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FORUM HABITATS AND TOYS Zou and Henry’s love shack – step by step

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    • Vienna Blue in France
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        Step one : buy grids

        End of step one. 


      • sarahthegemini
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          Good first step 


        • Bam
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            I agree, that’s a really promising first step!


          • Vienna Blue in France
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              Thanks. I believe it to have been the hardest part of the project so far….
              Actually, no. Finding black cable ties to buy in a shop was impossible.
              White have the monopoly.

              I now have to wait another four days for amazon to deliver them….
              It will be summer before i get this thing done and then the buns will prefer their home with a garden view….


            • Azerane
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                Really? No black cable ties, so weird. But I’m glad the grids are actually black, it’s weird that they would say they are grey.

                How exciting


              • Bam
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                  Bam is black, but his fur is grey. It must be the same with those grids.

                  White cable ties would be the norm here as well.

                  Wild guess, step 2 is order cable-ties of the appropriate color?


                • Vienna Blue in France
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                    Step two executed, Captain Bam ?


                  • jerseygirl
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                      Step 3: Drink wine and wait. 


                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                        Az – hic – do you have just one supporting wooden strip going under the top floor? I can’t see another one – surely the top floor is not balancing on one middle beam? If so, how are the edges of the plywood attached to support the *ahem* weight and prevent it from rotating around….?


                      • Azerane
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                          There’s grids under there. To be honest, the beam doesn’t really even take much weight, the ply fits really snug so the support around the edges from the grids seems to take most of the weight.

                          This gap is right in the middle of the level. The grids rest on the beam, but the ply is fairly self-supporting. If you didn’t have grids underneath, you’ll obviously need support along each edge as well unless you drill holes through the level and thread cable ties through.


                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                            Ohhhhhhhhhh – that’s clearer…. (you could make TWO more levels if you replaced those grids with 2 support beams !!! !!! ) LOL !!!


                          • Azerane
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                              I think four grids tall will be plenty high when I finally get around to that! Five grids high would be too tall for even me. It’s like city planning, they say it’s going to happen and years later it finally does. Poor bunnies will be 10 before they get their upgraded second level, lol.


                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                Hmmmm. And will most probably need structural reinforcement.
                                I can’t believe that it all stays standing with 10 kilos on top level without caving in, without any structural support…. well… I’ll let you know!!! If I get that far !!!


                              • Azerane
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                                  I really do think you’ll be fine. As long as the base is supported so that the sides can’t splay out, the structural integrity is really very good. My pair bounce around up there all the time and it vibrates etc. but it doesn’t struggle to stay upright or anything. Granted the pair of them are only 5.5 kg together but I can easily see it supporting double. If memory serves, there was a member on rabbits online who had a pair of flemish in a 2×7 condo. Conan the Bunbarian I believe was one of their names


                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                    Cable ties are waiting for me to be picked up this lunchtime.
                                    Have taken pm off work to sit and ponder at how to start, probably!!! lol


                                  • Azerane
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                                      Let the excitement, frustration, and hand pain from tightening cable ties begin!


                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                        Well. Tbh. I have a whole load of cr*p to clear out first before there is the space even to lay the grids down. I’m someone who can never plan in advance and say ‘do it now, it needs to be done for next week’. I have to wait until the last moment and then power through like a tornado….


                                      • Vienna Blue in France
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                                          Oooops, ‘tornado’ has grown weak and given up on the clearing up…. Pathetic ! Emptied only 1 drawer of 5…. pretty much by putting stuff in the other 4 drawers !!! LOL


                                        • Q8bunny
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                                            You DO need me there


                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                              I do. I Do!! I SO DOOOOOOOO.


                                            • Azerane
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                                                Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 2/22/2017 11:03 AM

                                                Oooops, ‘tornado’ has grown weak and given up on the clearing up…. Pathetic ! Emptied only 1 drawer of 5…. pretty much by putting stuff in the other 4 drawers !!! LOL

                                                LOL, sounds a lot like me


                                              • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                  Just orf to pick up a lino cut off from a man somewhere…..
                                                  3.30 x 1.50 but with a bit cut out… (ggrr) so I’ve got to make sure I can make 2x 1.8m x 75 out of it.
                                                  Bargain? I’ve no idea…


                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                    WHY ‘o’ WHY are people incapable of giving accurate measurements (AND I spoke to him over the phone – my fault…..)

                                                    3m30 in length was correct and 1m50 in width was correct UNTIL half way down the length when it had a rectangle cut out of it and so the rest of the length became 80cm in width. Whichever I cut it I would not have had 2 x one piece bits…… gggrrrrr. So came away empty handed.
                                                    That’s an hour of life I’ll never get back.

                                                    Orf to cinoche to see “Moonlight” preceeded by a Lille speciality – waffle – that will make things better


                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                      One week later and still ab.so.lu.te.ly nothing has been done…. Nought, Zilch, piddlepoops !

                                                      BUT, the extra strong, heavy duty Henry-proof (hah !! to be confirmed) puppy pen has been ordered and delivered to my courrier slaves (sorry, parents’) address, so I’ll be hefting that back over here in the next couple of weeks….

                                                      Nooooo excuses now…… (hmmm, weeeeell, no lino or plywood or condo carpet rug… )


                                                    • Q8bunny
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                                                        So… does this mean the game is still afoot?


                                                      • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                          ??? I’ve just got back from a tournament but I don’t think that is what you were meaning…. ??


                                                        • Q8bunny
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                                                            Tournament?? I simply alluded to the great detective.


