Bunny Condo - How to waste several Saturdays

[53Sparky]

It started with, “Daddy, Can I have a bunny?”

I said, “Sure, you can have a bunny - but you’re going to need to take care of it, and you’re going to need to build the hutch. We don’t have any place to put it. Are you sure you’re up to that?”

My youngest two daughters agreed and the rest, as they say, is history…

We have spent the last few Saturdays working at my shop together. They’ve done almost all of the work themselves with guidance from me. From the design concept, to the CAD, running the gCode on my CNC, assembly, sanding, finishing, measuring, cutting and welding, it’s all them. When we finish, this bunny is going to have the best house that a rabbit could have. My girls are having the times of their lives and I’m just happy to get to spend the time with them. I’m in Daddy heaven. I figure that if I’m going to get their attention to do this project, we’re going to pick up as many skills as possible, even if it’s for a silly rabbit.

What follows is a summary of what has happened so far:

Meet Phineas, the bunny.


Running the parts on the CNC:

 

[53Sparky]

Took a detour to make something for Mother’s day:


First time with a router:




First time with the Random Orbital Sander

 

[53Sparky]

Somehow the days got away from me, and I didn’t get any pics of assembly. But that was full of firsts - brad nailers, wood glue, clamps, etc.

First coat of Tung Oil


Here they are measuring and cutting angle iron

 

[53Sparky]

This is my youngest daughter. She’s a little more adventurous than her bigger sister, so she did more of the cutting and welding.


Her bigger sister preferred to stand back a bit if there were sparks.


First welds at 12 years old? SURE!


 

[53Sparky]

Their oldest sister stopped by with my wife for lunch today.



That’s as far as we’ve gotten. Stay tuned for more to come.

 

[j p smith]

WAY COOL. They will remember this project and have these memories the rest of their lives.

 

[ZRX61]

Now you've done it, Better start on the stable for the horse you'll be buying in 2 years...

 

[4x4_G30_Sportvan]

Very nice, Glad to hear the family time together.

 

[78C-10]

That is an adorable bunny, yes I am a male and have a man card and used the words adorable and bunny, but we also have several rabbits. Three of them are lop ears, one is a mix, almost lop eared, he as one ear up and one ear down(when he's relaxed both are down) and one mini rex.

 

[ADSR]

Very cool! Good show!

 

[mike93lx]

Looks like fun. I love the attention to safety with the face shield, but where is the breathing protection?

 

[53Sparky]

WAY COOL. They will remember this project and have these memories the rest of their lives.

I hope so! I still remember the go-cart, the cub scout derby cars, the science fair projects, and other projects my dad did with me.

Now you've done it, Better start on the stable for the horse you'll be buying in 2 years...

Um… no.

Very nice, Glad to hear the family time together.

I work a lot of weekends, so it's important to take the time when we can.

That is an adorable bunny, yes I am a male and have a man card and used the words adorable and bunny, but we also have several rabbits. Three of them are lop ears, one is a mix, almost lop eared, he has one ear up and one ear down(when he's relaxed both are down) and one mini rex.

I have 3 daughters and a wife - I've got enough estrogen around. It takes a real man with full man card credentials to balance all of that. A real man can say "bunny" and "adorable" without risk to his masculine status.

Very cool! Good show!

Thanks!

Looks like fun. I love the attention to safety with the face shield, but where is the breathing protection?

Understood - We had careful talks about the safety hazards and risks involved in each task and each machine before they got to use them. Safety is something I take very seriously. What you don't see is the combination of recirculating filter fan and a very high volume fan blowing fresh air into the space. Calculated risk? Maybe. But in that context (not working all day, only a few simple cuts, etc) I think a particulate mask is overkill.

 

[PhantomEB]

Way to teach them some life skills that most don't get!

 

[larry_g]

Great job in involving the children. My thought run along the same lines in that if your going to have the fun, your going to have to do the work also. In the one picture of learning the router, did she also learn why the pants go on the outside of the boots? I hate filling shoes with stuff so tend to wear a 8" tall boot in the shop with pants to my heals.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[53Sparky]

Way to teach them some life skills that most don't get!

Thanks - I think it's our job as parents to expect our kids to be capable of taking care of themselves to a certain degree. While still trying to balance the innocence and freedom of youth, we give them household assignments, money related tasks, and skills that they can carry with them when they move out. They know how to change a flat, check the oil, mow the lawn, cook simple meals. It's better for everyone in our household. I prefer that to the helpless YouTube generation.

My favourite thing has been the stories they bring back from school of comments made by their friends after they say that they can weld or that they MADE whatever their lunch is or that they repaired their own backpack by sewing some reinforcement in. Makes a papa proud.

Great job in involving the children. My thought run along the same lines in that if your going to have the fun, your going to have to do the work also. In the one picture of learning the router, did she also learn why the pants go on the outside of the boots? I hate filling shoes with stuff so tend to wear a 8" tall boot in the shop with pants to my heals.

Sometimes, despite our advice and better judgement, fashion still takes priority. Don't you know that you can't look good in knee high boots if you pull your pant legs over them? When she complained about the wood chips in her socks for the next three days, I told her where the shop vac was.

 

[4EyedTurd]

2 thumbs way up in the air for dad/daughters time in the shop working together.

 

[Blazinzuk]

That is daddy heaven!!!
Good job

 

[slip knot]

Good job,Dad.

 

[hotdogstand]

Looks like you three had a good time. My oldest just turned 4, I'm eagerly awaiting him to become useful around the shop...

 

[2000-cvpi]

Nice work on the rabbit house. My daughter had a rabbit a few years ago, but my wife wanted it to live inside the house. Big mistake, rabbits smell horrible when they live in a cage. Thankfully the fad of a house rabbit didn't last long. Best of luck to you with three daughters, I can only imagine what 3 would be like compared to my 1.

 

[53Sparky]

2 thumbs way up in the air for dad/daughters time in the shop working together.

That is daddy heaven!!! Good job

Good job, Dad.

Thanks!

Looks like you three had a good time. My oldest just turned 4, I'm eagerly awaiting him to become useful around the shop...

It's never too early - He can be your tool holder man. Get him a little tool pouch.

Nice work on the rabbit house. My daughter had a rabbit a few years ago, but my wife wanted it to live inside the house. Big mistake, rabbits smell horrible when they live in a cage. Thankfully the fad of a house rabbit didn't last long. Best of luck to you with three daughters, I can only imagine what 3 would be like compared to my 1.

3 daughters is awesome! I would loved to have sons too, but I wouldn't change anything. I'm blessed with a couple nephews who get shop time too sometimes.

 

[53Sparky]

Got some more time in today -

Started with more work on the metal frame:



Flipped it over and installed the removable tray - the girls call it the "poop deck".


Rabbit's eye view


Dog's eye view


For quick cleaning of the poop deck

 

[theoldwizard1]

A friend of a friend lets their bunny run around the house. Must be potty trained !!

 

[LXCam]

That's awesome, something all three of you will have memories of forever.


But I gotta ask, who in the heck named the rabbit *****, what the hell was that all about.

 

[53Sparky]

But I gotta ask, who in the heck named the rabbit *****, what the hell was that all about.

That's Phineas - Finn E Us.

House full of daughters.