Caterwallin - In answer to your 2nd question, you would need to add the whole address of the photo in question (html and all) in the code provided below - without the spaces after and before the sideways-carat-brackets:

Then you can add text before and after like you want!

If you don't have a website and use Photobucket, I think there is a way to link the images directly. I'm sure someone will have the answer!

Also, there is a nifty test forum on GardenWeb with lots of way more technically literate people than I hanging out to help. You can "practice" uploading photos and what not if you want! That's how I learned. :) Hope that helps!

Sandy

Here is a link that might be useful: Image Test Forum

Caterwallin

I use photobucket because it's easy. You just click the second line or the "Tag" under your photo to copy. Then you just paste it in your message where you want it. Paste would be the "control" "V" keys on you keyboard.

I open two windows to do this. One with my message to work on here on the forum and one at photobucket. Then just go back and forth from them adding text and photos.

randy

I think Photobucket has done a bit of "changing" and now you click on "HTTP Tag". It used to read just "TAG", but now revamped a little big. I hadn't gone into it for awhile and did just the other day and noticed the slight difference.

It's really easy to set up a free account, Cathy, and upload your photos from wherever they are located on your computer (on mine, it is "MY PICTURES"). I always resize my pictures in MS Photoshop before putting them into Photobucket, using the automatic resizer of the program. Then I go into my Photobucket account (you will have to set up a login and password), and click on BROWSE, go to MY PICTURES, and then click on the photo I want to upload. Voila!

I probably overdid the explanation because you probably already know how to do it.

Susan

Sandy, I've been using Photobucket to post links on here, but I wasn't sure hope to post the pictures right into the post. Thanks so much for the link to the test forum. Someone there told me how to do a couple things, including that. I still don't understand everything about all these codes, but I think I'll work it out eventually. If you want to read what the person said to me, go to that forum and click on the thread "Want to post pics IN post". I didn't start that thread, but that is where the person explained things. I know more than I did now. Before someone here on the butterfly forum explained how to post links on here, I didn't even know about Photobucket. Neat website.

Randy, Yes, I like Photobucket too. I can't believe I've been on the net since 1998 and just found out about it on this forum. Either my friends on the bird forums I've been on didn't know about it or it was a well-kept secret. lol That's a good idea about having two windows open to do it. That's what I'll do.

Susan, I don't know when this change took place in Photobuckets that you're talking about since I haven't been using it that long. I like the website a lot. I guess since the bird forums I've gone on already had built-in ways of posting pictures, I just never had the need to find out another way and so never asked anyone of any other way. I'm glad that everyone here is so helpful and I've learned so much since coming here. You are always nice and reply to my posts. :)

Btw, I still don't know when I should put my post on here how to build the butterfly cat cage. I don't know if it matters or not. Maybe I should just go ahead and post it sometime this week even though the screen won't be on it until several months from now. That way anyone wanting to build it soon can do that. If I wait around until say May or June to post the directions here, it might not give people enough time to build it. I guess I just answered my own question. lol

I would like to know the measurements for the various pieces of wood you used, so I can have them cut at HD. I think I "may" be able to handle doing the screening without instructions (using a staple gun), or maybe even a glue gun.

Instructions would be great, per your suggestion. Then maybe we can add images of the entire process at a later date? Que pasa?

Susan

Susan, That sounds fine to me. This way if you want to get started on this right away you can. What I will copy and paste here will be enough to get you started at least. I'm not quite done with all of the direction...I want to make sure that they're perfectly clear. I promise that you will be able to will make this cage even if you haven't worked with wood much. I will have very thorough instructions. I'll list all of the materials that I used, but I guess it's not absolutely necessary to have a glue gun and glue sticks and/or clamps. It just made it easier for me so I put the cage together by myself. You could have someone hold the pieces together when you're drilling the holes and screwing pieces together. Here's enough to get you started and you can get your panels screwed together:

