Pictures of Enclosures (dial-up beware) - Page 2

proud2bcanadian · 03-02-05, 11:02 PM

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 · 03-03-05, 12:00 AM

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 · 03-03-05, 02:32 PM

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

galad · 03-03-05, 03:09 PM

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 · 03-03-05, 03:33 PM

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 · 03-03-05, 04:44 PM

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

YoungBuck · 03-03-05, 04:54 PM

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

proud2bcanadian · 03-03-05, 05:01 PM

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 · 03-05-05, 07:43 PM

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 · 03-05-05, 08:06 PM

Hey, proud2bcanadian,

How do you heat up the melamin cage?

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

proud2bcanadian · 03-06-05, 10:13 AM

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

wiseman001 · 03-06-05, 09:08 PM

I wish I could afford a couple of them myself

proud2bcanadian · 03-14-05, 03:56 PM

Here's another that I recently finished...

coldblooded · 03-14-05, 04:40 PM

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:

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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 · 03-14-05, 04:46 PM

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.