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IXIShogunR1
Member
USA
6 Posts |
 Posted - 11/27/2007 : 19:35:38
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and this is the full write up i did on the gym so every one that wants can try their hand at this thing
enjoy
So in my hunt to find a play gym for my Macaw I found that many of them were highly priced.... and as most of us Macaw owners know, the initial buying of our babies and getting their home (cage) can cost lots.... so after checking out many designs and checking prices I came up with one that you can make at home.... this initial “prototype” gym cost me around $64 with the grape vines but is only about $30 if you just stick with the lumber for now (SS hardware and grape vines add up fast)..... the price will rise as I advance it over the months with real branches and other fun items..... but the point of writing this how to was to just give other Macaw owners an idea for a platform to make their own customizable play gym
This is only 1 of 3 gyms that I’m working on, with the other 2 being hanging gyms..... that I haven’t gotten around to yet, probably spring time projects
Materials Needed:
4- 2"x4"x10'
2- 1"x4"x10' (Can use anything from a 1"x3" to 1"x6") (I used 1"x3"s when I probably should of used 1"x5"s but that will be explained later)
3- 2"x2"x8" (At least more can be used depending on how many perches you want) (Also size can vary according to size of bird) (Natural wood branches of your choosing can be used) (I opted for 2"x2"s for now real branches will be added later)
Screws (Many) LOL (Nails can be used but I find screws easier to deal with when making things like this, plus they are easy to remove if you wish to change something later, which is the idea of this gym)
1- 24"x48" hardboard (Anything of your choosing can be used hardboard is relatively cheap and easy to work with)
Food coloring (Gel type works best, this is if you wish to add a little color)
Rope or SS chain your choice (I opted for rope for now SS chain will be added later)
4- wheels (If you so wish to make it moveable like I did)
Note: All of the sizes given here are from what I built, you can change sizes to fit your needs, that’s the joy of this design, you can make it any way you want to fit your bird and house, or bird area
Tools Needed:
miter saw (Can substitute with a circular saw or jig saw)
Jig saw or cut wheel (Dremels are nice but can take longer)
Drill bits
Drill
Screw driver tip for drill
Tape measurer
Paint brush or sponge brush (For food coloring)
Sander
Med grit sandpaper
Tips:
Pre drill all your holes to limit cracking (pilot holes), counter sink your holes to keep the screws hidden from your bird..... you can use a drill bit the size of or a little bigger then your screw heads
use of screws is really up to you, if it feels like its not going to hold add more
Step 1:
Cut 2 of your 2"x4"x10's to 5', then using screws attach them int to 2 structures to make
2 3"x3.5"x5's...... now you have your 2 main towers,(I made them this way cause the 4"x4"s at the hardware store were salt pressure treated)
Step 2:
Take your other 2"x4"x10's and cut 6 23" long pieces
Step 3:
Take 1 of your now 2"x4"x23" pieces and attach it to the 3" side of one of your main tower bottoms
repeat for other tower.... (this is the start of the Base frame)
Step 4:
Now you should have 2 main towers with 23" 2"x4"s attached at the bottom forming an upside down T..... now you want to take another 2"x4"x23" and double that up to the one you just attached, just like you did to form the towers
Step 5:
Now take your last 2 2"x4"x23" and pre drill your holes to attach them to the opposite side of the ones already on the base of your towers..... but do not attach them yet (trust me this step will make more sense later)
Step 6:
Now take your remaining 2"x4" section and cut 2..... 30 ½" pieces
Step 7:
You take the pieces you just cut, and the 2 23" pieces you should of pre drilled for your towers and make a square..... it should be 33.5"x23"x3.5" tall over all when you finish....
Step 8:
Now attach the towers to the 23" sides of your newly made square to complete the frame part of your play gym
Step 9:
Step back check your work, if it looks loose or flimsy add some more screws or nails to the spots you think need it
Step 10:
Take your 1"x4"s or which ever size you chose to use is place of the 1"x4"s and cut them into 2 pieces 23"s and 2 pieces 48 1/8" pieces
(Your probably wondering why we don’t just cut everything at once since we know what it needs to be, well I like to cut the pieces as I need them so that I can check the measurements incase something is a little off)
Step 11:
Here comes the fun part..... if your using 1"x4"s like I did, then you have to attach them to the outside of the frame so that they are 1" above the frame, it forms a little lip to catch seeds and what not that will fall on the bottom of the gym (Once again add as many screws as you feel are needed)
(Yes I know why didn’t you just get a bigger piece of wood instead of doing it that way..... honestly I just did the plans thinking of the wrong size LOL my bad ha ha)
Step 12:
So now you should be looking at towers and frame work all connected and the gym is coming together..... well this is now the step where we add the wheels (If you want wheels) so lay your gym down on the ground, and attach the wheels 1 for each corner.... I screwed mine into the 2"x4"s
Step 13:
Time to cover up all the frame work..... now take your base board and cut to fit inside the lips around the frame, cutting the square holes out to fit right over the towers..... fasten down with some screws and there you go a cleanable bottom catch floor for your gym
Step 14:
So now you should be looking at an almost completed gym you got your towers with your base all finished and covered..... this is now the stage where your 2"x2"s come in to play..... or branches if you chose to do so.... this was made with 2"x2"s cause it is a prototype gym for me.... I will be adding to it over the months and getting some real branches to replace the 2"x2"s
but this is about making a cheap play gym for our parrots right now.... not making it look super cool.... and this is the cheap route
but anyways there is no method to where you place your perches/branches..... you can do it the way I did it or just make up your own lay out.... use screws to attach the perches of your liking
That is the joy of this gym..... its yours to customize anyway you feel fit to do so
Also, for the grape vines, I made “mounting plates” with some of the left over 1"x4"s so I mounted the grape vines with screws through the back of the plates, then bolted the plates to the tower with SS wood bolts and SS washers.....
Step 15:
Hopefully you’ve got some branches left over or some extra 2"x2" cause now its time to add the swing..... if you so wish to add one..... use your SS chain or rope to hang the swing where you wish to hang it on your gym.....
Step 16:
Now that everything is all put together, its time to sand the whole gym down.... using a little electric palm sander will make this go by faster, but you can hand sand the whole thing if you don’t have an electric sander..... you just want to smooth out any roughness and potential for slivers.... I like to round the edges of the wood to make it a little more safe
And finally Step 17:
You should now have a home made parrot gym...... but what’s missing probably some color and some toys.... well once again customizable add toys any where you see fit....
And if you wanted to add color this is where the food coloring comes in..... brush it on like a stain mix and match it with the way you want....... add a little water if you want a lighter color or go straight food coloring if you want it to be darker.... add treat bowls if you feel the need to have them and have fun with your new home made gym
Once again this is my prototype cheap gym..... made from looking at many types of gyms and making one that I thought would work best for my needs you can change the measurements as you see fit for you and your bird.
And lastly...... we have extra wood left over..... hmm well if you used rope for your swing hopefully you have some left over.... you know what that means we take the extra wood and rope and make some home made toys to hang on the gym..... recycling for the win
Doug
1 B&G Baby (Bebop)
2 Budgies |
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my home made DIY parrot gym
Posted - 11/27/2007 : 19:31:59