# How do you Convert your RUBs?



## Kage Davies

These are going to seem like some really stupid questions, I can tell. Sorry in advance!

So I've been looking at cages for my newest mice, and I think I might be better off with RUBs, but I have no idea how to convert one. I know we have a giant Staples, so I can get stuff from there, and a B&Q for mesh, but how does one combine the two? Basically;
~ What size do you use for how many mice?
~ How do you make the holes in your box? 
~ How do you attatch the mesh to your box?
~ Has anyone put in platforms or levels, and if so, how?

Heh heh. That's about it, I think. If I know those things, I can play with them until they do what I want. I really wanted to make them interesting boxes, but if I can't put in levels, I could always try chinchilla platforms and holes. Or houses with a flat roof, to climb on...

*strokes chin*

Show me your most exciting boxes?


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## dangermouse

there is a link on the site about making them i think.... my hubby made mine .....


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## DomLangowski

Hi, I made a step by step guide of how i made mine.

Click HERE to view it  I hope it helps.

Let me know how you get on


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## ian

I screwed wooden platforms into the massive tank I have for my pet does (which started off my mouse keeping,) also all the special does which I want to keep after retirement go in there and can live the rest of their life in luxury. The wood is hard to clean and I am lucky that I keep my mice in a garage because anything wooden (or fabric) which a mouse could wee on absolutely stinks. So I wouldnt advise using wood. 
Another way of adding space in a tall tank is to attach hanging tubes and ropes, the mice dont particularly need a flat surface to utilise the space.


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## Kage Davies

Bwahaha, thanks for the help everyone! I wanted to wait until I had some photos before posting again .

I used the fantasmic walkthrough to make these, although I think the OH and his Dad used a rotary tool rather than a soldering iron o.o. It took _hours_ for them to complete these. I think it was at least 12 overall, if not longer. So here they be;

The big RUB;


















The Carrier RUB;


















The scorch marks are from melting the cable ties with matches XD. And the mesh looks odd because I had to double layer it - nowhere had mesh small enough T_T. This is also the reason for that amount of ties o.o.

What do you think?


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## DomLangowski

Looks good, one thing that you might want to think about for next time is where you have fitted the mesh where the water bottle goes in its a bit low and substrate will always be falling onto your shelf / floor. This is why i put the mesh quite high. but part of creating your own boxes in trial and error.

Apart from that id say well done


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## Kage Davies

Yeah, lol, found that one out last night. The water bottle end was placed low enough the mouse pressed some crefresh against the ball and flooded the whole box XD. I have moved the bottle up, but the mesh is still there. I'm hoping the holes will be too small for the majority of carefresh to escape out of XD. *crosses fingers*.

The irritating thing is, I even thought of that when I was putting the side windows in :shock:


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## DomLangowski

Like i said its all trial and error, now you know for next time...

Must admit i have made this mistake a few times before... :lol:


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## Kage Davies

Hee hee. Well, I can't believe I didn't even think of it XD. Leh sigh.

But over all I am proud of my (OH's) creation. I think I shall call it... Jenny. (lol.)

Freddy and Alice to follow. When he gets time.


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## DomLangowski

:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## dangermouse

must admit we had the same problem with the water bottle but it is now fixed...


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## Angelmouse

Like the RUB I'm sure 'Russet' will have a lovely time playing in there :lol:


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## Miss-Freak-Of-Nature

Such lovely RUB's


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## Kage Davies

Lol, I think she is. Especially now the inside looks like this;


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## Angelmouse

Wow lovely  
And I can see she has made herself comfortable already in the little house next to the wheel Awww


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## Kage Davies

Hee hee, she was hiding in the cube because she could get a quick run to the wheel and back, lol. She loves that wheel most of all.


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## lindberg4220

I have made similar cages for some of my gerbils, though i have the mesh in the lid, because gerbils dig a lot 

Mine looks like this:


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## Kage Davies

Yeah, I'm finding I put the mesh down too far for the bottle. The carefresh won't come out, but the poop does. And I'm not sure she's not poking those mealie worms out on purpose either - those things make me squirm, but they looooove them.

Aww. The people on AAM don't seem to appreciate my box. :?

:lol:

Sorry. I shouldn't. But they're getting all irate and quoting the law about sending things back to shops at me now XD.


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## Dragonfly-Stud

Kage, never get involved with aam forum I think they assume they are the mafia of mice you can't win against what I can only call freaky people the mods are very biased it's always their way or no way.


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## Kage Davies

Yeah, I know that now. Crazy people. Its how they assume that because you're not housing your mice in a rat cage, and haven't got a 12" wheel, you must know nothing about mouse keeping at all o.o.

-_-; Anyway.


