herb/grass floor covering - is there anything I should avoid? did wonder if dandelions would lead to hammy needing the loo quite often!!

[Esmy]

It looks great, and a lot of fun!!

[basilthehammy]

Looks fantastic!!! You weren't kidding when you said hamster palace!

VERY lucky ham

[Truffle]

It looks fantastic :) What a lucky little hammie going to live there...

[Scoobysue]

It looks brilliant - you'll have hammys queuing up to live there!

[Jerricko]

At least you can get a new lid in the event of a mess up. I took out a large chunk out of my lid by accident :(

[Bye Bye Papaya]

That's an awe-inspiring cage!

[humfry]

Thanks for the comments. I am going to PVA it all later today & start drilling ventilation holes all round, so will do a picture when it has the "To Let" sign up! Went to check out another pet shop yesterday & was impressed with the cleanliness of their cages. Though I would check a few possible places to get my hammy whilst I know I cannot be tempted to bring one home on a whim. Standards do vary! The one yesterday don't let hammies go until about 7 weeks old - so as I will be ready end of May my future pal should be born anytime now!

[m00nbeam]

wow great toys !!! gonna look fab :)

[humfry]

trying to cut a hole in a coconut hidey hole has unfortunately landed me in hospital with a severed thumb. The hammy will have a lot to be grateful for. LOL!
I'll be back in few days!

[Nibbler]

Ouch !!! Recover quickly, hope it doesn't hurt too much.

[Esmy]

Uh oh, severed seems really bad! Does that mean you got down to the bone? :o I hope you heal fast!

[Dotty]

Oh gosh that sounds nasty, I hope you are OK. Dangerous thing making these bin cages, I cut my arm but only a little cut whilst doing mine.

[humfry]

cut right through tendons & knuckle bone but not main blood supply. not seeking sympathy so much as warning others to take care. should be in surgery for repair today. then can carry on with the bin!

[shoshannah]

Blown away by this! a very well done and very lucky hammie! I know it's quite a a big ask but, would you be able to do a few of the toys and the process it took to make them in detail? I'm going to make a bin cage and think your ideas are awesome and would love to try myself!

[LifeWithPets]

cut right through tendons & knuckle bone but not main blood supply. not seeking sympathy so much as warning others to take care. should be in surgery for repair today. then can carry on with the bin!

Wow, you sure are a soldier! Try not to hurt yourself again lol.

But the stuff you made looks fantastic! I have that willow edging too - but I got it for my rabbit so she could fling it around and chew it up, I never even thought of using it for ham accessories! I can't wait to see the final product. Do you know what species you want yet?

[humfry]

give me a few days recovery & I'll give more details of stuff.was very inspired by those knuff box fences but the willow was so cheap. might also be off work for a while so good to have some projects. sorry can't post much now as limited access via phone.
planning to have a Syrian btw.

[Esmy]

Good luck with your surgery!

[Dotty]

Good luck with your surgery!

[LifeWithPets]

I'm sure your syrian will loooove his/her palace. I can't wait to see how he/she gets on. Good luck with surgery by the way!

[shoshannah]

give me a few days recovery & I'll give more details of stuff.was very inspired by those knuff box fences but the willow was so cheap. might also be off work for a while so good to have some projects. sorry can't post much now as limited access via phone.
planning to have a Syrian btw.

Good luck and what a lucky syrian! Hope to hear more soon, have a safe recovery:D

[humfry]

What a lovely friendly community here! As a relative newcomer I do appreciate all the kind thoughts. Everyone's hamsters are very lucky to have such great homes!

Surgery went well. Thumb repaired with stitches/wires/pins etc but will be stuck with splint & cast for several weeks so DIY on hold for now! Reduced to typing with one finger so I will be reading but not saying much.

[LifeWithPets]

What a lovely friendly community here! As a relative newcomer I do appreciate all the kind thoughts. Everyone's hamsters are very lucky to have such great homes!

Surgery went well. Thumb repaired with stitches/wires/pins etc but will be stuck with splint & cast for several weeks so DIY on hold for now! Reduced to typing with one finger so I will be reading but not saying much.

