# center of gravity-pics of fourth story added



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

how do you figure out something's center of gravity and how do you determine if something is going to topple over? i know there's very important math behind it all but though i was good in high school math that was a LONG time ago now. see i use those hagen chinchilla cages wired together on top of one another to make a larger cage. currently i have 3 cages wired together and am looking into adding a fourth. i'll need a step stool to reach the door of the fourth cage if i am able to attach it but now that i've got a fourth one i REALLY want to attach it. i figure i need a step ladder anyway so i'll invest in that but i don't want the cage falling over with the rats playing in it or if it gets bumped. which is why i need to figure out the center of gravity and all that. so, does anyone know what formula i need to use to figure that out?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

If it's just four cages together it should be somewhere in the center (between the second and third levels), unless a lot of the weight is in the base or in the top. The situation would be more stable with extra weight in the base or if you could anchor it to the wall (hook and eye or something similar?)


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## yonksgirl (Apr 23, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

I am not sure of the math but have you thought of maybe putting the 4th one next to the first one....if not I would second what forensic said ancor it just to be safe.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

i have thought of somehow tubing them together on the floor but i don't have the floor space for it. the ancor and eye might work... but how would i attach that....? hmm....


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

My brain was saying hook in the wall and ziptie to that, or eye in the wall and hook on the cage, but that would involve marring your wall. 

I'm sure you'll think of something.


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## mnic001 (May 9, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

I also think that anchoring the cages to the wall is your best bet. It doesn't need to be anything too intense, just enough to keep it from tipping past the point of no return. Screw a couple of hooks into the studs in the wall behind your cages and maybe use zip ties or even string to attach the cage to them (or just hook them to the wire of the cage). As long as your other three cages are strong enough to hold the weight of the fourth on top of them you should be in good shape.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

i know it will be strong enough to hold the weight of the other cage. they'll all the same cage and alone they're not that heavy. even with the three together its not heavy, just arkward to move off and on the tray on my own. 

the landlord is doing renovations next year and there's tons of screw holes in the wall already so i'm not worried about marring the wall. i'll probably have to move the mirrors a bit... i should put the hooks at the top rather then the bottom right? 

man, i need reachthestars to come over and take new pictures so i can share with you all. the only picture i have of the cage was back when it was two cages and before the floor covering was added and all the other toys... 

in any case this doesn't look like something i'm going to be able to do right away. i'll need to get the hooks, tile, power tools and step ladder all first. and probably more zip ties, i hardly have any left after putting in the new toys last night... OH! and i'll need new toys for the new level! *grins* man! i LOVE adding bits... this is going to be killer on my GGMR that i've been fighting so nearly a month now... with the new expansion there would be enough room for 10 and i only have 7.... *sighs* i want to go down to 3-4, *chants* no more rats raven, no more rats, no more rats...


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## mnic001 (May 9, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

It shouldn't matter too much where you put the hooks. If it's easier to put them lower, then do that. I can understand the instinct to place them higher up, but it probably wouldn't make any difference in this case. To be completely safe, you might consider an anchor for each corner of the side facing the wall. Heck, it might even be strong enough to support the cage without anything under it (probably not something you want to test).


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

If the cage is in a corner I'd suggest one on each wall, otherwise, wherever you'd like should work.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

i got a couple pictures from reachthestars that we took when we were waiting for bribery and belle to come home. i've added a couple different toys and rearranged the toys in the cage so it doesn't look quite the same but you'll get a good look at size and the space i have to deal with.


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

wow that's huge. i'd try anchoring it to the wall because although it might be stable just sitting there, if all your rats end up at the top and you try to move it or whatnot, that seems dangerous.  good luck with that.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

all three cages are secured together and right now its completely stable. its arkward to lift off the base alone but manageable. i'll be getting eye hooks to latch on the top cage (easiest to just go above the mirrors then to move the mirrors) to keep it extra secure. the way i'm thinking about planning it out will have the two trays closer to the bottom to make cleaning them easier (i hate the thrid level tray with a passion... so hard to get in there to clean). so it'll be tray-cage 1, tray cage 2, cage 3, cage 4. nearly all the toys are going to have to be moved. some so i can still get them out for cleaning without dismantling and others just won't fit the way they are. not entire sure how the set up is going to go in the end. but it'll be really fun! its hard to wait for the money to get the step ladder (that will be needed just to use the top level) and the tile and hooks. i want to go out there now and set it all up. makes sleeping at night when its quiet and my mind is planning the cage so very difficult... *sighs* but the rats have lots of room now and the extra space is going to be just that, extra. so there's really no rush other then me wanting to do it. i wonder if this is a problem other rat people have or if i'm just weird... *grins*


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

*Re: center of gravity*

so i couldn't wait and took the money out of one of my cans and got everything i needed plus another rat. the fourth level is up and as soon as reachthestars comes over we'll get pictures of the monster. 

i'm not sure if i'll be keeping it all together yet or not though. it'll depend on how it works out. so far they've kept the levels really clean (no poops or pees in the top two anyway). we'll have to see how cleaning and lifting it off the tray goes come cleaning time too. 

the hooks didn't work btw. they just slip right off the cage bars when its tipped. so i took the eye of the hook and a attached a chain of zip-ties to the cage and wall. that seems to be working great. the cage wobbles a bit from the rats running around in it but nothing dangerous. but the zip ties are there anyway. 

the only other problem i see with it now though is that there is SO much room and so few rats in there to enjoy it. i already failed and succumbed to GGMR when i went to get toys at the pet store but its hardly satisfied. especailly now that spider had to move to the geri cage... now there's even less in there then i expected... *sighs* i hate having to move the old ones to the geri cage... they don't hang around for very long after that.. and saying good bye to spider is going to be so hard... 

but i'm not here to talk about that. the "monster" as its been dubbed seems to be working fine for now and when reachthestars gets here i'll share pictures of it here and the new rat (babydoll) in the meet my rat section.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

reachthestars came and went and now i have some new pics to add. we went a bit crazy with the picture taking so i'll get the rest on cd later but this gives you a pretty good look at things. we took pictures of each level as well but that will be in the cd. if they turned out well i'll post them too. 

entire cage









top two cages closer up









bottom two cages closer up









pictures of the new baby will be in "meet my rat" i only have the one picture now but i'll post more once i get the cd from reachthestars


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

*Ha here it is, yea those cages are HUGE!!!!! Love the set ups and all the toys and what not. I need to get some better pictures of my cages . *


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

its not cages. its just one really big one made up of multiple cages. the rats can go from the very bottom to the very top. 

but yes, naz, it would be neat to see what you have set up with all the babies in the house now. i imagine you have a few different cages on the go now.


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

*Oh sorry Twich, I saw the tray at the top and just assumed lol. Yea I have a few cages lol. I have a 5 story, 3 story, prego. cage for does and some slightly smaller double stroy cages for when the little ones are growing up. I also have a larger cage made of two rabbit cages lol. Some of these are donated cages . Ok i'm going off topic lol. *


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## ManBeard (Apr 10, 2007)

I think I have the same cage, but only one of them. Where did you get yours, and for how much each?


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

the first one was generously given to me by a very kind person when i was trying to find homes for my two pet store litters. about a year later and after a few months of saving up i bought the second cage at pets unlimited new for $100. the other two i found on kijiji.ca. with in the last couple months, one was in halifax for $75 and the other in moncton for $40. i LOVE kijiji.ca, you can find ANYthing. i've even found rats from there. in fact i found bribery's breeder through kijij and my apartment. if you haven't tried it you should. ok, plug over.


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