# How to make a bin cage



## moonkissed

I just wanted to share this info as someone may find it useful  

A bin cage is a cage made out of a plastic tub and hardware cloth. 

This can be a neat travel cage, hospital cage, or as a nursery cage which is what I use it for. 
I highly DO NOT recommend it as a permanent cage. It is not a proper cage and being made out of plastic could pose a serious escape hazard. I also do not feel the plastic is best for long time serious use.

There is actually alot of different ways to make these, just google bin cage and you will find tons of guides.

Here is my finished bin cage. I show it next to the chair & cereal box to show the size. Excuse the mess and ugly chair lol
I don't think it is the most beautiful thing in the world, though I actually think it looks nice. With more care it could probably look even better.



















I will fully admit, I am NOT handy in any way. I am prissy, whiny, and a huge accident prone clutz. My husband did lend a hand by cutting out the windows but I did the rest. My hands were a bit sore from all the wire cutting, seriously the wire cutters were a pain to use. I also whined alot and swore a bit & scratched my arm up lol But if I can do it, anyone can.


Supplies I used:

A large plastic tub
Hardware cloth (0.5"-0.25") 
Zipties or bolts & washers
A drill
Wire cutters
Small needle nose pliers
Utility Knife

For the plastic tub the larger the better. Try not to choose one with too thin of plastic as it could be flimsy & may break/crack during the process. But if you choose too thick of plastic it may be very difficult to work with. I actually used a tub I already had so I don't remember how much it cost. I would say $10-$30 is about right. You can buy them just about anywhere, including wal-mart, target, etc... I do prefer a lid that has snaps to be more secure.

The hardware cloth I bought at tractor supply, but u can get it at any hardware store. It is near the chicken wire, if you need to ask for help finding it. I bought a 24" by 10 foot roll and it was about $13. I still have lots left as well. I got 1/2 inch mesh spacing. 1 inch would be far too big.

*Step 1: Draw out your windows*

Take the tub and draw out squares on the lid and sides so you can easily cut them out later. I didn't have a ruler so I used a cereal box lol I left a small piece of plastic in the middle of the lid for alittle more support. You want to leave room around the windows to attach the hardware cloth.


*Step 2: Measure out the hardware cloth*

You want the piece of hardware cloth to be LARGER then the squares. I made it a few holes larger on each side. You can be smart and have a ruler and measure the squares then measure the mesh or you can be like me and just line up the mesh to the squares and mark it then cut. NOTE: the hardware cloth is a pain to work with. It comes in a roll & will want to roll up on you. It is also alot of work to snip through it. Your hands will be getting a work out!

*Step 3: Trim/bend the ends of the hardware cloth*

After you cut the mesh the ends will be pointy & sharp. You obviously can not leave them like this as they may injure the rats. So you need to trim them smooth or bend them. I couldn't get them trimmed well enough, my cutters were huge though so maybe that is why. Instead I used the little pliers to bend each of the ends over.

*Step 4: Cut out the squares*

This is the hard part. My plan was to dremel them out, which was suggested to me. But apparently my dremel didn't have blades lol. So I was going to saw through them but I guess we only had a bowed type saw and so I would need a huge hole to get the saw into to begin with. Finally thanks to my husband we decided to use the utility knife.

We drilled holes in all 4 corners and then used the knife to cut them out. I didn't use the knife as I am sure I would have cut my arm off and I do not think I would have had the strength to actually get through the plastic. So if you are not so strong or careful you may need to get some assistance on this part. Safety first!

My husband had to use some strength to get the knife through but it went right through and was not difficult to remove them at all.

Drilling the holes was super easy. My husband did the first one because he was worried it would be difficult but it actually was super simple and went right through like butter.

*Step 5: Setting up the mesh*

When attaching the mesh you have to put it on the *INSIDE* of the tub. This will help prevent chewing and escapes. If you have the edge of the plastic on the inside they will chew on the edge and sooner or later have a hole.

I had alittle oops here because when I flipped the lid over I realized the lid had little plastic bits that got in the way of the mesh. I had to do some trimming of the mesh here.

