Page:The Golden Hamster Manual.djvu/38

 dash lines show position of closed doors. 1x2 material is preferred, but 1 Inch may be used as shown in Illus. 29.

Climbing strips (C.S.) in Illus. 31) are recommended 4x10 inches each, and may be used both front and rear, since the animals delight in climbing. Rear C.S. are to be installed before C.P. (CCS) are nailed in place.

The removable top 1x23x37 is made of boards 37 inches long running crosswise on the pens. Such boards are held together by top-stripping the underside as shown in Illus. 32. 1x2x18 board is placed so as to be just inside the pen side pieces (ends) and reach from cross-tie back to the corner posts (cp in Illus. 27, 36). Due to possible variance in your materials, measure distance from cross-tie to corner post before cutting top strips. Nail top strips lightly, then try on the 4-pen unit before the final secure nailing of the top strips to the top boards. The pen support blocks (P.S., Illus. 31) may be attached to either bottom of floor or top side of top. To avoid change to final position later, P.S. blocks may be tried in place and pencil marked for desired position before attaching them to the first pen units built. The forward pair of P.S.b. should be as far forward as may permit 8x37 inch droppings tray to catch materials falling through the 6$1/2$ inch hdw. cl. self-cleaning area of floor.

Front doors of design already described in previous chapters may be made and installed. Illus. 33 shows manner of bending down hdw. cl. edges, shown cut an inch long, to a doubled position as in "b" before nailing hdw. cl. to door frame.



Guard boards (G.B.) may now be installed as per directions given for previous pens. If desired, thin nails or staples may be used instead of bent sheet metal (G.B.R.) to keep G.B. in position; see Illus. 31. If a lower position for end of water tube is desired, a 1$1/2$ inch G.B. may be used, or a small notch may be cut into top of 2 inch GB. for drinking tube to pass while door is being closed.

Peek Holes (optionai): Shown as P.H., Illus. 31, a 1$1/2$ inch hole may be bored or sawed through partition