Description
In this post we will be outlining a very easy edition to the Zip line we made in an earlier post. This barrel-toy is very useful particularly for enriching large ungulates that would enjoy hitting and ramming objects, it can be easily be added to an exhibit, hung from a Zip-line or a tree.
Building Instructions/ Materials
- Large Barrel (55 gallon pictured)
- High strength steel cable
- Cable Clamp x2
- Carabiner
- Rubber pipe (optional)
- Heavy duty bolt cutters
Building Steps
- The first step you want to take is to remove the two caps located at the top of the barrel. Im sure theres a special tool thats used for this but I had no trouble removing them with only a pair of pliers.
- Once the caps are out you can thread one end of the steel cable down through one hole and up through the other, as pictured below.
- You can then tighten the loop you have just made and place a cable clamp on the cable once you are satisfied with the size of the loop (the smaller the loop the less chance of things like horns getting caught in it).
- Now you are going to want to measure your zip line or wherever your going to hang the barrel, to see how low you want your barrel to hang. Once you have this measurement and have taken the height of the barrel into account you can cut your cable at the other end, leaving about 6″ to make the loop.
- This is an optional step, but if you want to make your cable extra safe from tangling, you can place your clear rubber hose on the wire now.
- Similar to the zip line, you are going to make a small loop in the cable and attach a cable clamp to keep it in place.
- Now just attach a carabiner to the loop and you are ready to hang your barrel-toy!
Tips/ Comments
To make this barrel-toy even more exciting, consider placing small holes with a drill or larger holes with a jigsaw in order to turn this barrel into a puzzle feeder.