You also want to lay out the mesh against the tub and using a marker put dots down through the holes where you will want to drill to attach it.

I made a few mistakes here, I didn't plan enough holes and had to make more. You want it very secure. Get the corners, along the top and sides.

*Step 6: Drill Holes*

Super easy, drill holes where you have marked the dots. Safety first!


*Step 7: Attach the hardware clot*h

REMEMBER THE MESH GOES ON THE INSIDE OF THE TUB!

Line up the mesh once again and attach it using zipties (or bolts). I suggest doing the corners first so it is properly aligned then the middle and then the rest. Make sure they are very tight.

Double check once you are done that it is tight and secure. Rats can wiggle through small spaces so the mesh needs to be tightly against the plastic. Try to push a finger underneath.

Add more holes if you need to.

*Step 8: Trim the ends of the zipties

Step 9: All Done!
*
Cleaning up the mess you just made isn't so much fun. But you have successfully made a bin cage.

You should probably clean out the tub before using it. Make sure there are no pointy ends you may have missed and no left over trash bits inside.

For step by step pics u can check out my website linked in my sig.


----------



## GitaBooks

Nice tote cage! I'm not handy at all either, but I love making make-shift enclosures. I have been planning on making something very similar to this for a while, so this is certainly useful. : )


----------



## artgecko

Good pics and instructions. Bin cages are so great to have on hand and work in many situations. I use bin cages for pups, quarantine, travel, and maternity. My colony lives in a DCN and the bins are just temporary...But oh-so-useful to have. I've even used a bin cage to house my blue tongue skink until I could order a custom cage for him (with less mesh on the sides). 

I had a couple notes to add that might help others. 
1. You will need metal shears to cut the hardware cloth... and gloves are handy. As mentioned above this stuff will cut you up.
2. Instead of zip ties, I use aluminum wire and "weave" my mesh onto the bin then tie it off. They don't chew the metal wire and it holds very well as long as you tie it off well.
3. To drill my holes (for the mesh) I use a soldering iron and burn them. This works pretty well, but you have to do it in a ventilated area because of the burning plastic smell.
4. I use clear bins, so it is easier to see the rats (other than through the mesh) and I leave one end solid (without mesh) so that dumping the cage for cleaning is easier. I'm sure the darker plastic (like Moonkissed used) is sturdier though and probably lasts longer over time. 

Here is a link to a breeder's site who uses bins. This is an article about how she makes hers and why she uses them... Apparently she uses a dremel tool to cut the bins and the mesh..Which I am sure makes it a LOT easier.


----------



## moonkissed

I used wire cutters to cut the hardwear cloth. Idk if there is a difference between those and metal shears. 

I'd love to see a pic of how u weave the wire. That sounds really neat. 

Alot of ppl suggested I use a dremel. I actually have one but apparently I only had sanding type things for it and not a cutter. I think it would be way easier then the utility knife to use. I'm going to try and get some blades for it for next time.


----------



## artgecko

Here are some pics I took the first time I made one.. The plastic part looks bad as I cut this one with kitchen shears (didn't have a metal cutter at that time). 
From the inside (mesh overlapping cut hole).
 

From the outside, showing the weaving better. Holes are about every 2-3".
 

The whole cage. 


I'm honestly considering using a larger bin (like the size you used) for a permanent or semi-permanent cage for some male rats. If you string up enough hammocks and ropes, I think it has the same usable "space" as a larger cage... I like them just because of the ease of cleaning... So much easier to hose out in the tub than trying to clean my DCN. 

The smaller bin in the pic is the one I used for my rats when they were pups in quarantine and too small for my bar spacing.


----------



## artgecko

I've also found it helpful to buy the bins with tops soft enough / edges small enough to put binder / bulldog clips on the sides... This helps hold the bin closed just in case. I also use suitcase straps to secure tops on bins with edges that are too "fat" for binder clips to work.


----------



## Roxymachado

*My bin cage!!!!*

I made two the first was too cramped, just finished the second


----------

