plywood?

[reptile boi]

Hey everyone,
as most of you might know i am planning on building a cage, but the plywood that i might be getting is the "rough" kind and i was wondering, will this hurt a snakes belly? Would it be more "smooth" if i painted it with some marine based paint, then poly or epoxy it?



Thanks,
Ben

[Zoe]

Well you need to seal it with something - and that will smooth it out. But I like to have the bottoms of my cages made out of higher quality wood. I worry that cheap wood like plywood (which is fine for the sides and top) will rot if I don't use high quality would. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

But yeah, when you seal it it will get smooth, and if you are worried you could give it a quick sanding.

Good luck!
Zoe

[Bryce Masuk]

Paint it with 2 part epoxie paint it will seal it perfectly and last roughly 25 years if your tank was filled with water. use exterior grade plywood its perfectly fine sand it with a palm sander before you paint then lightly after you paint then apply a thin coat of paint on top of the last layer it will be smooth and sealed

[Invictus]

If the bottom is extremely rough and knotted, I'd suggest mudding and sanding the knots before you seal it.

[reptile boi]

Hey everyone,
Zoe: How will plywood rot if its covered with epoxy?
Bryce: What exactly do u mean by "2 parts" epoxy? (im pretty new to painting and stuff so...)
Invictus: Whats mudding?




Thanks alot guys,
Ben

[paul_le_snake]

if u keep something that needs high humidity. just varnish it after sanding it down. snakes live on far rougher surfaces than plywood in the wild. varnishing it will stop the wood from getting too wet
cheers
paul

[Linds]

Ben,
Plywood is fine to use, and in fact quite commonly used it cages. Just sand down the rough spots as mentioned above and seal it well to protect it.

Zoe,
Plywood is actually stronger than solid wood. As well as it will rot just the same as any wood will if not sealed properly. Not all plywood is cheap either. There are a lot of high-grade plywoods that are used to make cabinets and other furnishings in homes. They can be quite pricey.

Paul,
Varnishing is only sufficient for low-medium humidity environments. No matter how many coats of urethane you put on an enclosure, it will not hold up to high humidity for very long. Epoxy is the best for sealing wood for high humidity environments, as well as any kind of marine enamel. You can also use things such as shower liners.

[paul_le_snake]

sorry linds but i have to disagree. ive had many a high humidity snake kept in a plywood viv, that was only protected by one coat of varnish. it worked very well and the humidity was nearly always constant
cheer
paul

[Linds]

Even melamine will not hold up in high humidity environments. Urethanes cannot waterproof an enclosure, they only resist humidity. If it is constantly wet, it will eventually rot out. It may work short-term, but enclosures won't last more than a couple years.

[Bryce Masuk]

Reptile boi 2 part epoxie paint is a paint that has a base and a hardener

Precautions FOR ALL PROCEDURES INVOLVING EPOXY PAINT, THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS MUST BE ADHERED TO.

1. NO SMOKING
2. DO NOT LET BRUSHES DRY
3. DO NOT BREATH FUMES
APPLY PAINT IN A WELL-VENTILATED AREA, PREFERABLY OUT-OF-DOORS, AND MOST ESPECIALLY AWAY FROM THE AIR SUPPLY INTAKE. THE FUMES ARE HIGHLY TOXIC, AND MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS IN HUMANS IF THEY ARE CONCENTRATED AND EXPOSURE IS PROLONGED.
a. Apply epoxy paint to all exposed wood surfaces of tank.
b. Make coat of paint as thin as possible, while covering the wood surfaces completely, because the paint runs easily.
c. Allow coat to dry overnight.
d. Fill all cracks and holes with autobody putty, making as smooth a surface as possible.



e. Sand entire surface, using 120-grit paper or power sander, and apply second coat.
Again, insure that the coat is as thin as possible, to avoid running paint.
f.SANDING DETAILS
Use the 120-grit sandpaper for sanding the first two coats of epoxy paint.
220-grit for sanding the third coat, in preparation for the fourth or final finish coat.
(If power sander is used. then the sanding pressure applied would be less for the last coat.)
Repeat procedure in steps until four (4) coats of the epoxy paint are applied.
Allow tank to dry in well-ventilated, warm area for 24 hours before proceeding

2 coat's should do it and you wont need bondo since this isnt going to be holding water
try these paints
carbolene brand "891" epoxy with color choices one of which is "4753"grey -----
----- dupont brand "epoxide hs tank lining"-------
----- sherwin williams brand "tank clad hs epoxy"-----
----- rustoleum brand "9200" system epoxy with color choices one of which is "9271" dunes tan-------
Any will work just fine These epoxies contain no solvents or volatile organic compounds and are usually composed of 100% solids. Additionally, solvents and thinners are not recommended for use with this epoxy because they would defeat the purpose of using a non-toxic coating. There are other manufacturers of epoxy and many of them have nsf 61 approved epoxy for potable water. Further, if one finds an epoxy that is not recommended for use with potable water, not nsf 61 certified, I suggest against using it.

