Pictures of Enclosures (dial-up beware)

[proud2bcanadian]

I've been building custom melamine enclosures lately for a few people...

I decided to post some pictures...

Enjoy!

http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/Close-Up.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/Full.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/Left%20Side.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/Right%20Side.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002047.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002048.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002049.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002050.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002051.JPG

I'm thinking of booking a table at the next Expo with some other enclosures that I've built.

[clint545]

Just wondering if you do aboreal cages, I'm assuming you do?

[proud2bcanadian]

Yeah, I do.

I'm actually also thinking of getting into plastic cages too this summer...We'll see...

[peterm15]

out of curosity where did you get thoes vents.. ive looked and looked and cant find them

[proud2bcanadian]

I get the vents at Rona Home and Garden.

At the Erin Mills location (out here in Mississauga), they're located in the roofing section, yet they're for dryers! :medwierd:

[clint545]

I like your work:) Might have to contact you with some ideas near the end of the summer:)!

[proud2bcanadian]

Thanks Clint (I'm guessing that's your name)!

[clint545]

Yup Good guess:) lol

[peterm15]

thanks.. ill check there..

[tequila]

your cage is sweet i hoping to make something similar to that soon i doubt i will do such a good job though. what dimension is that and how do you cover the cut part of the malmine so it looks so finished.

awesome

[tequila]

your cage is sweet i hoping to make something similar to that soon i doubt i will do such a good job though. what dimension is that and how do you cover the cut part of the malmine so it looks so finished.

awesome

[tequila]

your cage is sweet i hoping to make something similar to that soon i doubt i will do such a good job though. what dimension is that and how do you cover the cut part of the malmine so it looks so finished. if you don't mine roughly how much did it cost to build.

awesome

[tequila]

sorry about that my computer is so messed up

[proud2bcanadian]

It's alright (the three times, lol).

1) The dimensions are roughly 4' x 2' x 2'.
2) What I used to cover the edges is called edge-banding tape. It's relatively cheap at Rona and Home Depot. All that you need to do is iron it on, and then smooth it out. It's preglued too, so no mess.
3) I sent you a PM on that one (about the cost).

Thank you,

[SnakeyeZ]

Cool enclosures, look really nice, thou melamine weighs a ton! Other than that though..the design is really nice, good work.

[proud2bcanadian]

Thanks sssnakeyesss.

When you get the melamine pieces put together, it doesn't really feel like what it weighs when it comes in the 4' x 8' sheet. Even with glass, it feels so much lighter.

[K1LOS]

i had a hard time wiht the edging. It is pealing off of one of my cages now after about 1.5 yrs.

Geoff

[proud2bcanadian]

Luckily, it's really inexpensive to buy, and it doesn't take long to apply.

[galad]

what if you just used paint to seal the edges?
I am planning on building custom enclosures also.
Mostly arboreal, since I am breeding chameleons. But will hopefully be getting rb's soon and ill need to build an enclosure.
What would you sudjest other then melamine Rich?

thnx

ws

[proud2bcanadian]

If you just use paint to seal the edges, it won't have a clean look on it. I would highly suggest the edge banding tape, as it's inexpensive, and very easy to apply.

Melamine is a great material since it's water resistant. Another material that you can use is plywood or plastic. However, with plywood, you would have to use different sealers on it because of moisture and the possibility of water spills (meaning, a lot more work).

Hope that helped,

[peterm15]

may be alot more work but will last way longer in a high humidity situation like chameleons

[YoungBuck]

Wow...enclosure looks great~! Nice work~!

[proud2bcanadian]

peterm15 - It depends if you're concentrating on look, or durability. If the enclosure is going to be for show, the edge banding tape would be best because it looks really good. If you're just using the enclosures for breeding, or just to show your animals off to friends and family, and you don't really care what it looks like, then painting would be fine.

YoungBuck - Thanks!

[ThemandUs]

very nice, way better craftsmanship than my own. i have a couple of home made melamine cages. which are mangled looking but do a great job ha. i actually took the idea from a site i found a while back and built a four cage unit out of hollow core doors. really cool. those look mangled too though ha.

[Boachic]

Hey, proud2bcanadian,

How do you heat up the melamin cage?

The enclosure really looks sweet!!!!! Great job on it!

;)

[proud2bcanadian]

Boachic - It's really up to the customer, but it's usually heated by a heat lamp. and...Thanks!

[wiseman001]

I wish I could afford a couple of them myself

[proud2bcanadian]

Here's another that I recently finished...

http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002052.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002053.JPG

[coldblooded]

Looks excellent... I'm doing the same thing right now, except in a Cherry finish (48l x 24w x 36h) using the 5/8 boards.

drawing:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/coldblooded1/enclosure-drawing.gif


Do you use the white because it's the cheapest ($37 for 4X8)?

Where do you get the locks for the glass?

What size are the screws? and do the caps for them fit into the screw or are they glued in?

Hope you don't mind the Q's...

Mike

[proud2bcanadian]

Yeah, I use white because they are the cheapest, but if the customer wants something different, then I can use another type of melamine. Out here it costs about $25 for a 4x8 board (1/2'' thick). Though I will be going to 3/4'' soon. Again, it's what the customer wants, or what is suitable for the project. I can get a wide variety of thicknesses, so whatever's the best is what I use.

I got my locks at Rona Home and Garden. They were close to Hardware, and we're called Display Case Locks.

I use #8 x 1'' screws. And the caps are glued in.

[coldblooded]

Thanks for the info, and they really are nice units. Could you PM me a couple of common sizes you make and what your selling price is for each, maybe it's cheaper for you to build me one. :)

Mike

[proud2bcanadian]

Here are two more enclosuresthat I have recently finished.

Enjoy...

http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002054.JPG

http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002055.JPG

http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002056.JPG

http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002057.JPG

http://www.freewebs.com/hockeyliles/Enclosures/IM002059.JPG

Thank you,

[Alien_Regalis]

Very nice! Two thumbs up

[proud2bcanadian]

Thanks Jeff!

[death0f7]

Those are really nice enclosures! I think those would be great once I had animals again worthy of such a display.

[outcold720]

Hey,
those are really awesome. I really wanna build one but I dont have a reptile that needs a cage that big and my mom wont let me get anymore reptiles anyway what are those handle things on the glass?
great cages!

[proud2bcanadian]

Thanks death0f7 and outcold720!!

outcold720 - You said it yourself...They're handles (so that you don't have to be continuously cleaning your fingerprints off of the glass)!