                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                              Sherlock and Moriaty ? – Vienna and The C&C cubes ??
                                                              Yup tournament – badders


                                                            • Azerane
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                                                                I must say, I’m very disappointed All this time waiting, and no condo updates… Apollo and Luna were so looking forward to seeing it…


                                                              • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                  Believe me Az, you are not the only one disappointed
                                                                  There is nothing more I would love than to get my lounge back and the buns settled in

                                                                  And if you think telling me off will work, it might just.
                                                                  But I’ve just got to go to an art exhibition all day today (its fab, I’ll post some pics later!)….


                                                                • Q8bunny
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                                                                    Artsy fartsy pics? We want condo pics! Just admit it – the buns waiting for some carrotfront property to come on the market, aren’t they?


                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                      Although currently my house is a cross between a rabbit warren and a post tornado bomb site, you wouldn’t think that I’m as perfectionalistic as possible… (thanks to DIY-King Dad !)

                                                                      So, it took a while (and a few incorrect cable ties) getting the EXACT positioning and direction of the ties, but we’re off…. (how long for, that’s another story !!  LOL )

                                                                      One side in preparation….

                                                                      One side finished :

                                                                      2 sides finished – and being inspected by The Foreman  : 


                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                        The back panels = 5 wide x 4 high – spot the error…. 

                                                                        (I’ve worked out how to stop crying about it…. it’ll be part of the roof….  phewie !! ) 

                                                                        I’ve stopped for tonight – the zzzzz have won (obviously : 5×4 = 25) and I have no floor space to continue…

                                                                        I also have to have more strength to handle a squiggly, slippery, bendy heavy 16kg weight of metal – each pack weighs 4.2 kg.

                                                                        3 levels was manageable but 4 takes it to a complete new level ((!!!! BOOM BOOM !!!!   ) and I need more hands…. 


                                                                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                          Keep up the good work. Cube condos are so much work but worth it in the end.

                                                                          And many sarcastic thanks for getting Love Shack stuck in my head…..I’ll be singing that all night…..


                                                                        • Q8bunny
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                                                                            Ear worm!

                                                                            This is one of the reasons I can’t imagine wrestling a condo into creation: the sheer cumbersome, wiggly weight of it all. Now when someone invents a plastic grid system that’s both lightweight and durable enough to withstand bunny chewing, I’ll be thrilled for bunny owners everywhere


                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                              Well I love puzzles, so I’m loving putting this together….. anally lining up ties and welding (gahhh bug*er! One panel is back to front or twisted 90deg – REMOVE cable ties ! REMOVE cable ties! Pivot! PIVOOOOOT !!!! ” )

                                                                              I’ve had to hide the prepared panels in the loo because I am guaranteed to have a mess of chewed cable ties when i return from work, thanks to my two feline hunters who cannot leave anything untouced/moved/chewed…


                                                                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                So there’s an easy way to do things… and there’s my way !!

                                                                                Plywood (15mm thick) to the size required (1800x740mm) would have required 2 sheets of plywood at 50 euros each !!!!

                                                                                So I bought 3 planks of pine (2000x500mm) (10 eur each, that’s better!) and now have to join one half of one to one whole… and the other half to the other whole !  ….

                                                                                “Dont panic Ethel”, the cats are helping !

                                                                                This is what I came home with :

                                                                                And this is what I have to make :

                                                                                I’m a tad concerned even with 2mm (LOL)  leeway I was too precise with my measurements, as the shop cut them with a few mms difference and I’m panicing slightly with the shelf not fitting inside and the base being too small on the exterior.

                                                                                Maybe once I start putting it together, I can wiggle a few millimetres here and there…… *gulp* 

                                                                                The exciting news (well, everything in perspective… .) is that the lino being sold at “11 eur per metre” (I only needed one metre as it was 4m wide) was in fact 11 eur per sq.m; !!!  I felt such an amateur !! That would have made a very expensive test to see if Henry would chew it up or leave well alone !!!

                                                                                By this time, the guy had cut it to size and the shutters were coming down on the DIY superstore about to close… so after seeing my embarrassement at asking him to take it back, he whacked the 50% *offcut* code in the machine and ka-ching 44eur became 22eur – he smiled and said it had been a long day, and it would only have gone in the offcut basket anyway, and I could have come back and bought it for that tomorrow !!!!   I like bargains !!   TBH it wasn’t particularly the lino I would have chosen, but all the other designs would have had the ‘plank design’ going widthwise on a 1m cut (the roll is designed for bigger cuts, like for a room!!)…. which would look a bit silly.  

                                                                                So, now…. HOW to join two planks together lengthwise safely ??  LOL

                                                                                “Hi Dad, is that you? It’s me !!”


                                                                              • Q8bunny
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                                                                                  You could get small hinges and attach several


                                                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                    Hmmmm, I could….. although not sure how much I’d trust them with 12kg of bun boinging around up top…
                                                                                    Whatever I do, I’m going have to carefully choose where to place the supporting cross beam


                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                      Az – do the ends of your beam stick out the sides slightly (sorry If I’ve already asked this somewhere…) whilst resting on one of the side grids ?

                                                                                      I’m also wondering if I got the right lino covering…. it’s 2 mm thick (for sponginess) and that’s going to impact another 4 mm around the edges   and also it may give Henry easier purchase to chew….

                                                                                      Did you give your glue totally coverage when gluing yours down to the wood? And if he chews, he’ll get the glue too….


                                                                                    • Bam
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                                                                                        Found pictures of the thingies you often use to join planks together. I think you’d need one on either side. I have absolutely no idea what they’re called in English. I tried to translate the Swedish word for it into English but didn’t get the right word.

                                                                                        http://www.harald-nyborg.se/bygg-farg/spik-skruv-beslag-m-m/halplattor.html

                                                                                        But your father knows these things of course. 


                                                                                      • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                          Bam. You’re thinking too hard. It’s called a metal plate !! LOL.


                                                                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                            I already knew they existed but dad says to put 5 down the length of the join….. so that makes 10…..


