PVC?

[CRG7]

For those who have made tubes, or half-tube shelves, do you use 4" or 6"? I would think that 6" would be ideal for tubes. Is 4" good for the shelves?

I have checked Home Depot, and only found 4" as the largest diameter in the smaller sections of PVC. I work for an industrial supply company, but even with that I can only get the 6" in 10 foot sections, which is way more than I would ever need. Any recommendations on where to buy smaller sections?

I would ideally like some half-tube shelves, which I would cover in fleece. However, another question is regarding chins chewing the PVC. My boy has shown no interest in chewing plastic (his starter cage had plastic shelves, he had a plastic wheel before I upgraded him to the Chin Spin, and he has plastic crock food dishes), but with the concern of chins eating plastic, shouldn't there be a concern with PVC being chewed?

 

[ninjaturtletayy]

Both my cuddle ledge and tube are 6" in diameter. But I know some people sell smaller. I have no idea where to buy PVC. Pas for the chewing, if it's covered in fleece, your chin will more than likely leave it alone. My guy doesn't chew either his tube or ledge (both fleece covered). Just make sure he has plenty wood to chew instead.

 

[akane]

Most of mine do ok with 4". My big standard and a larger than average hetero beige are the only exceptions. They will only use 6" tubes. All my other adults will run through or lay in 4" tubes.

My tubes are not covered. The really destructive chins have scraped at them but they don't seem to get much of anything off. They just scrape little strips rather than biting chunks of plastic. The FN/CN pans are much much worse. My destructive ones ate a palm sized chunk out of the corner of a bottom pan before I got it switched to a bass pan. They seem to have given up on the pvc though. Majority do not even bother.

 

[Amethyst]

PVC doesn't break in chunks like most other plastic, it pretty much comes off in tiny thin shavings, like sawdust (which normally pass without issue). The chin would have to chew on it for a very long time (like sit there day and night just chewing on it) to eat enough of it to cause a problem, so you'd notice and be able to remove it before any issue arose. It's also a lot harder then other plastic so most chin's loose interest in trying to chew it pretty quickly, it doesn't taste good and they can't sink their teeth in so it's no fun to chew. Just make sure it's drinking water grade pvc otherwise it's not guaranteed to not give off chemicals over time.
I use the 4" pieces myself since I couldn't find 6", like you said, without buying a whole pipe length worth. That seems to be a common problem, so I'm sure if you buy a whole 10' pipe you could probably sell the extra to people who are in the same situation here. You could try other hardware stores, but most don't like selling small amounts since then they are stuck with an odd length to try to sell.

 

[CRG7]

Thanks for the information! My guy isn't interested in chewing plastic, but I was wondering what the difference was between PVC and regular plastic accessories.