Introduction: The Ultimate Cat Scratching Post
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About: Hi, we're Dara and Nash. Industrial designers, tinkers, and mayhem builders. Follow our travels.
For people who love cats obsessively (or just want to protect their furniture). Note, I tend to do things the hard way so there is probably a simpler way to do this. This scratching post was designed to give my cats something to club on and it auto trims their nails protecting my furniture and hands. You will need the following supplies:
1. 1 piece of fabric remnant 2 ft. by 7 3/4 ft (or slightly under the height of your ceiling)
2. 6 inch PVC pipe (You can also do 4 inches, but it is VERY hard to turn inside out and not recommended)
3. Wooden base
4. Sewing thread and needles
5. Super glue
It is also helpful to have a wooden board to spring open the PVC Pipe while you are pulling the carpet onto the pipe.
1. 1 piece of fabric remnant 2 ft. by 7 3/4 ft (or slightly under the height of your ceiling)
2. 6 inch PVC pipe (You can also do 4 inches, but it is VERY hard to turn inside out and not recommended)
3. Wooden base
4. Sewing thread and needles
5. Super glue
It is also helpful to have a wooden board to spring open the PVC Pipe while you are pulling the carpet onto the pipe.
Step 1: Make the PVC Groove Tube on a Table Saw (3/4")
Take your 6 inch PVC pipe and cut a groove into it with a table saw. You will need to make several passes with the saw as the plastic has a tendency to flex closed each time. Each pass of a standard saw will remove 1/8 inch of material so you will need to make 6 passes to remove 3/4 inch. This was about the right amount I found to leave a grove in the PVC pipe that would fit my carpet sample and still hold it closed.
You wedge this open while putting on the carpet so that you can put the extra fabric in the groove.
You wedge this open while putting on the carpet so that you can put the extra fabric in the groove.
Step 2: Shopbot/Turn the Wooden Base
Next I made the wooden base on the shopbot. You can see the groove for the carpet to rest in. You can cut the entire thing on the shopbot, but I also used the a woodlathe on the outside to round and smooth the edges.
Pretty Sweet.
If you have a heavy cat, you can attach this base to a heavy piece of concrete, sand, etc.
Pretty Sweet.
If you have a heavy cat, you can attach this base to a heavy piece of concrete, sand, etc.
Step 3: Sew the Carpet
Next Sew the carpet in a straight line at the 3/4" line.
You can use a sewing machine (What I did). Or you can handsew it with glovers needles if you do not have access to a sewing machine. You will need 10 stitches per inch to make the carpet hold if you are doing this by hand you can do 5.
I normally put a piece of paper under the carpet as I sew so the rubber does not get caught as I'm sewing. Afterwards, I just rip off the paper. Otherwise the rubber tends to get stuck on the feed dogs.
Turn the fabric to start putting on the tube.
You can use a sewing machine (What I did). Or you can handsew it with glovers needles if you do not have access to a sewing machine. You will need 10 stitches per inch to make the carpet hold if you are doing this by hand you can do 5.
I normally put a piece of paper under the carpet as I sew so the rubber does not get caught as I'm sewing. Afterwards, I just rip off the paper. Otherwise the rubber tends to get stuck on the feed dogs.
Turn the fabric to start putting on the tube.
Step 4: Extra Step: Glue the Carpet to the PVC Pipe
This step is only necessary if you have a large cat. Mine is 22 lbs so it needed to be extra sturdy. If you have a small cat, this step is probably unnecessary.
Glue the carpet to pipe with Elmers Glue or some SLOW drying glue. This will provide extra lubrication as you put it on. Drill cat scratching post to base and you're done!
Voila, you have a finished cat toy for your holy terror...I mean loveable little one. Hopefully this means my scarves will do better next week. This is probably one of the most expensive cat scratching posts ever, but so worth it.
Glue the carpet to pipe with Elmers Glue or some SLOW drying glue. This will provide extra lubrication as you put it on. Drill cat scratching post to base and you're done!
Voila, you have a finished cat toy for your holy terror...I mean loveable little one. Hopefully this means my scarves will do better next week. This is probably one of the most expensive cat scratching posts ever, but so worth it.