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A Bunny Build Blog!

You are doing brilliantly, very familiar with the dodging showers thing - my son was going to lay a slab path to one of my runs for me today but it was an absolute swamp out there so we’ve had to leave it.

As you’ve very kindly agreed to it, your diary entry is going to be my first guest blog post, hope that’s still ok :thumb:

Yes of course, that's fine! I'm so glad you think it's worthwhile posting!

PHEW, what a few days it's been! Bare with me, this will be a long one.


Monday:

I set myself the task of fixing up the second run, which William uses. It's slightly older, and he's a chewer! William is also not as patient as his brother, and complained bitterly about being put in the puppy pen. He's also in the middle of a moult, and looks pretty moth-eaten!

mby6eRP.jpg


William's run is 15cm shorter than Jack's - I want to increase the height to make it easier to link the two runs for when (if) the 3 boys bond. To achieve this, I thought I'd build 4 simple, meshed frames, which would attach to the bottom of the run to boost the height. I measured up, went to Homebase, felt very smug buying timber and a saw, and felt pleased that I could Get On With It.

I learnt a few things.

  1. Hacksaws are much harder to use than you think
  2. Don't rest the wood you're cutting on your first, newly painted run, unless you want to ruin your careful paintwork
  3. Seriously, hacksaws are HARD, skip this nightmare and buy the jigsaw that you'll need in a few days time anyway
  4. For some unfathomable reason, I wasn't able to make a single, clean pilot hole in any of the pieces to join them together
  5. Drills catch fire easily
At this point I started to panic a little - I'd spent money on buying wood and mesh and screws and that blooming hacksaw, and now I couldn't get the things together. I debated chucking the lot in the bin and just buying a new run that was identical to Jack's. However - BUDGET. In the end, my trusty staple gun came out again. Fully expecting it to work as well as a wet paper towel, the lengths actually stayed together?? And are solid?? I was surprised too. It's not high-tech, and it's certainly not 'proper', but it seems to have worked, and I'm not going to question it!

The result - 4 crude, but pretty coloured, frames, ready to be meshed.

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I also scrubbed the run down (same method as in my last post), and started painting. However, the frame-fandango took so long, I only got the lid done.

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Tidying up, feeling better about my bodge-job, I set the frames on top of the run, to see what it'll look like...and they're the wrong size. HORROR. They're twice the height they were supposed to be. I DID measure, but couldn't be bothered to walk over to my phone and check the calculation (a super simple subtraction), and I got it wrong :oops: Again, debated binning everything, but couldn't face having to saw any more wood. So I'm keeping the frames for now, and I'll make it work somehow!

The galvanised mesh panels that I used to mend Jack's run were pricing out too expensive for the panels, so instead I'm using a mesh roll.

Bs1GcvK.jpg


It's finer than I'd like, so I'm doubling it up for extra protection. Turns out, the roll is perfectly double the width of my too-tall frames! Happy accident after all! Again, it's secured using my trusty staple gun.

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Capable's top tips:
  • 'Measure twice, cut once'. It's the most boring bit of DIY advice, but unfortunately it's true
  • No matter what it is, if it's your very first time doing it, it wont be perfect. It takes time, and practice to learn things. Be patient with yourself.
  • Stay hydrated
  • Don't use an overly massive drill bit - this is how drills go on fire
  • Remember to download your neighbour-friendly playlist, or else Spotify will use all your data
  • If you forget, then embrace the quiet. Listen to the birds.
  • Buy a staple gun, seriously
 
Some great advice here. What staple gun would you advise?

I am well impressed so far.
 
I’m loving this thread and your great sense of humour:thumb:

It’s going to look great :thumb:
 
Reading this with interest. Been doing some design ideas myself for a new kennel setup so this is helpful.

One idea I did think of was about the restraining mesh door on the playhouse. With the limited amount of room I was wondering if putting it on a guide runner system somewhat like a vertical drawer would be a good idea? Would allow for removal when cleaning or allowing bunnies out of that door and wouldn't have the issue of which way to set the hinges.

An alternative I'm playing with atm is a two door mesh "airlock" with the kennel/playhouse door being the inner door allowing it to be left open in very hot weather. It's something my Grandad did for his aviary so that one door was always closed when going in/out to prevent escapees.
 
