Doing some stuff with a Knuff

[Scarlett Empress]

I don't remember seeing if anyone has done this before so apologies if I am wrong!

I got hold of some Ikea Knuff magazine holders the other day and I have cut one in half to try and make some shelves for my Alexander cage. I love the shelves it comes with but have only got one of them in, and I simply can't lift the top of the cage off with the size and weight for a proper clean out!

So I thought if I had some easily removable shelves I could either take them out so I could lift the cage top, or just remove them so I can access all areas through the top door of the cage.

This is still WIP but basically I have cut one of my Knuffs in half, painted it, and drilled holes through so I can bolt the shelves onto the cage -

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4278/34592504573_47ec9133d9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UGPCqD)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4278/35272167881_2988e2d31c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VJT5Dx)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4238/35362402696_2f712837d5_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VSRyjd)

I could do with longer bolts really but Wilko only had 12mm or REALLY long - 12mm just about works but a few mmm longer would be easier.

The plan is to take the big shelf out, and replace it with two of these at different levels - I just thought I would try one for size before I go any further.

I've ordered some wooden dowels to make a barrier round the front, so that I can put different sorts of substrate in the shelves - a bit of aubiose, dried green forage, stuff like that.

[BorisPasha]

Oh that's a really nice idea Scarlett Empress, it looks really good :D

I love that little star you have hanging above it too, it's very cute :)

[Scarlett Empress]

Thank you BorisPasha! Hopefully it will all work out how I want, once I've got my dowels to finish it off.

The star was part of a Christmas garland I think from P@H, I drilled some holes in so I can poke sunflower seeds in - but Marty is a bit lazy about getting them out, I don't think she likes to work too hard for her food!

[BorisPasha]

Oh that's a good idea, some of my boys are a bit lazy like that too lol.

I hope you'll share some pics when the shelf is finished and that it works out how you want it :)

[cypher]

That looks really nice, great idea, I've always had problems lifting the top off cages when I've attached way too much to them & easily removable shelves like that is a really good solution.

[Fluffagrams]

That is a really great idea. :)

I might have to give it a try.

[Scarlett Empress]

I'll definitely show more pics BorisandPasha! I don't think my dowels will arrive till Weds or Thurs, had to get them on eBay as I couldn't find a big pack in the shops, but as soon as they are here I will be sticking them in place.

Thanks cypher! Yes lifting a cage top with a lot of stuff attached is a pain, I need a hand to be able to do it but it's not always convenient! When I decided to get the Alexander, I had seen a video with what looked like a wee slip of a teenager lifting the top off hers with ease, so I thought I would be able to do it - but I think she probably had longer arms and a stronger back! :mad:

Thanks Fluffagrams! It's not too tricky to do - well, it would have been easier if someone had held the Knuff while I was sawing it, then I might not have sawn into my little finger...but I like that I will have four shelves once I have sawn the other one and I will probably use all four.

[Drago]

Looks very nice! I like the "floating shelf" design, that's what I've always used with my hams as I learned it from the Chinchilla community ;) I really like your cage setup!

[dreamtree1234]

Ooh, what a lovely idea, Scarlett Empress! I totally love it and hope to try it out sometime soon if possible. Thanks for sharing. I love the entire cage setup, too. LOL, Marty being too lazy to get the sunflower seeds out from the hanging star. :)

[chesca_27]

The Knuff looks wonderful, as does the rest of Marty's cage :). You are very talented.

[Hekomi]

I really like it like this! What a unique idea!

[Fluffagrams]

Thanks Fluffagrams! It's not too tricky to do - well, it would have been easier if someone had held the Knuff while I was sawing it, then I might not have sawn into my little finger...but I like that I will have four shelves once I have sawn the other one and I will probably use all four.

I had some of the magazine files in the hamster room so thought I'd make some shelves like the ones you made for Jessie and Matthew. They should hopefully work in Matthew's bin cage as well as Jessie's Hamster Heaven so I'll have to post some photos when they're done.

I cheated though... I asked my Dad to do the cutting on mine. ;)

[CMB]

The shelf looks good and attaching it to the bars like that was a great idea.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Marty's new Knuff shelf looks really good. This is such a brilliant idea to attach the shelf to the bars.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks when it finished!

[Pebbles82]

It's a great idea and looks good! You are clever :-) I don't like lifting the top off the Barney either, but I've got a knack with it now and it seems to get easier. I do take the stuff off the shelves to lighten it though. The Alexander top is a bit bigger and unless the cage is low down I can imagine it could be tricky.

[Scarlett Empress]

Thank you for your comments everyone, I'm glad you like the idea! My dowels arrived today so I have stuck them on with PVA, they are just drying and I will paint them all tomorrow and hopefully stick two of the shelves in Marty's cage - I left the half finished one in for her to explore, I haven't seen her use it yet as she has been getting up very late in this hot weather but I put some food on there and she has taken it - and also nipped through the string holding her little wooden star! :rolleyes:

Fluffagrams ha ha I don't blame you for getting your Dad to cut the files, I would have asked mine but he never QUITE does what you ask him, even though he thinks he's the king of DIY! Would love to see photos!

Serendipity I've got the cage on a coffee table (think it's Argos's version of a Lack?!) so it's not too high but I still struggle - the girl I saw on youTube lifting it around had got it on top of quite a high chest or a low wardrobe! She must have been tougher than she looked.

Thanks for the comments on Marty's cage too, I tend to think it looks a bit like a compost heap most of the time but that's apparently how she likes it! :mad:

[Scarlett Empress]

Finally got my shelves in today! I had to wait till someone could help me lift the top of the cage off, so I could get the original shelf out. Oh good grief, the stuff I found under that shelf...

