Safe building materials... suggestions?

[Linds]

Quervo, I'm lookin for your suggestions here, but everyone elses are welcome too :)

I am going to be building a sweaterbox rack, but would like to avoid using melamine due to the weight. I need to be able to move it on my own, I weigh 108 pounds... my rack shouldnt weigh more than me!!!

What are some other safe, lighter, easy to heat materials I could use?

[Darren Hamill]

PVC can be found in large 4 x 8 sheets and about 1/2" thick. I would consider using it. Heat it by placing the heat tape at the back of the box opposed to underneath the back end. You may also be able to sandwich the heat tape between two pieces making it even easier to work with but that would require more PVC and work involved. This has recently been a new thought that I'm starting to look into. I would think it would be an excellent idea.

Thanks,
Darren Hamill
http://www.hamillreptiles.com

[Linds]

Thanks for your suggestion, Darren :) Quite some time ago when I was looking into building my own plastic cages I looked at PVC... unfortunately, it was priced at around $130 (i think, maybe more) per sheet! Needless to say I ended up deciding to go with HDPE at $38/sheet :D

[Quervo]

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I would have to disagree with that. PVC is one of the worst plastics for offgassing. There are a number of groups in the US trying to get it banned!!!

ABS is safer, but I don't know if you can get it in a useable form.
:(
I have seen ABS pipe used to make a rather neat rack system, and then Rubbermaid containers for the critters.

(Interestingly enough, everything I have found so far shows Rubbermaid to be a very safe container to use.):p

You could make a similar type of frame with 3/4 X 1" pine (although you'd need tools for that.)

I just remembered a site I saw for ABS .. http://www.polymerplastics.com/formingrade_main.shtml

They sell 4 X 8 sheets of it that might work. I would be very careful of the glue though .. until it sets you will get REALLY blaasted from it. (no comment:D )

And then of course there is plywood. Not the best, but if it is sealed it should be alright .. it's not like they will be enclosed in it.

Hope you can make sense out of all that babbling.:D

Keith

[Linds]

OK... I was interested mostly in working with wood... It seems however that asides from melamine, there isn't a whole lot out there... everything seems to offgas pretty bad, and I would be afraid to use woods such as pine becasue softwoods are linked to problems in small animals and reptiles. Is there any special sealant I would need to use for plywood? What kind of paints and sealants are safe and effective to use? I would like to paint it first probably if I don't end up going with melamine (would prefer white or black racks).

[sSNAKESs.com]

Lindsay... Just use the melamine and put some big, good quality wheels on the bottom and honestly you wont have a problem wheeling it around even on thick carpet... Dont go the paint route, i did and im regretting it BIG TIME!!!

[Dom]

See I have both .. melanine and the Plywoods with paint and varnish and all that crap ..

I HATE MY melanine cage .. Its heavy .. really inconvinient .. but I built a cage 2 to 3 times bigger with ply wood and 1 x 1 as a frame for way cheaper .. looks way better just by using simple plywood and nice construction wood for the front of the cages .. the only problem with that is u need to varnish it .. or paint it to make it not only waterproof but also safe for the herps since the plywood does emit some smell to it ..

True its a HUGE pain in the *** to paint them but in the end - its WAY cheaper .. you get much bigger cages and personally , I find a better looking cage..

Dom

[Linds]

Melamine is a last resort for me, and wheels are not an option as this rack might sit on something else, and if it doesnt I still wish to have that flexibility. I of course would not be painting with an oil-based paint or urethane finish either. Right now I am seriously considering using an outdoor? grade plywood and sealing it very well. If there is another type of wood that would be better, but I am not experienced in this field (yet) and do not know all my options. I want this to be simple, safe, and lightweight... of course I would prefer that it look nice too ;)

[Grant vg]

U already know this linds, but i agree with jeff....
Melamine and wheels all the way....
Considering it will be a rubbermaid rack....i dont see why u would have to worry about moving it around??
U wont have to clean the melamine since its not actually an enclosure itself....?? u will just be pulling out the rubbermaids and washin em in the bathtub....
it is like anything else in ur room,....bed, dresser, etc....unless ur moving homes often, it isn't really neccesary to have it completely light weight...
For those of u who dont know, i have put mine on wheels, and the whole system is 6' length, 8' tall and 2' depth (all melamine and glass) and i find it very easy to wheel around in my herp room....
I think it looks really nice and crisp with the nice white that doesn't scratch easily and the matching silicone....not to mention that u dont gotta paint or do anything else with it for that matter...
Question linds.....what do u mean that ur wanting to put it on somethin else???

