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Thread: Project: "Bunny Gate"

  1. #1
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    Project: "Bunny Gate"

    Our older daughter has a pet rabbit named Dotti. Dotti is well behaved and we always try to give her opportunity to explore and get exercise with minimal supervision. Rather than confining Dotti to our daughter's room all the time, the hallway and bathroom just outside her the door makes for some nice "skating" fun. (wood floor...slippery for bunny feet...but fun, nonetheless. But of course, there's always a catch and here that means the hallway opens onto our loft-landing above the great room which also directly accesses the stairway. The latter would be very unsafe for Dotti and we just don't want the risk of her ended up like Rufus who preceded her with a three-legged situation. I suspect Dotti appreciates that concern, even if she doesn't know it.

    DSC_8738.jpg

    At any rate...the solution was to create a "Bunny Gate" just like one might use for a dog or a child. (not that they are equivalent of course) Rather than buy something ordinary, I decided to do some skill-building and use the CNC to make something more interesting. I created a glued up panel of clear "pine" and did a design that was oh-so-Bunny. Starting with a panel was both a good thing and a bad thing. The good is that I could make the design anything I wanted. The bad thing is that the resultant structure would have a lot of weakness by itself. I chose the method for the former and dealt with the latter by inserting some steel rod into the perimeter of the structure on the back side to make it stiff and strong. The end result speaks for itself. It's strong enough for the job, looks somewhat cute since it's visible in the public area and does what it's supposed to do.

    BunnyGate.jpg
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #2
    Definitely a "harey" solution.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  3. #3
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    Clarks Summit PA
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    Well done Jim!

  4. #4
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    Sep 2013
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    Carrollton, Georgia
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    ..Very sweet !

  5. #5
    That's cute!
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  6. #6
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    Ya...I don't normally do "whimsical", but this just plain seemed appropriate.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
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    Mar 2015
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    SE Michigan
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    That’s great, Jim. Definitely a nice touch vs a standard toddler or dog gate. When I first saw the picture, I thought of the old cartoon bit where something goes through a wall and leaves a silhouette...hopefully not meant to be a memorial of Rufus.

  8. #8
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    Interesting thought, Phil. No, Rufus is probably smiling or laughing about this, but he was really clumsy on hard floors even when he had four legs instead of three...and he's probably amused at Dotti's occasional skating runs. (We're going to get a carpet runner or two for in there at some point) Dotti doesn't go out there very often, but we feel better now that there is a barrier to keep her safe if she does.

    DD does have a memorial for Rufus in her room which includes his urn and a photo. (in a Corian photo frame I made for her on the CNC)
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  9. #9
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    Issaquah, Washington
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    Jim,
    I love whimsey! Well done Sir.

  10. #10
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    Apr 2009
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    fayetteville Arkansas
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    Very nice. Certainly nothing wrong with us older fellows having a little whimsy mixed in life. My teen daughters think it's weird catching me watching Sponge Bob.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by julian abram View Post
    My teen daughters think it's weird catching me watching Sponge Bob.
    ................................

    SpongeBob.jpg
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #12
    Clever idea. But one day Dotti might see the dots are already connected, and like Alice, step through "the looking glass" .
    Sideways.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    ... one day Dotti might see the dots are already connected, and like Alice, step through "the looking glass" .
    Sideways.
    If this happens, and Dotti is reduced to only a Cheshire smile, please take a picture and post it here.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Clever idea. But one day Dotti might see the dots are already connected, and like Alice, step through "the looking glass" .
    Sideways.
    Fortunately, rabbits have very poor vision and Dotti isn't very good at seeing dots or connecting them. She doesn't venture out there very much. It's really more for peace of mind.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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