Serious toy making in my future!

[MomtoPercy]

Look what I bought today. Guess what I will be doing with it?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Look what I bought today. Guess what I will be doing with it?

Hmm.....putting peep holes in all the walls?

Just kidding!!! That drill will come in SO very handy.

 

[Betrisher]

And pliers! You need two pairs of good pliers.

 

[Blancaej]

Very nice! Have fun!

 

[strudel]

Developing an "alternative training method" based on reenactments of scenes from Marathon Man?

Kidding, can't wait to see what lucky little Percy ends up getting.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Good idea, Strudel

I had a wild discussion with the hardware shop assistant where I bought the drill. I was looking at some wooden dowels to buy too (to cur up, drill holes in and hang up) but the assistant couldn't tell me 100% sure what wood there were made from. When I told him that a mistake on his part could kill my parrot, he started calling other assistants to come weigh in. Eventually I had five big men standing there going "uhm...ahhh...well, it *looks* like meranti". It was quite funny! I didn't buy the dowels in the end - couldn't take a chance with my precious Percy.

 

[mrgoogls]

hahaha. to funny! the drill will be VERY useful for toy making, also, some good scissors, pliers, and know how to tie knots.

 

[Betrisher]

Knots are great! I just posted pictures of my own knot-tying adventure in DYI. Did you know you can splice a loop into the end of your sisal or cotton rope to make a hanger? It's so easy, it's ridiculous! I just looked it up on google and YouTube and within ten minutes, I had a really nice little swing with loops to hang from my perches. Have a go! You won't be sorry!

PS. My latest effort (not boasting) - well, I am a bit - I'm hugging myself for my own cleverness - is a three-metre 1" thick sisal rope with eyesplices at each end. It'll hang from the perches and make a sort of rope ladder for the Beaks to play on. (NB. Eyesplicing 1" thick sisal is a bit of a challenge, but I did it! Go me!)

 

[Mike17]

Good idea, Strudel

I had a wild discussion with the hardware shop assistant where I bought the drill. I was looking at some wooden dowels to buy too (to cur up, drill holes in and hang up) but the assistant couldn't tell me 100% sure what wood there were made from. When I told him that a mistake on his part could kill my parrot, he started calling other assistants to come weigh in. Eventually I had five big men standing there going "uhm...ahhh...well, it *looks* like meranti". It was quite funny! I didn't buy the dowels in the end - couldn't take a chance with my precious Percy.

Most dowel in this country (Oz) is labelled. Much is plantation pine, some is Tasmanian Oak (which is actually a eucalypt and not necessarily from Tasmania). You can also find balsa wood. That, and pine, is not really suitable for perches although pine is usually used in cheaper cages. The case in RSA, not sure - check the label at the top or bottom of the rack, or on the barcode on each length of dowel. The shop assistants' conclusion that the dowel is meranti is quite reasonable, depending on whether you have "native" woods used, or it's imported. Meranti comes from SE Asia, I believe. It's difficult to do, because "wild" wood is so irregular, but I like to make stuff out of eucalypt branches.