DIY Cage - Ikea Regissor Bookcase

[DanniDorrito]

My boyfriend and I decided to start a DIY project for the hamsters. With our latest addition and a planned one next year, we needed to start planning some better homes for them.
I've been looking at all the DIY cages I have come across to get as much research and information on them as possible, its going to be a big project but will be totally worth it in the end.
We were originally going to go with the Ikea Kallax/Expedit shelving unit but when we saw the small and medium size in person it didn't seem as big as we wanted. The large was too wide for the space we wanted to fit it in.

My main concern throughout the the project will be ventilation and ensuring it is completely hamster friendly.

After a bit of browsing we came across this gorgeous bookcase called the Regissor. Its a little more pricy than the Kallax at $199, but definitely worth it.
The overall size is H 203cm (79 7/8") x W 78cm (30 3/4") x D 38cm (15") so its a pretty awesome bookcase!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/regissor-bookcase-brown__0242831_PE383145_S4.JPG

The plan is to use three shelves for three Syrians (One home each) and the other shelves as storage. Its roughly around 420 square inches of space per shelf, not bad!
We plan to not use the back panel and instead use plexiglass and some LED lights.

So the first day we brought:
The bookcase
Storage boxes
Metallic adhesive film
Non-toxic sealant
Plexiglass
Screws
U Channels
Air vents
Plastic cutter
Came to around $500 in total so far.

-=-=-=-

We started with setting up the storage bins, Marbles wasn't so impressed by them.

http://i.imgur.com/rlqLuNvh.jpg

Then we started on the bookcase by covering the main inner shelf walls with the film, it will keep the wood waterproof and better protect it.

http://i.imgur.com/wstZi8ph.jpg

Again, Marbles wasn't much of a help here either. He would just sit in his ball and watch us do all the work.

http://i.imgur.com/wZIn62Dh.jpg

Took us a while to get all the foil on both panels, but it looked great at the end. Where the lines are will be where the shelves will go. We decided one of the shelves will not be added so there's more space for the other shelves.

http://i.imgur.com/kP9sE5Hh.jpg

We also cut the U Channels for the sliding doors on the front, also need some shorter ones cut yet though.

http://i.imgur.com/XBQMeLQh.jpg

That was one nights work, we ran out of Metallic Foil so couldn't continue anymore. The foil is pretty expensive too at $20 a roll, but will totally be worth it.

We've actually picked up two more rolls of foil so I can work on the shelves some more tonight or tomorrow! I will be posting my updates as the project progresses!

[velma]

I can't wait to see the progress of this & the finished result. I think it's going to look great :)

[LadyPikachu]

Wow quite the project! I think this will look fabulous! Looking forward to seeing progress and eventually little fluffs enjoying the new home!

[Pebbles82]

I am really impressed and it looks like you work well together as a team! My only observation would be the height of it, as it could fall over, but I expect you are planning to fix it to the wall to prevent that.

[Pygmypuff]

Oooooh wow! Exciting! That's going to be just amazing.

[DanniDorrito]

More work has been done tonight! Was spread over 2 days.

Added Metallic Adhesive Film to the shelves so the top of each shelf is covered. Added clear adhesive film to the bottom of the shelves where the cages will be. Also added Metallic Film to the sides of the U Channels.

Next on the to-do list is build it up and see where the filters will be, then drill holes for them to be slotted into. Also need to cut the plexiglass for the doors and back board.

http://i.imgur.com/tD5BQ6wh.jpg

Just built up the bookcase and added the shelves! It's looking great :D

Bottom shelf will be storage, 3 middle shelves will be cages and top shelf will be another small storage area. 11 inch Wodent Wheel for scale.

http://i.imgur.com/6LGS7QLh.jpg

[Chi]

Wow looking great so far! Looking forward to the finished result ��

[Kiki_3173]

This is a fantastic project Danni!! Can't wait to see the finished product:-). I am a huge fan of DIY!!!

[DanniDorrito]

Thanks everyone for the encouraging posts! Really enjoyed working on this project so far! The hams are going to love the extra space in their little apartment blocks hehe.

Plexiglass is on the back now, just cutting holes into the sides for vents as we speak. Only obtained one splinter in my finger so far so I guess that's good news haha. Will need to drill holes into the plexiglass for more vents.

Hoping we'll have enough plexiglass for the sliding doors and little bar to stop substrate from falling out. Large sheets of thick plexiglass is pretty expensive!