Tulsi - I don't think I'm in much of a position to 'advise' about much, since all my work is 'suck it and see' :lol: The staple gun I have cost about a fiver from B&M, the brand is Rolson. It's only a weeny thing, not like the big ******* that cost £20+ in Homebase, but it's done every job I've asked of it.

HouseOfRabbit - I see what you mean about an internal door on runners. It sounds like a great way of doing it! It also sounds...not exactly OUT of my skillset, because I'm a persistent sod, but far enough removed that I wouldn't like to attempt it without plenty of free time and good weather! When I get that far, I think I'm going to look into a 'double air-lock' type, inner, mesh door, much like the one keletkezes posted a page back.

The weather is starting to turn today - unfortunate, but expected - 4 consecutive days of sunshine is unheard of in Northern Ireland! I'm eeking out what little dryness is left, but once I'm finally driven back inside I'll likely have time to write up the last few days worth of build action!
 
So much for writing up last night - I was exhausted, and in bed by 9!

Tuesday 27th

I'd had a text saying my playhouse would arrive between 10 and 12. Hurrah! Fully expecting it to show up at 11.55, I glumly turned away from the nice, sunny weather, and brought my run frames indoors to mesh them while I waited. I'd put in about 5 staples when this drove past my window at bang on 10am...

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I did have a bit of a panic, wondering exactly how many pieces it was coming in! :lol:
My house is a mid terrace, with no side access on the whole street, and the delivery driver wasn't allowed to bring the pieces through. This was the first time I was glad I didn't buy a bigger one! (Observe my still-unmeshed frames behind the playhouse!)

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I shimmied the bunnies forwards to give myself working room, and laid down my big, heavy duty tarp, with an old bedsheet on top - to protect the wood from getting damp or scratched on the concrete, and to protect the concrete from paint drips. I thought back over my 'mare of refinishing my hutch/runs, and decided I was going to do this playhouse Properly, so that I only have to do it once. It was sooo tempting to just start putting it together, to see what it looked like in the 'flesh', but resist! Basics first!

I say that...I actually went straight in with the paint first, because I don't learn :roll: I started painting the door first (Top Tip: When painting panels, raise them up on flower pots - this will stop you from painting your groundsheet, and enable you to get to all those pesky edges. It also saves your back!)

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I popped on a first coat of Country Cream, and wasn't pleased. Not only did the nail holes spoil my nice paintwork, they also looked like prime candidates for Water Intrusion - not on my watch! Out came the god-awful Tescos all-purpose filler, and armed with a plastic clay sculpting tool (far better than the back of an old teaspoon, fyi), I proceeded to fill in the holes. All the holes. In every panel.

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The 1 redeeming feature of Tescos all-purpose filler, is that it can be painted over when dry, and it dries mercifully quickly. It took me about an hour and a half to fill in every exterior nail hole, and while I didn't go wild with it, it wasn't the most perfectly neat job. If you're feeling particularly virtuous, you can go back and sand the filler smooth. By this point, I was far past virtuousness, and just slapped the paint on top. If anyone is ever churlish enough to point this out, I'm calling it 'charm'.

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At this point, I picked up the instructions, and was aghast to discover that none of the pieces come pre-drilled. One must drill all of one's own pilot holes, or else the thing is not going together. Recalling the previous day's drill fire, I was understandably uncomfortable about this; but took a deep, British breath, stiffened my upper lip, and gave it a bash.

This is probably what the '2 person' bit of the instructions pertains to, but I found that with enough sweating, and leaning panels against hutches and stacks of paint tins, it really can be accomplished by yourself. There were no drill fires. There have been no more drill fires since. I know, I don't know either.

VSgFMc5.jpg


At this point, I'd been getting a bit carried away in my excitement, and hadn't been taking my advice re. staying hydrated and taking breaks. I'd been working for about 6 hours, but with rain apparently scheduled, I had to make it watertight before I could stop for the day - this meant getting the roof on. I was actually a bit ( probably naively) miffed that the roof didn't come pre-felted - I considered felting roofs to be rather beyond me.

If you've never had to deal with it before, I can tell you that roofing felt is evil. It is heavy, it is smelly, it is stiff, it is rough and hard on your hands, the gritty stuff (professional, I know) falls off if you so much as look at it, and it gets EVERYWHERE - yes, I'm talking bras. Being exhausted, and not adequately fed or hydrated, I didn't read the instructions properly and cut the felt the wrong size. Twice. Thank goodness the roll the company provided was enough to roof 3 playhouses! When I finally got the lengths correct and started to tack it down, I started spacing the tacks WAY too close together, so of course I ran out. I ended up eeking out the last few tacks, so at least the whole thing was semi-held in place, figuring I'd buy extra tacks and secure it properly later on. The most important thing was that it was up!

