GSC Rollout Cages

[JohnInDixon]

Here they are GSC Rollouts:

I used 1” X ½” welded wire 24” wide (100’ roll will make 2 cages) I also used 2” X 4” weld wire for 3 of the 4 tops.  My wife is 5’3” so my cages are 5’4” this makes 8 individual cages 1’X2’
I used “J” cage clips to assemble the parts. Except for the doors where I used tie wraps.

PARTS: Cutting Metal – I used: Aviation snips, 4”Cutoff wheel for Metal and a metal blade in my jigsaw.
Tops:
A. Cut 1 ea 2’ X 2’ of 1”X1/2” for the very top.
B. Cut 4 ea 2’ X 2” of 2” X 4” for the middle 3 tops and poop catcher bottom

Sides and Back:
C. Cut 3 ea 2’ X 5’4”

Cage Bottoms:
D. Cut 4 ea 2’ X 28”   FOLD 1” on the short end so it ends up 24” X 27” This lip will catch the eggs and points up during assembly

Cage Fronts:
E. Cut 4 ea 2’ X 1’      FOLD 1” on the long end then 2” on the long end so it looks like a squared “L” and it will be 24” X 9” when you look at it.  This holds the feeders
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Cage Dividers:
F. Cut 2 ea 2’ X 18”  Mark one side of the 18” at the 10” mark and the other at the 8” mark.  Use masking tape to span the 24” at these marks (diagonal) Then mark again with a sharpie and draw a line on your masking tape.  Use this line to cut it in two pieces; I believe it’s called a trapezoid. Here you’ve made 2 dividers!

Others to be described later: doors, feed tubes, poop trays

Assembly Procedures:
1.  Assemble the sides and back (C) by placing one on top of the other and clipping one side, open it and stand it up to clip the last piece to it. Looks like |_| from the top.

2. Clip on the Very top (A)

3. To clip on the Bottom (D); there will be 2” slope front to back – so clip the back 8” from the top and the forward (clip to both sides) at 10” from the top – remember the 1” lip will be in front and sticking UP.

4. Here’s where I add the divider (F) – obviously the short end goes toward the back and its at the 1’ mark to create 2 equal sections.

5. Now we put on the front (E) – again the lip face forward.

As we assemble this it gains sturdiness.  I put a 24” 2” X 4” across the bottom to hold the open front – OPEN

6. Time for another top (A). Clip it 13” from the TOP above it – this will give you clearance to pull the poop tray out when it’s loaded.

7. Continue this all the way down.  If you want 5 rows instead of 4 add 13” to the sides and back for each additional row.

Feeder tubes:  2” PVC pipe cut into 2’ lengths. I used a table saw to make the cuts – BE CAREFUL! I put my rip fence at 1” away from the blade so the PVC looks like it would be cut in half lengthwise. Lower the blade so it just clears the PVC wall (approx ¼”).  When you cut the pipe initially, find a visual clue such as the lettering on the pipe and have it on top at the 12 o’clock position when you cut it. Again, BE CAREFUL as you get to the end of the pipe on the 1st cut, it’ll bind and try to stick to the blade.  After the 1st cut, rotate your visual mark to the 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock position for the next cut. This will cut out ¼ of the pipe. Sand the edges and put pipe caps on the end and you’re done with the feed tubes.

Doors: I used ½” X ½” wire (scraps) that was 5” X 6”.  Cut out a 5” X 5” hole in the front starting 1.5” down from the top and 3” from the center divider.

Poop trays: I used a 4’ X 8’ piece of wallboard for a bathroom and cut it in 8 sections 2’ X 2’ then caulked molding trim on it for the edges.

Cut out holes in the front at the edge of the feed tubes 2” wide by 1.5”. I even cut one in the door for 3 holes each.

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but I won’t forget to thank GSC (woodenegg) for the pictures on this site and the messages to help me fumble through these.

G’luck
John

[Bird Brained]

No pics yet on your website......

Any you can post of the finished project?

[JohnInDixon]

Will do...  meanwhile:

http://www.thatquailplace.com/smf/index.php?topic=2640.0

and http://www.thatquailplace.com/smf/index.php?topic=2354.msg11934#msg11934

[JohnInDixon]

Will do...  meanwhile:

http://www.thatquailplace.com/smf/index.php?topic=2640.0

and http://www.thatquailplace.com/smf/index.php?topic=2354.msg11934#msg11934

Here you go...
http://victoryhillbc.com/GSCRollout.htm

[Bird Brained]

Awesome!!!!

One thing I'd probably do different for my personal taste is to build a wooden dolly (like a furniture dolly) so I could roll the unit around to make cleaning around it easier.  I did this for all my indoor cages and it makes moving them around really easy.

[wet9500]

Whew don't try this without someone helping to hold stuff for you I'm in the process of building mine now and I think I lost a pint of blood getting scratched up by jagged edges. hopefully I'll be alive to use it when it's complete.

[JohnInDixon]

One thing I found out is that these need to be supported - One evening when I went in to feed, all the quail made a MAD DASH to the front and the whole cage fell forward... what a mess - goofy birds always act like they're starving. So I ran a heavy rope across the front (inside the top two cages) and supported it from a beam overhead.  I imagine if you support it/them from a back wall it would do the same.

I used an angle grinder (4") across the jagged edges. It knocks them down quickly.
G'luck
John

[gsc]

Hey John, I guess we need to do the normal direction/procedure disclaimer, "The procedure does not proport to address all safety issues."

I have stacked mine inside a 2x4 frame and haven't had any problem.  I suspect some of the issue is center of gravity...

[JohnInDixon]

You're right Greg!  It was like something out of a cartoon.  Or on Airport when all the news reporters ran for the payphones!  I was too busy laughing to get upset.

[gsc]

Okay wet9950, building this really some secret self mutilation thing.  Any of us who have worked with much welded wire knows the routine, cut, bandage, grind and crimp.  I bought the door trim pieces from walmart and covered the door openings so you can put your arm in there with out leaving a pint of blood.  Works great.  Good luck with the birds.