They arent gonna win any beauty awards, but they are handy. My german shepherd's huge crate takes up too much space, so i built one that can shrink down to half the size. I designed the whole entertainment center around it and one for my other pup. She historically hated any kind of cage, but loves his, so i couldnt leave her out.
Still not done, but with paint.
That's a good point. Maybe worth building a shell affixed to the floor that limits access to the rails when exposed?