INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Most hutches are made out of a wood frame with wire windows and doors. When thinking about the size of your hutch, consider how many rabbits will be staying in it. They'll need enough room to move around, roughly 4 times the body size per rabbit. A minimum height of 16 inches (41cm) is also a good idea. For example, if your rabbit is 5 inches (13cm) wide and 10 inches (25cm) long, then it needs 4.2 feet (1.3m) square footage of space. If you will be housing multiple rabbits in a single hutch, consider whether or not you'll want to add in dividers. This can be useful when you want to separate individual animals. Try to keep your hutch less than 30 inches (76cm) deep. If you go deeper than this, it can be difficult to reach inside and get out your rabbits without a struggle. Use 2 by 4 inches (5.1 by 10.2cm) wood pieces for the frame and 4 by 4 inches (10 by 10cm) wood pieces for the posts. Look for wood that is straight, not warped. Do not choose pieces with large knots or signs of splitting at the edges. The amount of wood pieces that you'll need will depend on the size of your hutch. Untreated pine wood is a good choice for the frame and supports. It holds up well under varying weather conditions and is nontoxic to rabbits if consumed. For example, if you are building a hutch that will be 40" X 28" X 20", then you'll need 4 40 inches (100cm) length pieces, 4 28 inches (71cm) width pieces, and 4 20 inches (51cm) height pieces to construct the frame. If you want to attach a wooden door to your hutch, then you'll need to get wood to construct a door frame and the door itself. You can generally go with a smaller size wood, such as a 1 by 1 inch (2.5 by 2.5cm) or even 1 by 12 inch (2.5 by 1.3cm). Give some thought to how high off the ground you'll want your hutch to be. If you want your hutch to sit 4 feet (1.2m) off the ground, then you'll need 4 4 feet (1.2m) posts as supports. You'll need 1 roof piece of wood and 1 flooring piece of wood that match the length and width dimensions of your hutch. Plywood comes in large sheets, so it usually a good idea to buy 1-2 sheets at the start of your project. You can then cut out the pieces that you need and use the remaining wood for other projects. Look for plywood that is a golden or light reddish color. It should be free of large knots or signs that the wood if fraying or flaking up. For example, if you are building a hutch that will be 40" X 28" X 20", then you'll need to cut out 2 plywood pieces (1 for the roof, and 1 for the floor) that are 40 by 28 inches (102 by 71cm). Lay out all of your wood pieces, so that you can see exactly what you have to work with. Select a single piece of wood, place your measuring tape on it, and measure out the length that you'll need. Make a mark on the final measurement spot with a pencil or marker. This is where you'll make the cut. Repeat until all of your pieces are measured. Divide your wood into "type sections" to make your measurements. For example, measure each support post individually, but do them back-to-back. This is better than jumping back and forth between different wood pieces for different purposes and potentially mis-measuring. Put on your safety goggles and gloves. Set up your saw horse (if you are using a hand saw) or your table saw (if you are using an attached saw). Set a single piece of wood into the saw horse or against the table saw at a time. Align the saw blade with your measurement mark and make a clean, single cut. Make sure that you've read all of the instructions regarding using your saw and feel very comfortable cutting with it before attempting a complicated project, such as building a rabbit hutch. Before you make each cut with your saw, do a quick safety check to ensure that your limbs are in the proper position and away from the trajectory of the saw blade. If you do not have a saw or are not comfortable using one, many hardware or home improvement stores will actually cut your wood pieces for you. You'll simply need to buy the wood in store, provide them with your measurements for each piece, and then wait for the cuts to be completed by a staff member. The best wire to use is 14 or 16 gauge galvanized, as it will not break if your rabbit tries to chew on it. Use 1 by 2 inches (2.5 by 5.1cm) rabbit mesh for the sides and door. Use 12 by 1 inch (1.3 by 2.5cm) weave rabbit mesh for the flooring. The smooth mesh will protect your rabbit's feet. Don't use chicken wire for your hutch, as it is not strong enough to contain rabbits. You can buy your mesh from an animal specialty store online in a roll or in pre-cut panels. Most traditional hardware stores do not carry rabbit mesh in the appropriate specs. Use a pair of wire cutters to snip your cage wire into pieces that will fit on the outside of your hutch. You will need 4 pieces for the sides. You may also need to cut out an additional piece of wire to fit your wooden doorframe. Purchase shingles for the roof if you know that your hutch will be exposed to any kind of outdoor weather. This will maximize the life of your roof. Get 2 hinges and a sliding bolt lock mechanism for your cage door. You can purchase the shingles and the lock materials at most hardware stores. You'll need shingles that can slightly overlap and still cover the same dimension of the roof.

SUMMARY: Plan out the design. Get sturdy wood for the frame and supports. Choose plywood for the floor and roof. Measure your wood pieces. Cut your wood pieces. Select your wire mesh pieces. Cut your wire mesh pieces. Set out the rest of your supplies.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Cut a rectangle around your traced blade to separate it from the main slab. You will need a stiffer hacksaw for thicker steel. This rectangle is what you will grind down to form the profile of the blade. Put the rough cut blade into a vise and grind away excess metal. Follow the guidelines to form the profile. Use the grinder to finalize the shape of the blade. Gently grind the edge into a slope with the flap wheel. Make sure that the slope does not go past the middle of the blade. Make this slope on each side of the blade. Doing this forms the actual edge of the blade. Go slowly during this step, as grinding too much can ruin the blade, forcing you to start over. Use a drill bit that is the same size as the rivets that you intend to use. Put the holes in the tang. Depending on the size of the blade, you may need a varying number of holes. Sand the blade using successively finer grits of sandpaper, up to 220 grit. Be sure to take the time to sand out any scratches. Sand all areas of the blade. This will increase its luster and quality. Sand in opposite directions each time you change grits. You can use a file to add ridges to the inside near the handle. Trace a pattern and file the metal away.

SUMMARY:
Use the hacksaw to cut the metal. Grind the profile. Grind the edge. Drill your rivet holes. Finish the blade.