Page:The Golden Hamster Manual.djvu/23

 if corner posts have already been installed, CS(R) may be tacked over same, or immediately forward from same. These fully gnaw-proof the corners. Similar climbers, CS(F), may be tacked so as to be just inside the closed door. Next, install hdw. cl. floor. It



may be helpful to first lightly nail a temporary strip of wood across the front ends, just down from the edge, to be certain by measuring that the bottom of the partition is exactly centered while the floor is tacked on. Completed floor is shown in Fig. V. Hdw. cl. wire



floor (Flr.); door sill (DS); and base strips (BS). Assemble in this order: Lay 24 inch width hdw. cl. crosswise of pen bottoms, so that $1/2$ inch surplus extends over both front and back. Using No. 5 double pointed tacks, secure hdw. cl. firmly across one end (E), then pull tightly and tack across the other end. Now tack hdw. cl. to partition. Nail door sill (DS) in place on pen bottoms so that it matches the front edges of ends and partition, and covers 1$1/2$ inches of the flooring as shown in Fig. V. Now turn surplus $1/2$-inch hdw. cl. at front down over front of door sill (DS) and tack securely to DS front edge. Bend rear surplus $1/2$-inch hdw. cl. to tack to rear, outside of back. Base strips (BS) are optional, but recommended to prevent sagging of wire floor after long usage. Strips of ripped lath or old wooden box $1/2$- to $3/4$-inch wide and $1/4$- to $1/2$-inch thick do well for this purpose when nailed on with any small 1- to 1$3/4$-inch nails, box nails preferred. To illustrate how base strips are installed after flooring is in place, Fig. V shows base strips extending only about 4/5 of the distance, U showing