145 litre Really Useful Box

[LilyandDaisy]

Does anyone here use this box as a rodent enclosure? Is it completely smooth and gerbil-proof on the inside, or does it have bits sticking out where they could chew?

[Markpd]

Got a link?

I've got a large ish box for my boys sandpen, but I can't remember it's size or make offhand.

[LilyandDaisy]

www.reallyusefulstorageboxes.co.uk/145litre-really-useful-storage-box-c2x12597561

I have some small RUBs for storage, and they're smooth inside but not sure if the big ones are the same?

I was also thinking of a Pawhut wooden enclosure, or would that be totally reckless with gerbils? Maybe it could be gerbil proofed though.

[Markpd]

That wooden one is a good size and price! , but yea I think you'd have your work cut out protecting the various edges!
If you want some aluminium sheet metal for that, I quite often at work now have old ally number plates we just cut up and scrap (we replace plates on 2nd hand sales cars for our own plates), you could have those. But of course I'd have to post it somewhere to you..., I don't suppose you'll want to tell me your home address, but maybe a work address? Unless you fancied driving down to my work? It would be about 3/4-1hr drive for you though (unless you picked them up from me when I visit friends in Caterham). Anyway, just some thoughts.
Btw An old ally plate is what I used to protect the ends of the ducting I have for my boys sandpen and play pen.

As for your 145 ltr RUB, afraid I can't help you, that's not the box I've got, and nor can I find any other pics of it.

[LilyandDaisy]

Thanks for the offer, but I wouldn't be buying an enclosure for a few months yet anyway, until I know what's happening with Tilly and the new gerbil. They'll be in the split for a month minimum, and even after the introduction (if successful), I won't be in any hurry to move them to a bigger enclosure.

[betty]

I think I recently brought a 145 litre one - and I wasn't too happy with the lid area.

I have some of the 84l ones and the lid fits well (although if they can they will chew the inner lip) - however the gap is MUCH bigger inside the lid of the new one I got.

Let me check my dimensions and see if that is what I got myself...

[LilyandDaisy]

I decided to go for the Pawhut in the end. I wanted something with more height to fit a 28cm wheel. I'm currently painting it in a nice light blue and then I will go about gerbil-proofing it. Markpd if your aluminium sheet is from car plates, isn't it very rigid?

[Markpd]

Errm, fairly rigid, not very helpful description though, lol. I initially bent the ally over by putting it in a vice and hammering it over, then I used pliers to get the final shape. But you could probably just use 2 pairs of pliers, although that would be harder. Bearing in mind I bent the ally right over as I used it to protect the ends of the ducting tubes (as per photo below).
Anyway, the ally can take the bending, it just takes some effort, but easy enough with a vice.

[LilyandDaisy]

I was struggling to visualise ducting protected by rigid aluminium but the photo clears that up. I found some 1mm thick aluminium sheet online so I think I will use that as it should be easier to bend into shape.

[Markpd]

Yea the plates are a bit thicker than that, probably 1.5-2mm.
How much are the 1mm sheets out of interest?

[LilyandDaisy]

The aluminium was about £12 for 60x30cm sheet on Ebay. But I was ordering some wood from Wickes last night and noticed they had galvanised steel sheet, 0.5mm thick, £6 for 1mx12cm so I bought that instead.

I hope that since steel is stronger than aluminium, 0.5mm will be thick enough. The texture of metal alone is enough to put most gerbils off chewing it, I would think.

[Markpd]

Yea I bet it will be plenty strong enough.

I suppose the only real disadvantages will be greater weight (but I doubt it'll be much), and if they decided to occasionally chew it they might pierce the galvanising? And then it could rust there if it got wet. But like you said, I've noticed too that a single mouth/bite onto something hard and the gerbils rarely bother with it again! So the latter is pretty unlikely.