                                                                                          • Bam
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                                                                                              A metal plate!!! It’s called a hole plate in Swedish, directly translated.
                                                                                              Couldn’t you just use 2 broad ones?

                                                                                              Which step are we on now btw? *confused*


                                                                                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                One every 12 inches my Pa says – so have just bought them and will picture tmw

                                                                                                This is called Step “God why isn’t it finished yet?” !!!!


                                                                                              • Luna
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                                                                                                  Vienna is correct . U.S. product equivalent is a metal plate, flat plate, mending plate, or flat brace.


                                                                                                • Azerane
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                                                                                                    Looking good, I don’t have much time to answer, but I’ll do so quickly.

                                                                                                    The ends of the beam supporting the upper level do stick out slightly yes, but not much.

                                                                                                    Regarding the lino, I didn’t roll it around the edges. Downstairs I took it to the edges and then the pine edging is sitting on top of it around the outside of the cubes. On the upstairs level, I used plastic “u” shaped channel and slipped that over the edge of the ply and lino to protect it from bunny teeth. Like this: https://www.bunnings.com.au/brutus-6mm-x-2-4m-building-moulding-u-mould_p1100637

                                                                                                    I used a spray on glue, I tried to do an even coverage on the plywood, and on the back of the lino, then stuck them together. So there’s glue, but not as much as if you were laying on a paste type glue.


                                                                                                  • Bam
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                                                                                                      Oh, I thought you were just joining two pieces together I just admire your work from afar, I’m not sure I quite understand what you are doing. I bet all buns and cats are extremely proud of their mum (Elle est completement formidable, notre maman!)


                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                        Let’s just say the call to dad went something like this, this evening :
                                                                                                        “err dad imagine a rectangle where the too shorter ends have a difference of 4mm (thanks diy superstore!!) and then imagine 4 pieces of wood been joined to make two pieces of wood and putting metal (hole) plates along the joins to make it stronger and then put skirting board type bits sitting on the sides to stop the poops flying out and then the cage goes in……”

                                                                                                        I’d lost him at “imagine a rectangle….”

                                                                                                        And the call ended with dad comperleetely kerfuddled, saying “errr yes dear I’m not sure i understand what you’re doing” and me saying “no worries Dad, thanks anyway, don’t worry I’ll work it out” !!!! Rofl !!!

                                                                                                        Az. You’re a star. Of course!! The edging sitting ON the lino.. Haha try to get that, Henrypops!!

                                                                                                        Drilling and screwing holes at 00h30….. bonkers !! Good night ?


                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                          *bang bang bang* (annoyed neighbour in Kuwait being kept up by bunny construction site)


                                                                                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                            Now I know you’re a false blond now, but I also know that you already know that drilling and screwing don’t go *bang bang bang*

                                                                                                            More like “bbbBBBzzzzzZZZZzzzzzzzzz” Oooooo, that’s hard, writing a little wooden drill noise…..!!!!
                                                                                                            (which actually I didn’t need as the pine is so soft I screwed straight into it )

                                                                                                            Tried a bit of wood glue (I use it for almost ANYTHING and it always sticks!!) under a test piece of cut lino on a cut off of the shelf…. – it works well

                                                                                                            Any reason not to use it ??


                                                                                                          • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                              The banging was me thumping my fist on the international wall between us Duuurh…


                                                                                                            • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                PS From what I know, wood glue (like Elmer’s for instance) is non toxic… I could be wrong, but I remember someone recommending Elmer’s for DIY because it’s safe for kids and pets.


                                                                                                              • Bam
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                                                                                                                  PVAc glue seems to be considered the safest of the synthetic glues. (Polyvinyl acetate, “white glue” for porous materials such as wood). Elmer’s seems to belong to those.


                                                                                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                    Well my test piece has come loose at the end where I put a thin layer of glue, but remains stuck at the ‘lather it on so it goes sploooodge at the edges’ end….. I wonder if the lino soaks a bit up into it??
                                                                                                                    Anyhoo, now I know I have some glue-lathering to do and…. glad I bought the big bottle !!! LOL


                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                      Slightly, just slightly majorly concerned the millimetre precision has been compromised…

                                                                                                                      So a little “dress rehersal” proves there is not ONE mm to spare… lets hope all the grids are of the same size and it fits in…

                                                                                                                      Am still unsure of why it wouldn’t all collapse in on itself once stading upright…  but we’ll see….

                                                                                                                      With 12 kg of base, 10 kg of shelf, 15kg of grids and 6 kg of lino…. I’ve “phoned a friend”….. LOL


                                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                        Q8 – rofl !!!! I did NOT read it like that at all !! Could you guess?!!!! lmao


                                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                          Looks really great so far


                                                                                                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                            glad I bought the big bottle

                                                                                                                            Errrrr, one big bottle just for the base…. need to go shopping for the shelf lino….


                                                                                                                          • Bam
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                                                                                                                              It really does look great.


                                                                                                                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                After another visit to the DIY shop (2 BIG bottles of glue and 220 screws….. well they only had packets of 20 otherwise and what can a girl do with just 20 screws?!!  ) and I’m back in the kitchen with rough edges on base and LO and BEHOLD the cage fits inside it !  Phew-ie !! So, wibbly wobbly got the cage upright (what were those puzzles called, not the rubijks cube but around the same era, very flat with lots of flat squares and you could fold them in every direction to try to undo them, but the more you fold the more you got in a mess…!  Well that the condo before the cable ties are tied tight !!  )…..and now I’m just deciding to change tactic on the base edging….

                                                                                                                                I’m following Az’s design to the tee (almost) and a bit of wood was lying around the base and I quite like the cage sandwich look and I’m worried that the monsters will wee outside the box and that it will get stuck behind the grids… so whatdoyouthink ?

