19. Hobby Hamstery Pens
Simple stack-locking, gnaw-proofing, and self-cleaning features make these pens unusually popular with hobbyists, home laboratory and research workers, sportsmen, and other small producers. Pens are so light that even a frail person may easily handle them. Hobby Hamstery Pens are not observation pens or display sages, but breeding pens designed for high productivity. Wire doors provide sufficient vision for study of the animals and their habits. Each pen is standard size, 8×10×21 inches inside.
In all construction, it should be remembered that so-called 2-Inch boards may be only 15⁄8-inch thickness, and 1-inch boards 5⁄8- to 7⁄8-inch thickness, depending upon grade of lumber. A board selling as a 6-inch width may actually be 55⁄8 inches. So, a so- called 10-inch height inside a pen may be 3⁄8 less than 10 Inches. This fact is mentioned so that the builder will make doors to fit doorways after the rest of the pen is completed. Doors required may be slightly wider, but less tall, than otherwise might be expected. Saw boards to lengths shown in list of materials, and other details will work out nicely.
HOBBY PEN BUILDING MATERIALS
Dimensions are given in inches.
Key:
| E,P |
Three 1×10×22 boards, 2 ends and 1 partition.
|
1 |
| Bk |
One 1×10×19 back (Fig. II).
|
1 |
| DS |
One 11⁄2x1×19 door sill (Figs. I and III).
|
1 |
| N |
Two 1×8×13 nest boards (Fig. III).
|
1 |
| S |
Four 1×4×15 stack-lock strips. Use 3 in. if preferred.
|
1 |
| DF |
One 11⁄2x1×72 for making 2 door frames.
|
1 |
| BS |
Four base strips, approx. 3⁄4 wide and 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 thick, 19 long for stripping hdw. cl. to bottom (Fig. V).
|
1 |
| TP |
One top 1×23×19, made up of 2 or more 1-in. boards 19 long.
|
1 |
| Tr |
One home-made droppings tray, 18 wide, either 12 or 23 long, and 1 to 2 deep, as preferred.
|
1 |
| GB |
Two guard boards 2×8, approx. 1⁄2 thickness.
|
1 |
| GBR |
Four pieces heavy sheet metal (galv. or. tin) 1×13⁄4 in.
|
1 |
| DC |
Two pieces 11×13 hdw. cl. for door coverings.
|
1 |
| V |
Two 5×5 pieces hdw. cl. for ventilation opening covers (Fig. II).
|
1 |
| H |
Four 1-inch hinges.
|
1 |
| Ho |
Two small hooks and eye-screws.
|
1 |
| Flr. |
One 19×24 piece either No. 4 or No. 6 hdw. cl. for floor.
|
1 |
| CS |
Four strips of scrap hdw. cl. 3×10 or 4×10 for climbing strips on either side of partition, shown in Fig. III.
|
1 |
Lumber or board materials used need not be new, but should be hard wood and reasonably sound, especially for partition board (P). Saw ends of boards squarely to avoid cracks in corners. If corner cracks do occur, they may be covered by wood strips approx. 1 in. squared nailed into corners as corner posts (c.p.
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