I've Had Enough!!!

[Akuma223]

Okay i'm done with this crap, I'm building new enclosure. I don't give a rats arse what my dad says, its his fault for not listening to me when we built it. What is a cheap (but sturdy) wood I can use for it, what kind of sealant, and what is a good sturdy design that encorporates a small but effieciant amount of insulation? I'm doing it myself this time, and if I cut my damn fingers off using the table saw thats his fault. I clearly can't rely on him to do things properly so this will be fun :pissedoff:. I doubt anyone would be willing to come up here and help me unfortunetly but any help is good. I know there are other places to find info but I absorb info better when walked through it personally :/

[jpsteele80]

Can I ask what you are building the enclosure for? You will get different recommendations for different animals.

[Akuma223]

For my roughneck monitor

[jpsteele80]

For my roughneck monitor

Now this is just my opinion, I would use 3/4 plywood sheets of any kind (personally I prefer maple or birch but there more expensive) and do the framing on the outside and put the plywood on the inside, there are several options you can use to seal it but I only use one, FRP is the way to go, yes it is like 30 dollars for an 8x4 sheet but but once sealed it will last forever and It won't get tore up as if you just sealed it with some sort of urethane, plus it holds in humidity which is what you need with these guys, just my 2 cents

[Akuma223]

yeah, problem is my dad wont want to spend any money. I have removed all the dirt in my current one and am trying to re-caulk the entire inside. The whole bottom of it is cracked and in one side is a gap so big I can see through it easily.

[jpsteele80]

Yeah when it comes to monitor cages there's really no cheap cages, roughneck get a decent size so I would imagine an 6x3x6 would be a good size and cost around 3 to 5 hundred

[Pirarucu]

Have you thought about using a trough as the base? That would solve your problems as far as sealing the base goes.

[Akuma223]

not a bad idea!

[shaunyboy]

yeah, problem is my dad wont want to spend any money. I have removed all the dirt in my current one and am trying to re-caulk the entire inside. The whole bottom of it is cracked and in one side is a gap so big I can see through it easily.

i am NOT being cheeky or having a go at you,but.....

your profile says your 18 years old,if you are still in education...

then why not get a part time job to pay for all the materials you require,to build the enclosure you want

also if you think you may injure yourself using powered equipment,try and find a family member or a friend who is proficient with power tools

i hope you get the enclosure safely built just how you would like it mate


cheers shaun

[smy_749]

Coming from someone who has been screwing with his dads powertools lately, you do NOT want to learn how to use them without an experienced individual showing you. I almost killed myself about a hundred times. I would do the trough idea.

6 or 8 foot trough, they are very light weight, wont mold and hold substrate better than most wooden enclosures could.

Then build a box with a footprint that covers the open area of the trough, cut out the bottom of the box, sit it ontop and use greatstuff or something to secure it.

[Rudiman]

The taller the better.....my small vive is 7' x 4' x 5'......this was their juvinile cage.

Scott

[McCarthy Boas]

Here is a link to my EZ - cage prints that are on my website. The sizes are more for snakes so all you would need to do is make all the highs bigger / taller to the size you would like. These prints are for 3 foot, 4 foot, 6 foot and 8 foot cages. I also have cut sheet and a hardware list for each cage. I also tell you how to seal your wood cage and there is a print to show you how to layout the track for the sliding doors. This info is for a basic cage not my custom furniture grade cages. I do seal both cages the same way.

Here is the link to the basic cage prints.
EZ Cage Prints (http://www.mccarthyboas.com/EZ_Prints.html)

Take care
Tom

[LarryS]

Yes please heed others advise concerning power tool safety. I can't even begin to express online how dangerous a table saw is.

Maybe have a talk with your Dad, show him a proper cage and build it together with his new understanding.

[Akuma223]

Here is a link to my EZ - cage prints that are on my website. The sizes are more for snakes so all you would need to do is make all the highs bigger / taller to the size you would like. These prints are for 3 foot, 4 foot, 6 foot and 8 foot cages. I also have cut sheet and a hardware list for each cage. I also tell you how to seal your wood cage and there is a print to show you how to layout the track for the sliding doors. This info is for a basic cage not my custom furniture grade cages. I do seal both cages the same way.

Here is the link to the basic cage prints.
EZ Cage Prints (http://www.mccarthyboas.com/EZ_Prints.html)

Take care
Tom
Thanks for the link!
"i am NOT being cheeky or having a go at you,but.....

your profile says your 18 years old,if you are still in education...

then why not get a part time job to pay for all the materials you require,to build the enclosure you want

also if you think you may injure yourself using powered equipment,try and find a family member or a friend who is proficient with power tools

i hope you get the enclosure safely built just how you would like it mate"

No I understand shaunyboy, I have been turning in tons of job applications and stuff, I just haven't had any luck yet. Also note taken on the power tool stuff guys :p The enclosure really is screwed though, the back wall is snapped in two places and theres a gap in he front I can put my pinkie through!!!

