Cages Now In The Making

Well, I've got some cages now in the making! This first one I am working on will be for birds. Finches and softbills mostly. I bought my stuff for the cage when I went to Oregon last week. I bought wooden planks, screws, hinges, clasps, wood glue, silicone, and some other things. I had them cut the planks right there in the store. In my little car, I had no idea how else I was going to carry them home. The next day, I discovered I needed a sander, I had a lot of splinters in the wood! So I went and bought a sander. It's a nice one! And sanding was the easy part! That was the fun. I spent 2 days sanding every piece of wood I had. Including the scrap wood, which I know I can find some use for. Next I had to screw each piece together. My father lent me his drill and bits, and I tried to use them. They kept breaking! I couldn't figure it out so I went to the hardware store here in town and I asked for the strongest drill bits they had. So that's what I got. I came home and started using it and it worked like a champ! Now I was happy, I could drill the holes to screw in the screws, and now I have made a half a box.  But then I realized my shorter planks to go on the ends, were too long! I hadn't counted on that so, I needed to cut them down. I was going to go to the local lumbermill and ask them if they could cut it down for me. But my father came up yesterday and said he would do it. I asked him if he could cut a perfectly straight line and he said yes. So I said OK.

We went out with my father and stepmother yesterday. While I was out with my pa, he asked me what I will be putting in this cage and I said birds. He said "Are you going to have a lot of birds like you did when we lived in Toutle?" and I said "For sure!" He told me not to get any birds. He argued that birds carry diseases and stuff. Shoot! Cats carry more diseases than birds do, and stepmom always has to have a cat! I just stuck my tongue out at him, I wasn't in the mood to argue with him about what I can and cannot have!! The man still believes he owns me. He still thinks he can tell me what I can and cannot do. Typical father I guess. I never get birds that are big and noisy, like macaws. I'm not interested in them. I like little birds, like little finches and softbills. I'm thinking a few pairs of gouldian finches for this cage. Along with maybe some diamond finches, or perhaps shaft tail finches. Maybe put in a couple of diamond doves as well. Make this an aussie cage! hehe!

Well, father was wrong about his being able to cut a straight board!! The boards came out a little bit crooked!! My own fault!! I should have followed my first instinct!! DOH!!! But anyway, the bottom is almost finished and it weighs about 100 pounds!!! But hey! The foundation must be solid. All I have to do is put the wheels on the base and it'll be done. Then I can make the frame. The frame will be made up of 2x4s. I'm thinking of putting a solid back on the cage. That might look better. Then the front and sides will be made up of acrylic. I got some price quotes on acrylic and I will soon be ready to put that in. I'm even thinking of finishing off the cage with a coat of paint and even stencil a little design on the frame. Maybe some birds and leaves. It'd be cool!!!

Later, I will be making the lid, and I will have to install some lighting fixtures, which is easier than it sounds. I'm going to put in some UVA and UVB emitting lights, which are important to the health of the birds. As well as heat bulbs. So I need to install fixtures for both. Since these are all grass birds, I should simulate a grassland environment. Petco often sells terrarium grass. Let's see what happens! Next cage I am going to build needs to be perfect. I will be creating a cage for day geckos. Their cage will be recreating a rainforest environment. I'll be installing a sprinkler system in that one so it needs to be perfect. No gaps, no holes, no mistakes! Then maybe another bird cage. One for small waxbills like St. Helena's. They're cool! And Cordon bleus which are really pretty! Maybe purple-cheeked waxbills too. And if I can find them, pygmy doves. Those are very hard to find though. I've only seen them available once and that was 10 years ago at an exotic bird and reptile expo.

Well anyway, that's been my week. That is why I haven't blogged much this past week, been so busy.