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## daisy

all about mice.... :lol:


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## SarahY

I just had to go and read the thread... I'm speechless. They really weren't giving up about returning your boxes were they? That forum (and fancy-rats.co.uk) make me so cross I don't go on them any more. Self righteous ****pots.

Sarah xxx

(Edited to remove off topicness)


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## Cait

:lol: :lol: :lol:

That's all I can say Sarah!


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## sasandcol

AAM?


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## Miss-Freak-Of-Nature

sasandcol said:


> AAM?


All about mice forum, they don't like breeders of mice as parently we don't house our mice right and we breed more and more mice when there is plenty out there in rescues needing homes :roll:


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## dangermouse

I just read the AAM thread ..... well some of it........


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## Mark

Ive read it all and find it so funny, I still go on that forum was even involved in that thread  :shock:

I find some members on there are off their rockers but i just go along with it because it makes some good entertainment


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## Effy

What's everyone's views on mesh inside/outside?
I haven't ever done any, but I'd be paranoid that one of them would hut themselves on the mesh, even if was as smooth as it could be...but obviously having them chew their way to freedom wouldn't be very good either...anyone ever tried doing a whole side of mesh, so there are three plastic edges, but they're all facing the mesh? Would/Could that work?
It's not a suggestion...I'm just wondering. 

(As for AAM...I go there sometimes and have found loads of help...but they do remind me of a goldfish forum I once used a lot. If you dare to go to minimum levels or even do something different than the mod team would do...or the 'regs'...then you'd get quite an earful...all with "But of course you're free to do as you want...though no-one else would do it...IMO" posted at the bottom. :lol: )


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## daisy

oh my god, i just read some of that thread on AAM, they are mental!! do u think they'd enjoy to hear about my 9L boxes? jeez. i cant think of anything worse than keeping my mice in HUMUNGOUS rat cages where they are free to piss through the bars everywhere and get frightened from having too much space, nothing worse than a mouse running on a wheel theyve peed on and spraying piss about into your home!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:


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## Kage Davies

Effy said:


> What's everyone's views on mesh inside/outside?
> I haven't ever done any, but I'd be paranoid that one of them would hut themselves on the mesh, even if was as smooth as it could be...but obviously having them chew their way to freedom wouldn't be very good either...anyone ever tried doing a whole side of mesh, so there are three plastic edges, but they're all facing the mesh? Would/Could that work?
> It's not a suggestion...I'm just wondering.
> 
> (As for AAM...I go there sometimes and have found loads of help...but they do remind me of a goldfish forum I once used a lot. If you dare to go to minimum levels or even do something different than the mod team would do...or the 'regs'...then you'd get quite an earful...all with "But of course you're free to do as you want...though no-one else would do it...IMO" posted at the bottom. :lol: )


Well, I had this worry so my OH spent hours using an electric sander making the mesh completely smooth so it can go on the inside... only to realises that RUBs have indents that the mesh can fit into, so the edges are hidden .

But I know that other people use mesh outside, and haven't had any escapees so far.

Ha ha, that thread is now locked. An admin with no real clue came along and said it was a terrible shame (instert rainbow vomit) and locked it XD. They have some serious issues with opinion =/= fact.


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## daisy

i always remember why i dont go on there when i see stuff like that. its so unhelpful! as for the mesh thing, at the beginning i sanded and made sure everything was nice and smooth, but now i dont really bother as it takes too long and i've never had any injuries from the boxes apart from slicing my own hands, i mesh on the inside but flush with the edges of the boxes so no sharp bits then i cable tie to the outside, sometimes where i cut the ends of the cable ties off they can be sharp but its me that gets it rather than the mice....


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## Kage Davies

Aah, cut down cable ties are lethal. Take a match to them for a couple of seconds, or a lighter, and it will melt them just enough so you won't catch yourself on them any more . Doesn't take too long, even on a whole box.


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## daisy

this is what i was thinking, (in fact i think it outloud very loudly with multiple swearing everytime i catch my hand)! dunno why i havnt used my soldering iron on them! cheers


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## DomLangowski

I have always used the soldering iron on them to melt them down, it also stops them popping out which sometimes happens with the odd faulty ones!


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## demon_x_slash

I just run a big metal file over the edges of my mesh panels until they're smooth to the touch from all angles - a good way to check for snags is to get a(n old) pair of tights, draw a leg gently over the edge, and see if it catches.

Must say though, a cheap soldering iron is a must - I did my hamster's RUB with a hacksaw and much swearing and plastic dust before I thought of a soldering iron. I think Maplins do ridiculously cheap ones for about £8 - good because you'll not be able to use it for actual soldering afterwards! :mrgreen:


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