The bottom shelf is big enough for a platform so will do that at some point too. Ordered a second wodent wheel in lavender for the girl to enjoy once she grows out of her silent spinner. I'd usually clean their cages today but I might hold off and do the cleans when we move them into the bookcase ^_^

[Thin Lizzy]

Wow! This is going to look absolutely amazing!
I, like the others can't wait to see the finished result!

Have you thought about afterwards, after it's finished and in use and given the thumbs up by Marbles and Maize about making it a hobby and maybe making them and selling them?
It's something to think about!

[DanniDorrito]

Thank you! I'm starting to get really antsy to finish it now ;P
The vent holes have been cut out and the vents were cut to size, we just need to find something to cover the inside of the vent then it'll be time to glue it all together with sealant.

That would be a really cool idea, I've really enjoyed working on the project so far so if someone would be ok to cover the costs for the parts and the time I spend on it I'd definitely be happy to make more haha. I live in Quebec, Canada so I don't think there's be anyone nearby that's interested in having one of these made for them.

[hamstermomma]

Oh wow this is going to be amazing! Your hammies are very lucky

[Teddy001]

WOW!! LOVE'N IT! Looking forward to see it finished.. I DIY'd a few habitats for my hamsters, as well.. It's quite a project, but, exciting to see the amazing results. :)

[Mysteri]

I can't wait to see the outcome!

[Hekomi]

Strong Brew would buy some I bet ;)

[DanniDorrito]

Holes for the vents were drilled last night, also added plexiglass to the back.

http://i.imgur.com/JKFlY4fl.jpg

Today we started adding vents and covering everything in sealant. Some vent holes weren't big enough so currently waiting for the sealant we've added to dry before filing the holes.

I made some covers for the inside of the vents using a plastic food mat thing and more metallic adhesive foil.

http://i.imgur.com/Hah8Ntql.jpg

Plexiglass still needs cutting for the sliding doors, more sealant needs adding and the U channels need adding. We're at the homestretch now!

[Thin Lizzy]

This is really coming together, although I'm more than OK at DIY, seeing this project makes me want to improve my skills.

[Nancy's Hamsters]

Just curious, do you plan to place vents in the Plexiglass backing? I've seen many DIY Ikeas and almost everyone found they needed rear panel air vents to keep the cages with lots of air circulation. It's looking really good thus far and I am enjoying the step by step photos too.

[DanniDorrito]

Just curious, do you plan to place vents in the Plexiglass backing? I've seen many DIY Ikeas and almost everyone found they needed rear panel air vents to keep the cages with lots of air circulation. It's looking really good thus far and I am enjoying the step by step photos too.

Yeah we plan to drill some holes into the plexiglass at the back, I believe the side vents and the location of the bookcase in the room should give a sufficient amount of ventilation but you can never be too careful!

Please excuse the mess in the photo, we plan to place the bookcase on that corner wall, between the wooden panels and the corner. Its back will be up against that stone wall so the side vents will have the airflow of passersby and also with the wall not being straight the back vent holes should be working too. My boyfriend will be fitting it to the wall, I'm not exactly sure how that will work but he seems to know what he's doing haha.

http://i.imgur.com/nddEylnl.jpg

[DanniDorrito]

Progress from the end of tonight!

All the vents were fitted into place, will also be adding some vent holes to the plexiglass. I've been spraying the bookcase with compressed air to remove some of the dirt and wood dust, mostly because the compressed air thing is super fun to play with haha. Given it a good wipe down and clean, we also removed the plastic film from the plexiglass and super surprised how clear it is!

We ran out of sealant so will be getting some more tomorrow. In the photo you can see our little workbench we were using to cut the plexiglass for the sliding doors haha. Decided it will be less hassle to fit the sliding doors as we fit the U Channels into the bookcase, then fit the panels which will hold the substrate in the cage. All the sliding doors have been made, but will need to get some more plexiglass if we want larger panels (Which we do, deeper substrate woo!).

http://i.imgur.com/QUfMAnal.jpg

So all is going well, hopefully we'll have it completely done and moving the hams in sometime next week!

[Thin Lizzy]

Next week - that's fast work! I can't wait to see it.

[Rempanda]

Wow this is awesome! I can't wait to see how it looks when finished.

What a great project. Well done for being for creative. You have a very lucky hammie there!

[DanniDorrito]

Another update!
We fitted all of the inside vent covers with non toxic glue. We completed all of the sealant for the inside of the tanks and added the u-channels and sliding doors.

