Waterslager Show Cage
Designed by Val Stevens

In order to promote the showing of Waterslager canaries, the Western Waterslager Club has approved a modified version of the Pierre Nicolle style collapsible show cage. The outside dimensions and bars are exactly the same. A couple of small changes have been incorporated to eliminate welding, make the cage sturdier, and use material readily available in the United States (not metric). It is the club’s hope that these cages will be easier to produce, making it possible for newcomers and old alike to obtain show cages.

Cage directions are very near the same as the Nicolle style cage: Outside dimensions; 9 3/4"in length, 6 5/16" in width, 7 7/8" high.

List of materials: For 1 cage

* 5 1/2" x 9 1/4" of sheet metal. Thin enough to work with and thick enough for support.

* 3 or 4 pieces of 5/8" x 5/8" x 4' of pine or hard wood as available from hardware store.

* 3 pieces of 1/2"x3"x3' of pine or poplar as available from hardware store.

*Metal tray: 5"x 8 1/2" with sides folded up 1/4" on 3 sides and 1/2" on front side to attach tray front.(1/2"x 5" x 1 1/8")

*Masonite bottom: 5 1/2"x 8 3/8" x 1/8" thick. White side up.

*Top piece:

10 Pieces of 9" long stainless steel welding rod. Cross bar is 5/8"x 5/8"x 5 1/16". 10 evenly spaced holes drilled with 5/64" drill bit, and a very small round head screw drilled into the center of each end to act as a guide screw for support.

*Right/Left sides:

Each side is identical and includes; 16 pieces of 5" long stainless steel rod. Wooden bottom sections are 1/2"x 8 7/16"x 2 3/8"(trimmed from the 1/2"x 3"x 3' poplar) 1/8" groove cut along the length of the piece 1/8" from bottom to accommodate Masonite bottom. Top sections are 5/8"x 5/8 'x 8 7/16". Small hole drilled along the center on the same side as the groove on bottom piece to accommodate guide screw from top piece. Stainless steel bars are evenly spaced over the length of these pieces. Holes for the bars are drilled with a 1/16" drill. This should hold snug with no glue needed.

Hint: This side is easier to make if you get 2 pieces of scrap wood 4 9/16" long and put on each end between the top and bottom wood pieces and pull together with clamps.

*Door side end:

Wooden frame is from 5/8"x 5/8"x 7 7/8"for the sides, 5 1/16" for the top. The bottom piece is 1/2"x2 3/8"x 5 1/16". The door slide piece is 1/2"x 1/2"x 4" tapered on the ends. Wire is made from 4 (2 on each side) of Stainless steel rod cut to 5". There are 6 pieces of wire, 4 3/4" long for the door. The total of 10 pieces of wire are spaced evenly across the end. Holes that wire must slide through are drilled at from 3/64" to 1/8" to allow an easy slide. Smaller holes will produce a stiffer slide and larger holes will produce an easier slide.

Hint: This side is easier to make if you get 2 pieces of scrap wood 4 9/16" long and put on each end between the top and bottom wood pieces and pull together with clamps.

*Seed/Water end:

Wooden frame is from 5/8"x 5/8"x 7 7/8"for the sides, 5 1/16" for the top. Wood piece above the pull out tray is 1/2"x 2"x 5 1/16". Wood piece attached to sheet metal tray is 1/2"x 1 1/8" x 5". The two pieces above the seed and water holes are from 1/4" x 1/4" x 1". There are 10 evenly space wires across the end. Eight are 4" and the two above the seed and water holes are 2 5/8". Seed and water holes are between the 1st and 3rd holes on each end. The seed and water openings are 15/16" x 1 1/16".

Hint: This side is easier to make if you get two pieces of scrap wood 3 5/8" long and put on each end between the top and bottom wood pieces and pull together with clamps.

*2 perches:

5/8" dowel 6 1/4" long sanded flat on the bottom.

Some Helpful Hints:

*This cage is nearly the exact same size as the Nicolle style cage. It is easier to make if you have one to use as a template.

*A drill press will make drilling holes straight much easier. (They must be straight or cage becomes crooked)

*A small table saw or router/router table will make cutting 3" wood down to various thicknesses and cutting the groove for Masonite bottom much easier.

*A belt sander helps get sizes just right as well as tapering or rounding edges on door piece and pull out tray piece.

*Three inch seamer plyers can be used to bend sheet metal.