BoundNoFtWaL
Well-known member
This covers a couple different forum topics, so I thought I'd put it here. I've been looking at carriers lately as my finace, and I are planning a possible trip home (across country), and we'll have to take Stitch with us. I've been eyeing metal pans for Stitch's FN142 to replace the plastic ones I've been using (fully covered in fleece). My search for metal litter boxes has come up lacking as well. I've also been rolling an idea around in my head for a unique wheel that I may try to actually constuct also.
I'm the kind of person who will look at something and deconstuct it in my head, and if I think I can make it I try to figure out a way to do so. My finace has also talked about wanting to have metal shop tools for his personal use. I realise the cost of producing a finished product vs. cost of purchased ready made product and vise versa are something to consider.
Well I only have one chin and the metal carrier's that I've seen are 2 hole. So it seems like kind of a waste of space to have a 2 hole carrier. If it's possible for us to make the carriers and pans ourselves cost effectivly I'd like to do so. The thing is metal is expensive. I was thinking at first of seeing what the price of aluminum would be. Alumium is light weight and wouldn't rust, but is chinny chewable. Stainless steel I know would be super expensive. Both are chin safe. I showed my fiance this: http://www.geocities.com/chinchilla_fancier/Pictures/2-Hole_Carrier.jpg and uppon closer inspection of pictures from others that sell carriers and metal pan liners they are all made of what looks like galvanised steel, which is steel treated with zinc to prevent rusting.
I know there have been a few threads on the topic of safe metals. I did a search but could not find the list of safe metals I once saw on here. I do know I've read a few threads that have said that Zinc is not a safe metal for chins. I know in humans Zinc in high quantities is harmful. But there are coughdrops with zinc touting their cold fighting benifits. I do realise humans and chins are two different species. Now I'm no chemist, but is zinc sulfate not zinc? If Zinc is indeed harmful to chins then why would they be adding zinc sulfate to Mazuri feed? I bought a large bag of feed and was intending to split and sell the excess on craigs list to other chinny owners in my local area. I can buy it cheeper in large quantity and help out some others in the process... Any way when I went to make the listing for the craigs list ad I copied the ingredients list from the bag. One of the last ingredients is Zinc Sulfate.
I don't believe that any of our chins will be chowin down on galvanised steel in their cages to the point of poisening themselves. But you never know. I was told by a manufacturer of high end stainless steel grills that stainelss steel should not be washed with strong soap such as Dawn because it will strip the stainless treatment off of the steel and it will tarnish and be more likely to rust. So, if that applys to galvanised pans also then, if you're washing galvanized pans with Dawn the zinc treatment from the metal could be compromised. But, that would kind of negate the purpose of buying a non rusting metal no? Are any of you using galvanised metal with your chins finding any issue with rusting or tarnishing? And, what study was done that proves that Zinc is bad for chins? Can anyone show any proof of this?
I'm the kind of person who will look at something and deconstuct it in my head, and if I think I can make it I try to figure out a way to do so. My finace has also talked about wanting to have metal shop tools for his personal use. I realise the cost of producing a finished product vs. cost of purchased ready made product and vise versa are something to consider.
Well I only have one chin and the metal carrier's that I've seen are 2 hole. So it seems like kind of a waste of space to have a 2 hole carrier. If it's possible for us to make the carriers and pans ourselves cost effectivly I'd like to do so. The thing is metal is expensive. I was thinking at first of seeing what the price of aluminum would be. Alumium is light weight and wouldn't rust, but is chinny chewable. Stainless steel I know would be super expensive. Both are chin safe. I showed my fiance this: http://www.geocities.com/chinchilla_fancier/Pictures/2-Hole_Carrier.jpg and uppon closer inspection of pictures from others that sell carriers and metal pan liners they are all made of what looks like galvanised steel, which is steel treated with zinc to prevent rusting.
I know there have been a few threads on the topic of safe metals. I did a search but could not find the list of safe metals I once saw on here. I do know I've read a few threads that have said that Zinc is not a safe metal for chins. I know in humans Zinc in high quantities is harmful. But there are coughdrops with zinc touting their cold fighting benifits. I do realise humans and chins are two different species. Now I'm no chemist, but is zinc sulfate not zinc? If Zinc is indeed harmful to chins then why would they be adding zinc sulfate to Mazuri feed? I bought a large bag of feed and was intending to split and sell the excess on craigs list to other chinny owners in my local area. I can buy it cheeper in large quantity and help out some others in the process... Any way when I went to make the listing for the craigs list ad I copied the ingredients list from the bag. One of the last ingredients is Zinc Sulfate.
I don't believe that any of our chins will be chowin down on galvanised steel in their cages to the point of poisening themselves. But you never know. I was told by a manufacturer of high end stainless steel grills that stainelss steel should not be washed with strong soap such as Dawn because it will strip the stainless treatment off of the steel and it will tarnish and be more likely to rust. So, if that applys to galvanised pans also then, if you're washing galvanized pans with Dawn the zinc treatment from the metal could be compromised. But, that would kind of negate the purpose of buying a non rusting metal no? Are any of you using galvanised metal with your chins finding any issue with rusting or tarnishing? And, what study was done that proves that Zinc is bad for chins? Can anyone show any proof of this?
