Quote:
Originally Posted by Gemma_xo
I have two of these cages! I love them!
How did you make lids? I need to make two, my DIY abled friend is struggeling =/
They are perfect in my opinion for dwarfs, despite one of mine escaping twice by utilising the hole on the side to pull herself up, but, she can't get to it anymore, but I'm desperate for lids now I just have no idea where to start!
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Gemma I made a lid for an Ikea Billy. It's really simple.
I went to my local B&Q and picked out a couple meters of pine wood (I think
) that were 4.5 cm wide. The wood shouldn't be too thick. On ErinsAnimals' video, she has all the wood dimensions (can't remember off the top of my head). Then, most DIY stores will have a wood cutting station where they can precut it for you if you give the dimensions.
After this, you need to get the mesh. I got a sheet with something like 1.2cm squares although you can get smaller mesh if you prefer. You will need around 75 by 30 cm of mesh. I got a huge piece from B&Q for around £6. You may need to cut this down to size with wire cutters. I used a £2 pair from HobbyCraft that are used for jewellery or crafting in my case. No need to get anything expensive or fancy.
Next, you want to assemble the pieces of precut wood in a rectangle that will fit the cage. I used glue to keep it together however I did reinforce it with nails because the wood was warped. You can use whatever you like to stick it together. Once it was dry, we used filler on the side not accessible to hamsters to strengthen it and neaten it and sanded it down once that was dry. Then I painted it with Dulux White Cotton Paint (I recommend testers) on the face up side to blend in with the cage and the house. I needed two tester pots.
Finally, you need to attach the mesh. We did this by using small screws that weren't too long but could cover a square of mesh. For some, we used washers as well. An electric screwdriver is very handy. If you want hinges, you need to slot these under the mesh and screw them in. I used two. Then lay the lid flat on the cage and use screws on the other side of the hinge onto the cage wood. Make sure it opens nicely. I know it sounds confusing, but I will attach photos when I get a chance.
You can also attach catches if the wood is warped like mine to keep it secured down. We haven't got to that stage yet but will do soon 😳.
And you're all done! Hope that explains everything nicely. Good luck
. Also, it is very useful to have someone good with DIY stuff to help. My dad certainly helped a lot.
Ikea Billy Cage Review
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