Well, even more questions; Ventilation and Tube/Ramp

Well, so start I'm sorry I have so many posts with so many questions at the moment I think I have 4 posts in a row in this topic :confused2: , I'm just going through a... transitional phase, getting a whole lot of new stuff for Aiko. But to the point, I just bought two 106 qt. Sterilite bins for the cage I'm making, and I've decided that I want to use a tube type object to have him be able to transfer from the second floor and back, so I'm thinking I'll use a dryer tube thing, I don't remember the name at the moment, but there are white ones, and metallic looking ones, and there are rigid, medium rigid (or whatever it's called), and super flexible, which one should I use? Also, how many rows of ventilation holes should I drill?

I'm not sure about everything, I don't have any 2 levels. The metal one probably wouldn't be good because the can cut themselves. I would do plastic, i a more flexable material, but not too, for cleaning. Or build your own to go inside out of coroplast and I think Nancy metioned somewhere plastic canvas. Not to sue of the dryer tubes. Would worry about support and breakage.

Ok, now my main problem is just getting an even, smooth, whole in the bin, to connect the two.

I wish I would have saved the pictures...

When I first got Hemi, she was kept in a double-sterility bin enclosure. We used a straight piece of PVC tube (found in the plumbing section of any hardware store - Rona, Home Depot, Canadian Tire... stores like that). We used a tube with a 4-inch diameter.

To cut the hole, my dad used some form of a saw. I can't remember what kind of saw it was, but I think it was a jig saw or one used to create high detail in wood working. He put the bins side by side, measured 2 inches from the floor and marked the bin with a sharpie. This mark was used to determine where the bottom of the tube would go. He placed each bin on it's side, and traced the shape of the pvc tube on the plastic. He cut on the outside of the line to provide a bit of wiggle room.

We used the tube caps (also found in the plumbing section) to secure the tube to the cage and ensure that the hog didn't make a break for it. This method allowed me to remove the tube to clean and dismantle the cage. It also prevented the hogs from getting cut on any rough surfaces, even though I made sure to sand down the edges.

I'll look around for pictures when I get home.

Hmm what I really need is the exact tool to use for the hole

Try to avoid using a utility knife and warmth. My boyfriend almost lost his thumb out of that deal. If you have to, be very very cautious.

My dad used a saw that is typically used to cut holes for a door knob when we did ours (after the trauma of the utility knife). You could probably also use a dremel saw with one of the circular pieces for cutting through wood/steel.

I used a wood burning tool to get the hole started, and then I cut the rest with heavy duty scissors. We don't use the cage any more, but keep it in case of an emergency.