How to calculate total cost of DIY shelves?

[zombiezeatbrain]

I'm planning on going to home depot tomorrow to buy around 30 (give or take a little) wooden shelves for my chin for his new ferret nation 142. I've been looking online at homedepot.com searching for any possible prices they may have on the individual pieces of wood they sell (pine, right? not cedar.) but I can't seem to find any. People on the forum have said it's really inexpensive. But is there anyone who could give me an estimate of how much around 30 pieces would cost? Or how much just one individual piece of wood costs? Thanks!

 

[tati121]

I bought a 6x6 plank of KD pine at Home Depot for 5.46 I believe it was, the washers are about 0.10/a piece, a pack of 2 hanger bolts was 1.19 and a pack of 4 wing nuts was also 1.19. Out of the one piece of pine I made 3x 6" ledges and 1x 34.5" ledge.

 

[GorillaJTA]

It really depends on your area, but around here, an 8 foot plank of KD pine (you will have to sort through them to get good ones sometimes) is around $4. Some home depots will charge you to cut it, while others will not (it may depend on the mood of the guy running the saw).
The mounting equipment (hanger bolts, washers, and wing nuts) are going to run you about a $1.50 for 4 or 5 pieces of each so about 4.50 for all the mounting equipment for a long shelf. I get the biggest washers I can get with the smallest holes, usually 1 3/8 to 1 1/2" washers with 1/4" holes if I can find them. That keeps the washers from slipping behind the wire and just mounts better.

30 shelves is a lot. I currently have about 10 (ranging from 30 inches long to little leaping ledges) and that is without the middle divider.

The easiest way to put the hanger bolts into the wood is to use an electric drill and tighten the chuck down on the machine threads (the non-pointy end) and drill it straight in that way and then just reverse the drill to get it out of the chuck.

 

[zombiezeatbrain]

Thanks guys! Also, if any of you own a FN, do you happen to know the measurements of the two shelves that the cage comes with initially? I want to purchase granite slabs to cover them but I don't know how large I should get them

 

[GorillaJTA]

Do you have the new half-level with the lip or without? I have the old ones and I would not put piece of granite that is the same size for fear that it would fall. I have one 12x12" tile and a couple smaller pieces.

 

[zombiezeatbrain]

to be honest with you I have NO clue, lol. It hasn't come yet, it's supposed to arrive on wednesday. It's the 142 at this link (if it makes any difference to you, lol): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
Do you mean lip as in a type of ledging along the sides of the edges of the shelves as opposed to the old one which doesn't have any ledges along the perimeter of the shelf at all?

Do you have the new half-level with the lip or without? I have the old ones and I would not put piece of granite that is the same size for fear that it would fall. I have one 12x12" tile and a couple smaller pieces.

 

[momenteller]

I just want to say that I've seen threads like this in the past, and the wood and hardware is always described as being quite cheap. I don't have hard numbers for you, but my wood was definitely not $4/piece. I probably spent $40-50 total on wood and hardware. Perhaps (like everything else) its just a bit more in CA? Maybe send a PM to Cindyv3737? She just made a bunch of ledges and lives in So Cal.

 

[zombiezeatbrain]

Okay thank you!

I just want to say that I've seen threads like this in the past, and the wood and hardware is always described as being quite cheap. I don't have hard numbers for you, but my wood was definitely not $4/piece. I probably spent $40-50 total on wood and hardware. Perhaps (like everything else) its just a bit more in CA? Maybe send a PM to Cindyv3737? She just made a bunch of ledges and lives in So Cal.

 

[GorillaJTA]

I just want to say that I've seen threads like this in the past, and the wood and hardware is always described as being quite cheap. I don't have hard numbers for you, but my wood was definitely not $4/piece. I probably spent $40-50 total on wood and hardware. Perhaps (like everything else) its just a bit more in CA? Maybe send a PM to Cindyv3737? She just made a bunch of ledges and lives in So Cal.

