Tips on making platforms

RainbowBrite

RainbowBrite

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I would like to try to make my own platforms but do not have any power tools nor the space to store any. Is it possible to cut wood with a saw or do you really need a jigsaw?

Just thought I would ask this here in case anybody has made platforms before.
 
It is perfectly possible to cut wood with a saw. It's what happens here. You can even cut kitchen worktop with a saw. It needs a bit of strength though! You can just draw a line on the wood where you want to cut and put the wood on a chair so it extends over the edge of the chair (ie so the line for cutting is beyond the external edge of the chair). Put your foot on the other end on the chair, to keep it stable and just saw down the line. It makes a lot of sawdust on the floor :) . Which is easily swept up afterwards.

You do need a full sized saw though. Something like this

Hand Saw - click here
 
About to do this with my shelf for the Plaza 120. Although I will get OH to do the sawing! I have done it myself but it takes me ages. The one area where it could be difficult is if you are only sawing a small amount off (eg less than an inch) as it would be hard to cut a small piece off like that.
 
I haven't actually made a platform before and wondered how you would attach legs, but I think the answer to that is you would need thick dowels to have enough surface area at the top to glue them to the underneath of the platform. And it still might not hold that well (I've had legs fall off a rodipet platform before) so the most secure way is to screw them in from the top of the shelf - but for that you would need a drill to make a hole for the screws - so I think without power tools - just use glue. And give it enough time to set hard.
 
Maz said:
I haven't actually made a platform before and wondered how you would attach legs, but I think the answer to that is you would need thick dowels to have enough surface area at the top to glue them to the underneath of the platform. And it still might not hold that well (I've had legs fall off a rodipet platform before) so the most secure way is to screw them in from the top of the shelf - but for that you would need a drill to make a hole for the screws - so I think without power tools - just use glue. And give it enough time to set hard.
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I have one platform that came with high stilts and it ended up being too high for me, so my partner screwed some dowels into the bottom in place of the stilts. He managed to do it by hand but it was too difficult. I hope glue will be strong enough. I know in Germany they use Ponal wood glue so I will try that.
 
It is extremely difficult (if not impossible!) to screw through wood unless you have starter holes drilled with a drill. Ponal will stick dowel legs on very well :) It's great stuff.
 
I have some power tools but have never used them to make platforms, you can either cut wood with a saw or you can just buy wood the size you want from some places.
For legs I just glue dowels onto the base with the Ponal glue, it can be a little bit fiddly getting them on straight until the glue begins to dry, I use Ponal express which dries very quickly & it’s worked every time for me.
 
Maz said:
It is extremely difficult (if not impossible!) to screw through wood unless you have starter holes drilled with a drill. Ponal will stick dowel legs on very well :) It's great stuff.
Click to expand...
Yes, his hands ached a lot afterwards. :eek:
 
elusive said:
I have some power tools but have never used them to make platforms, you can either cut wood with a saw or you can just buy wood the size you want from some places.
For legs I just glue dowels onto the base with the Ponal glue, it can be a little bit fiddly getting them on straight until the glue begins to dry, I use Ponal express which dries very quickly & it’s worked every time for me.
Click to expand...
Thank you Elusive. That is very helpful. :)
 
Yes, i made it this afternoon but there's plenty of room for improvement.

I used the roof of a house i had to bin and bought a length of dowelling at B&Q. Cut the legs using a hand saw, drill holes through the roof and into the legs, added a dab of glue and screwed them on. Last job was a couple of coats of plastikote to waterproof it. I'm leaving it to dry overnight.
 
Beryl said:
Yes, i made it this afternoon but there's plenty of room for improvement.

I used the roof of a house i had to bin and bought a length of dowelling at B&Q. Cut the legs using a hand saw, drill holes through the roof and into the legs, added a dab of glue and screwed them on. Last job was a couple of coats of plastikote to waterproof it. I'm leaving it to dry overnight.
Click to expand...
You are so good at DIY. It looks great. I like the colour scheme too.
 
Juat wanted to add about the legs if you want to use it in a cage with a sloping base & put it close to the edge, I always have a front & back to mine so the legs at the front, facing into the cage are close to the edge & the legs at the back up against the cage base are further in allowing the platform bit to be up against the side of the cage, if that makes sense!
 
That's great Beryl. Is that the roof of a Ferplast Sin guinea pig house? Also a good idea of Elusive's to have one set of legs set further in to clear a curved cage base (or as I've sometimes done - had two legs shorter! To rest partway up the curved base).
 
It is the roof of a Ferplast house. I keep allsorts of bits and pieces for spares.

Yes, that makes sense with the legs, especially when doing a trial set up before adding the substrate.

This particular platform is going to replace the Ferplast house minus the front in Otto's cage. He may like something open to walk through. It's worth a try anyway.
 
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