daveim
cats, dogs, lizards, etc.
- Messages
- 206
I was sick with the H1N1 and strep throat last week, and couldn't go to school. Yesterday I felt a little better, and decided to make something. Well, I found a 4ft board and a 21 1/2"X14" particle board and decided to make a cat house.
Materials:
1) First I took my wave and, using the 4" saw, cut the 4' board into two approximately 2' boards.
2) Next, I applied wood glue to the bases of the boards and used wire nails and rather large wood screws to secure the boards to the particle board base. The nails held the boards together while I screwed them together and while the glue dried.
3) Then I screwed two of the easels together and nailed and screwed them on top of the boards for the top platform of the cat house.
4) For a middle platform, I took two screw-hooks and screwed them into the insides of the boards and hung another easel on those hooks by two eye holes for picture frames I screwed into it. Two more of these eye holes in the other side of the plank and two on the underside of the top platform were tied together with braided wire (well, more haywire twisted than tied).
5) With the saw on my leatherman, I cut the trim to fit around the base of the house, and then used wood glue and wire nails to secure it in place.
6) I used the three rotten planks of wood as an extension of the base, and I screwed the door-stopper-thingy into the inside of one of the boards.
7) After sanding everything down, I carpeted the floor. I used wire nails to hold down a sheet of fluffy felt-like stuff to the base and then used school glue to secure it around the edges.
8) Last, I glued carpet to the insides of the boards and nailed a rubber band to the board that didn't have the door-stopper-thingy.
The glue isn't dry yet, but the cable is strong enough to suport a 50-lb picture we have hanging in the basement, so easily a 14-lb overweight cat. The carpet fabric is so soft, I could wrap it around a rock and use it as a pillow. The whole thing took about 12 man-hours of work to complete. I hope they like it!
When I get a tub, I'm going to put felt on the interior and cut a hole that cat can get into and glue it to the top, like those carpeted kitty kondos you see at Pet**. I'm not done adding toys yet, but there are going to be a lot of things for the cats to bat at! When I get the felt, I'm going to put sticky felt all over the two top platforms 'cause right now I've only got the carpet on the bottom.
Pics at current stage:
Materials:
- dad's hammer
- my 25th anniversary Leatherman Wave (and bits kit)
- a peice of sandpaper for a belt sander
- a tape measure
- wood glue
- HEB school glue (for the carpet)
- picture hanging wire
- screws, nails, etc.
- a door stopper (you know, the ones that go TWANG when you bat at them)
- a 21" 1/2X14" particle board
- a 4' board
- a 4' dowel rod I found in my closet
- a 5' piece of trim I found in my closet
- three rotten pieces of wood I found in the backyard
- three plywood easels I rescued from the trash a year ago
1) First I took my wave and, using the 4" saw, cut the 4' board into two approximately 2' boards.
2) Next, I applied wood glue to the bases of the boards and used wire nails and rather large wood screws to secure the boards to the particle board base. The nails held the boards together while I screwed them together and while the glue dried.
3) Then I screwed two of the easels together and nailed and screwed them on top of the boards for the top platform of the cat house.
4) For a middle platform, I took two screw-hooks and screwed them into the insides of the boards and hung another easel on those hooks by two eye holes for picture frames I screwed into it. Two more of these eye holes in the other side of the plank and two on the underside of the top platform were tied together with braided wire (well, more haywire twisted than tied).
5) With the saw on my leatherman, I cut the trim to fit around the base of the house, and then used wood glue and wire nails to secure it in place.
6) I used the three rotten planks of wood as an extension of the base, and I screwed the door-stopper-thingy into the inside of one of the boards.
7) After sanding everything down, I carpeted the floor. I used wire nails to hold down a sheet of fluffy felt-like stuff to the base and then used school glue to secure it around the edges.
8) Last, I glued carpet to the insides of the boards and nailed a rubber band to the board that didn't have the door-stopper-thingy.
The glue isn't dry yet, but the cable is strong enough to suport a 50-lb picture we have hanging in the basement, so easily a 14-lb overweight cat. The carpet fabric is so soft, I could wrap it around a rock and use it as a pillow. The whole thing took about 12 man-hours of work to complete. I hope they like it!
When I get a tub, I'm going to put felt on the interior and cut a hole that cat can get into and glue it to the top, like those carpeted kitty kondos you see at Pet**. I'm not done adding toys yet, but there are going to be a lot of things for the cats to bat at! When I get the felt, I'm going to put sticky felt all over the two top platforms 'cause right now I've only got the carpet on the bottom.
Pics at current stage:
