Acrylic Enclosures

[adam2373]

I'm looking into getting an all acrylic cage for my etb. Those of you that use acrylic cages how do you heat them without melting the acrylic? Is there a hole cut in the top for the lamp with screening or do you just use a certain kind of heating pad? Any help would be appreciated as I don't want to melt a $200.00 cage.

[CraigC]

We first started using ceramic heat emitters and had to cut in a screened opening in the cage top. We also use flex-watt underneath to heat the water substrate which helps with humidity. We found that air circulation was good as the gaps at the doors and tray tops, along with the small screened opening in the back was more than sufficient.

Here is one of our single adult enclosures.
http://redtailboa.net/gallery/data/fc490ca45c00b1249bbe3554a4fdf6fb/230_p9111.jpg

When I started building our "breeder" enclosures, I allowed for the same type of screened opening for the heat emitters. Now we are converting to radient heat panels, which we like a lot better. We still incorporate the slide-out water trays and flex-watt underneath.

Here is one of this type enclosure.
http://redtailboa.net/gallery/data/fc490ca45c00b1249bbe3554a4fdf6fb/230_p9115.jpg

And one in use with radiant heat panel.
http://redtailboa.net/gallery/data/fc490ca45c00b1249bbe3554a4fdf6fb/230_p9102.jpg

CraigC

[GPCRalph]

Hello CraigC,

Could you give the dimensions of those cages (breeder and single snake enclosures)?

Rafael

[klein]

very nice cages craig

[CraigC]

Hey Rafael,
The starndard adult cage is 24H x 24D x 22W (outside dimensions) this allows us to set 2 side by side on the racks we use.

The first breeders I built were 24H x 24D x 48W. But being out of 3/8 materials they are extremely heavy, so the one pictured is 24H x 20D x 45W.

When I build new adult cages they will be made out of 3/8 material. The best thing about building your own cages is the ability to make improvements as you go. LOL, the first cage I tried to build out of acrylic was with 3/16 material as it was cheaper, but I got over that real fast!

CraigC

[adam2373]

Maby I'll look into building one myself. What was the about price for the adult cage for you to build and what did you use to bond the acrylic together?

[CraigC]

Wholesale, the 1/4 acrylic was $58.00 for a 48 x 96 sheet. On that size cage I use acrylic cement to fasten the pieces together. I already had the wood-working tools, so the fine cutting blades and special drill bits were another couple hundred dollars. If I don't factor in my labor nor the additional tooling the total for each cage is about $105.00.

CraigC

[adam2373]

A couple hundred of dollars??? OMG I hope your selling them to pay for the tools back. I have alot of friends in the contracting industy, maby they will have some tools I can borrow. As far as the drill bit goes I was told that tile drill bits will work being they are shaped like an arrow head and just use the weight of the drill and just take your time. As far as the blades wouldn't metal cutting bits work or do they need to be even finer then that?

[CraigC]

Cutting tools for acrylic must cut the material without melting it. I have never tried metal bits in the saws but would think that the # of teeth per inch would be way too fine, basically heating the material and melting it or worse, causing it to crack. Melted material might also clog the teeth, rendering the blade useless. Kind of like ruining a grinding wheel by trying to grind aluminum on it.

The drill bits you describe seem to be exactly ground like the acrylic bits I use.

CraigC