Introduction: Bunny Rabbit Hydration Station Made From Scrap Wood

About: Hands on lad with the ability of making something from nothing, sometimes!

Hey there. So I had few hours spare and had a little mod to do to our rabbit hutch. Basically we needed the water bottles for the rabbits installing on the inside of the hutch. I know you can buy the wall mounted bottles and brackets from most pet shops but where's the fun in that. I had some scraps of wood and power tools so decided to get busy!

So this is my instructable for a wall mounted, easy on/off water bottle holder. Enjoy!

Step 1: Materials and Tools

There's not much to this build really. I managed with some tongue and groove off cuts that I had lying around. You could easily use old pallets to make this too. I used 1" screws and wood glue to secure all the pieces together. To cut the wood I had use of a table saw and chop saw. Then to finish off and assemble the bottle holder we had the good old dewalt drill and impact driver.

Step 2: Preparing the Wood

Firstly before I go any further I should explain that whenever I build something I don't really have a plan. I just have an idea in my head and try to replicate it with what's in front of me. So unfortunately I don't have specific measurements but you get the concept of what this is from the images, hopefully.

As mentioned I used tongue and groove for this build. This was just what I had lying around so I'm glad I managed to find a use for it. I started by trimming off the edges of some of the boards. This now gave me some solid pieces to work with. With two of the pieces though I only trimmed one edge and used to two parts to make one big piece. This is going to be used as the back of the holder. I made this roughly 10" tall. Not entirely sure how wide it is lol. I just glued the two parts together with some wood glue. After half an hour it was ready to use.

Step 3: Cutting the Parts to Size and Shape

Now that the back piece is ready it's time to cut the other parts to size. Like I mentioned before I don't really do measurements so this was a 'make it up as you go along' process. If you check out the pictures you will see what sort of shapes you need to cut. Mix it up though and see what happens.

For the bottom piece though you will need to cut some slots to allow for the bottle nozzle. I used the bench saw to cut the slots. I would've used a wood chisel but could I hell find them. Anyway the slots just need to be in the centre of each section. Somewhere near the middle would do. I'm sure the bunnies won't be checking out the finer details lol.

Finally I decided to put a 45 degree edge on the front piece. This was to give the bunny better access to the bottle nozzle. With the square edge it was going to be a bit too tight for our furry friends. Also I think it gives it a better look. A lot less wooden boxy and a lot more oh let me stroke that chamfer!

Step 4: Trial Fit

So now you have all your pieces of wood ready you can put them together. Take your time and make sure it all lines up nicely. I had a little gap at the front so I made adjustments to close the gap. Once happy with the fitment I pilot drilled some holes and screwed it all together. I made sure the bottle fit correctly in both sections, which it did. Happy days. Now take it all apart again.

Step 5: Counter Sinking Is Key

So now it's all took apart again from the trial fit you need to countersink your drill holes. This will just ensure the screw heads sit flush to the wood without the need to over tighten them. If you just try to force them flat then it's likely to split the wood. I just used a 10mm drill bit to give a nice countersunk hole.

Step 6: Final Fit

Now all the wood is prepared you can start to assemble it. I used wood glue along with the 1" screws to make sure it's going to last. Start with the back of the bottle holder and go from there, adding the glue and screws as you go. Easy. Once assembled and when the glue is dry you can sand down the rough edges. I gave mine a quick rub down with a block and some sandpaper as my brother had the power sander. Once I have that back in my possession I'll give it the once over.

Step 7: Stand Back and Admire Your Achievement

So that's it, all done. As mentioned this will be going inside the rabbit hutch. Ours is huge so will easily fit inside. The beauty of this design is that the weight of the bottle holds it in place. There's no need for additional clips and it totally rules out the need for those stupid wires that hold the bottles in place. The bottles just lift in and out as easy as can be.

I aimed to finish the full project in the time it took to listen to the Arcade Fire album 'Reflektor' but in all honesty it took me around two and a half listens lol. Mainly due to the fact I can never find my tools.

At the end of this built I also accidentally discovered a much easier and quicker solution to mounting the bottles inside the hutch. A bike bottle holder!! Feel free to use that too. It's quicker but a lot less fun.

So that's it, a bunny hydration station made from scrap wood. Awesome work even if I do say so myself.

Hope you enjoyed this build and feel free to vote if you feel it's worthy. Thanks!

Woodworking Contest

Participated in the
Woodworking Contest

Spring's Coming Contest

Participated in the
Spring's Coming Contest