Linoleum, sunlamps and snuggle huts!

[weco]

OK, gluing would probably be best, but if you're familiar with contact cement, that would probably be you best choice over regular water based carpet adhesive.....though my choice would be the non-solvent version of contact cement.....the carpet adhesive might take up to a year to cure...the nature of its formulation is such that once tack has begun it allows for slight creep-back of the vinyl because the vinyl is normally rolled in place with a 100# roller, so the regular adhesive takes a long time to cure and might cause a problem for curios beaks and/or adjacent carpet fibers...contact cement, on the other hand, is applied to both surfaces, allowed to dry, then are pressed together, but if you're not familiar with using it, follow the directions & do some practice gluing, doesn't make any difference what you practice on, but once the two surfaces are pressed together, they're glued...no room for errors.....

Sorry for the misunderstanding.....

 

[JerseyWendy]

Wendy, those cages are beautiful. Are they King's?

Thank you, Julie. Yes, they are. The one on the left (with Hunter in it) was the one that completely rusted out on me not too long ago and has since been replaced.

 

[Kiwibird]

Wendy, those cages are beautiful. Are they King's?

Thank you, Julie. Yes, they are. The one on the left (with Hunter in it) was the one that completely rusted out on me not too long ago and has since been replaced.

I don't recall you making a new cage post recently Wendy:20:. Did I miss it, or did you not show off miss Hunter's beautiful new home:54:

 

[JerseyWendy]

I don't recall you making a new cage post recently Wendy:20:. Did I miss it, or did you not show off miss Hunter's beautiful new home:54:

No, April, LOL. The cage in the photo has been 'history' for several years (due to the sudden onset of mega rust and mega chipping). I talked about it in this thread: http://www.parrotforums.com/cages/49493-keeping-powder-coat-cages-chipping-peeling-rusting.html

Hunter has been in this cage ever since:





It's an A&E cage, and I'm quite happy with it.

 

[Kiwibird]

I know you mentioned a cage that went bad on you but I guess I didn't make the connection here. Sorry

That is a nice cage though, and Hunter is a beautiful YNA.

 

[Kiwibird]

Well, I made up his new snuggle hut this morning I think he will like it once I get it up on the new cage (when the new cage turns up!)

If anyone is interested in making one, I just used a pattern I have had for a while for fabric baskets and added the hanging loops+cut the "doorway" I used a "craft weight" (very stiff) sew-in interfacing, along with a lightweight batting quilted to the inner fabric. Both inner and outer fabrics are flannel. Used a heavy-duty polyester thread intended for outdoor applications (i.e. VERY strong).

 

[henpecked]

Good job !!! You've very talented with that sewing machine.

 

[Dopey]

If anyone is interested in making one, I just used a pattern I have had for a while for fabric baskets and added the hanging loops+cut the "doorway" I used a "craft weight" (very stiff) sew-in interfacing, along with a lightweight batting quilted to the inner fabric. Both inner and outer fabrics are flannel. Used a heavy-duty polyester thread intended for outdoor applications (i.e. VERY strong).

April - do you use a regular machine or a heavy duty machine?

 

[Kiwibird]

April - do you use a regular machine or a heavy duty machine?

I don't know lol. Never really though about it before. It doesn't SAY heavy duty anywhere, but I haven't found a (fabric or related) material yet my machine can't handle. It's all metal and only has a few stitches (i.e. not a whole lot to go wrong). I do occasionally need to use a roller foot and/or adjust the presser foot pressure for particularly heavy or lightweight/shiny fabrics. My mom bought it for me at a garage sale when I was a teenager, so I've been beating it up for quite a few years and it never messes up I think it was a higher end model (Riccar) when it was made.

 

[Kiwibird]

Hey Weco- went to home depot and got the 1/2" particle board, contact cement and also found this white plastic stuff you put around the outside edges to give them a 'finished' look (will look MUCH nicer than duct tape!). Thanks for all the advice. Hoping this will come out good. I think if I do it *right* it will end up looking like the cage is sitting on a nice tiled floor (the linoleum looks like tiles) AND be super easy to clean. We shall see though...

 

[RavensGryf]

That looks professionally made... as your stuff ALWAYS does . Very cute!

 

[weco]

Hey Weco- went to home depot and got the 1/2" particle board, contact cement and also found this white plastic stuff you put around the outside edges to give them a 'finished' look (will look MUCH nicer than duct tape!). Thanks for all the advice. Hoping this will come out good. I think if I do it *right* it will end up looking like the cage is sitting on a nice tiled floor (the linoleum looks like tiles) AND be super easy to clean. We shall see though...