                                                                                                                                It fits Inside the edging – yay !!  (and phew!)

                                                                                                                                Close up :

                                                                                                                                And below is what I’m thinking of doing to protect the grids even more…. just not sure how i’m fixing them on yet….

                                                                                                                                and this will have an inch or so of lino stuck on it to protect the wood and wash easily !

                                                                                                                                But tonight I’ve got 20 more screws to put in the outer edging – not that many but it’s hard because the base is heavy and I can’t turn it upside down (obvious solution!) or it will put too much weight on the edging…. ooo (lightbulb has just switched on!) I don’t have 6 encyclopedias, but hey, a thought – photo albums will support it upside down and take it enough off the floor to be able to drill…

                                                                                                                                see ya later


                                                                                                                              • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                  Zowee! It’s really coming together!


                                                                                                                                • Gina.Jenny
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                                                                                                                                    Looks great


                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                      It should be, it’s taking me half a century !!!!
                                                                                                                                      ( The furballs had better live until atLEAST 25 yrs old, each !!! )


                                                                                                                                    • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                        Aaand maaany mooore!…


                                                                                                                                      • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                          It’s looking great Vienna, sandwiching the grids is an interesting idea. I’m honestly not sure it’s a good idea though, lol. You will protect from pee getting stuck behind the grid, but you’ll get so much hay stuck down there Not to mention the risk of lino chewing since it’s inside the grids. I must say though, I love the colour of the lino you have, it won’t show the fur and hay as much as mine does

                                                                                                                                          Also, you’re just going to have to trust that it will hold itself up, and it definitely will It’s amazing how sturdy they become once all the sides are together. So excited to see the finished project

                                                                                                                                          I have a week off in April so I’m hoping to upgrade Apollo and Luna’s cage then.


                                                                                                                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                            Grrrrr (lol) I’d thought about the hay down the middle (mehhh) but hadn’t thought through the bit about lino being more accesible… bum… double bum !!

                                                                                                                                            (And just as I was about to leave and go buy some more bits of wood…)

                                                                                                                                            hmmmmm may the thinking process recommence… grrr


                                                                                                                                          • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                              Sorry You could keep it that way, and then just add another wood beading/trim over the exposed edge of the lino. But that’s additional additional wood and drilling etc.

                                                                                                                                              I was back and forth to the hardware store countless times while building. Partly because I needed things that I hadn’t thought of yet, other times I ran out of cable ties, and then there were measurements that I waited until the condo was built before taking to get the plywood cut etc. Back and forth, back and forth…

                                                                                                                                              Edit: Also I wanted to say that I’m glad that there is someone else like me. When I assembled my grids all the welds had to be on the same side of the cage. Except for the fact that I accidentally have one the wrong way in the roof, it drove me crazy, but by that point I’d handled so many cable ties and done so much my hands were ready to give it so I just pretend that it’s not that way and try not to notice. lol


                                                                                                                                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                Yup. welds all on one same side but also same direction !!!! Lol.
                                                                                                                                                The outer welds vertical and the inner welds horizontal….. oh yesssss.


                                                                                                                                              • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                  Oh man, you are a serious condo builder I never even though of that, lol. Now I have to go and check my cage, lol. Nope, not aligned, my fingers have just started itching


                                                                                                                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                      Took half the afternoon deciding what to do on the bottom of the base….

                                                                                                                                                      Anyway AZ I need you (again). Do you have any use for the gap in the baseboard where the door is apart from not being able to get it open if you had it all the way across.

                                                                                                                                                      What I’m thinking is my interior baseboard (yup im going with it….) could actually go from one side to the other. The door will open out through the gap in the outer baseboard.

                                                                                                                                                      The buns would just have a little step to get out… (and i couldn’t kneel in it very comfortably….)


                                                                                                                                                    • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                        Hmmm, I don’t really kneel inside the doorway very often, since my arms are long I tend to put my knees just outside the doorway and then brace myself with one arm on the floor of the cage if I’m reaching right across to a corner. I suppose the main thing I use the gap for is sweeping. It’s not hard to use a dustpan inside the cage, but sometimes it’s easier to just place the dustpan under the lip of that edge and just sweep everything out of the cage through that gap.

                                                                                                                                                        If Henry is a cage biter/puller, having wood across the inside of that gap would help though if you envision him chewing and trying to pull the door in. Bandit went through a door chewing/pulling phase with the condo. The door never gave in, but the beam across the bottom would probably make them feel like they were making less progress because there would be less give since the weakest part of the door is across the bottom at the join of the two grids.


                                                                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                          It sounds like you’re building a mini Chateau d’If


                                                                                                                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                            Just popping in for support (moral, not structural). I’ve been following with interest but have no useful advice to offer because I’m architecturally stuptarded (see what I did, Q8?!) when it comes to rabbit condos.

                                                                                                                                                            It’s looking good!


                                                                                                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                              Thanks Az, Q8 and JG for the support. I think i should change the title to “The saga of…” lol !!!
                                                                                                                                                              Right, so…. a hinged access for dustpan use.? … lol !!!!


                                                                                                                                                            • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                lol, I think you’ll be fine with the lip on the inside of the door If anything it will be more beneficial because I can see it stopping hay spilling out the doorway so easily like it does with mine.


                                                                                                                                                              • Bam
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                                                                                                                                                                  It looks so pretty it’ll almost be a shame to let the two fluffmonsters have their way with it =/


                                                                                                                                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                    Tell me about it! I’m thinking of giving them the bedroom and moving in myself!!


                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                      WHY? When I have more screws than is reasonable, the 220 that I bought 2 days ago for one job are too long for the new job… arrrgggghhhhhh.