[Linds]

Ima have a hard time explaining this but I will try. First off... I have nobody to help me initially move anything into place... it will first be going from garage to the upstairs of the house, then in the summer, the basement. I am in all likeliehood going to have to do this alone somehow, even a lightweight object will be hard enough. What I mean by having it on top, it will be a sectional peice eventually, part of a whole big unit.......... it's placement (top, middle, bottom) will depend on all the rest as I go along..............

I hope that could clear some things up. I don't want to debate over using melamine since I've already mentioned I would prefer to use something else if possible, if I absolutely must, well then I will, but in the meantime I would just simply like to familiarize myself with some safe alternatives to such :) I cannot make the best decision til I know all of my options... ya know?

Well, I'm pretty stoked about my first building project... I can't wait to get started! Just gotta figure the basics out first :D

[Darren Hamill]

Originally posted by Quervo
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I would have to disagree with that. PVC is one of the worst plastics for offgassing. There are a number of groups in the US trying to get it banned!!!

ABS is safer, but I don't know if you can get it in a useable form.
:(
I have seen ABS pipe used to make a rather neat rack system, and then Rubbermaid containers for the critters.

(Interestingly enough, everything I have found so far shows Rubbermaid to be a very safe container to use.):p

You could make a similar type of frame with 3/4 X 1" pine (although you'd need tools for that.)

I just remembered a site I saw for ABS .. http://www.polymerplastics.com/formingrade_main.shtml

They sell 4 X 8 sheets of it that might work. I would be very careful of the glue though .. until it sets you will get REALLY blaasted from it. (no comment:D )

And then of course there is plywood. Not the best, but if it is sealed it should be alright .. it's not like they will be enclosed in it.

Hope you can make sense out of all that babbling.:D

Keith

I apologize... ABS is what I was talking about but wrote incorrectly...... My apologies. :)

[Quervo]

Ahh Darren, thank you .. I've been reading your excellent advice for months and I really hated going against your opinion, But I've collected too many nasty articles about PVC.:cool:

Linds, I know what you mean about trying to move these things alone once they are built. What I usually do is get the whole thing assembled in my garage (no glue, just screwed together to make sure it all fits) Then I take it apart, paint and seal all the parts, move them to the room and reassemble them (with glue this time). It takes a bit more planning, but it keeps it a one person job.

I didn't know that softwoods were a problem (other than cedar) I'll keep that in mind. (actually, what are the problems with soft woods .. would sealing them solve it?)

I made my last cage out of 1/4" oak plywood with 1" X 3/4" oak framing and I can pick it up myself .. it's 4' X 2' X 2' with a fake rock shelf ('course I'm 6'1" and 180lb myself:D )

With all the research I've been doing, I think the best thing to use is either solid wood (oak,birch, or maybe ash) or plywood with a sealer. Plywood holds its shape better and you can use thinner stock.

If you paint it (plywood) with a no VOC, or no solvent paint (CIL, Sherman Williams, and most of the big name guys are starting to make them) let it dry for about a week and then seal it with a water based clear coat (Minwax & Varathane both make good ones, just make sure you get the water based product) you will be fine using plywood.

Hope some of that helps.

Keith

[sSNAKESs.com]

thin plywood is going to sag in teh long run if your using big tubs, so keep that in mind also....

[Quervo]

You're right Jeff, if you use thin plywood you have to have a framework to support it.

Using thin ply on the sides will keep the weight down, and then something more substantial for the tub supports might work better. Maybe thicker ply where the heat source will sit and just a beam across the front to support the tub.

You can make your own beam out of thin (say .. 3 X 1/4 inch thick) strips of wood glued together. If you arrange them so that the grain runs in different directions you get a much stronger support than one 3/4" thick stick of wood. (Hence the advantage of ply-wood)

'Course I'm not keen on using plywood under a heat source .. heat just makes the offgassing worse, but if you ARE spanning across a longer distance most other stuff would sag.

Hmmm .. here I've babbled on at length again. Well, what can I say .. I'm full of it ............ information that is.:D

[Linds]

Thanks for all the informative suggestions! :thumbsup: I will take it all into consideration and take a trip down to Home Depot (hopefully soon! I'm really excited!) and see what I end up coming out with ;) Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[Quervo]

I do love enthusiasm:w

Keep in mind that Home Depot will also cut wood to length for you if that's of any help.

Of course they probably charge for it.:grumps:

Hey .. an emoticon for my favorite joke:

I'm so bright my mom calls me son.:atom:

Oh come on .. it's not that bad:D