Wood is the cheap part of the project. It is the $3-5 per shelf in hardware that racks up the cost, but it is reusable (unlike a leaping ledge that is chewed in half...)

 

[GorillaJTA]

Do you mean lip as in a type of ledging along the sides of the edges of the shelves as opposed to the old one which doesn't have any ledges along the perimeter of the shelf at all?

It will probably depend on if you get a brand new one or one that has been sitting in a warehouse for a while. The new one have a raised lip around the plastic half-levels that holds stuff in, but would also require a smaller stone.

 

[momenteller]

Wood is the cheap part of the project. It is the $3-5 per shelf in hardware that racks up the cost, but it is reusable (unlike a leaping ledge that is chewed in half...)

I think my wood was around $11/piece. I live in a pretty expensive area, though. Then I also bought the 1" wood to glue on as a lip to the shelves. So those things combined upped the total. To me, having a backing to the shelves is totally worth it.

 

[cindyv3737]

I think my total was around $30. KD pine is not that much $2 - $5 for the two pieces I got. The hardware is what cost the most. I picked up a box of washers for roughly $10 and then grabbed about 20 hanger bolts and washers. They did not charge me to cut the wood. I think there are roughly 10 ledges in my cage. Some have 2 bolts and the long one across the back of the cage has 4. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. Don't forget sand paper to smooth the edges. I had some frayed edges when they cut my wood.

 

[NommyCakes]

I believe mine was 7 dollars per wood..it was 4 inches wide and I believe 6 feet long. I bought two, and it costed me 14 dollars..but the washers and screws costed me the most.. I think I bought 20 wingnuts, washers, and screws. Everything costed me about 30 dollars? I believe..25-30 dollars. It was worth it though. I made myself..20 shelves and still have some leftover washers and everything.

 

[tati121]

I think my wood was around $11/piece. I live in a pretty expensive area, though. Then I also bought the 1" wood to glue on as a lip to the shelves. So those things combined upped the total. To me, having a backing to the shelves is totally worth it.

That's a lot! I live in NYC and I had to go to 2 different home depots but the wood was never over $6 for the KD pine.

 

[greychins]

As with everyone else, what's expensive is the hardware. I always get the 8" wide shelves... I've seen the chins lay out on their shelves, and the 6" wide just seems so much smaller than 8" (but then, I'm used to seeing 8" shelves in my cages). The price of the wood will depend on the width and the length. 8" wood is going to be more expensive than 6" wood, and 10" wood (or larger) will be even more expensive. The last wood I bought was 6' boards of pine, at Home Depot... 6' x 8" x 1" was.... $5.79? Between $5 and $6.

I actually ended up buying 3 boards that were 6' long each (I needed 20 feet), because that was going to cost me $17-18 ($5.79x3) versus the 10' boards that were 8" were something like $13 each (unless I read the sign wrong)... so it would have cost $26 for two 10' boards. So depending on those shelf lengths you're looking for, it may be cheaper to get several smaller boards of wood rather than one or two larger pieces.

And I doubt you will need 30 shelves, unless you plan on making them all leapin-ledge size. If that's the case, you might. While I don't have my FN set up (yet!), I have this cage which is similar in size - http://www.freewebs.com/nwichins/tobylarge.jpg - which only has maybe 9-10 shelves.

I buy washers in a huge pack so I dunno exactly what they run, but the wingnuts are something like a pack of 3 for $1 and the hangerbolts are a pack of 2 for $1... at least around here. The main cost of the shelf is in the hardware...

 

[zombiezeatbrain]

perfect, thanks!

As with everyone else, what's expensive is the hardware. I always get the 8" wide shelves... I've seen the chins lay out on their shelves, and the 6" wide just seems so much smaller than 8" (but then, I'm used to seeing 8" shelves in my cages). The price of the wood will depend on the width and the length. 8" wood is going to be more expensive than 6" wood, and 10" wood (or larger) will be even more expensive. The last wood I bought was 6' boards of pine, at Home Depot... 6' x 8" x 1" was.... $5.79? Between $5 and $6.

