DIY heat mat.

[DeadCricket]

I want it placed outside the entrance to the hide. Its hard to tell in that photo but because of the basking spot, half the enclosure is put in shade and that decreases the temp of the enclosure dramitically.
I wouldnt place the heat mat under the hide, it just has to fit around that knoby looking piece of the structure at the bottom of the photo, the right hand section of the structure.

Easily enough cut to shape and size

 

[t.Man]

Anyone in Melbourne found somewhere to get the 10mm square fluteboard?

 

[saximus]

Try contacting Corex directly. I emailed them asking for suppliers in my area and they responded within a day

 

[RSPcrazy]

Try contacting Corex directly. I emailed them asking for suppliers in my area and they responded within a day

So who and where are these suppliers around Windsor? I have a full clear sheet in my back yard, but I'm after a white sheet.

 

[saximus]

Haha there are none apparently. They suggested PP Technology in Rivo. He said they aren't a reseller but none of the resellers in our area stock 10mm stuff

 

[mudgudgeon]

does anyone know how this will go as a heat mat if placed under the substrate. I have a styrofoam hide/basking spot at one end directly beneath a heat lamp. As a result the substrate directly beneath the basking spot is shaded and although the basking spot temp is high, the sand is quiet cool to the touch. As my basking spot is made from styrofoam, covered in grout, I dont want to place a traditional heat mat under it as im worried it will melt the foam. Im thinking about cutting the coreflute to shape and "fitting" it into the base of the hide/basking spot. Would this be a better option then having a heat mat fully under the styrofoam structure, almost with direct contact??
Heres a pic to show where Im talking about.

This is what I've done for my EWDs, they love it


I used a 15 watt heat cord, it's under a slate tile sandwiched between a piece of melamine.
It runs at 35 degrees by itself, I have it under a ceramic heat lamp also, temp is about 38 with both running.

 

[Snowman]

Made a basking shelf/heat panel on the weekend. Still running tests with it.
I used fiberglass fly screen for the cage under the panel. It's soft and wont hurt the animals nose if it rubs against it.
The shelf gets to 40 degrees on top and 31 underneath on the floor. I have drilled a hole into the shelf from the back for a thermostat probe. Though I'm running it flat out at present for max temps in my tests.

 

[saximus]

Looking good Snowman. Is that a 50W cord?

 

[Snowman]

yeah it's a 50w cord. The enclosure will be for my yearling BHP. Though he will out grow it at the rate it's going.

 

[J-A-X]

That's looking good so far Snow, I'm glad you're putting up step by steps, like they say ... A pictures worth 1,000 words. I'm glad you have the time to do some serious testing too. Do you have The glass to put in? It would give it a great "in the real world" test

Thank you for all of your time and effort

Has anyone managed to source the 10mm core-flute in SA yet?

 

[saximus]

Just use the 5mm if you can't find the bigger stuff Jax. You need to trim the fat part off the end but if you're careful with the Stanley knife you can trim it down without having to re-terminate it afterwards. I exposed the metal but a bit of heat shrink fixed that

 

[Snowman]

Haven't got the glass yet but will test with glass once I get it.

 

[user 16324]

That's looking good so far Snow, I'm glad you're putting up step by steps, like they say ... A pictures worth 1,000 words. I'm glad you have the time to do some serious testing too. Do you have The glass to put in? It would give it a great "in the real world" test

Thank you for all of your time and effort

Has anyone managed to source the 10mm core-flute in SA yet?

yes i got a quote from a company called Adelaide sign design but they could only sell it to me by the sheet. This is the email they sent me.

"Hi we don't have a piece of 10mm in stock so we would have to get it in specially for you therefore it will cost $110 INC GST and it will be a full sheet at 3660mm x 1220mm"

 

[J-A-X]

Good grief ! That's an expensive piece of plastic cardboard. I'm sure there has to be somewhere that has it, it's just a matter of finding them.

@saximus, I'm really not comfortable trimming the end, surely it's thick for a reason - ?!

 

[saximus]

lol it's thick because the end termination is in it which is a bit bigger than the regular wire. Get yourself a sacrificial 15W one or something and just play with it. Like I said, if you put some heat shrink over the end once you're finished it will be no different to if you hadn't touched it in the first place. I got a 600x900 sheet of the 5mm stuff from bunnings for like $8. Better than your quote for $110

 

[DeadCricket]

Good grief ! That's an expensive piece of plastic cardboard. I'm sure there has to be somewhere that has it, it's just a matter of finding them.

@saximus, I'm really not comfortable trimming the end, surely it's thick for a reason - ?!

I'm guessing its the way it sets when they pour it. Mine has been running on a trimmed and reinsulated end for over a week now with no issues

 

[J-A-X]

I'd still like to hear an electricians view on the long term potential risk, I know I'm being probably over cautious but we're talking about an electrically heated wire

 

[saximus]

You're talking to one . As long as it's re-insulated properly and you don't disturb the termination on the end it doesn't matter

 

[J-A-X]

Sorry sax, I wasn't meaning to sound disrespectful, just wasn't aware you were 'electrically trained' - no doubt you've mentioned it somewhere along the line and I missed it ( or forgot - I'll blame a head cold). I know first hand that electricity isn't something to be treated lightly and wanted to be super sure that there isn't something in the end of the cord that could be upset by reducing the thickness of the end.

Now where did I put the Stanley knife and the dusty 15w cord !!!

 

[saximus]

Haha no offence taken. By all means get more opinions. I would guess the extra thickness is just because the termination is thicker than the wire and also just so it doesn't bend as easily as the rest because it could eventually damage the termination if it could be bent and wiggled