Building Bud and Cloud's permanent enclosures - Page 2

Terranaut · 06-19-13, 04:24 AM

Yup, thats looking great.

sweatshirt · 06-19-13, 05:39 AM

It's coming out really nice

bigsnakegirl785 · 06-19-13, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikoh4792

It's coming out very nice. Where will you place the probe for the thermostat? I don't have any experience with thermostat probe placement when it comes to overhead heating and ground dwelling animals. I use belly heat for most of my terrestrial snakes and only overhead heating for arboreal/semi arboreal snakes.

Just wondering since I will be moving all my snakes to plastic enclosures when they get bigger and I am planning on also using RHP's for them.

I will be placing it 6 inches off the bottom, right below the panel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyabano

Awesome snake box. The pattern on the plywood is pretty cool too. You planning to stain it?

No, I don't plan on staining it, but I might end up doing something to cover up the wood on the front and sides.

And thanks everyone! I'm liking how it's turning out, too.

bigsnakegirl785 · 06-20-13, 02:25 PM

Day 4:
We started working on the second cage, and got all of the sides cut out and screwed together. We have sealed the edges, and we will treat the wood later today. My brother is out of town at the moment, but when he gets back later today, we will rearrange my room and mount the cages. Once the wood in the second cage is treated, all we lack are the doors, mounting the other RHP, getting the other light fixtures, and the decorations that go inside. I don't think the doors will get here until next week, though, so it will just be in place until they arrive.

The 8'X4' 1/2in piece of plywood, before we made any cuts to it.

Getting ready to put the other end on the second cage.

The top in place, before we trimmed it to size.

The second box finished, before sealing and treating.

We enclosed the ends on the first cage, and this is before we drilled the secondary air holes.

bigsnakegirl785 · 06-21-13, 04:12 PM

We mounted the first cage in my room today. My room feels so much more open and spacious now. lol I was able to get rid of the two big dressers I never used, and I was able to put my bed where I wanted to in the first place. Now I don't have to walk around a bunch of dressers and my bed to do anything, just because my dad likes the look of it better.

My dad called the company mailing our doors, and they said the tracks should arrive tomorrow, and the doors should arrive between Monday and Wednesday. That means over the weekend I'll have to get everything to put inside the cages, as my dad was only able to pay for the cage materials.

Overall, he's spent around $1,200 on the cages. That's including the RHP's, the thermostats, the glass, tracks, wood, and the light bulb. The wood itself was around $400, and we have 3 sheets left over from the 8 he bought, which should give us just under $100 back when we return them. My dad also spent almost $1,800 on my brother's new computer (he's putting one together in my dad's old tower), with other parts still to be ordered as far as I know. So, the rest is up to me. He bought everything else, and put them together, as a kind of graduation gift for me.

The first enclosure, mounted. Bud and Cloud will stay in their tubs until everything's ready, and I'm just storing them in the first enclosure

:

sweatshirt · 06-21-13, 04:47 PM

Nice =] congrats to your dad and you. And I have the same heat lamp as yours!

Amadeus · 06-21-13, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweatshirt

Nice =] congrats to your dad and you. And I have the same heat lamp as yours!

I have like three of those I don't use; they were cheap like 6$

rocknhorse76 · 06-21-13, 07:36 PM

Looking good! I'm assuming that the other one is stacking above that one judging by the framing. You're gonna need a stepstool for the top cage unless you're really tall lol.

NCHornet · 06-22-13, 04:13 PM

I have kept snakes for 30 + years and am a cabinetmaker by trade and I don't make my cages any longer, if that tells you anything. But it can be done correctly, the best advice I can give you is forget the idea of sealing the wood with varathane or other brush on products. It would take multiple, multiple coats to fully fill all the pours in the wood and the odor would be extreme when heated even months later. Instead do it this way. Use some 1/8" plexi and cover at least the bottom and 4 to 6 inches up each side, I myself would cover the entire interior but that is me. Use clear silicone to adhere it to the plywood and seal all joining edges. Another option is to cover the sheets of plywood with formica of your choice and then screw the cage together. Both of these will be much better to clean up messes on the floor of the cage. You will still need to reseal the corners now and then but that is far better than having to reseal with varathane. If I can help you with any other items just ask.