The sealant takes 3 days to completely dry so just need to wait a bit now. Once its ready we just need to drill holes in the back board for more ventilation, add handles to the sliding doors, add u-channels to the sides and a panel so the substrate won't fall out. Hoping to have the panels and u-channels cut and installed sometime tonight.

Hammies should be moved in by the end of next week hopefully!

http://i.imgur.com/RnogRqfl.jpg

[TeeHamster]

Wow, that looks so amazing! What a cool idea. Makes me wanna do something like that :D Great job!

[DanniDorrito]

Oh I hope you get to do something, I've seriously loved working on this project so far. Its been tons of fun, I'm going to feel so lost once its finished. I won't know what to do with myself haha!

[DrKMcK]

DanniDorrito, I am stunned! It looks wonderful and I really love how you showed it step by step. Great work. The hammies are going to love it. :-D

[Thin Lizzy]

This is like an online DIY class. Next stage please lol!

[Jennisney]

Wow this looks amazing!

[LadyPikachu]

It's satisfying for me to look at it after each piece of progress I can't imagine how proud you must be, it's going to be so lovely for you to see your little hammy enjoying it! :)

[Purdy Bear]

I am loving the look. I can't wait to see it all set up with Hammies in residence.

[DanniDorrito]

The final update! Its completed! (Dun dun dunnnn)

After the three day wait for the sealant to dry we just drilled holes in the back plexiglass for more ventilation. We also added handles to the sliding doors, added u-channels to the sides and a panel so the substrate wouldn’t fall out. Also added hooks to the ceiling of the bottom tank for a platform, used the large wooden bendy bridges as a platform.

http://i.imgur.com/BmFz2ZTh.jpg

Finally done! Just needed to give it a good clean and decorate the inside tanks, then move the hammies inside!
Overall it was a wonderful project to do, it didn’t feel like work at all and was so much fun to work on!

http://i.imgur.com/xsFzy2Nh.jpg

It’s great to watch the hamsters run around and play at night!

http://i.imgur.com/4IKTNg1h.jpg

Close up of the bottom tank, this is where Marbles will live!

http://i.imgur.com/ol49HXzh.jpg

Close up of the middle tank, this is the home of Maizie.

http://i.imgur.com/24XU9ELh.jpg

This is a close up of the third tank, empty at the moment but will be home to an adorable little baby hamster in February 2015 from a wonderful breeder at http://strongbrew.ca/.
Can't wait to meet the HC member Hekomi in person, shes absolutely wonderful and has been a great source of information for hamster care :D

http://i.imgur.com/wD3nJLZh.jpg

Marbles wasn’t so sure of his new home to begin with, he was running around like a complete lunatic!

http://i.imgur.com/oGgNTNzh.jpg

Maizie loved her new home! She settled in almost immediately, exploring and foraging for food. She eventually settled into the plant pot, overnight she created her nest inside her house.

http://i.imgur.com/6w9Sbc1h.jpg

I have videos of the project which I will be posting later on (Video editing was never a strong skill of mine…).
I also recorded the hamsters reactions to their new homes so be sure to keep an eye for updates! I plan to post them on my blog (http://hamster.guide/diy-hamster-cage-ikea-regissor-bookcase/) where I also posted a step-by-step process of the entire project too ^_^

[Piebald]

That is amazing! I've been following the project and I would like to know more about the lights you used? Also a little more detail on how you put the channels for the doors in. Well done! Let us know how it works out and if you learn anything you would have done differently as time goes on. :)

[cypher]

Looks just amazing! You've done such a great job with this & Maizie looks as though she's loving it!

[DanniDorrito]

That is amazing! I've been following the project and I would like to know more about the lights you used? Also a little more detail on how you put the channels for the doors in. Well done! Let us know how it works out and if you learn anything you would have done differently as time goes on. :)

Thank you!
We used some multicolored LEDs which had sticky backs so we were able to just stick them right to the back of the bookcase. Although be warned, don't get sealant all over the bookcase like we did haha. The LEDs would not stick to that at all so we spent a good 10-20mins trying to scrape off as much of the sealant from the very back as we could.