That doesn't sound too fun at all. :( I'm so squeamish of stitches and staples etc, they make me feel so grossed out LOL. I hope you're okay!

[nalalove992]

That's amazing! Great job!

[humfry]

I've got a handy hint for anyone making a bin cage using nuts & bolts. Guess I have suddenly become safety aware! When you have fixed the mesh you end up with the sometimes slightly rough/sharp end of the bolt sticking up/out & could easily scrape a hand on one of them. A friend got me something called Dome Head Nuts to screw onto this excess thread - like this:

M3 M4 M5 M6 M8 M10 DOME HEAD CAP NUTS A2 STAINLESS | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M3-M4-M5-M6-M8-M10-DOME-HEAD-CAP-NUTS-A2-STAINLESS-/120956165466)

You just pick the right size (check the bolt size you bought) & they are dirt cheap from above supplier (£1.30 for 20 inc delivery in UK!!!). Just got mine & screwed them on & apart from being safer they look really neat! Saw them in B & Q where they were £0.80 EACH!!!!!

[alanjamesblair]

humfry, I'm deeply impressed, both with your commitment and with the design. The one thing that makes me wonder about this setup is the size of the wheel for a Syrian. How big is that wheel in diameter?

I made a second bin for my ham Magellan, peace be upon him, and the first held his wheel which took up a bit of space, but it had to, to keep his spine from bending. What do you think?

[humfry]

The wheel in the pics is the biggest that will stand on the platform - 8 inches (made the platform at height to accomodate this) on basis of baby Syrian will probably be OK with it at first. But I can easily replace it as soon as necessary with a 12 inch wheel attached to front wall of bin or stood on base level as I left a wide enough gap in front of the mezzanine floor to accomodate. When I last had hamsters 8 inch would have been regarded as big but thankfully we have all moved on. Every past cage I bought I had to replace the tiny included wheel but 8 inch was about the limit that you could fit. These bin homes are so adaptable & it is so much easier lifting off a lid than working through a little door or disconnecting the wire structure from plastic tray for access.

If my hammy needs even more space I'll add a second bin. Heaven forbid I get one like my Harris (1985 vintage) who was the size of a small guinea pig, & even though I upsizeded her cage I now realise she was still quite cramped - but I made a large playpen & used to let her run around in the room every evening.

[alanjamesblair]

That's awesome, humfry! Great plan. I'm a big fan of bin cages too. Peace and respect.

[shoshannah]

What a lovely friendly community here! As a relative newcomer I do appreciate all the kind thoughts. Everyone's hamsters are very lucky to have such great homes!

Surgery went well. Thumb repaired with stitches/wires/pins etc but will be stuck with splint & cast for several weeks so DIY on hold for now! Reduced to typing with one finger so I will be reading but not saying much.

That's great news, a speedy patch up and recovery. Hope you feel better soon , try not to get too excited for your hammie!:p:o

[humfry]

I got the plaster cast off a few days ago & my stitches out today & whilst thumb is still pinned & splinted I have got used to managing without it so am back on the bin preparations. I have got a second SAMLA to make a two storey palace. The bottom one will be an adventure playground with lots of things to do & deep substrate to burrow in. And the top one will be refectory, sleeping quarters & en-suite bathroom! With further things, including a wheel, to keep hammy busy. Have ordered some Ferplast tubes to make an internal connection between the two.

I made plenty of air holes in both bins & started cutting up an old wire cage to make a wire grid instead of mesh for the second lid plus may put one of the opening sections in the side of the bin - I have seen examples of this from some of you. This will give a drop down door & if I make a long ladder then hammy can climb out under supervision. There is just so much inspiration on this site & I've had plenty of time to read all your projects.

I'm going to need help to cut out the sections from the bin so it will have to wait until my partner comes round at weekend as he says he will cut them out with my electric jigsaw (I am under orders NOT to do this myself!). When this is done I'll post some more pictures.

[humfry]

The Ferplast tubes came today & it was a good guess as to which ones I needed to make an internal run. So tomorrow there will be some serious DIY-ing as I have marked out where bins need cutting & I will have my assistant to do the work! Hopefully all construction work is then done & I can take some pictures. Then have to finish furnishing & sit back until I can hopefully bring a hammy home in about 5-6 weeks time.