9ae0dY1.jpg


Capable's Top Tips:
  • Try to keep the cat out of the filler. You wont succeed, but he wont like the wet cloth you have to run for, before it dries on his paws
  • Start building where you intend the finished product to be - you will NOT be able to move it by yourself once it's built
  • In addition: make sure where you're building is solid and lavel - mine wasn't, I had to shove extra shims underneath to steady it. Oops.
  • When you're prepping for watertightness, don't neglect the base. I forgot about this, and am kicking myself. I should've painted or treated the base joists, and plastic wrapped the underside of the base
  • Stay hydrated, for goodness sake
 
Crikey you are doing incredibly well, I’m so enjoying this 8)

My blog is going public this weekend with parts 1 and 2 of your build diary on - I’m loving part 3 even more.
 
Crikey you are doing incredibly well, I’m so enjoying this 8)

My blog is going public this weekend with parts 1 and 2 of your build diary on - I’m loving part 3 even more.

Brill, can't wait!

I feel like I should add - I've been privileged enough to have time off uni for Easter atm, I've been off all week, and all the coming week, bar a couple of days in work. So I've been able to spend 7-8 hours a day knocking this out! I'm physically shot, but it's been good to get such big chunks of work done!
 
Time for a catch up!

Wednesday 28th -

I got up with 2 major tasks in mind - finish painting the second run, and get cracking on the playhouse interior.

Painting always takes priority in good weather, and thankfully it was still dry. Unfortunately, I'd neglected again to take my own advice - you will ALWAYS run out of masking tape. Buy extra. When you're buying more masking tape (because you ran out), don't just buy 1 roll - BECAUSE YOU WILL RUN OUT.

Other tapes just don't quite cut it.

KriPZTk.jpg


At some point, you will get so sick of painting that you'll start to dislike, or rethink, the colours that you chose. Don't panic - they're just as cute as when you picked them. Persevere.

However, at some later point, you'll glance up from your hard work and think, 'good grief, that is an awful lot of blue'. And yes. Yes it is.

7vR9nv2.jpg


Again, I wanted to do the playhouse Properly, so I never had to do it again. Maybe it was a bit on an overkill, but I'm happy!

The playhouse was marketed as 'waterproof, if properly maintained', like most outdoor structures. It's tongue and groove cladding, and got 2 coats of Cuprinol (3 in places), but I wasn't taking chances. The first inner layer is a clear, waterproof sheeting, which I wrapped tight against the internal panelling, on the walls, floor and ceiling, and secured with (yep you guessed it!) my ubiquitous staple gun. I think this particular sheeting cost about £7.

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Next came an insulating layer of foil backed bubble wrap, which had been recommended on several other posts - looking ahead to winter-proofing for next year!

WlvXi0l.jpg


Again, it went on easy peasy with enough staples, and was fixed to the walls, floor and ceiling, covering up any pesky gaps. I did, however, run out of insulation, with the roof to go, and had to buy another roll to only use a smidge of it. Don't do this - measure, and buy a bigger roll the first time, its cheaper!

It started to feel like I was building a space ship, rather than a rabbit home!

JdUTEBV.jpg

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I'd read a recommendation for protective flooring sheets, as a cheaper option to vinyl - https://www.homebase.co.uk/antinox-temporary-protection-black-2mm_p396649 I was still going to go ahead with vinyl, but in true belt-and-braces fashion, I figured an extra layer of waterproofing/insulation can only be a good thing. The sheets are pretty huge, but thankfully very malleable, or else it wouldn't have fit in the boot.They're also brilliant - they're super easy to cut and to fit (staple gun, obviously), and impact resistant, which meant it didn't flatten while I was crawling around on my knees inside the playhouse. Please excuse the small bit tacked on at the edge - in true fashion, I didn't measure properly.

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Capable's Top Tips:
  • much like masking tape, you will always run out of staples - buy extra
  • measure everything properly, I know it's super boring, but it'd make like so much easier
  • try not to make multiple trips to Homebase in 1 day. Not only does it use up fuel and time, but other customers will start to think you work there
  • if you persist with repeated Homebase trips, you'll find yourself preempting the judgemental stares, and telling the staff that actually you are wearing DIFFERENT paint-covered leggings from yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. The paint-covered fleece, however, is the same. Stop judging me.
 