                                                                                                                                                                      Az – I have NO idea WHAT you mean, “back and forth to the DIY shop”…


                                                                                                                                                                    • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                        lol

                                                                                                                                                                        It’s going to be ok Vienna, I promise


                                                                                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                          Keep them in case of a zombie apocalypse


                                                                                                                                                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                            I’m moving along with the condo today – on one of the nicest days outside this year of course with blue skies and beautiful sunshine !! ( )

                                                                                                                                                                            Instead of very tempting and chewable lino on the skirting board sides I’ve used plastic plinthe edging.

                                                                                                                                                                            Time will tell if it’s tempting and chewable too, but it’s much thinner than lino (flush’ish’ to the wood) and I’ve glued it on, so hoping they might try once and decide it’s too much like hard work (hah !!)

                                                                                                                                                                            I’ve also invested (10eur :laugh in these “teflon coated” feet (pic below, there are 4 ) which once on the bottom of a piece of furniture (should) make it zoom along the floor with a simple push of the hand (but not so much it will be a fairground ride each time the buns boing about in it!)…

                                                                                                                                                                            I was afraid that the weight of the finished condo (it’s gonna be over 40kg) would prevent it from EVER being moved (lol) once in it’s resting position ! This way, so far, I can move it about easily. It was a compromise between having lockable castor wheels (lifting condo too far off the ground) and nothing. I must say so far I’m impressed with them, moving it about as I work on it.


                                                                                                                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                              The interior skirting board was held in place just by screwing through the outside board which is firmly fixed & glued to the base.

                                                                                                                                                                              (Screws on the outside at the back of the condo and inside at the front (so remain invisible ))

                                                                                                                                                                              I must own up – I have forgotten to cable tie the base of the grids the skirting board !!!   D’OH !!

                                                                                                                                                                              But with the screw-sandwich holding the grids firmly in place and the weight of the finished condo, the grids won’t be budged… (I hope )

                                                                                                                                                                              This one pretty much sums up today’s job (!) 

                                                                                                                                                                              And this one is just for you Az – did you seen what I done, did ya ? 


                                                                                                                                                                            • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                Wooow! I’m totally hiring you to build our cottage,Vee


                                                                                                                                                                              • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                  Vienna, you are building this in the room you intend to have it aren’t you?!


                                                                                                                                                                                • Luna
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                                                                                                                                                                                    Looking good!


                                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                      I’ve just run out of cable tieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees. 300 was not enough
                                                                                                                                                                                      Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhh

                                                                                                                                                                                      Jersey, yes! LOL I remember a year or so ago a member not measuring to get it through a door !!!!
                                                                                                                                                                                      (But i didn’t have a choice, i only have one room )


                                                                                                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                        Wooow! I’m totally hiring you to build our cottage,Vee

                                                                                                                                                                                        If it takes as long as this one, it probably wouldn’t be ready for your REAL retirement age !!!


                                                                                                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                          Good grief, woman! How did you burn through 300 cable ties??


                                                                                                                                                                                        • Bam
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                                                                                                                                                                                            I’m so impressed I don’t know what to say. 300 cable ties! 2 (or 3?) bottles of white glue!


                                                                                                                                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                              I dont know!!!!! I had to count them on the condo incase I’d forgotten to open a packet!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                              Well 66 grids need to be tied. Corners 2 each crossed over and 2 down each length of 4 sides… and I’m about 50 short.

                                                                                                                                                                                              If you were making a… swing… for your 12kg child, you’d make it safe, wouldn’t you?!


                                                                                                                                                                                            • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                I must admit, I was a little bit concerned when you only bought 300. At least it gives your hands a break

                                                                                                                                                                                                It’s looking really good though. You won’t have any issues with the grids coming out from between the edging, there’s screws going through between the grid squares

                                                                                                                                                                                                And I love the gap, it’s perfect! Just watch the bunnies always run through that gap and be too lazy to go over the top of that tiny lip


                                                                                                                                                                                              • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                  Oh yes, easy to say now isn’t it Mz Az !!!  You could have shared your concern and advised me to get 400 AT THE TIME…. !!!!!  rofl 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Here, the buns are having a ‘going forward’ meeting, discussing whether the proposed hole is a nice shape and in the right position ?

                                                                                                                                                                                                  They’ll have AOB afterwards… Any Other Bananas?   (Meanwhile their hooman will sleep on the idea and get back to them tomorrow!)


                                                                                                                                                                                                • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                    I would have said something, but you’d already made the purchase and I felt bad

                                                                                                                                                                                                    I’m assuming there’s going to be a step under the hole? Might be a bit steep jumping straight down through there, but they may manage alright. Hard to know until you try it out


                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                      There may have to be two, or even an elevator, it seems really REALLY high !!!


                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Yoyo
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                                                                                                                                                                                                        … did someone mention BANANA?? lol

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Vienna,.. I’m looking for someone to make me blueprints for my ski lodge,… can you help? xD

                                                                                                                                                                                                        —————
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Vienna housing, or,.. GO HOME! lol


                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                            Game ON !  LOL ! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Life can be ‘fortunate’ sometimes…. these packs of 500 mixed size ties in non-hermetically sealed plastic boxes have an equal mixture of white (boo ) and black (yay ) cable ties, but the one I picked seemed to have mostly black in –  

                                                                                                                                                                                                            How fortunate 


                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                              @yoyo – if your ski lodge is to be made from C&C cages – no probs !!! bit chilly though….


