yes, that's right! The Pax is an IKEA wardrobe.
I followed this tutorial from a hamster forum:
http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/topic/166663-ikea-pax-101/
Things to note:
- I used leftover Pax doors to reinforce the back of the Pax, but you can also use wood from B&Q or Wickes (or another DIY store) to do this. Make sure the wood used to reinforce the back is behind the existing back of the Pax as IKEA have used water-resistant material, which is great because it means that you don't have to varnish the whole cage to protect the wood from pee and water spills.
- I used non-toxic aquarium sealant to line the entirety of the wardrobe (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0046QFTKU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
- I used non-toxic wood filler to fill the tiny holes that line the inside of the wardrobe. Not everyone does this, but this is to prevent your hamster from having a starting point for chewing. I used Osmo water-based wood filler (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J8KM1KK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and I only did the lowest two rows (the highest row would be too high up for my hamster to reach normally so I didn't do that one).
- I used rodent mesh(https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0989VV6X5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a pack of 10 whitewood boards from Wickes for the lid (https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Whitewood-PSE-Timber---18mm-x-44mm-x-2-4m/p/9000036441). Other needed supplies: nail gun, wood saw, drill, and screws, wood glue (non-toxic), and clamps. I cut the wood pieces to size (measure your Pax after building it) and then glued them in frames with one board going across for reinforcement. I also used screws to reinforce the lid frames, because the glue didn't always work (clamping them together was a bit awkward sometimes). My lids have no hinges, they just rest on top of the Pax. I made two of them, because a 2m long lid would be difficult to handle.
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It was quite the DIY project, but also quite satisfying to do. The most annoying part was making the lid, the cage itself was quite easy. I had very little DIY experience before attempting this.
I am also attaching a youtube tutorial for the Linmon cage, which has the advantage of having a glass side, but is a lot smaller than the Pax (although I think someone on this sub made a Linmon cage but used two desks as the base instead of just one, which gives you a great size to work with):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocdcl-82ybE&ab_channel=VanillaHamHam
Any more questions, don't hesitate!