I like the look of that extra floor insulation. Will have to put it on my "to be considered" list so I don't forget when it comes to designing my setup.

Have you decided how you are going to fix the lino edges yet? I'm leaning in my design towards the wet room type arrangement where you bring the lino up the wall a bit before securing with plastic tiling edges.
 
I like the look of that extra floor insulation. Will have to put it on my "to be considered" list so I don't forget when it comes to designing my setup.

Have you decided how you are going to fix the lino edges yet? I'm leaning in my design towards the wet room type arrangement where you bring the lino up the wall a bit before securing with plastic tiling edges.

I think I'm going to go with cutting the vinyl to fit/slightly smaller (promise to measure properly this time), and either sealing or pinning wooden beading around the edges. Should create a nice, tight seal to stop bunny teeth from having a nibble, and to stop stray poops getting stuck. The wet room-esque idea sounds good too, I don't think I'd have the patience to get it neat enough though!
 
Looking fantastic, Capable - I’m so impressed with how you are tackling this as well as the scarily large amount you have done each time you check in :shock:

Loving that flooring - I’m going to think about that under my lino in my shed. I’ve been working on the inside of my shed today, battling with incredibly annoying sheets of insulating polystyrene and plywood. I really wish I’d thought of those foil bubble wrap rolls that I could have attached with my staple gun (I have the same Roulson one from B&M that you have).

I’m really loving the blue colour still!
 
I'm totally impressed :D

I love your building diary and everything about it, particularly your sense of humour :lol:

Some great ideas here .... Really worth keeping and remembering :)
 
Thank you both! Yeah, I still love the blue too, I was just reaching the end of my tether with painting with it :lol:

Thursday 29th -

Thursday didn't start out well. I woke up with my right hand feeling like it had inflated - the muscles between my thumb and forefinger, and around the base of my thumb were HUGE. Thanks to doing approx 1500 'reps' with the staple gun the day before, my thumb had had a SERIOUS work out, and was now incredibly buff - over half the size again bigger than my left thumb. If only the rest of me got that muscly, that fast!

It had eventually started to get windy and lightly drizzly, on and off, and this was the first day that I didn't have a solid 8 hour stretch on the build. I had a solicitors appointment in the afternoon, which meant having to do my hair, put on makeup, and change out of my fleece - which by this time, was so full of paint and sawdust it could've stood up by itself.

Thursday was also the breaking point of certain household chores. I'd been making great progress on the build by entirely neglecting any other living-related tasks, (bar eating, showering and sleeping), in favour of spending all my time playing with my new toy :lol:. When I started this I'd already needed to do quite a lot of washing, but 5 days in, I was completely out of clean every-day pants, and was down to 'special occasion' pants. Now, all the bending, squatting, and kneeling that comes with DIY is uncomfortable at the best of times - don't make it harder for yourself by having to do it in tiny, nether-region-chafing underwear!

Before my appointment, I decided to make (another) trip to Homebase to buy the internal panelling which would go over my sheeting and insulating layers.

uva5M6P.jpg


I availed of the free cutting service that Homebase offer - they couldn't cut out the window and door indents, but I figured I could give it a go with my brand new jigsaw. Once again, I was thankful that I didn't go for a larger playhouse - all the dimensions I'd needed in lots of materials, had only juuuust squeezed into the back of my Renault Twingo.

I'd planned to go with plywood, but in the end decided on a compressed(?) hardboard, as it worked out quite a lot cheaper. If I'd had the budget, I might've gone with plywood - the hardboard is weaker than I would've liked, and took a billion (4) coats of Country Cream to cover evenly.

Zc75RuV.jpg


I got home, scrubbed myself up, nipped out to my appointment, then spent the afternoon dodging showers to slice and dice my hardboard. I was pretty wary about using a jigsaw for the first time, but it was actually super easy thank goodness. It made short work of the hardboard, and if I can't cut straight, it wasn't the jigsaw's fault! I went with this one, as I wanted variable speed and it was the only not-mega-expensive one in stock locally - http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4518392

No photos of me wielding the saw, as I was preoccupied with muttering darkly at the grey skies, and legging it back undercover before the hardboard got wet - another reason to go for plywood, the hardboard becomes unusable if the non-treated side gets wet...