Sounds good, but be careful of mopping around your new cage pad as the OSB will wick up water & probably grow mold under the vinyl.....the saving grace here is that the mold would grow on plywood too, if dampness were to be held under the vinyl.....it only dawned on me when you mentioned putting an edging around your project.....now vacuuming & damp mopping should not be a problem.....and.....I've gotten myself in too many conflicts trying to second guess women and their thinking, so suffice to say light/damp mopping of your finished project should serve you very well until you get your stainless cage built & decide to change your (by then) old cage mat..... ))

 

[henpecked]

Do i smell seared flesh?

 

[Kiwibird]

I actually don't 'wet mop'. It's always seemed unsanitary and like it's just spreading dirt around. I clean with a damp rag- kitchen, bathroom and I will on this too That way i don't miss any spots or have a sopping wet floor.

Now, I'm SURE this is you "expected" answer from a "woman", but I have done quite a lot of projects and am pretty familiar with a variety of materials. I know I occasionally post some of the furniture I refinish and my sewing. This is my first project with the linoleum though so I do appreciate the insight into how to affix it to the board, or I would have trie regular glue. I did use this 'type' of particle board a few years back to build an ottoman that lights up on the bottom, and you could have a dance-party on that ottoman it's so sturdy (not to mention it lights up, which is just plain awesome!) This material almost has a plastic-y texture (similar to trexx but not as nice looking unfinished) so I think it's more mold resistant than regular plywood. I hope to have a house here in the next few years, and the first thing to go will be any carpet besides maybe some throw rugs! I HATE carpet.

 

[weco]

Well, see, there, I was right to just post as I did.....what size contact cement did you get? You might have an inclination to put it on the OSB thick, but fight that inclination.....this is a case where a thin application grabs better than a thick one and if you brush it on, you don't want to brush back & forth like you're applying paint.....and let it dry like the directions say and remember once you place the vinyl, it's stuck.....if you can find a large sheet of kraft paper (the brown bag kind, you can use that as a slip sheet.....the dried contact cement won't stick to kraft paper, but don't try newspaper on you'll have a hell of a mess.....

 

[Kiwibird]

I got a small jar. I actually decided on a 6X6" grid on both the back of the linoleum and on the particle board. I applied the contact cement at each 'intersection' in a thin "X" and it is drying right now. That *should* give enough room to be able to lay it down by 'row' accurately starting at one edge (I have found using a grid system is helpful in many different types of projects). Right now I am cutting the edges so it has mitered corners and fits neatly I will just be hot-gluing the edging down since it "slides" on and I am pretty proficient with hot glue. This is just to keep poop off the carpet, not re-doing the flooring at Buckingham palace And I actually have tons of kraft paper, so I'll test that out. I'm a fairly OCD perfectionist with this kind of thing though lol.

P.S. My husband used to always roll his eyes when I told him my project ideas and tells me it will never work in a million years. After a few times SEEING the finished result, he conceded I usually know what I'm doing because I have a clear idea in my head of the finished product. It's my verbal articulation, not my execution of ideas that isn't so good.

 

[Kiwibird]

That looks professionally made... as your stuff ALWAYS does . Very cute!

Thanks!

It's actually a good project for a beginner- very simple to make fabric baskets in the first place AND a good lesson in sewing neat curves and making your own binding. It's quite literally an upside down "basket" with a hole in the front and some hanging tabs

 

[Kiwibird]

Hey Henpecked, found you some pics of zons using (not eating) their snuggle huts Let me know if you want to try one for that Jake of yours

Sweet old Barney, forgot I made him this huge hut when he had his stroke

Lucy staying over at her "boyfriends" place

And of course Kiwi!

 

[Kiwibird]

I'm absolutely dumbstruck that huge cage got here so fast (only placed the order last weekend). It turned up yesterday. I thought it would take at least a few weeks! The difference in quality was immediately apparent. This new cage looks like it might just last a little longer than 3/4 years I got it set up, but was too tired to sterilize it and put all the branches and toys in last night. My particle board/linoleum surface is absolutely perfect though! About a foot of clearance in every direction to catch poop on an easy to clean surface I will post pics on a different day once the swing, sunlamp ext... arrives. Still excited though and so was Kiwi (who watched me assemble it on the deck yesterday through the window since it was simply too cold for him outside)!!!

 

[henpecked]

Hey Henpecked, found you some pics of zons using (not eating) their snuggle huts Let me know if you want to try one for that Jake of yours

Sweet old Barney, forgot I made him this huge hut when he had his stroke

Lucy staying over at her "boyfriends" place

And of course Kiwi!

LOL, i don't think it would be a good time for Miss Hormonal to get one of those. besides she sleeps on top on her cage 90% of the time.