To make eating easier for their dog, breeders purchase expensive coasters or special kits from specialized stores. But whoever does not want to spend money on such a device, they can try to construct it with their own hands. So, how to make a stand for dog bowls with your own hands?
We get bowls
Let's start by buying a pair of identical bowls. One of them will serve for water, the other for food. Bowls should be selected based on the size of the dog. If you have a puppy of a shepherd or any other large breed, do not buy small bowls. Such a dog will grow very quickly, and most likely, a do-it-yourself stand for dog bowls and a puppy-sized bowl designed for a grown pet will be irrelevant due to the small capacity of the containers. And, of course, in this case your efforts will be wasted.
Materials for the manufacture of fixtures
Now about the materials for the stand. They should be moderately heavy so that the older dog does not “drive” the future stand around the house. Also, a do-it-yourself stand for dog bowls should be durable so that the dog stepping on it does not inadvertently break it. Particleboard, OSB, thick plywood and a wide board meet all these qualities as well as possible. But it is not recommended to use chipboard for the simple reason that over time it tends to swell (crack). It is better, however, to dwell on an OSB sheet , plywood or board. They are not much more expensive, but the durability of the stand will be guaranteed.
Determine the size
Even for a shepherd a bowl with a diameter of 20 cm will be enough. If the dog is smaller, accordingly, there will be less bowls and the stand itself. When starting to make a stand for bowls for a dog with your own hands, the dimensions are calculated, based on the diameter and height of the dishes. The legs of the stand should be at least one and a half times the height of the bowls. The length and width of the "countertop" is calculated as follows: 2 diameters of the dishes plus the space between the bowls themselves and from the edges of the "countertop". In width to the diameter, you can add the same distance to the edge as in the case of length.
We build a stand
To do this, we need the following tools:
- Jigsaw with files on the OSB.
- A screwdriver and a drill with a diameter greater than the width of the blade file for the jigsaw.
- A bar 3 x 3 cm (for a stand up to 1 meter long, 2 meters of a bar will be enough);
- Self-tapping screws 5 cm.
- PVA glue for wood.
- Sandpaper.
- Paint with a brush.
Getting started
- We cut out the main parts - the upper platform, solid side legs and the back wall.
- In the upper area, we designate two circles according to the size of the purchased bowls. We drill with a drill, insert a jigsaw and cut out these circles.
- On the back wall and on the legs we fasten the beam at the level at which we will have the upper platform with holes for the bowls. This beam, located around the perimeter, will serve as a kind of platform (stand) under the "countertop".
- Parts are cleaned with sandpaper, smeared with glue in places of future fasteners and assembled into a single structure with a screwdriver and self-tapping screws.
- Next, the stand is painted and dries in the sun.
Done. Congratulations. You have just made a do-it-yourself stand for bowls for a dog.
Conclusion
Finally, it is worth noting that the bases reinforced with bars for the countertop are needed only for large dogs. For small breeds, you can do without them, driving fasteners (screws) directly into the ends of the workpieces.
Health and many years to you and your pet!