ajwill
Not so new Member
Posthumous apologies to my antique-loving Grandmother for this post.
We just picked up this lovely cabinet from the local tip shop on the weekend and are converting it for our new DP. I've got a fair bit of restoration experience and love antiques, so we're going to try and keep the outside looking as authentic as possible but also make sure it's as homely for our python as it can be. Cabinet is solid wood with masonite top and bottom. Back is going to be replaced with a double layer of 6mm masonite to hold all the vents and fittings.
This is it with the back, shelves and windows removed.
Am currently at the stripping back and re-varnishing stage but wanted to check a few things before I get too much further in.
1. Thickness of perspex for windows
Originally I looked into getting safety film for the glass (60 year old thin glass didn't fill me with confidence) but after a long convo with a film fitter (pressure is used to bond the film to the glass and this is impossible on the curved bits), we've decided to go with perspex for the windows. Will be using the thicker of the two curved windows as a jig to shape the perspex. I love my heat gun. Aware that persex isn't going to keep quite as well as glass but the cost of getting curved safety glass is prohibitive.
Am currently looking at 3mm perspex. I wouldn't use this for sliding doors because of the flex factor, but since these are framed windows I thought it would be thick enough. Any opinions on that?
2. Floor/wall size of cabinet
Total back wall surface area is 0.861 m2 (990x870mm), which I think is big enough for the NSW guidelines (0.625 min) since DP's are climbers (but then, the table in the appendix makes it a bit confusing). The floor space is only 990x290mm and I'm worried this might not give her much wandering room on the ground. There is an option to extend the back of the cabinet to make more floor space but it will dramatically alter the lines of the cabinet and I don't want to get into that unless it's essential. There will be at least two basking shelves installed across the back and a few other climbing options.
Is this big enough or should we extend the back by 200-400mm (or so) to give her more wandering room?
3. Quality of lock
Cabinet came with this very sexy original lock and since I collect keys I just happened to have one that fits and works. Had to chisel out the catch a bit to get it working but lock is now working perfectly. I've pushed at both the top and bottom of the door and it gives a little bit. But, is it strong enough to hold the door closed if a full grown python pushes on it?
Should we install extra latches at top/bottom just to be on the safe side?
We just picked up this lovely cabinet from the local tip shop on the weekend and are converting it for our new DP. I've got a fair bit of restoration experience and love antiques, so we're going to try and keep the outside looking as authentic as possible but also make sure it's as homely for our python as it can be. Cabinet is solid wood with masonite top and bottom. Back is going to be replaced with a double layer of 6mm masonite to hold all the vents and fittings.
This is it with the back, shelves and windows removed.
Am currently at the stripping back and re-varnishing stage but wanted to check a few things before I get too much further in.
1. Thickness of perspex for windows
Originally I looked into getting safety film for the glass (60 year old thin glass didn't fill me with confidence) but after a long convo with a film fitter (pressure is used to bond the film to the glass and this is impossible on the curved bits), we've decided to go with perspex for the windows. Will be using the thicker of the two curved windows as a jig to shape the perspex. I love my heat gun. Aware that persex isn't going to keep quite as well as glass but the cost of getting curved safety glass is prohibitive.
Am currently looking at 3mm perspex. I wouldn't use this for sliding doors because of the flex factor, but since these are framed windows I thought it would be thick enough. Any opinions on that?
2. Floor/wall size of cabinet
Total back wall surface area is 0.861 m2 (990x870mm), which I think is big enough for the NSW guidelines (0.625 min) since DP's are climbers (but then, the table in the appendix makes it a bit confusing). The floor space is only 990x290mm and I'm worried this might not give her much wandering room on the ground. There is an option to extend the back of the cabinet to make more floor space but it will dramatically alter the lines of the cabinet and I don't want to get into that unless it's essential. There will be at least two basking shelves installed across the back and a few other climbing options.
Is this big enough or should we extend the back by 200-400mm (or so) to give her more wandering room?
3. Quality of lock
Cabinet came with this very sexy original lock and since I collect keys I just happened to have one that fits and works. Had to chisel out the catch a bit to get it working but lock is now working perfectly. I've pushed at both the top and bottom of the door and it gives a little bit. But, is it strong enough to hold the door closed if a full grown python pushes on it?
Should we install extra latches at top/bottom just to be on the safe side?