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How to Build a Bird Cage With a Tray & Top

Many bird owners are keen to have a go at building a homemade cage. If you are one of those, then there will be a couple of things to consider before construction can begin. First you will need to consult a local vet or bird specialist to obtain expert advice on the size of cage your species of bird requires. At the same time, you may want to browse the various cages available in the stores to get an idea of the style of cage you are going to make. Here we will be making a standard box shape cage from wood and wire mesh. This cage is 3 feet long, 1 foot wide and 15 inches high.

Things You'll Need

  • 24 feet of 1-inch by 1-inch stock wood
  • 3 foot by 3 foot ½-inch plywood board
  • 3½ foot by 1½ foot ¼-inch plywood board
  • 8 foot by 1½ foot of ½-inch square wire mesh
  • 34 inch by 10 inch piece of 1-inch thick foam
  • 1 box 1 ½-inch long brass Phillip's head screws
  • 1 box 1-inch tacks
  • 1 box ½-inch U-shaped tacks
  • Carpenter's glue
  • Clear acrylic wood treatment.
  • 2 brass hinges with screws
  • Brass hook-style door latch
  • Miter box and back saw
  • Carpenter's tri-square
  • Screwdriver
  • Hammer
  • Tin snips
  • Power drill and ¼-inch drill bit
  • Sanding blocks
  • Coarse, medium and fine sandpaper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut four lengths of 36 inches from the 1 by 1 wood. Cut four lengths of 12 inches from the 1 by 1 wood. Cut four more lengths of 15 inches from the 1 by 1 wood. Use a miter box and handsaw to cut the wood, using a tri-square for accuracy.

    • 2

      Construct a box frame by joining two of the 12-inch cuts inside two of the 36-inch cuts. Join the pieces by drilling ¼-inch pilot holes and screwing them together with 1½ screws using a screwdriver. Construct a second frame to the same size. These are for the base and top of the frame.

    • 3

      Screw the four 15-inch cuts vertically to each corner of the base frame. Screw the top frame to the four posts.

    • 4

      Cut two 3 foot by 1 foot panels from the ½-inch plywood. Glue and tack one to the underside of the base frame. Cut four 1-inch squares from each corner of the second plywood panel. Insert the panel into the frame and glue and tack it to the top side of the base frame. This is the floor of the cage.

    • 5

      Sand all the wood with progressively finer sandpaper and seal the wood with clear acrylic wood treatment.

    • 6

      Cut two sections of 3 foot by 15 inches from the wire mesh with the tin snips. Attach them to each of the sidewalls of the frame with U-shaped tacks and the hammer. Cut one section of 12 inches by 15 inches from the wire mesh and attach it to the back wall with U-shaped tacks and hammer.

    • 7

      Cut two lengths of 10 inches from the 1 by 1 wood. Cut two lengths of 6 inches from the 1 by 1. Screw one 10-inch length across the bottom of the front wall, approximately 1 inch above the floor. Screw the second 10-inch length across the inside of the front wall 6 inches above the first. Screw the two 6-inch lengths vertically between the cross pieces 2 inches from each edge. You should be left with a 6-inch by 6-inch hole for the door.

    • 8

      Cut a 12-inch by 14-inch section from the wire mesh and place it against the front wall flush with the top of the frame. Mark the area on the wire mesh that corresponds to the door hole. Cut this 6-inch by 6-inch section form the wire mesh. Attach the mesh to the front wall with U-shaped tacks and hammer.

    • 9

      Cut a 6-inch by 6-inch square from the ¼-inch plywood panel. Attach the top edge to the door frame with two hinges. Attach the hook-style door latch to the bottom of the door so that it locks.

    • 10

      Take the remaining 3 foot by 1 foot panel of ½-inch plywood and glue the foam to one side, leaving 1 inch all the way around. Glue and tack the plywood panel, foam side down, to the top of the cage.

    • 11

      Make the seed tray with a 32-inch by 8-inch rectangle cut from the ¼-inch plywood. Slide the tray into the cage through the gap between the floor and the door frame.


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