[Akuma223]

So I was inspired by some pictures Franks posted on the thread titled "Bio-active Water Bowl?" Of some cages he made with large fishtanks as a base full of water for swimming, and a tall frame up around it for perches/ground area stuff. I was curious about if this would work for my rudi? I could use a 125 gal aquarium as the base and have it as a swimming area for him as he loves to swim. I could build a tall frame around 5-6ft tall with light-weight material and tons of climbing space. The frame would also have a greater width of around at least 3ft expanded from the fishtank for plenty of surface area, making the width of the enclosure 4ft 6 inches. A quarter of the tank itself could be walled off with something for a small area full of soil/sand for digging (he doesn't do much digging). He could have a hide there, as well as two more, one right off the water, and one up high on a shelf.

There would be on shelf about 4ft, and another 5ft up. One would be set with UV. Logs would criss-cross the tank for access from the water and all the way up the platforms. One log may be for basking of 130 F, or maybe a platform. The 3rd hide would be hanging of the back up high for an elevated resting area. The background would be latticework so he can hang off it and for aesthetics. The big thing is being able to move both halves of this cage separate for transport. I wont be living with parents for more than 2 years hopefully and I wouldn't want to have to rebuild an entire cage all over. I am also curious about filtration and draining of the water. Also curious as to light weight but sturdy wood one could use for the 3 sides (sliding doors would be used for the top half, and swinging for the bottom half of the front.

[smy_749]

I don't think a 125 gallon is a large enough base for an adult rudi which can get pretty large. I definitely don't think 1 quarter land to 3 quarters water is enough either. They are not an aquatic species, and I don't think they need a water feature other than a small tub to soak in. If they were mertensi, salvator, cumingi, mangrove, etc. I may have agreed but I think a large land area would be of far greater benefit. I would really look into a trough. By the sound of things, if you just bought a 8x4x3 trough and slapped something on top of it, it would be a much more adequate enclosure than what he is in at the moment. You can later think about adding some height, but an 8 foot trough should be plenty large enough to allow you to stall for time.

[Akuma223]

I don't think a 125 gallon is a large enough base for an adult rudi which can get pretty large. I definitely don't think 1 quarter land to 3 quarters water is enough either. They are not an aquatic species, and I don't think they need a water feature other than a small tub to soak in. If they were mertensi, salvator, cumingi, mangrove, etc. I may have agreed but I think a large land area would be of far greater benefit. I would really look into a trough. By the sound of things, if you just bought a 8x4x3 trough and slapped something on top of it, it would be a much more adequate enclosure than what he is in at the moment. You can later think about adding some height, but an 8 foot trough should be plenty large enough to allow you to stall for time.

alright then the stock tank is a good idea, I still want a large(not as large) swimming area for him. Would it be possible to build a drain or something into a water dish so you could drain the water out rather than having to lift it? I'm rather insistent on the largish water area because he seems happiest when he's swimming.

[franks]

Yes. Simply elevate a platform and put a shower pan on it. You can also screw down a cement mixing tub and drill a drain into it. The elevates platform allows you to get a bucket underneath to remove water.

[Akuma223]

Sweet thanks franks

[franks]

So I was inspired by some pictures Franks posted on the thread titled "Bio-active Water Bowl?" Of some cages he made with large fishtanks as a base full of water for swimming, and a tall frame up around it for perches/ground area stuff. I was curious about if this would work for my rudi? I could use a 125 gal aquarium as the base and have it as a swimming area for him as he loves to swim. I could build a tall frame around 5-6ft tall with light-weight material and tons of climbing space. The frame would also have a greater width of around at least 3ft expanded from the fishtank for plenty of surface area, making the width of the enclosure 4ft 6 inches. A quarter of the tank itself could be walled off with something for a small area full of soil/sand for digging (he doesn't do much digging). He could have a hide there, as well as two more, one right off the water, and one up high on a shelf.

There would be on shelf about 4ft, and another 5ft up. One would be set with UV. Logs would criss-cross the tank for access from the water and all the way up the platforms. One log may be for basking of 130 F, or maybe a platform. The 3rd hide would be hanging of the back up high for an elevated resting area. The background would be latticework so he can hang off it and for aesthetics. The big thing is being able to move both halves of this cage separate for transport. I wont be living with parents for more than 2 years hopefully and I wouldn't want to have to rebuild an entire cage all over. I am also curious about filtration and draining of the water. Also curious as to light weight but sturdy wood one could use for the 3 sides (sliding doors would be used for the top half, and swinging for the bottom half of the front.

Thank you. That would not work for a rudi. These cages do not move well. Honestly- I know you are not going to want to hear this- but I think you should wait until you move out. You don't know where you are even going yet. You cannot put a monitor enclosure on anything but a ground floor without modifying the house. You would not believe how much weight these things have. A custom built enormous enclosure is hard to move.

[shaunyboy]

sorry to be blunt mate,,,,,

at least your father takes an interest and trys to help you,so why not cut the poor guy some slack

re your fingers
if you cut your fingers off then that's on you,NOT your poor father

you might understand when you go on to become a father yourself one day ;)


cheers shaun

P.S.you should try having a father who's only interest in his teenage son was.....punching his teeth out and breaking ribs throughout his (my) teenage years

[Akuma223]

Be as blunt as you want dude, it doesn't bug me I appreciate honesty. I'm very well aware of how awesome my dad is and thank him all the time for it. p.s I'm a chick :)