24 February 2016
Pet Stretcher Bed
During hot weather the family pets sometimes struggle to find somewhere cool. This stretcher bed for your pet keeps them off the ground, is very comfortable – and cool on even the hottest of days…
This stretcher can be tailor made for your pet, made out of 40mm drain pipe and fittings, and a piece of canvas, shade-cloth or tarpaulin* cut to fit the frame. Naturally, the size of the bed will have to be determined by how big Bruiser actually is, but the piping and associated fittings are not expensive.
Project Guide:
Difficulty: Novice
Estimated time: 3-5 hours
Cost: R150-250 (depending on the size of the pet and hence of the stretcher)
Materials:
Note that the materials required will differ if you make a stretcher with different dimensions.
- 40mm drainpipe – 3m
- 4 end-caps
- 4 90° corners fittings
- 4 ‘T’-pieces
- PVC glue
- One piece of canvas 550x750mm
- 16 brass eyelets
- 3m of ski-cord
- 12 50mm gutter bolts (6mm) and nuts
- 4 75mm gutter bolts and nuts (6mm)
*All materials are available at Selected Mica Stores. To find your nearest Mica and to enquire about availability, please go to www.mica.co.za, to use our store locator. If your local Mica does not stock exactly what you need they will be able to order or suggest an alternative product or a reputable source.
Method:
- The basic components, with the pipe still to be cut into the various lengths – four lengths of 500mm for the main frame and four lengths of 150mm for the legs.
- We cut the pipe into the required lengths using a jigsaw. Try to ensure you cut as accurately as possible – and 90° – so that the seating of the end in the fitting provides the greatest surface between the pipe and the fitting.
- This is how the ends fit.
- The pipe cut to the required lengths – four of 500mm. We also cut four legs of 150mm and four short lengths of 40mm to link the corner pieces to the ‘T’-pieces.
- The four corners and ‘t’-pieces, not yet glued, but pulled slighty apart so that you can see the 40mm connectors.
- We assembled the legs first – end-cap, 150mm leg and ‘T’-piece. As you can see the total height when assembled is 210mm – from the bottom of the end-cap to the top of the ‘T’-piece. This gives ample clearance..
- Having applied the glue to both surfaces, make sure you very quickly set the leg vertical. The glue sets very quickly and if you don’t get it right quickly, that’s it.
- The assembled frame.
- Ensure when sizing the canvas or whatever cloth you are using that you allow for a folded-in edge, to give an extra layer of fabric where the eyelet is fixed. We spaced the eyelets at 170mm along the long sides, and 125mm centres on the ends.
- You can buy brass eyelets and the punch sets from your local Mica Hardware and attaching the eyelets is very simple; the punch is designed to cut the hole and then a second spreader punch locks the two halves of the brass eyelet together.
- Almost there – the completed frame and its canvas.
- Align the frame on the canvas as shown and mark off the position for each gutter bolt on the frame.
- Drill a 6mm hole right through the frame as shown here.
- And fit the bolt and nut into each.
- Slightly different on the corners… drill through at 45° as shown and insert a 75mm gutter bolt.
- Now, starting at one corner, thread the ski-cord through the eyelets from underneath and then over the bold-heads. After pulling the cord tight so that the canvas is stretched tight, tie off the end.
- A view of one of the eyelets on the sides and end and how the cord in pass through from underneath and then around the bolt-head…
- And the corner connection.
- The Completed Pet Bed.
- Aah… but life is … ‘Ruff!’
