hubzo
New Member
DIY Enclosure from TVstand total cost $541
Hi all,
I thought some of you may be interested in this DIY enclosure i made out of an old tv stand and cupboard
firstly i removed a draw that was at the bottom and I cut down the timber sliding doors underneath to increase overall enclosure size for the snake. was going to get rid of the cupboard underneath all together but i chose to just reduce the size so i still had somewhere to hide the thermos and timers.
For the background i used plywood and 40mm polystyrene sheets glued to the ply and carved it out to create the rock look. then i used flexible tile grout and watered it down enough to be brush paintable consistancy. ( this gives you a rock feel and texture)
i also waterproofed the polystyrene before grouting it.
For the door on the left i got an old house hold security door off a junk pile and stripped it down, cut it to size and re assembled it to the right size of the opening. (purchased a brand new handle because the old one had a dicky locking mechanism)
for the screen on the opposite side i used the same method as cutting down the old door but this time i used an old fly screen frame which i cut down.
fitted the door and screen with wire mesh and cork to hold it in instead of rubber (holds better)
for the hole in the top for the external light box to shine through i also cut down an old fly screen and used wire mesh
i found both hollow logs on a beach, i cleaned them and prepped them and once i had a flat cut on the top log hide i mounted it onto the ply backing after i had cut a hole in the foam so it could sit up tight to the ply.
for the front i opted to use glass instead of perspex as ive used in the past, just to give it a more classy look. and used aluminium angles to keep it snug. (made the glass panel easily removable)
i also cut perspex the size of the screen door and other side just incase i ever wanted to make it more air tight. these are designed to be held in place by little turnclips.
In summer the only heat source is the light box (2 UV's and a low watt heat bulb) on a thermo. and in winter i have 3 heat souces ( light box, heat rock in log hide, heat matt on one end of cage floor) running, all thermo controlled and on timers to change at different parts of the day to make the snake move around more. The green leaves are fake, although the air plant is real, and is growing, its been in there for about 12 months and has gone dry a few times but i just mist it a little and it thrives again within a few days
hope at least someone can be inspired by this because i beleive home made terrariums and enclosures are better than the bought types.
total cost $541 which is including all electrical components and bulbs
Hi all,
I thought some of you may be interested in this DIY enclosure i made out of an old tv stand and cupboard
firstly i removed a draw that was at the bottom and I cut down the timber sliding doors underneath to increase overall enclosure size for the snake. was going to get rid of the cupboard underneath all together but i chose to just reduce the size so i still had somewhere to hide the thermos and timers.
For the background i used plywood and 40mm polystyrene sheets glued to the ply and carved it out to create the rock look. then i used flexible tile grout and watered it down enough to be brush paintable consistancy. ( this gives you a rock feel and texture)
i also waterproofed the polystyrene before grouting it.
For the door on the left i got an old house hold security door off a junk pile and stripped it down, cut it to size and re assembled it to the right size of the opening. (purchased a brand new handle because the old one had a dicky locking mechanism)
for the screen on the opposite side i used the same method as cutting down the old door but this time i used an old fly screen frame which i cut down.
fitted the door and screen with wire mesh and cork to hold it in instead of rubber (holds better)
for the hole in the top for the external light box to shine through i also cut down an old fly screen and used wire mesh
i found both hollow logs on a beach, i cleaned them and prepped them and once i had a flat cut on the top log hide i mounted it onto the ply backing after i had cut a hole in the foam so it could sit up tight to the ply.
for the front i opted to use glass instead of perspex as ive used in the past, just to give it a more classy look. and used aluminium angles to keep it snug. (made the glass panel easily removable)
i also cut perspex the size of the screen door and other side just incase i ever wanted to make it more air tight. these are designed to be held in place by little turnclips.
In summer the only heat source is the light box (2 UV's and a low watt heat bulb) on a thermo. and in winter i have 3 heat souces ( light box, heat rock in log hide, heat matt on one end of cage floor) running, all thermo controlled and on timers to change at different parts of the day to make the snake move around more. The green leaves are fake, although the air plant is real, and is growing, its been in there for about 12 months and has gone dry a few times but i just mist it a little and it thrives again within a few days
hope at least someone can be inspired by this because i beleive home made terrariums and enclosures are better than the bought types.
total cost $541 which is including all electrical components and bulbsAttachments
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