It's great shopping online as the tubes came with a bonus gift for a hammy - a lovely big cardboard box!! I guess this is like children & Christmas - the box is just as exciting (if not more so) than the contents!

[EmilyS_79]

I love making bin cages! Yours looks great! I'm jealous! What we do for our fuzzbabies...

[alanjamesblair]

Dear humfry,

If the electric jigsaw doesn't work out, consider using a soldering iron in a well-ventilated place. Or some use a hobby-knife and a candle, as long as the blade is hot. Not many people have reported success without some method of heating. But maybe you'll have great luck (or your partner will) with the jigsaw. And as always, safety first. :)

[humfry]

The jigsaw worked a treat! Like a knife through butter & an entire panel cut out in a few minutes & very neat. You do need to use a fine blade & keep it moving or the plastic melts & tends to re-weld if you hesitate in one place. It was great on the IKEA bin as the plastic is very thick, but I think a thinner or more brittle material might split/crack.

But if you know someone with a jigsaw who is competent handyperson deffo an easy option.

[bella1cas]

Can't wait to see the finished product! Gonna be one very lucky hamster soon :) x

[humfry]

It's frustrating slow at the most as I have to wait for my non-resident OH to come round to do the extra cutting etc. My ideas & plans are days ahead of actuality, but have to admit it is nice to have the time to get it all done without a little hammy sitting on the sidelines in a small temporary cage impatiently drumming its little paws for the front door key! I am on a "reserve" list for a recent born pup, but again that will be governed by my being able to collect him/her as won't have go ahead to drive for may be at least another 4 weeks. So fingers & thumb are crossed. There will be pics galore in due course, when I can get a grip on the camera!

[bella1cas]

Haha i can just picture the little hammy sitting drumming it's paws, thankfully casper is in a good sized bin cage while i do his new one :)

[humfry]

OK - I got some pictures at last of the work in progress. The bottom bin has holes drilled in the front but I have now decided to cut out a panel & use another section of an old cage so there is a door for easy access when the bins are stcked. Waiting for OH to come round & operate the jigsaw again!

He has made me a lovely box on legs thingy - an old wooden wine case for which he made some beautiful stainless steel legs (he's a precision engineer). This little loft/lookout/crow's nest/roof garden or whatever will have a ladder up to it & I might fill it with the sort of herby mix that made a little garden on the knuff box pictures. At the mo there is a steel dog bowl (69p from the cheapo shop) sitting in it which might make a great sandbath.

The "To Let" sign will be replaced by the name of the eventual resident & as you can see he/she will have to abide by some basic house rules!!

The Ferplast tubes connect the two bins through floor of upper bin (I cut away in the corner where one of the wheel supports was) & the lid of the bottom bin, but I am short of a couple of right angle tubes so they are now ordered, along with a 29cm wheel which will evenitually replace the 8 inch one in the pics.

Soon as bottom bin panel is done & tubes are complete I can add the substrate & see how the whole things looks ready for occupation.

Some pictures here & rest in next post

[humfry]

Another few pictures

[Nibbler]

That looks brilliant! Can't wait until we get pictures of the future tenant making him/herself at home.

Also love the rules too! Hopefully your hamster will be very respectful and abide by the rules, not turn into some naughty rock and roll/dive ham.

[Dotty]

This is brilliant, you have worked hard on that. thanks for sharing!

[humfry]

There is a query over on the Housing section about 2-storey bins which I've replied to with several more pictures & explanations.

http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/housing/50700-2-storey-bin-cage-new-post.html

After all the inspiration I've got from this site it is nice to think I am now passing on useful info to others!

[Hamsterz4Life]

All your hard work has definitely paid off because your bin looks fantastic! The rules are great and I am sure whoever lives in it will be super happy! x

[alanjamesblair]

Looks fantastic!

[RhiannonJ]

Amazing. I love the shelf and ladders. The sign is so cute! One hammy is going to be very lucky!