                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Luna
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                Vienna – When you say “the one I picked seemed to have mostly black” does the emoji after it mean “the one I picked seemed to have mostly black [after I took out some white ones and put more black ones in at the store]” 


                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Vienna! Scandalous! LOL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Yoyo could use bunny poo to mix wattle and daub (sp?) and fill in the C&C holes. It’s a great insulator


                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 3/13/2017 7:59 AM

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Life can be ‘fortunate’ sometimes…. these packs of 500 mixed size ties in non-hermetically sealed plastic boxes have an equal mixture of white (boo ) and black (yay ) cable ties, but the one I picked seemed to have mostly black in –  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    How fortunate 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    In retail, it’s customers like you that we really, really don’t like… Haha. Looking forward to seeing more progress


                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                      It’s not at ALL the same as swapping a size 40 shoe out of one shoe box and putting it in the size 41 shoe box because one has two feet different sizes, or swapping the Small PJ top with an XL bottom half of PJ because one has the physeek of Jessica Rabbit….!!!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      (none of the above refers to yours truly btw)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I guess it was just my lucky day – somebody obviously wanted just mostly white….

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      (I would never have had to have a lucky day if somebun had warned me that I would run out….. )

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      And I’m the kind of customer who spends an extra 10 mins in an aisle putting stuff back in their proper places which others had just chucked back willynilly…… So, actually, i’m a customer that you should luuuurve !


                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I was just about to do the same as Az’s door, and I had a flash ! (ouch! ) I can’t .

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Can’t access from the roof (too high) and need a double ‘stable’ door so can close the top when they are out freeroam and the bottom is open (or else, bunny bungee jumping from top floor may become a trend !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        But having made the rest of the condo so sturdily, the stable door is… not!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        It’s hung for now and looks OK, but needs to be fixed better when closed (I’ve used loads of cable ties on the door ‘hinges’… or they were slipping down….)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        So I’ve got me thinking hat on to avoid having 8 dog lead clips to close/open each time….

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I’ll have to sleep on it !!!    (* scratches head as turns in for the night *)


                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • BB & Tiny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Wow, what a project, I’m exhausted just reading it!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Your cat condo is looking really good, Vienna!  When are you starting on the bunny one? 


                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                              What about getting the really narrow baseboard trim rods and ziptying a cross or an x on the door to reinforce it?


                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I was thinking similar, Q8. So it would be truly barn door in style.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Or, reinforce door with additional grids zip tied to middle, overlapping where existing grids of door. Then a vertical stip of wood on the doors edge. You could put dog clips at top and bottom then some eye hooks into edge of wood floor and shelf of the condo.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Reinforcing with just grids. Would any of these options work?


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    I’m confused about your door, why is it flimsy and what can’t it do what mine can?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Re-reading, I read “stable” as in sturdy, not “stable” as in horse stable Makes more sense now. You could try what I’m aiming to do when I add the extra height onto my condo (which I’m determined to do in April as I have a week off of work). My plan is to make a corner door on the roof, so that the edge is still only three grids high for access, but there’s more room for leaning in with a grid on the top opening as well. I’ll try to crudely illustrate what I mean. Not to scale

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    My current design, the green line is the second level, the yellow panels are the doors (obviously ) I use two clips for the top door (should probably use three) and three clips for the bottom door. I suppose I could have put those in the illustration, too late now, haha.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    And this is what I have planned. The door will be hinged at the back of the roof panels and I expect to have to clip it at the corner of the roof, and on the front side at the bottom of the door. That way it flips up and back and I could probably fold it back into a triangle to rest on the grids at the back while I clean. It will provide more strength along the front of the cage and your door shouldn’t be so saggy.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      In case my explanation of how the door opens didn’t make sense, here’s another to-scale illustration. I also included where the hinge is (blue) and where I envision putting clips (red).


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Well the Aussies have got 12 out of 10 this morning for design and ingenuity – good gracious girls! I am impressed !!! Thank you for your efforts! It looks like rubikmania !!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I’m off to work now but will look at these in detail later – of course, yes, a flip top would be sturdier, and maybe with a crossrail along the length at the front (head access?) to support the angle of the flip top, maybe that would work…. I’ll check about having a fixed 3rd floor, but it seems a bit high to get armpits up and over if I needed to lift 6 kg out, but I know that’s what you’re doing now to access the top level.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Yes, an X would reinforce it the door, but esthetically…. mehhhh

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Right off to work, with not much ‘work’ on my mind…..


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          You’re going to come home from work with an armful of doodles of rabbit condos, I can see it now

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I’m glad you thought of the crossrail too, it’s something I thought about after I uploaded the picture with the open door. Except instead of the crossrail being fixed inside so that it blocks access, the crossrail would be joined to the door so that it moves away with it. When the door is closed, the beam sits on the grids either side. So the crossrail would be on top of the cage at the front, not inside the cage. It might look more stylish to use a black aluminium tubing to match the black grids. Like this: https://www.bunnings.com.au/connect-it-25-4-x-25-4-x-1-2mm-1-2m-black-anodised-aluminium-square-tube_p1138343 but from the French version of Bunnings, whatever that may be

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I suppose I take my height for granted when reaching over the 3 grid height. I’ve no idea how tall you are For me the top of the 3rd grid only comes to just above my belly button

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Keep in mind that if you reinforce the front door with cross beams or grids, that the door obviously won’t bend, it will only open as a solid door. My door bends which is perfect and I clip it back against the cage in a triangle. I think if it didn’t bend, the timber edging around the cage would be in the way for it to open all the way back.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Personally, I would avoid reinforcing with additional grid panels – I mean, those suckers are heavy enough as it is – they’re strong on their own, they just need some cross reinforcement to keep them from wobbling when tied together. Wood rods are lighter and would act like rebar in a way, wouldn’t they? But I do bow down to your digital design skills, ladies…


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Oh yes, Paint, the line and paintbucket tool, such skill.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Jersey’s is super pro, my dimensions were “meh, that’s about right”


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  For me the top of the 3rd grid only comes to just above my belly button

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Yup, mine too, apparently !! LOL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  So I’m thinking, external long full height wooden upright at back in middle of condo (tied to support the grids from collapsing and moving too much…), nailed to 1st level shelf, then on top, a short wooden plank from the back one to front (halved and hinged (with real hinges!) in middle so it can fold up, and the front bit of this one joined to a horizontal wooden cross bar supporting the flip top opening….. wowzer…. go the easy route Vee !!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I’ll be clearer later – back to work – toodlepip !