bigsnakegirl785 · 06-22-13, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCHornet

I have kept snakes for 30 + years and am a cabinetmaker by trade and I don't make my cages any longer, if that tells you anything. But it can be done correctly, the best advice I can give you is forget the idea of sealing the wood with varathane or other brush on products. It would take multiple, multiple coats to fully fill all the pours in the wood and the odor would be extreme when heated even months later. Instead do it this way. Use some 1/8" plexi and cover at least the bottom and 4 to 6 inches up each side, I myself would cover the entire interior but that is me. Use clear silicone to adhere it to the plywood and seal all joining edges. Another option is to cover the sheets of plywood with formica of your choice and then screw the cage together. Both of these will be much better to clean up messes on the floor of the cage. You will still need to reseal the corners now and then but that is far better than having to reseal with varathane. If I can help you with any other items just ask.

We've sealed the corners with caulk, and treated the whole inside with Polyurethane. It only takes one layer of Poly to seal it, although the second one took two. Poly also doesn't put off much of a smell, and little to no fumes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocknhorse76

Looking good! I'm assuming that the other one is stacking above that one judging by the framing. You're gonna need a stepstool for the top cage unless you're really tall lol.

Yup, the other one's going on top.

Yes, we have a step ladder, so I'm all set. I'm super short, like 5'1". XD That's why Cloud's going in the bottom one, I don't want to wrestle with a heavy, stubborn boa atop a ladder. lol

The tracks came in today. The company says the glass should be here either Monday or Wednesday, so they'll be here sooner than we thought. And, he's actually spent $1,800 on the cages as well, including the glass, tracks, and the LED light he bought yesterday.

NCHornet · 06-23-13, 02:30 PM

OK, sounds like you got it all figured out.

No way one coat is going to seal A/C construction grade plywood, nor will two coats, you are kidding yourself. If you used Water base the fumes will be lower but it will take more coats to build up a decent boundary layer. But both will have an odor when heat is applied. I would let it air out with the heat turned up as high as you will ever use it for a week or so until the odor fades. Construction grade (A/C) plywood will also have areas where splinters can pop up with normal use that can hurt the snake. A thin sheet of plexi will solve all this and make clean up a breeze, but what do I know, ll!!!!!!!

rocknhorse76 · 06-23-13, 04:19 PM

I think I'd lay down a sheet of plexi or some kind of flooring material on the bottom of the cage and probably continue it up about a foot on the sides as well to facilitate cleanup and make it safer for the snake.

bigsnakegirl785 · 06-23-13, 08:37 PM

I could get Plexi, but it's over $200 for each sheet at the size we'd need, and we just don't have the funds for that kind of spending anymore. If there are cheaper ways to cover it (like, less than $200 altogether), I can pay for it, though. If Plexi is the only way to go, then it will be several more months before I could get it, and Cloud's already outgrown his tub. I still need to buy two more fluorescent light fixtures, at least 8 more blocks of EcoEarth, and two more bulbs. I'm going to guess that's going to be well over $100, and I've only got $300 to play with.

jarich · 06-26-13, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

I could get Plexi, but it's over $200 for each sheet at the size we'd need, and we just don't have the funds for that kind of spending anymore. If there are cheaper ways to cover it (like, less than $200 altogether), I can pay for it, though. If Plexi is the only way to go, then it will be several more months before I could get it, and Cloud's already outgrown his tub. I still need to buy two more fluorescent light fixtures, at least 8 more blocks of EcoEarth, and two more bulbs. I'm going to guess that's going to be well over $100, and I've only got $300 to play with.

FRP would do the job just fine and cost about a tenth of the price. I think a 4x8 sheet is around $20-30.

rocknhorse76 · 06-26-13, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

FRP would do the job just fine and cost about a tenth of the price. I think a 4x8 sheet is around $20-30.

That's a great idea! You could use liquid nails to glue it on and seal the seams with siliconized acrylic caulk (water based).

To clarify for those who don't know what it is....its the textured plastic material that you normally see covering the lower parts of walls in restrooms and sometimes in commercial kitchens. Very thin, lightweight, and durable. Looks nice too.