This potable water epoxy may cost a little more than a different coating but on the other hand, IT IS NOT POISONOUS TO REPTILES. From what I have read, I could suggest against using as a tank liner; enamel, acrylic enamel, urethane, fiberglass, gel coat and polyester resin, all of these release/outgass poisonous volatile organic compounds, VOC's. On a side note, in my opinion, only the part of the tank that the snake or lizard can touch needs to be coated with this epoxy. The outside of the tank can be coated with a less expensive paint, maybe a urethane.

[reptile boi]

Hey,
Im a bit confused, but is there a specific potable water brand epoxy? Also, why do i need to sand each coating? Would i need to sand and make 2+ coats of paint if i were to use paint for the outside?



Thanks,
Ben

[Bryce Masuk]

ANY of these will work OR ANY potable water epoxy paint
carbolene brand "891" epoxy with color choices one of which is "4753"grey -----
----- dupont brand "epoxide hs tank lining"-------
----- sherwin williams brand "tank clad hs epoxy"-----
----- rustoleum brand "9200" system epoxy with color choices one of which is "9271" dunes tan-------
Instead of 4 coats you will only need 2 for the inside you should sand between each coat to allow the paint to stick better. You can use the epoxy paint for the outside but its mighty expensive to do that.
For the outside 1 coat should do it but 2 will look better and you sand to make the paint uniform and to allow it to stick well but it doesnt NEED to be done on the outside I would do it though painting is 90% prep work the outside doesnt even need to be painted a stain would work fine other things that have been used are truck bed liner if its 100% polyurathane its rough though

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Linds
Even melamine will not hold up in high humidity environments. Urethanes cannot waterproof an enclosure, they only resist humidity. If it is constantly wet, it will eventually rot out. It may work short-term, but enclosures won't last more than a couple years.

Sorry Linds, I have to disagree with you on this point as well. Melamine coating is plastic - in fact, not too far off from the same material as shower enclosure. Water cannot seep through it, it's just not possible. (I don't know where you are getting your melamine.) The only way moisture can get into the particle board is if the joints aren't sealed with silicone. I know people who have had their melamine enclosures at very high humidity (100%+) for several years and have never had a problem with it rotting out.

But, it probably couldn't hurt to apply a coat of melamine paint to it once a year, and let it cure for a week or so. I think I'd probably do that anyway, despite how much I trust melamine for enclosures. If for no other reason than the aesthetic...

[Bryce Masuk]

melamine is a royal pain is the a$$ to work with though the edges chip its heavy as hell its isnt very strong and IMO it doesnt look great but it looks "clean" but it works fine the cost to paint plywood is like the cost of melamine....

[Ed_r]

Melamine rots real nice. I made a cage from my Amazon out of melamine. Just from the daily mistings with a spray bottle, it was bubling up. I will never use malamine again. Expensive, heavy, and crappy.

[Linds]

Yup. I'm with Ed. I've spoken to many seasoned boa breeders that had warned me of this, people with 30+ years at the game. From BCI to BRB... I've only heard disaster stories. Then I went and got my melamine caging... and yes, it lived up to all the stories. In as little as a month some parts would start to bubble up... all joints perfectly sealed, melamine was not at all scratched anywhere. Melamine sucks... plain and simple.

[reptile boi]

Bryce,
Instead of using putty for sealing, would it be ok to use silicone instead?



Thanks alot guys,
Ben :D

[Bryce Masuk]

yes silicone is the way to go putty is for leveling if your plywood is really rough and is only needed if the tank needs to hold water

[reptile boi]

wait, so your saying, if i want the tank to hold water i should put putty in the spots where the silicone should be?


Thanks,
Ben

[Bryce Masuk]

no silicone will seal it but if you have very rough plywood smooth it with body filler

[lordkovacs]

Bryce...how do you heat a cage made with plywood? do you use thinner wood for the bottom so you can use an UTH, or do you use radiant heat panels, or wire some heat bulb? thanks...

[Bryce Masuk]

You put the heat source inside of the tank heat tape human head pad radiant panal's or light bulbs with hardware cloth cages Pm me with any other questions if you have any...

[Linds]

I use heat tape for all my enclosures. The thickest being 5/8" thick. It gets through no problems :)

[lordkovacs]

when using heat tape, do you put it underneath the tank Linds, or inside, under the sub.? i can' t imagine it heating a large tank from underneath a 3/4 " plywood...
thanks...