Light Bulb!

Pardon the dust (I'm still working on getting all the panels done and tile board is dusty), but finally I figured out an easy way to add rails to the pen. A light bulb moment. I have been trying to think of all kinds of ways to add rails, all in the spirit of staying with the "foldability" mission. I was really disappointed that at the last minute I was going to have to make a frame type contraption with PVC to set inside the pen. That seemed like a chore to put it together and take it apart. So, all of a sudden this morning, I tought of a solution so easy, I'm embarrassed I didn't think of it before. It's as easy as drilling a hole in the side panels of the tileboard pen. Duh. So first I did the two panels with the L-trim on it, and tested it out. The PVC fits... check!

Then I measured to set the perpendicular rail so that it fits just underneath the first. I will probably use a zip-tie and lash them together to prevent any potential puppy foot squeezing in between and getting pinched. Not likely, but still possible.

And, to finish the project, it was a simple matter of cutting the PVC pieces to fit through each end and pop a PVC cap on the end. The first photo has the end pulled out from the pen to show the cap. But measured to fit, the caps should fit snuggly on either end of the pen. Voila! Problem solved. It did add another $12 to the total price of making my inexpensive pen. But, $6 was an investment in this really fun drill bit to cut out the holes. So that doesn't really count, at least in my own mind!

Somehow, I have this naggins suspicion that neither of the girls will ever appreciate the effort to make their cozy little puppy pens...