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    And then Vienna quit her job and went back to school to study architecture


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Wait, what…? I think I need to see pics, lol.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Your wish is my command Your Az’ter 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        So after spening an hour last night carefully untying (for reuse) the cable ties with a knife (miracle! Is till have all 10 fingers left!) between 3rd anfd 4th floor that had been tied (tight!) with love…. I’ve drafted up your 3 roof thingymajig. With the wooden cross bar it is sturdy and the front of the roof remains flat when it’s closed. I still don’t like the middle of the roof bending in a little bit, which is where the little cross bar (attached to barck) would come in. I tried it and it works 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        And actually as the below photo shows, there is ample access through the 4th floor just lifting up like a caravan window without having to go in through the roof (but you do have to tuck head in, whereas when it’s all open, you could climb in for a kip !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        And actually the 4th floor front could be tucked inwards and tied for cleaning purposes – see below.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This is an example of the little hinged crossbar which I was talking about, allowing the front roof to go up and be folded back, yet keeping the roof completely horizontal when closed (its not a 180° hinge which stops at horizontal, but the two bits of wood coming back into contact prevents it front going down any further).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        So, any clearer ? I’m off to the UK tomorrow, so am taking the shelf for its hole to be cut. Just got to decide on whether to stick the lino on before cutting (so has a perfect hole cut to shape at the same time) or after (just in case…)….? Or does it really matter…. meeeh….!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Ellie from The Netherlands
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Wow, it’s really impressive work Vienna. Love to read this thread ^_^


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Holy rabbits! That looks… like a C&C Taj Mahal.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Yup. And now I’ve got it out of the kitchen – hallelujah – I realise I don’t have much living room left!!! LOL. I have absolutely no idea where the expensive, heavy duty xpen I’m picking up in UK tomorrow is going to go… I’ll have 8 panels. I think I’ll only need 4 or 5…
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              One day at a time, eh?!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Ellie. It’s seriously a team effort, bunstructed by BB members


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Did you say you’re taking the shelf all the way to the UK to have the hole cut?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I’ll tell you what though, it looks amazing and the bunnies are clearly loving it That corner door opening provides so much room! It’s such a huge opening, I think that’s great I also now see what you mean about the hinged support, very interesting concept


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Yup. In the uk now with shelf in the car. I don’t have a jigsaw. Dad does….
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cutting a round hole with a jigsaw is simpler. With a normal saw nearhi impossible and by drilling holes is interminable !!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The Readigrass is here. And the xpen. And the megazorb AND some other stuff !!!! It’s like Christmas…..!!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Am thinking of trying pigeon bracelets (ankle collars?) for the hinges instead of cable ties which resist and which surely wear after use… (?) but not sure if the pigeon ‘collars’ are sturdy enough….? Watch this space.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    For the condo door “hinges”? What are the leg rings/collars made out of?


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ?? Not sure, but a metal soft enough to go around and then be clamped around in a ring. Aluminium. Ah that’s what they’re called : rings. LOL
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I’ve just googled it and it seems to be a lot are now in plastic…. rofl… well I’ll think of something else…


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Avoid those. Used them in the past and developed stress fractures and snapped (plus made awful sound)


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          If it makes you feel any better. 2 years and 8 months on and I’ve never replaced my cable tie hinges

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Also, it’s so bizarre to me that you can just get in the car and drive to another country like it’s just any old day.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Yes, I noticed theyre now plastic (news to me) which is why I asked what type! But they still may be better the metal. I had same thoughts as Q8.. Soft metal can fatigue quickly if constantly moved. Then break. The tensile plastics might be more forgiving. You could always try a combo of plastic and metal zipties, I suppose.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Plastic zipties hold up pretty well. Unless they come in contact with industrious bunny teeth. They also get brittle and break if exposed to the sun outdoors.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Ellie from The Netherlands
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Posted By Azerane on 3/17/2017 12:05 AM

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Also, it’s so bizarre to me that you can just get in the car and drive to another country like it’s just any old day.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              LOL, it must be weird indeed for Ozzies. Here in NL I’m 10 minutes by car from the German border (30 minutes by bike), and 2,5 hours from the border with Belgium (not so good to go by bike).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Have a safe journey, Vienna ^_^

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1 hour(ish) by car from the Saudi border, 1 hour(ish) by car from the Iraqi border, and (if you lose your bearings) a few hours(ish) by sailboat from the Iranian border – no idea how long by camel, but neither should be visited anyways.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Bam
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I told my SO you were taking the shelf from France to the UK, he was very impressed.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  We can go to Denmark from here in 20 min by ferry. There’s a ferry every half hour.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    LOL – its hardly a great effort. I chucked it in the boot (trunk) of the car !!!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      We have a hole, Captain! We have a hole !!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I hope you’ve shown your Dad photos of the Condo to date and that he is suitably impressed!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        So, what did you decide? Have the hole cut with or without the vinyl on?


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Without. It’s sitting in the back of the car as I write from the tunnel *glugglug*.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I have to cut lino to shape (easy) and then remove a 1/4 inch of foam (picky picky) from the back of the lino around the hole area so that around the hole there is only 19mm of thickness and not 20mm in order to fit my flexible plastic edging which will (hopefully) stick to the edge of the hole. Oh yes! That 1mm WILL make all the difference !!!! Otherwise it’ll be too thick. Lol !!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Opened new xpen today, made a makeshift 4 gate prison and sat inside it. Dad said I would be better living in the condo and the furries having the run of the house !!! lol

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          So yes Jersey, they have seen the condo and they think I’m bonkers…


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Here’s a random question re moving the buns into their new spanking new condo…. do I prevent them from going up onto the top level for a few days so they get used to the litter box and new place? In their 3 month temporary enclosure after bonding, Zou started peeing outside the box and I dont want her to start peeing in their new pad and marking, if I can avoid it…..