Eventually I got all the pieces cut and admitted defeat. I retreated back inside to set up a painting party for my eave pieces and window frames. Note the ever-useful plant pots for support!

tHeO0Jn.jpg


Capable's Top Tips:
  • it's even harder to keep the dog out of the paint than it is the cat. Accept the dog hair - call it texture
  • maybe save some time and buy paint the same colour as the cat. A black cat walking round with a halo of Country Cream on his whiskers isn't a good look
  • make sure you do your washing before you've gotta resort to uncomfortable knickers
  • double check your arms for paint splatters before you notice them in your solicitors office
  • try not to cry when you see your beautifully clean, painted, pretty creation getting rained on for the first time
 
I’m so impressed :thumb:

(And now I want a jig saw, sigh)

Hope your thumb is feeling better? It could be tendinitis after everything you’ve been doing.
 
Thank you both! Yeah, I still love the blue too, I was just reaching the end of my tether with painting with it :lol:

Thursday 29th -

Thursday didn't start out well. I woke up with my right hand feeling like it had inflated - the muscles between my thumb and forefinger, and around the base of my thumb were HUGE. Thanks to doing approx 1500 'reps' with the staple gun the day before, my thumb had had a SERIOUS work out, and was now incredibly buff - over half the size again bigger than my left thumb. If only the rest of me got that muscly, that fast!

It had eventually started to get windy and lightly drizzly, on and off, and this was the first day that I didn't have a solid 8 hour stretch on the build. I had a solicitors appointment in the afternoon, which meant having to do my hair, put on makeup, and change out of my fleece - which by this time, was so full of paint and sawdust it could've stood up by itself.

Thursday was also the breaking point of certain household chores. I'd been making great progress on the build by entirely neglecting any other living-related tasks, (bar eating, showering and sleeping), in favour of spending all my time playing with my new toy :lol:. When I started this I'd already needed to do quite a lot of washing, but 5 days in, I was completely out of clean every-day pants, and was down to 'special occasion' pants. Now, all the bending, squatting, and kneeling that comes with DIY is uncomfortable at the best of times - don't make it harder for yourself by having to do it in tiny, nether-region-chafing underwear!

Before my appointment, I decided to make (another) trip to Homebase to buy the internal panelling which would go over my sheeting and insulating layers.

uva5M6P.jpg


I availed of the free cutting service that Homebase offer - they couldn't cut out the window and door indents, but I figured I could give it a go with my brand new jigsaw. Once again, I was thankful that I didn't go for a larger playhouse - all the dimensions I'd needed in lots of materials, had only juuuust squeezed into the back of my Renault Twingo.

I'd planned to go with plywood, but in the end decided on a compressed(?) hardboard, as it worked out quite a lot cheaper. If I'd had the budget, I might've gone with plywood - the hardboard is weaker than I would've liked, and took a billion (4) coats of Country Cream to cover evenly.

Zc75RuV.jpg


I got home, scrubbed myself up, nipped out to my appointment, then spent the afternoon dodging showers to slice and dice my hardboard. I was pretty wary about using a jigsaw for the first time, but it was actually super easy thank goodness. It made short work of the hardboard, and if I can't cut straight, it wasn't the jigsaw's fault! I went with this one, as I wanted variable speed and it was the only not-mega-expensive one in stock locally - http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4518392

No photos of me wielding the saw, as I was preoccupied with muttering darkly at the grey skies, and legging it back undercover before the hardboard got wet - another reason to go for plywood, the hardboard becomes unusable if the non-treated side gets wet...

Eventually I got all the pieces cut and admitted defeat. I retreated back inside to set up a painting party for my eave pieces and window frames. Note the ever-useful plant pots for support!

tHeO0Jn.jpg


Capable's Top Tips:
  • it's even harder to keep the dog out of the paint than it is the cat. Accept the dog hair - call it texture
  • maybe save some time and buy paint the same colour as the cat. A black cat walking round with a halo of Country Cream on his whiskers isn't a good look
  • make sure you do your washing before you've gotta resort to uncomfortable knickers
  • double check your arms for paint splatters before you notice them in your solicitors office
  • try not to cry when you see your beautifully clean, painted, pretty creation getting rained on for the first time


You're the Monty Don of D.I.Y. :D
 
This is brilliant and the funniest thing I have read on here for ages, loving it! Im actually laughing out loud and my OH is rolling his eyes and wondering why I am laughing whilst on RU. Looking forward to the next instalment! X
 
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