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Post by yeti218 on Mar 17, 2021 19:13:13 GMT -8
Ideally it should come together in a way that the gerbils cant actual put their teeth on a ledge or anything to actually chew. If it's just a square pen or something they may try to scratch or chew at the walls but there won't be anything for their teeth to actually latch onto.
I put my gerbils into a playpen made out of a material that I would never let them chew. But the walls are all smooth and they cant get a grip anywhere to bite it.
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Post by Scott on Mar 18, 2021 9:10:56 GMT -8
Maybe post some pics of the wood? If they were cupboard shelves they are very likely pine or plywood. Hardwood is generally too expensive to use as a cabinet shelf--not impossible but I'd be surprised. The outer cabinet, yes, but not likely a shelf (why use nice wood for a hidden part?). AFAIK the consensus here is that pine is not OK for gerbils unless it's kiln dried. Wood used for shelves SHOULD be kiln dried (to prevent warping) but that's not a certainty. So if it's a kiln dried pine board, it should be OK, especially if there are no exposed edges for them to get their teeth on. The bigger problem is if they're plywood (or pressboard or particleboard or a similar composite), which I personally wouldn't use for gerbils even if they can't get their teeth on it. You can tell plywood by looking at the edge: any plywood would show visible layers (pressboard/particleboard is even more obvious: they're wood shavings or dust held together with glue). They use adhesive to stick those layers together, and that adhesive can emit formaldehyde. Probably not as big an issue with old shelves (as compared to newly manufactured plywood) but in a confined space with a very small animal, not something I'd risk. And if they can get their teeth on it, I'd say it's as big a risk as non-kiln dried pine, if not more so. As far as any coating, any should also be obvious: the IKEA stuff is generally laminated, not chemically sealed. If you gouge it with a knife, you can see the color change as you expose the underlying layers. Same with stained wood, though you may have to dig deeper; painted should be easy to gouge. As for the glass, I definitely would not use it. Picture frame glass is very thin and likely not tempered or annealed. It's not intended to withstand... well, anything really--it sits undisturbed in a frame. Glass can be made to be some pretty amazing stuff, but picture frame glass isn't an example. As for putting this all together... hard to say not knowing the design, but I made a standing shelf without using any metal fasteners or glue, using hardwood dowels as fasteners. Here, I'd use screws (with pilot holes, or self-drilling screws like Teks) over nails. BTW, nailing/screwing in end grain is generally not a great idea. Well, that went longer than I intended. Again, pictures of the wood and a general idea of the design would help. |
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gerbilling
Member
Aspiring professional gerbil friend, getting there. My hair is delicious as a snack (apparently).
Posts: 77
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Post by gerbilling on Mar 18, 2021 10:33:20 GMT -8
I ended up just fixing the playpen I already have. Ideally I'd like to make one out of wooden dowels and wire mesh, but that's a project for another time. It would be nice though.  |
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Post by Scott on Mar 18, 2021 11:01:06 GMT -8
Solved in what way? If you leave it up, it might help someone with a similar issue.
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Post by Markpd on Mar 18, 2021 12:08:35 GMT -8
Yep, very confusing when people delete their ops!  The problem with Pine is more to do with the Pine in the US, Pine in UK (and Europe I think) is not really a problem, (Cedar still is though). I believe it's do with the different species of Pine. This website is a pretty good source of info on that as it does reference some studies. |
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Post by Scott on Mar 18, 2021 12:34:20 GMT -8
Yep, very confusing when people delete their ops! The problem with Pine is more to do with the Pine in the US, Pine in UK (and Europe I think) is not really a problem, (Cedar still is though). I believe it's do with the different species of Pine. This website is a pretty good source of info on that as it does reference some studies. From my read of the information there, pine is a problem on both sides of the Atlantic. The issue was in the accuracy of labeling all softwoods as undesirable, since European softwood bedding is generally made from spruce. You can differentiate between spruce and pine starting with the needles. |
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Post by Markpd on Mar 19, 2021 11:58:20 GMT -8
I should've known better than to rely on my memory of an article I read once! lol  |
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), late 70s