Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

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Majones1
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Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by Majones1 »

We just got two nice leather upholstered mission style recliners, and we have Bengal cats. Bengals are great cats, almost dog-like, but they are typically bigger and more energetic than normal house cats, and they have big, strong claws. So, I have to give them something to scratch, that is not our new chairs. Thus, my new project is a scratching post.

Requirements: It has to be a little bigger than normal for the Bengals, and very sturdy. I also want it to not be disposable, store-bought posts are too expensive to have to just throw it away when they carpet gets shredded, so I want to be able to replace the carpet. I learned that sisal, a natural fiber, works best for scratching. I found a a 30” x 72” sisal runner for a low price, and it will give me two coverings for the post.

I’m using the following image as my model:

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My project is modeled on this commercially available cat scratching post.
My project is modeled on this commercially available cat scratching post.
24F27BE1-303C-4675-8CC8-50E46545ACA2.jpeg (99.27 KiB) Viewed 4028 times
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I designed the post to have the carpet wrapped around the 6” x 30”, 3/4” plywood square tube post. It will have an internal support structure made of the 3-1/2” x 1/2” poplar boards I milled last week using my jointer and planer. This inner structure will have three dados for the three 1/4”-20 threaded rods that will be screwed into inserts in the top cap, and the other ends will have nuts clamping the base cap to to the post. The top and bottom caps will fit over the “carpeted” post, clamping everything tightly together. The top and bottom caps, and the 18” square base are made of good quality Baltic birch plywood.

I used my ShopSmith bandsaw for the first time tonight to cut 45 degree edges on all the post and internal structure boards to make the square tubes. The bandsaw did a very nice job, as you can see in the photo below:

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Used bandsaw to miter the edges of my freshly milled boards.
Used bandsaw to miter the edges of my freshly milled boards.
SS Bandsaw, first cuts-2.jpg (179.16 KiB) Viewed 3990 times
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This is a fun little project. Hope to finish this weekend.

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Last edited by Majones1 on Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Marc Jones

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chapmanruss
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by chapmanruss »

Nice start Marc. I am curious as to why you chose the Bandsaw to cut the miters instead of the Table Saw function. In this case either works, just wondering. It is nice to have options for doing the work.
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Majones1
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by Majones1 »

I just thought it would be a little easier to be more precise. When I purchased the plywood for the post I mistakenly got exactly the amount needed to make the four 6" sides, so I couldn't screw up the 45 degree cut or I would have to go buy more wood. Being a novice woodworker I felt I might have more control over those cuts.

Plus, I had never used my bandsaw since getting it from MickyD, and doing some clean up on it. It worked great. I had purchased some eccentric mounting posts and got it aligned perfectly with the headstock. The original posts had it misaligned about 1/4" so the power connection will have less stress on it.
Marc Jones

Model 10ER (1952), s/n: 72883 (MickyD restored in 2009/10) / Variable Speed Changer / A-34 Jigsaw / Jointer-Shaper Fence
Mark 5 Model 500 (1955), s/n: 309828 (MickyD restored in 2008/09) / Magna Jigsaw Model 610, s/n 65001 / Yuba 11” Bandsaw Model 630, s/n 39807 / Magna Jointer Model 620, s/n 17792 (restored in 2021) / Magna 6” Belt Sander Model 640, s/n 13742 (to be restored)
Professional Planer Model M5082, s/n 003918
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bainin
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by bainin »

Be prepared to be rewrapping the carpet on the post. I don't have mini tigers like you, but my old lazy siamese has cut his way through
the carpet layers multiple times on the scratcher he uses.

I would guess there are some stronger choices in fibers to resist them...but i dont know them.

b
RFGuy
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by RFGuy »

bainin wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:04 pm I would guess there are some stronger choices in fibers to resist them...but i dont know them.
The OP said he is planning on using sisal which is a rather durable fiber used in carpet runners, etc. Had to get rid of our cat years ago due to allergies, but the commercial ones that I had back then used sisal rope wrapped around the column and it would have outlasted the cat...if we had kept it.
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bainin
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by bainin »

Oh i missed that (Sisal) ! I'm gonna have to think about using it for the next rewrapping - thanks .

b
HopefulSSer
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by HopefulSSer »

RFGuy wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:09 pm
bainin wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:04 pm I would guess there are some stronger choices in fibers to resist them...but i dont know them.
The OP said he is planning on using sisal which is a rather durable fiber used in carpet runners, etc. Had to get rid of our cat years ago due to allergies, but the commercial ones that I had back then used sisal rope wrapped around the column and it would have outlasted the cat...if we had kept it.
Our cat managed to claw through one I made with 1/2" sisal rope wrapped round.....
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jsburger
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by jsburger »

RFGuy wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:09 pm
bainin wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:04 pm I would guess there are some stronger choices in fibers to resist them...but i dont know them.
The OP said he is planning on using sisal which is a rather durable fiber used in carpet runners, etc. Had to get rid of our cat years ago due to allergies, but the commercial ones that I had back then used sisal rope wrapped around the column and it would have outlasted the cat...if we had kept it.
Yup, that is what I had when we had cats. Pretty much indestructible.
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Majones1
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by Majones1 »

HopefulSSer wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:50 pm
Our cat managed to claw through one I made with 1/2" sisal rope wrapped round.....
Anything is destructible by a cat. Which is why I’m making the post so I can replace the woven sisal rug, and making it much more sturdy than I probably need to. I’ll be able to replace any part they might destroy. I am completely fine with them destroying their post, as long as they stay away from my new chairs!

This is what the woven rug looks like.
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Close-up of woven Sisal fiber runner (30” x 72” rug).
Close-up of woven Sisal fiber runner (30” x 72” rug).
F750FC20-7713-444D-A91F-82745D4899E5.jpeg (341.33 KiB) Viewed 3930 times
Marc Jones

Model 10ER (1952), s/n: 72883 (MickyD restored in 2009/10) / Variable Speed Changer / A-34 Jigsaw / Jointer-Shaper Fence
Mark 5 Model 500 (1955), s/n: 309828 (MickyD restored in 2008/09) / Magna Jigsaw Model 610, s/n 65001 / Yuba 11” Bandsaw Model 630, s/n 39807 / Magna Jointer Model 620, s/n 17792 (restored in 2021) / Magna 6” Belt Sander Model 640, s/n 13742 (to be restored)
Professional Planer Model M5082, s/n 003918
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DLB
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Re: Preventing cat scratching new mission style recliners

Post by DLB »

Majones1 wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:40 am Plus, I had never used my bandsaw since getting it from MickyD, and doing some clean up on it. It worked great. I had purchased some eccentric mounting posts and got it aligned perfectly with the headstock. The original posts had it misaligned about 1/4" so the power connection will have less stress on it.
I presume that means the original mounting posts were straight posts.(?) If I had 1/4" error with straight posts I would want to make sure I understood why. That's a pretty big error. To me it suggests a problem in the base alignment. That can be caused by the big set screw in the Headrest being out of adjustment (if you have one) or something wrong. Others would disagree with me on this, to some extent the eccentrics eliminate the need for accurate base alignment.

Side note: IIRC dust collection can be easily and inexpensively added to any bandsaw. It ain't perfect, but it's an improvement. You do have to cut a hole in the cover, so some purists may be opposed for that reason.

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