Butterfly Cage (outside dimensions: 78" length, 39" width, 61 " height)

Tools & Materials Needed:
Saw if youÂre cutting the wood yourself
Drill & 5/32" drill bit
Screwdriver
Tape measure
2 ½" long #8 galvanized screws (I got a box of Phillips High Performance Cedar/Pine Phillips head screws)
Staple Gun & ½" staples
Clamps
Glue gun & glue sticks
50 sets of 1 ½" Hooks & Eyes (maybe could be done with less, but thatÂs what I used). I used 6 sets per upright panel and 14 for the top panels. At the minimum, maybe you could use 4 per upright panel and 7 or 8 on the top. You decide.
4 eight-foot long straight (not warped) 2x2Âs for the two top panels (cut two 39" pieces on each one)
12 eight-foot long straight (not warped) 2x2Âs for the upright panels (cut a 57" piece and 39" piece on each)
Two 25-ft rolls of 5-ft wide fiberglass screen for the bottom (the width on the roll will be the height of the cage) and also youÂll need some for the top

To make one upright panel, you will need two 2x2Âs eight feet long, each cut into a 57" piece and a 39" piece.
 Glue and clamp a 39" pc and a 57" pc at right angles to each other. Drill a hole from the one piece into the other and screw together. Attach the other two pieces in the same manner, making a rectangular frame that is 60" x 39".
 Make the other five upright panels the same way.

To make one top panel, you will need two 2x2Âs eight feet long, each cut into two 39" pieces (you will have 18" of waste).
 Put them together in the same manner that you did the upright pieces.
 Repeat above for second top panel.

If you have any questions at all, just ask here or email me. I'm not the type of person to put someone down for not understanding something. I'm not perfect and don't expect anyone else to be either. I will answer any and all questions from anyone wishing to make this. I'm really excited that you're planning on making this, Susan! Wait until you see it in person and imagine how many cats you can keep inside of it! Like I said before, I might just forget the bird cage idea for this year now. I was determined to buy one, but then I came up with the idea of building this wooden cage. True, there's no way to clean it out like I could with a bird cage, but the cats will mostly be crawling around on the potted plants and I don't think they'll really be coming into contact much with the frass anyway. There's so much room in this cage that I can picture a few hundred cats in there. I can always open or take off the panels one by one and sweep the frass out off the newspapers/floor. Of course, we'll have to be careful when opening and closing the panels to make sure that we don't squoosh anybody.

Keep in mind that since I haven't used this yet myself, I don't know if we'll run into a problem. I don't foresee any, and I've been thinking this over for awhile. Also, there are other ways that you could hook the panels together. They should all be in the same area at the store, so each person can decide what he/she would like to have on the panels. To give you an idea of the cost, I think the screws are something like $7 a box at Lowe's (I'm sure you could make 2 or 3 cages with the number of screws that are in a box); the 2x2's are something like $2.09 for an 8-ft pc; a pkg of hook and eyes (two sets to a package) is 91 cents. One roll of screen is about $25 and you'll need 2 to do the upright panels. I figured about $106.19 plus tax for mostly everything that you need for the cage. I just didn't figure out the screen for the top yet. I'm still trying to figure out how I want to do that since a 3-ft roll isn't quite enough and I'll have a lot left over with a 4-ft wide roll.

Getting the guy at the store to cut the wood saved me loads of work and mess and I didn't have to pay extra to get it done. Pick out a total of SIXTEEN 2x2's (at Lowe's they're 10-ft long). Make sure they are straight or you will run into problems with the panels having gaps. Ask the saw guy to cut TWELVE of the 2x2's into a 57" piece and a 39" piece. You won't have any waste with those. When he's done with those, hand him your remaining FOUR 2x2's and ask him to cut two 39" pcs off of each one. You are going to have 18" of waste on each of those four 2x2's, but there's nothing you can do about that. It would be nice if the store would also have 7-ft long 2x2's, but I suppose for something like that they would only carry one length. If they'd have 7-ft ones, you could get 4 of that length instead of the other length for the top panels and that way you'd only have 6" of waste on each one, but oh well.