I have struggled a bit to get photos that show what I have done - I tried holding the camera in the cage and just pressing the shutter, here was my first effort -
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4231/35340001442_6373f489cd_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VQSKcG)
It doesn't show the shelves off but what a lovely picture of Marty's carrots! :mad:

Hope these show the shelves better - I used three in the end, I didn't intend to put the lower one in but it seemed like a good idea when I was trying them out.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4257/35376615981_d0eac4a919_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VU7pqR)

She's got a little crawl-space between these two shelves, which is similar to what she had before - she used to like sitting there to groom so hopefully she will like her new space.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4214/35120860720_685a58ba8f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VvvAio)

The middle shelf has a space under it where she can keep her Things To Be Chewed - again, she had a space like this before.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4277/35120854080_1a29c0b6fd_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VvvyjU)

She's got her new Rodipet house in there too. She came out for a look while I was rearranging everything and checked out her new house, but she hasn't climbed on her shelves yet - once she'd found her food bowl, she wasn't really bothered about anything else!

I hope she likes it though, she has got more things to climb now, and she does love climbing.

[CMB]

They do look great carrots. lol. The shelves are great to. Hope she has fun climbing etc.

[SKB_Hamsters]

They look amazing - I'm sure Marty will really enjoy her new shelves!
I really like the way they look in her cage to.

Where did you buy the wooden dowels from on eBay? As I'm looking for some of these for a few DIY hamster project I have but I'm confused to which ones/size to buy.
Also if you don't mind me asking, where did you get the wooden discs from that you used to build the staircase?

[cypher]

The shelves look great & I really like the way you arranged them, I'm sure Marty will love the new set up.

SKB I've had dowels from this seller (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201274491778) on ebay, a few different sizes & they were all really good quality.
Not sure if SE got her wooden discs from the same place (I'd like to know if someone else sells them) but you can get them from Ratrations. (http://www.ratrations.com/toys-and-recreation-chew-toys-c-68_73.html)

[kitty629]

Birchlogs.com sells value bags of kiln dried birch rounds like were used for the stairs.

[Scarlett Empress]

Thank you CMB! She was more interested in wriggling underneath things when I was watching last night - but I know she climbed on the shelves during the night as I put treats on them and they were all gone this morning!

Thank you SKB! They do make her cage look a bit smarter - don't suppose that will last! Here are the dowels I got - Access Denied (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6mm-x-30mm-HARDWOOD-DOWELS-GROOVED-FLUTED-PIN-WOODEN-WOOD-BEECH-DOWEL-CERTIFIED/310990195746?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=610410884164&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649) - hmm will save cypher's link too! And yes ratrations for the birch discs - the first lot I bought were nice and smooth, but the second lot were much rougher! So I asked my Dad to sand them. I stuck some bits from a P@H wooden toy between some of them to add height.

Thanks cypher! I had a few different ideas about how I could arrange the shelves, if I was doing a whole new cage, but didn't want to stray too far from what Marty had before! I am fairly sure I saw some birch discs on etsy once, but couldn't find them again.

Oh that's a shame that's a USA website kitty629 but hopefully will be useful to a lot of people in the USA!

I hope I will see Marty climbing on the shelves tonight, just so I can see how it all works for her! She seemed to find her hyacinth tunnel the most exciting thing last night - she's had it in her cage for ages and only ever stuffed it wit Fitch before now, but all of a sudden, with new shelves to explore, the tunnel was the most amazing toy ever... :rolleyes:

[SKB_Hamsters]

Thanks cypher and Scarlett Empress for sharing those links. I have been looking on eBay for the small wooden dowels for a while now and kept getting confused as to which ones to buy as there are so many options - as some are made of beech and others birchwood - and I have never bought hardwood before so was unsure whether they were safe - so those links are really helpful.

[BorisPasha]

The shelves look really great ScarlettEmpress :D I love the little wood rounds too, more things to add to my shopping list lol.

[Fluffagrams]

Jessie's level has been added to her cage and I thought I'd keep her freestanding level in ther too so that she has more to climb on...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4278/35668440352_08ea80507d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WkU5Dw)Jessie's level (https://flic.kr/p/WkU5Dw) by Metallica Hamstery (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145876183@N04/), on Flickr

The angle of the photo doesn't show the little climbing toy to the side which acts as a ladder but she's quite capable of climbing between the two levels.

Matthew's still needs a coat of Plastikote before I let him have it in his cage.

[Scarlett Empress]

Thank you BorisPasha!

Oh that looks fabulous Fluffagrams! I love the colours!

Marty seems to be enjoying her shelves - I haven't actually managed to get any photos of her using them yet!

[BorisPasha]

That looks really nice Fluffagrams, Jessie must love it and I'm sure Matthew will too when he gets his :)

[Fluffagrams]

Here's Matthew modelling his...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4298/35322108424_0bab744441_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VPi3eo)Matt Level (https://flic.kr/p/VPi3eo) by Metallica Hamstery (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145876183@N04/), on Flickr

He doesn't usually bother with the ramp and prefers to climb on top of his igloo house because, well why take the easy route? ;)

[CMB]

That's nice. (Matthew) The knuff level isn't bad either. :)

[BorisPasha]

Matthew is looking very handsome sitting on his new shelf, it looks great Fluffagrams :)

[cypher]

That does look good & I agree, Matthew is doing a great job of showing it off :)

[kimlck]

I love it! What a fabulous easy idea!
It just so happens that I have a knuff in my kitchen doing nothing :)