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I never had any troubles with it, but then Bandit was an absolute gem with his litter tray use, and Apollo and Luna were too silly to figure out that there was an upstairs for at least 2 weeks… 


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                So the condo has been inhabited for the past week and I am quite sad. The lino is too slippery for Zou certainly and Henry doesn’t much like it. The new fleece Henry chews, in five minutes he had three holes so I don’t want to leave it any longer.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                So now I’ve got to start again, back to the drawing board for the upstairs shelf….
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I’m sure he would chomp away at low pile carpet tiles.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Zou doesn’t want to go upstairs anymore because she can’t get down…
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Im thinking the only thing i could do is lay a load of slats on the lino to act as purchase…. not comfy to lay on….


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I’m totally out of ideas…


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    You and me too mate …


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Fit with rubber mat/flooring? Cut to size so still removable but so they cant get to the edges…hopefully…?


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Whatever I decide it will have to have a wooden frame around the edges thats for sure…. so I suppose the flatter the better…
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        or just a gigantic seagrass mat
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        or a sheet of cardboard…. they both chew but that can be replaced and is slightly more grippy as their claws go into it…

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ps. Jersey it is waaaay past midnight in your part of the world.. .. lol !!!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Almost 2am.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            seagrass matt sounds cool – or a bamboo tatami mat cut into right sized pieces?


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Yay – photos… well two.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              One of the porthole up to the penthouse and the other showing why 2 grids high is a good idea for big (long!) buns… 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              As you can read from the posts above – the covering on the shelf will have to change for it to be not slippery . The (lovely) new fleece slipw like heck up there too…. Henry made mincemeat of it… I need something more ‘rigid’ that doesn’t ‘give’ under his incessant digging…..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              (For the moment I’m blocking if off when i’m not supervising overnight.)


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Azerane
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Wow, they are big buns I clip my fleece down at the edges to keep it in place, though with determined digging Apollo can sometimes get it free. Regarding the slippery lino, I agree that rubber or foam mat may be the way to go. Even if it’s only around the hole, but again you do need to protect from chewing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I found that Bandit could handle the slippery lino well, Apollo and Luna struggle with it much more than Bandit ever did. I think you’ll find that cardboard is almost just as slippery as the lino.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I have just found two rugs almost identical to the one I have, but perfect sizes for condo, so I’m off to see them both this morning and hope they havelooow pile and I will fit them with wooden frames and see how we go….


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Whilst waiting to get the stale ciggie smoke out of the rugs (I couldn’t smell anything when I picked them up…..), I’ve put a rubber backed doormat up there – they looove it – Henry’s binkied up and over (and landed on..) Zou while she lays serenly, enjoying the view.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Binky all you like my love – I’ve reinforced it enough for an elephant’s hen party up there !!!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The condo is pretty much finished although I don’t trust Henry with the carpet rug up in the penthouse, so they stay downstairs overnight. The wooden box which acts as the step up is not permanent but Dad was throwing it out so I snuck it in my pocket.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I take it out overnight, so it’s still not an ideal situation (as its really heavy) 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Zou (I’m sure it must be her, though I have no proof) has just decided after 2 clean nights that peeing on the lino is fun too…..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      And Henry has just decided after 4 months of havng them that chewing Ikea buns (like with holes and everything) is fun too…..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      And Cali has just won a prize for THE smelliest poos in the UNIVERSE – “Roll up Roll up – EVERY TIME A WINNER !!!! ” 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      And on top of that, every furry creature is in MEGAmoult !! 


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Ooof… brutal, my friend.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        But that second picture sure is adorable


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Ellie from The Netherlands
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Yuck, good luck with all the messes Hope that Henry doesn’t swallow the plushie filling, else it’s best to take them away.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          The condo looks beautiful though, and they look very relaxed in it. A true snuggle-den.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Gina.Jenny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            love the four bun fluffle


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Ellie. I think they have now realised it is home. But now the finer days are coming they will spend much time lazing outside in the spring sun or the summer shade too. Lucky buns.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              (And if Henry keeps up this digging for gold business at 3am, they’ll be sleeping under the stars too!!)


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            • Bam
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Are you sure it’s Henry who digs? I’m not. He looks too innocent. I think it’s more likely some local French badger that sneaks in at night and digs.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              • Limit
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Oh my gosh you’ve done a fab job with the condo! It looks so well made!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    It was a practice run for my cottage

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Bam, badgers can be such wee sneaky devils


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Are you sure it’s Henry who digs?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Ab-so-bloomin-lutely 100% its him…. and no wonder he sleeps all day, he must be EXHAUSTED !!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      And that snobby look in the second photo is definitely “I shall do what I wish, when I wish and I’m not asking permission from anyone! If you don’t like it, tough!!” Yes oh master *sigh*


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        So i had a thought that stomach-driven Henry might dig out of hunger or boredom or because its dark….. (!!!!?)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        So last night i left them a load of pellets (it was a trial) AND a night light AND let them have the penthouse open.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        NO DIGGING. Omg. Bliss.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Whether it was because i left him food, or a light or that the whole penthouse at night was new…. i don’t know.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        But a whole night of sleep. Ahhhhhhh


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Schweet!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Bam
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Great!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I have to feed Bam right before bedtime or he will wake me up. Problem is sometimes Effi sneaks out into the livingroom and steals his food.

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        FORUM HABITATS AND TOYS Zou and Henry’s love shack – step by step