questions

[crazyboy]

yet more quetions

what thickness plywood would you use i was thinking of 1/2 or 3/4 in.

how would you set up heat cable and how else would u heta it

i want to use sliding glass with jewelery case locks what thickness shoukld i use

it is gonna hold leos and other smaller reptiles

im gonna put up 2 ideas of what i want the cage to be like or maybe not

any input appreciated

[crazyboy]

or

[HetForHuman]

well for one i wouldnt use plywood because how are you going to seal the wood inside the enclosure.

Thats why i went with melamine as it will stay more waterproof inside as lond as you silicone the cracks on the inside after building the box.

here is a pic of the 2 i just built.

Oh and it is also 5/8 inch

[Invictus]

Originally posted by crazyboy
[B]yet more quetions

what thickness plywood would you use i was thinking of 1/2 or 3/4 in.

For smaller enclosures, 1/2 should be fine. 3/4 should only be used if you're going 5'+ on one dimension. 5/8 is good for most projects.

If you plan on having a humid environment, go with melamine, or seal the inside with deck stain (varathane) for plywood. But I'd just go with the melamine.

i want to use sliding glass with jewelery case locks what thickness shoukld i use

1/4" is good for most enclosures. For geckos or small reptiles you can go even thinner. They're not known for their strength.

[HetForHuman]

i use 1/8 inch glass for my boas and pythons as well. and i have yet to have any break

[crazyboy]

ok thanks i think i will go with melamime because it also slooks better

[crazyboy]

um would plexi work

[crazyboy]

heating??????

[Lisa]

we use exotera heat pads, but you can use flexwatt in the states.

also with ply you have 3X the work sanding and sealing.

[crazyboy]

0k thanks

[Invictus]

Plexi is only good for snakes. Lizards will scratch the crap out of it, and you'll be replacing it every 4 months.

[crazyboy]

thanks

[crazyboy]

do you need to have ventalation for the heatpads

[Linds]

Originally posted by crazyboy

what thickness plywood would you use i was thinking of 1/2 or 3/4 in.

5/8" or 7/16" are good to go for. 1/2" is a bit thin for that long of an enclosure. I know some people say melamine is the way to go, but I'm going to have to disagree. The stuff is crap. Only works for snakes, and it doesn't even work then It's heavy, it bubbles, it doesn't hold up, and it is not waterproof. If you are looking for waterproof, get wood and make it waterproof with an epoxy. If you are looking for water resistance then an exterior urethane should be fine.

how would you set up heat cable and how else would u heta it

All herps have different heating requirements. For most setups, leos do best with a bottom heat source such as heat tape.

i want to use sliding glass with jewelery case locks what thickness shoukld i use

I would go with 1/6" glass if you are certain that only small animals will be in there.

it is gonna hold leos and other smaller reptiles

As I mentioned, all herps have different requirements. What works for leos may not work for some other species.

Originally posted by Invictus
Plexi is only good for snakes. Lizards will scratch the crap out of it, and you'll be replacing it every 4 months.

Same goes for melamine (if you want to call it good for anything ). So much as a slight scratch and it will bubble and fall apart (which it may do anyways).