I actually ended up buying 3 boards that were 6' long each (I needed 20 feet), because that was going to cost me $17-18 ($5.79x3) versus the 10' boards that were 8" were something like $13 each (unless I read the sign wrong)... so it would have cost $26 for two 10' boards. So depending on those shelf lengths you're looking for, it may be cheaper to get several smaller boards of wood rather than one or two larger pieces.

And I doubt you will need 30 shelves, unless you plan on making them all leapin-ledge size. If that's the case, you might. While I don't have my FN set up (yet!), I have this cage which is similar in size - http://www.freewebs.com/nwichins/tobylarge.jpg - which only has maybe 9-10 shelves.

I buy washers in a huge pack so I dunno exactly what they run, but the wingnuts are something like a pack of 3 for $1 and the hangerbolts are a pack of 2 for $1... at least around here. The main cost of the shelf is in the hardware...

 

[StevieP]

I used pan head screws instead of hanger bolts. A pack of 30 or 50 (I forget exactly) #10 x 1.5" long screws was like $5. You just drill a pilot hole into the shelf then screw it onto the cage, still using a washer. I think the washers I used are 1/4" x 1-1/2."

 

[tati121]

I used pan head screws instead of hanger bolts. A pack of 30 or 50 (I forget exactly) #10 x 1.5" long screws was like $5. You just drill a pilot hole into the shelf then screw it onto the cage, still using a washer.

Not all of us have drills though! :tease:

 

[StevieP]

I guess a drill is something that I thought everyone had! But if you don't need one for hanger bolts, you don't need one for the screws. You just risk splitting the wood without drilling a pilot hole weather you use hanger bolts or screws.

 

[3CsMommy]

The long side of the cage (the back) is right about 3' (so 36") and the sides are 2' (24"), but ime, you'll need to cut the corners off of the back side of the shelves to fit them tight, or cut them shorter than the panel so they'll flush to the cage. I usually just trim the corners off entirely so I can attach the shelf at the ends and along the long edge.

Also, 30 shelves seems like a LOT. If you're leaving 8" between them, I'm not sure how you're going to fit them all in, and I really hope you have a second set of hands!

For attaching, I use screws and washers as well, though mine are just regular old 1 5/8" wood screws. They're easier to drive without a drill, though I have a cordless drill I use for pretty much everything. You might be able to rent one for a day from an equipment rental place, b/c if you're doing 30 shelves w/ at least 3 attachment points each, you're going to wear your arm out trying to use a screw driver to do it.

As for prices, here I can get a 6' long 1" x 8" for $5. But, to save yourself some money, what I'd do is figure out how many total feet of board you need to make your shelves. For easy math, let's say you're planning to make 2 long shelves and 2 short shelves. Each long shelf is 3', and each short shelf is 2', so 3' x 2 = 6', and 2' x 2 = 4'. 6' for the long shelves and 4' for the short shelves means you'd need 10' of 1"x 8" board. The 10' long boards here are about $8, so instead of buying 2 of the short ones and spending $10, I could buy 1 of the longer ones and spend $8. Since they'd need to be cut to fit in the car anyway, you can tell the guy at the chop saw that you need 2 cuts @ 3' and 2 cuts @ 2' and he'll do the dangerous part before you even get it into the car. (Feel free to message me if that example doesn't make sense. I can figure it out for your specific project.)

Make sure you check each board you pick for cupping (when the middle section of it sags but the ends are at the same height) or warping (when one end of the board is twisted). To do this, take the board off the rack and put one short edge down on the floor, wide side up. It should look like a sliding board-- nice and smooth and flat-- if you look down the length of the board. Then, turn it so the 1" edge is on the floor and look down the length of it again. It should be straight that way too. If it's not, set it aside and get another. Warped wood is hard to work with, and a cupped shelf will collect pee and poops in the middle and get really messy.