Making a wooden shelf

[Scott]

So I decided to make a wood shelf to put in my 20g long tank, in part because I wanted a place to put their sand and food bowls. 

Reading about safe wood types, I decided on poplar. 

I got a 8" wide board and cut it to fit, then used a Forstner bit to make 7/8" deep cavities in each corner, not quite all the way through:


I banged dowels into the holes and the fit was very tight; I didn't want to use glue or any sort of screws or nails (for the safety of the gerbils), so I drilled holes 3/16" wide and about 2" deep through the sides of the board and the part of the dowel inside it and pushed a narrow dowel through. I cut and sawed the dowels flat:


The gerbils instantly took to it!

[londongerbils]

Looks great! Good handiwork.

[Scott]

Thanks. I had debated putting an aluminum c-channel on the edge facing out--the gerbils began to nibble on it pretty quickly, but I figured it's not going to get chewed up THAT quickly, and I can bat out another easily enough. Meanwhile, chewing on the aluminum couldn't be good for their teeth.