Sunday, October 2, 2005
Simple Tunnel Construction
Laying out a Go to Ground Tunnel using a single sheet of 3/4 inch plywood. The straight part of the den liner is 6-foot long, and two corners are cut out of the last 2-feet of the plywood sheet. I recommend simplifying the math and ripping all the long plywood sections into 9-inch wide pieces. You will end up with a slighty-narrower-than-regulation go to ground tunnel this way, but the dogs will have no problem with it.
Tunnel length assembled with three scrap pieces used as cross braces. All assembly is done with drywall screws. These braces are no trouble for the dog to step over, and make for a much stronger liner. Center the middle brace, and it becomes a perfect handle for carrying the liner.
Mountain checks out the wooden bars. The bars are loose and fit into slots drilled into a double cleats across the bottom, as shown. A cleat across the top holds the bars in place at the top. Remove one screw, and the cleat pivots (as shown) so that the 1" thick hardwood dowels can be changed when they become worn by terrier teeth.
Mountain enters the corner. The cleats on the outside, where the corner joins the straight section, prevent light from entering, but also allow the sections to be firmly attached with just a screw or two. Any dark colored mis-mixed external latex paint (available at HomeDepot for $1 a gallon) can be use to paint the outside of the liner, which will prolong its life. A six-foot liner is easy to transport, and will stand up right in a basement, garage or shed corner. Corners, can be flipped left or right, and you can build and add as many straight or odd pieces as you want (false dens, Ts', Y-forks, etc.).
For more information on using Go to Ground tunnels to start off a young dog, see >> HERE
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