building enclosures

[Puff_the_magic_dragon]

Have any of you people had any success building your own reptile enclosures? I want to start doing it because you can customise it to your exact preferences, plus I plan on getting a lot of reptiles and eventually breeding them one day, (when i'm a lot more experienced that is) so I could also save myself a lot of $$ if I learnt to build them myself. I wanna build them out of wood and have a glass sliding door at the front. Do any of you know any websites or books that show you how to build them? Thanks

[Nicole]

I got mine custome built, but I bet Afrifishything could help you...

[saikrett]

Here's a tip
AVOID USING PARTICAL BOARD!!!!!!!!!!
i was going away for a few days so i left the blue tongues a larger water bowl.
i they burry under the small water and tip it over the kitty litter soaks it up, but when they tip over the large water bowl it soaks through to the wood.
This makes it easy for them to dig a hole in the corner and escape!!!!!!!
i was up till 4am looking for Steve

[Fangs]

I built an enclosure with 2 sections not so long ago.Theres a couple of pics in my album that should give you the general idea.
Made out of 16mm ply and sealed with estapol.

As for glass I purchased 4 sheets from a second hand place(out of old cabinets)and made the enclosure openings to suit.

If you need any help/advice let me know and I will help if I can.

cheers

[africancichlidau]

There is a picture of a couple of enclosures I have built on my website, (Animal Antics, on this sites links page), which may give you a couple of ideas. They are built out of white melamine with glass sliding lockable doors and the 6 footer is dividable. If you have any questions just ask away

[c_jei]

I've heard that sliding glass doors are too weak for some of the bigger species (I have a coastal ). Is this true?

c_jei,
It depends what thickness of glass you use and the overall height of the enclosure.I find 4mm glass to be a bit iffy,especially with a large coastal etc. 6mm seems to be the go but if your cage height is say 4 foot there is no support in the centre of the glass and a large python can easily break it. You often notice a snake sliding up a wall or the front glass at night etc.

[Nicole]

I have 6mm safety glass in my enclosures (they are 1200mm H), seems fairly secure, and so far so good. True, the girls are only little yet, but I think it will be ok for life. Does seem fairly sturdy, as the glass is a single piece, window frame style mounted, and the whole frame plus glass comes off rather than having a weak point where the sliding edges are.

Does any of that make sense? At least I know what I'm talking about LOL

Yup I get ya Nic,
With your glass it has support all round the base of the glass (top,bottom as well as sides) like a framed picture.The problem with sliding glass is there is only support from the top and bottom,Leaving the sides vulnerable to movement if pushed and leads to cracking or smashing.(unless you spend a bit extra and use slide tracks for the sides as well giving it a little more security while the doors are closed).
I prefer perspex for my enclosures as I can then drill holes through it to add cupboard type handles for easier opening and closing,plus I feel safer using perspex as it will never break.The downside though is if it is scratched it is very noticable.

[Magpie]

My cages are hinged doors (I don't like sliding.) My new male water python likes to get at the join in the doors and push on it, on the melamine. If it was all glass, even 6mm, I'm pretty sure he would be able to break it. The cage is only 2' deep, and he is over 6' long so can push from the back wall quite strongly. Maybe not, but I'm sure glad I got them made with hinged doors.

Mags you a fellow Melamine user too hey!
I love melamine.I use a maple laminate to match my pine furniture.It looks good,is easy to clean and cheap to build The only reason I dont use Hinged doors is the effort in making them (the frame work has to be cut by circular saw on 45*angles,then you need a router to make the glass flush with the frame and I dont own one of them ) I have attempted 1 hinged door routing the edges with the saw and it turned out good but was very time consuming.I also made 1 without routing the frames edges and simply screwing perspex to the inside,It looked great from the outside but a little dodgy on the inside (wasn't really that bad but not good enough for my liking ,it was a customers cage and he was happy with it,but for my own stock I prefer everything perfect lol)

[Magpie]

Nah, none of that cutting to 45degrees nonsense.
Get a square bit of melamine, the size of your door (it is your door really). Using a stepped router bit, route a square hole in the door leaving 100mm or so around the edges. If you set it up right, the step on the bit does the rebate for the glass.
PS. routers are about $100 dollars now so no excuse!

[Nicole]

Thanks Cyber, yeah that's what I meant in my own babbling way.

Have you guys got any design tips for an Olive enclosure?

I'm going to do 1200mm H x 1500 L x 650 D.
The base, back and side doors will be the same design as the enclosures I have now, same lighting also. I will go with two heat sources in the ceiling instead of one. It will be on 6 heavy duty castors instead of 4.

This is as much as I have decided but I'm not sure what to do with the glass? I don't like sliding, but a piece of glass 1100 x 1400 would be damned heavy... What other ideas do you have people?

Also, would you increase ventilation to more than the standard size enclosure?

[Magpie]

Twin hinged doors.
Two doors, both hinged on the outside, 1 uses barrel bolts to hold itself shut, the other uses a keyed lock to hold to the one with the bolts.
This is how my 3' x 2' x 2's work anyway.

Mags
Kewl,I will have to invest in a router 1 day (saves using the saw hehe!

Nic
Sounds perfect!
Perhaps perspex would be the best option.
Its strong,light and easy to modify (add handles or cut to length etc).