Building a new enclosure

[dan2492]

Im going tobe building a new enclosure for my corn snake and just wanted to know if solid pine is ok to use as long as everything is sealed properly and i was going to make it 3' long by 16" high and 15" deep do these dimensions see ok.
Thanks
Dan

[dan2492]

and what would be best to use to seal the inside of the cage???
Thanks Dan

[kferrari]

I would put plastic sheets on the inside of the enclosure glued to the pine that way it is easier to clean and the moisture wont hurt the would ie: mold. And for sealing around the edges of the plastic use a aquarium caulking and just take your time to do a good job.

[dan2492]

i found this stuff called indoor/outdoor spar urathane wouldnt that would to seal the inside if its ok for outdoor use??

[dannyc]

The pine should be ok if sealed properly. I can't advise you on the proper seal. I would think polyurethane should do the trick.

I like melamine. It's already got a water proof coating and easy to clean. You might want to considder that.

Mine all have a couple of wholes cut in the top for infrared lights for heat. One on a reastat for mostly just lighting and the other higher wattage for heat on a thermostat.. I don't use any under cage heat. This works great for corns since they don't have any special humidy requirement.

For substrate I use Reptibark. When feeding you can put them in another enclosure without the reptibark or do like I do, I put the mouse on a saucer or clear the reptibark away from the opening in their hide and place the mouse on the clean spot. The main thing is they don't ingest the bark.

[dan2492]

Yeah im mainly going with wood for looks caus i dont have a bunchs of corns and just want a nice display tank. I wired a florecent light on the inside and am planning on using and under tank heater. Right now i use shaved aspen for my bedding and has worked out real good for me. Thanks for the info

[dan2492]

here is what i have so far

[peterm15]

i dont think ssnakesss has a web hosting anymore so i cant see your pics.. use an epoxy sealer to seal the inside of the cage.. dont bother putting plastic cause the heay comming in contact with it may release more fumes than a snake can handle.. home depo can hook you up with a good sealer... im pretty sure it epoxy.. either way once its sealed u could make a pool out of wood..

[kferrari]

You would have to get an appropriate type of plastic. And i due think it would be safe enough to use considering JB of repti plastic has been making cages out of plastic for a long time now with no ill effects and what about people who use rack systems (including myself) with rubbermaids again plastic and these have been used for a long time as well. So in my opinion this would be the best and easiest way to seal the inside of the enclosure and make it really easy to clean. But again just my opinion. You can use whatever you want it is not my enclosure, just my 2 cents on what i would and have done.

[dan2492]

how to you attach images now then??

[peterm15]

host them on photobucket.com

the plastic thing.. i had a different type of plastic in my mind.. i thought you were talking like a plastic sheet.... sry.. even then the wood would still have to be sealed with epoxy and the plastic may make ease of cleaning but is definatly not needed.. i cover the bottom of my enclosures with tile for heat dispursement and ease of cleaning.. otherwise its all wood.. no NEED for anything else.. but to each is own..

[dan2492]

So will that spar urathane be ok to use will it be safe and will it seal ok
Thanks Dan

[peterm15]

epoxy sealer is better but the polyurethane ( aka varnish) will do the trick.. just use about 6 coats.. lots of work but worth it in the end.

[dan2492]

ok thanks alot

[dan2492]

here is what i have so far

http://photobucket.com/albums/e72/dan2492/?action=view&current=enclosure2.jpg

http://photobucket.com/albums/e72/dan2492/?action=view&current=enclosure.jpg

[kferrari]

Hey Dan enclosure looks nice!! Was that a pre fab chest, like one you buy at home depot and converted it to an enclosure or did you build it completly yourself? Anyhow it still looks nice.

[dan2492]

ive built it compleatly myself thanks alot
Dan

[Greg West]

Looks really nice. The best finish is the epoxy. If you want a finish that will stand up use epoxy. It isn't mnuch more than sealer either. I bought some for a cage and background I did and it was around the $30.00 mark for doing about 70 ft2. I would use epoxy instead of the sealer. It gives it a finish similar to glass, and completely seals the wood

Greg

[dan2492]

where did you get the epoxy from?

[dan2492]

Here is the enclosure all finished

Pic 1
http://photobucket.com/albums/e72/dan2492/?action=view&current=Dscf0724.jpg

Pic 2
http://photobucket.com/albums/e72/dan2492/?action=view&current=Dscf0722.jpg