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23-Jan-08, 07:03 PM
|  | Regular Member | | | | New Monitor Enclosure Walkthrough
Hi all, this is my first real try at an anclosure, i have been using fishtanks till now. It is going to house one or two Sand Monitors, while they are juvenile of course, then they will go into a bigger enclosure.
What i am shooting for is an enclosure size of 1200 long by 750 high by 700 deep. The enclosure is to be made from MDF, constructed, sealed and painted by myself. It will also have some storgae room underneath it.
So far I have cut it all to size in a few of my lunchbreaks at work, hard, but hopefully it will be worth the grumbling stomach  . So thats where i found my first problem, The pieces do not fit in my car!  Oh well I am transporting it home in a mates trailer tomorrow where i will take some pictures of the construction process. |
23-Jan-08, 07:57 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Nov-07 Location: Central Coast, NSW Gender:  | | | | Keep us posted with the progress... my experience with the dust from MDF is that it's extremely toxic stuff (you wouldn't think so, but do some research and get some MSDS on it)... so probably best not to be inhaled by your monitors.
Secondly, the paint you use will have to be non-toxic water-based stuff... but I'm sure you've already thought of that.
Will be good to see your outcome! |
23-Jan-08, 08:00 PM
| | Regular Member | | | | | yep i am a cabinetmaker, so i get heaps of mdf dust up my nose. Tank will be sealed to prevent that. Also does anyone know of lizard safe paints? |
23-Jan-08, 09:19 PM
| | Regular Member | | | | | hello, IS anyone out there |
24-Jan-08, 01:11 PM
| | | | I have never used the product to build an enclosure. My thoughts were that it was highly absorbant and would have to sealed with a safe product, I didn't know about the toxic dust, but having said all that, it seems like a lot of hard work for what could be dubious results. I always built my enclosure from melamine coated chipboard it was highly water resistant, relatively light in weight, my local supplier would cut the sheets to size and laminate the exposed edges for me. All i had to do was take them home and put them together and fit the glass and seal the corners with "no more gaps". This stuff also comes in a great range of colours but can be a bit expensive. |
24-Jan-08, 01:39 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Nov-07 Location: Central Coast, NSW Gender: | | | | There was some info on non-toxic paints (I think the sort used to paint children's furniture etc) in a few threads I've read... they're at a loss to me right now but I'm sure you could dig up a few search terms that would return some relevant information.
My thoughts would be water-based all the way... SHOULD be non-toxic, and if allowed to air for long enough the scent should disappear. |
24-Jan-08, 09:06 PM
| | Regular Member | | | | | cool, I just drove to Reptile gully centa? and i was told to give it a coat of polyurethane. So i will paint it with non-toxic paint then i will poly it |
24-Jan-08, 11:24 PM
|  | Herpawhat? Subscriber | Join Date: Dec-07 Location: sydney, in Da Ghetto Age/Gender: 26 | | | | polly should go straight onto the mdf IIRC...
like on new kitchens etc..
__________________
At the start of a glorious adventure..
the darwin is here.13/2/08  |
25-Jan-08, 07:00 AM
| | Regular Member | | | | | yeah sorry, im sealing first to stop water intrusion and then i am going to paint it and then i am giving it a couple of coats of poly to totally waterproof it.
I have brought all of the material home so i will start postong pics of the build today hopefully |
25-Jan-08, 08:09 AM
|  | Sponsor | Join Date: May-04 Location: Melbourne | | | | My sealant of choice is Cabbots Marine gloss.
I tend to use exterior quality oil based paints and leave them to air for a month or so before an animal goes near them. (If there is minimal smell of paint inside the enclosure when has been closed for 24 hours I give it another few days.) I have never had a problem.
That said I go for melamine these days and seal the corners well with sealant. This to me not only looks good it but works out cheaper because top quality paints and finishes are quite expensive!
__________________ Herp Shop May 2008 special  Herp Shop Black Nite Ceramic Heat Emittersjust $30 each |
25-Jan-08, 04:45 PM
| | Regular Member | | | | | In that case when i move the monitor to the next size enclosure ill be sure to build it out of melamine. I sorta chose Mdf as it was free, and thought it was fine as the Herp shop sells enclosure made from the stuff too
im starting construction now |
25-Jan-08, 05:31 PM
| | Sponsor | Join Date: May-04 Location: Melbourne | | | | The Herp Shop ones are chipboard/Melamine.
MDF is fine but it is heavy and needs to be finished which can be pricey.
__________________ Herp Shop May 2008 special Herp Shop Black Nite Ceramic Heat Emittersjust $30 each |
25-Jan-08, 06:36 PM
| | Regular Member | | | | | sorry by herp shop, i was referring to the herp shop i go to, Gully Reptile Centre | |
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