building a custom cage?

[Pandoradolls]

hi everybody! i was wondering if anyone has experience building a custom cage for their bird. I'm quite a DIY-er myself and i plan on exploring this option, both because it allows me to pick the size i want and because i like the option of altering the cage to better fit the bird once it has arrived and settled. the things that worry me the most at the moment are the following:
-what metal/metal alloy should de bars be? i know some oxidants can harm birds but i'm not sure of the details;
-what kinds of wood should be avoided? (toxic, easily destroyed, messy?)
-would it be ok to make the bottom and back of the cage out of acrylic sheeting material? (the kind that is intended for bathrooms and showers?) it seems an easy to maintain material but once again i want to make sure it won't harm the bird in any way.

also if anyone has built a custom cage i would LOVE to see them!

[Wolf]

I built a large cage out od hardware cloth for my Senegal, but when I was able to get a regular cage for her, I dismantled the cage that I built. The reason for the switch was that the hardware cloth contains a high amount of zinc which is toxic to birds over time. When this bird arrived I didn't know one thing about parrots except that they were tropical birds.
I keep researching this topic, primarily in the guise of building an outdoor aviary, but what the hey. An aviary is just a larger cage.
So far wood is a good material, but it must be protected from parrots who turn wood into garden mulch. Of the metals it seems that the only ones that are satisfactory are anodized aluminum, stainless steel or powder coated iron. All others are toxic to birds. Acrylic panels may be a good choice as I have seen a few cages made from this material, but I am waiting to learn more about how it holds up to parrot beaks. That is what I have learned so far. Good luck.

[Pandoradolls]

I'm pretty sure i can get a hold of a decent stainless steal mesh… i also have powder coating services available to me but i doubt it would be able to hold up to the abuse of bird and time… also for the acrylic panels: if the bird has no access to any edges or borders: would it still be able to munch at the material?

[Wolf]

If the acrylic panels are to allow for air flow it is going to have exposed edges, unless you have a way around that.

[Pandoradolls]

oh, i think we might be talking of a different thing then. the panels I'm speaking of are plain smooth white sheets of plastic that are used to waterproof a shower. i was planning on using these for the back and floor of the cage...

[Wolf]

Ok, I understand what you are talking about, I think. If it is the material that I am thinking that you mean then the coating should be much too smooth and hard for them to damage it as long as they can't get the edge of it. I would wonder about its strength as it is pretty thin, again if we are thinking of the same material.