I've convinced dad to take me to the hardware store sometime in the next few weeks to get some dowel and stuff to make on of those perch ladders that you put on an angle to fit lots of perch space into a smaller area....know what i mean? :mellow: Anyway, i just asumed you'd use nails to attach the dowel to the side bits of wood but dad thought glue would be better. I don't want to use glue incase it's poison but does anyone know of a bird safe glue just incase?

Now that the whole issue of metal poisoning has come up in another topic Bea, I figured this site could help you on the type of screws and washers to use and not. It talks about making perches but I assume it would be the same type of material.

http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_perches.shtml

Thanks for that! Was interesting to read. Don't know if those particular screws will work for what i'm doing....i'll try to find an example:

okay, just made: http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/Beli...ts/untitled.jpg

That's what i plan to do before the end of the holidays. :grbud: Any tips on types of wood, how to join it together, etc? I'm hoping to get some different types of dowel (square, round, different widths) for variety. While i'm asking away what types of rope are safe for budgies? I would like to string some across the front half of the aviary like swingy rope perches.

well I believe you need to be PM Una, after seeing her aviary :grbud:

Yup got ya PM Bea and I hope i might have helped a little (Laughing out loud)

but yeah im all for N A T U R A L so id skip getting the wood from the hardware store and get out the handsaw (save ya pennies for another toy for Blinks, Like that bracelet you got him that time).. Sisal is what i use to tie it all together.. Hope you understood what i meant from the PM Bea and if you dont get what im on about (Laughing out loud) just send me another PM

Cheers :beer:

Una

I'd have trouble finding several 1.5m branches. Especially ones that will fit properly into my aviary without preventing me from moving around. I will still keep a few natural branches in there as well as hopefully rope plus i'm planning on adding some hooks for toys....all up i think big improvement. More perching space, variety and toys.

Bea, any improvements made in an aviary is a GREAT improvement, the birds will love you for it

Let us know how it all goes though, maybe get that brother of yours to take some "action" photos of you in the process of construction

Trust me! Me attempting anything handy is hilarious. Last time me and my brother were doing something i asked him to pass me the screwdriver and i got a weird look.....i had called the spanner a screwdriver. I also have trouble managing nails....always seem to bruise my thumbs a lot and end up with countless bent nails.

Oh yes, action shots please. Blood and gore would be good Una, I think a lot of us would like the tips that you gave Bea, please don't hide them from us

Well Lin maybe if Bea still has the PM she could post it.. although it was a whole heap of not alot of much :(Laughing out loud):

This is what Una told me:

"I use sisal rope as its natural and not synthetic, although it doesn't last as long as other ropes i feel natural is best as they do tend to want to nibble and preen it.

As for the wood, i don't think i have used any dowel in anything i have made for the birds.. All the wood i use is mostly drift wood that i've picked up down the beach as i can find fairly large pieces and its light being drift wood, or just interesting pieces i find while driving out bush.

I have a few perches that i have made in the aviary that are just odd and interesting lengths of wood (found on the beach so they are fairly soft) that i have screwed onto stainless steel chain with a few stainless screws, the screws make it easy for me to change the wood when either it rots or the budgies have ripped it apart.

All other branches if not drift wood are either branches from the Mahogany tree or from many of its saplings that i have growing in the garden and a few gum tree branches etc..

Just a thought on your perch plan, if it was me id probably tend to make it out of natural branches with holes drilled through the ends and string and knot it together with some sisal rope. Its not a sturdy fixture, but then again what tree in the wild is rigid (Laughing out loud) and the natural branches i'm sure would excercise there feet more with the added bonus of some sisal to chew on and preen

like this but on a larger scale, to get the angle you want just drape and fasten it onto some perches..

This probably didn't help you a great deal, My birds are fairly lucky that we are on the coast and surrounded by bush with not a great deal of shops or choices on how to do or make things.. Let me know how it goes and i look forward to seeing your creations, just keep in mind its not always about how great and neat it looks or how expensive it is to make it.. most of the things i make don't cost anything at all, and i think the birds enjoy them more than the the products i purchase.

 

Oh and I NEVER use glue (just thought id add that) I always find a way to stainless screw it or tie it with rope, just make sure the screws are not sticking out so they can hurt the budgies."

Edited January 11, 200619 yr by Bea

Tnaks Bea and Una. Now for those action shots...

You just want to see me dropping 'screwdrivers' and hurting myself.

Bea! How can you say that about us? When have we ever given that impression? :ausb:

I am taking :book: and it is just amazing what 1 little post can turn into, I would love to see those action shots too :ausb: Don't worry Bea, I am the same way with nails and hammers Remember whatever you do they love you anyways, they don't know perfect from not perfect

Thanks for that Bea, I had forgotten all that i had wrote (Laughing out loud)..