Here's a photo of the LED's we used. We needed two boxes to get right around the entire bookcase.

http://i.imgur.com/O0JNz3kh.jpg

As for the u-channels we just cut them to size (checked by placing them in the bookcase and filing down if needed) and did the same for the plexiglass doors. Once we got around to doing all the sealing of the inside corners we fit the u-channels and doors in at the same time all in one. It made it a little easier for some things (Like we didn't need to figure out how to get the doors into the u-channels) but the problem we faced after is trying to fit the handles on the doors whilst they were fitted into the bookcase haha. Cleaning the center part was a huge pain too, we had to use an air compressor to blow as much of the crap out as we could then use a credit card and some wet kitchen towel to clean up any fingerprints.

[DanniDorrito]

Looks just amazing! You've done such a great job with this & Maizie looks as though she's loving it!

Thank you, and she really did. This is like double the space she had before (temporary cage while we built this) so I bet it was a huge relief for her to get all this space. She was so happy to run around munching on all of the food she could find, it was so cute. First thing she started on as soon as she got into it was that small dragon shaped whimzee xD She loves that thing now haha. It was the first time she got a millet seed spray too so she went crazy on that lol

[Piebald]

Thanks Danni! And thanks for the "lessons learned" too! (Note to self: put handles on doors first and clean center as much as possible before installing channels). Your hammies are adorable and I'm sure happy in their new super home.

[velma]

That looks amazing :) you must be so proud of yourselves :D Looks great with the LEDs against that brick wall. Such a nice touch.

[DrKMcK]

I cannot get over how perfect that spot is for the setup! The lights just take it so over the top. What a gorgeous job you guys did on that. People who walk in your home have got to be blown away by it.
One question, can Marbles fall off the Bendy Bridge over by the wheel?
Maizie looks adorable in her plant pot. :-D

[DanniDorrito]

I cannot get over how perfect that spot is for the setup! The lights just take it so over the top. What a gorgeous job you guys did on that. People who walk in your home have got to be blown away by it.
One question, can Marbles fall off the Bendy Bridge over by the wheel?
Maizie looks adorable in her plant pot. :-D

Thank you so much! I'm super happy with how its turned out and the hams seem to enjoy it so far!

Marbles is a pretty careful guy, one of the main reasons we gave him a platform. He doesn't jump or climb off of edges unless he can see a bottom (one or two inches below him). He's taken interest in the vent on the left side though so we've removed the tube for now until he's settled in a little more. He had a pretty bad habit of bar chewing which we solved until we got Maizie and he started back up again lol, so he's currently going cold turkey.

[moocow123]

Wow that cage looks amazing :) :)!! I wish I could create a cage like that but sadly I don't have the DIY skills.

[Kiki_3173]

This is absolutely brilliant DanniDorrito!!!! I'm so astonished by how perfectly it fits in that spot in front of the stairs! Awesome DIY job:-) I love the handles on the doors...one of the things I have yet to do on my IKEA hack, but after seeing yours...it must be done:-) Bravo!!!

[Hekomi]

The pup will love his/her new home! :) I'm not surprised Maizie loves it too!

[Junkfood]

I am jealous. That is amazing. I need to get some DIY skills.

[Chi]

ohh my! It's amazing! Top job! ��

[Thin Lizzy]

WOW! WOW! WOW!
That is absolutely stunningly stunning!
I'd love to be a hamster right now and live there! lol!
Marbles and Maizie look so happy!
Well done to the both of you on such a brilliant project! Thank you for sharing it with us.

[LavoChain]

This looks amazing. I need a hammy bookcase once we have our own house!!

[Thin Lizzy]

I would love one also!
But, my DIY skills aren't at that high level!

[Hamsterhammy]

Amazing cage! Wish I could do that but I am terrible at DIY and haven't got enough money for everything :(

[christine]

*WOW* What an amazing bookcase-turned-hammy-home, it looks absolutely gorgeous!

Your hammies look so happy in their new homes, they are quite the lucky ones :)

Thanks for sharing!

[Pebbles82]

It's fantastic! And well beyond my diy skills. Hope you don't mind me asking, but is the book case screwed or attached to the wall? Having children around makes you think of these things! I'd hate to think of it falling.

[Hekomi]

I think it might be free standing but I'm not 100% sure. I can ask, as Danni is coming to pick up Miss Maggie this weekend, and she will go into her top apartment. :)

[Pebbles82]

Thanks! I know ikea usually recommend some kind of wall fixing for tall units.

[Fluffagrams]

I've just had a look at what you've done with this and I think it looks absolutely fantastic. If I had space for a bookcase and the DIY skills then I'd love to do something like this for Meat and May.

[MummaBorris]

Wow this is brilliant! Can't wait to see pictures. You are inspiring me to make one (on a smaller scale :p)