I hope you understand everything so far, but if not, ask away. :-)

Of course, the price will be more than what I mentioned to finish the entire thing. I'm assuming the people have those other things that I mentioned in the list at the top, but of course, maybe some don't. In addition to what I mentioned above, you'll also need screening for the top panels and paint or urethane to make the cage last longer.

NOTE: I bought untreated lumber because I'm just not sure how the cats would be affected by treated lumber and I didn't want to chance it.

Hi again! Glad the test forum was of some help. re) the cage - WOW you are organized - thanks for posting the "recipe" and all of the ingredients/details! Can't wait to see more photos.

Sandy :)

Sandy, Thank you for the compliment. I guess I'm organized about some things but a scatterbrain when it comes to others. :) You're welcome. I know when I want to know how to make something that I'm not familiar with, I always wish that someone would write down detailed directions, but that hardly ever happens. This will be very detailed. I was hoping the maybe some people would want to make it and raise lots of cats and release the butterflies. I love to see butterflies and now I'm even fond of caterpillars and I never was before getting into this last year.

More details will follow as soon as I have everything written up and take some pictures. I really hope this will help some people build something they might have otherwise thought that they couldn't do on their own. Stay tuned. :)

Cathy

Cathy,

I just stumbled across your cage master plan. Note that none of the 3 message titles about this would lead the casual forum reader to know about the project, and there are far more casual readers than posters!

Rather than losing the project and your considerable efforts to the forum ether, let's put it in the FAQ along with the other cage. I have copied your text instructions. I think we should wait until the cage is complete, screened, and populated with plants rather than show the bare frame as the only image. Other people will be unlikely to duplicate it precisely; it is the general appearance and major construction tips that count.

The FAQ is around year after year, the timing of the project is not critical for this year only.

Please use "butterfly cage" as part of any future message titles so that I and others will be alert to its progress.

Hi Larry,
Okay, I'll do that then. I guess you know that the text you copied isn't the complete set of instructions. It's enough to get a person started though. When I'm done with the instructions this week, I'll post them with the title "Butterfly Cage". Thanks!

Thank you, Cathy! Great instructions!

I can't wait for the butterflies, now!

Susan

You're very welcome, Susan. Now go get those 2x2's! :) I'm working on the rest of the instructions slowly but surely. I know what you mean...I'm soooo looking forward to the butterflies being here! I'll be busy in April and May planting things, that's for sure. ;-)

I typed the wrong width above when I gave the dimensions. It should be 42".
Cathy

Okay, I copied and put your instructions in a Word Document. I went in and changed everything that referred to 39" to 42". Is that right?

Susan

Susan, No, it's not actually. I guess I wasn't clear. I meant to say that the cage dimensions when done will be 78" long x 42" wide x 61 ½" high, not the dimensions that I gave at the beginning of my directions. Don't change the lengths of any of the 2x2's in the instructions. I'm really sorry if I confused you, and now that I look at what I said, I see where you would think that you should change all of the 39" lengths to 42", but please DON'T unless you want to be really confused then when you go to put it together. ;-) Well, actually, you couldn't get a 42" piece and a 57" piece out of an 8-ft long 2X2 because you'd be 3" short. Get the 2x2's cut into the lengths that I typed in the directions. I hope I explained this well enough and again, sorry for the confusion.
Cathy

I will await the final amended instructions and any future pictures.

Good idea, Larry...you never know what problem I might run into along the way. I won't have the final pictures until probably April or May when it's warm enough outside to paint or urethane or put waterseal on the cage. Since it's UNtreated lumber, I want to protect the lumber in some way. When that's done, I'll put the screen on it. Then I can take a picture of what it actually looks like when it's entirely finished and I'll post everything here under the title "Butterfly Cage" like you mentioned. Thanks.
Cathy