Plywood Enclosures

[Amelia]

I've having a few plywood enclosures made up, up until now I've only ever used melamine & tubs.

They're being used to house Green tree pythons & Roughies. I plan on painting them, what kind of safe sealant can those with experience recommend? Is it possible to retain a matte paint look with the addition of a sealant or do I just have to deal with glossiness?

The heating sources being used are habistat heat panels, any more advice in regards to using them in conjunction with plywood or sealant?

 

[Virides]

Gloss, Satin, Matte are just finishes, the sealing properties are the same. Matte/Satin hide smudges and grime better than gloss.

Anything from Cabots, preferably oil based as it lasts longer. A general tip is to dip your brush in Turps, then in the varnish and do your first coat like this. The turps will allow for the varnish to penetrate deeper into the wood. Your remaining coats (recommended at least 2) are not to be thinned.

 

[andynic07]

Try some stuff called glass coat for a waterproof mirror finish.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Anything with a gloss surface will be more water resistant than satin or matt - the satin & matt surfaces are microtextured and don't clean as easily, and also tend to hold moisture for longer because they are not so smooth. Gloss surfaces are glossy because they have a high resin content at the surface which assists water resistance. The water-based poyurethanes are extremely durable - three or four coats over 2 days, with a light sanding between coats will give you a very wear and water resistant surface in far less time than using any oil-based products. Like any of the polyurethane products, you'll need to recoat promptly within a particular window of time - if they overcure, they become less sensitive to the adhesion of any following coats.

Water-based products will allow the use of the enclosure within a week or so - oil-based products will require at least 3-4 weeks to outgas and cure to a near odour-free state. The exception would be the two-pack floor products which have a fairly quick cure time because they have a high solids contents and not as much solvent, but they are noxious to use in a closed space. They are extremely durable once cured.

Jamie

 

[mjcarpentry]

I agree with virides. But I would use penetrol mixed with the oil based paint for penetration and excellent adhesion.

 

[Amelia]

Thank you kind sirs, This information is invaluable! I've decided to paint the inside & outside of them too.

What is the enclosure material of choice for keepers of greens? PVC is popular but I've noticed a shortage of suppliers within Australia, I like timbers curb appeal but wonder how it stands up to other materials in the long run?

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Amelia, there is a lightweight, waterproof foam composite PVC sheet made & sold by Nover in Australia, called "Prolight Plus." It's available in 16mm x 1200 x 2400 sheets, and is very easy to machine (on any benchsaw, as per MDF or melamine particleboard.) It does have a premium price, at around $150 per sheet (3 times the cost of quality melamine particleboard) but as it is waterptoof, it should outlast any of the usual products by a factor of many times. It is significantly lighter than the timber equivalents, but only comes in white.

I will be trying it soon myself when I upgrade my chondro enclosures. Apart from baffles at the front, one sheet will yield one 4x2x2 enclosure.

Jamie

 

[Skitzmixer]

Amelia, there is a lightweight, waterproof foam composite PVC sheet made & sold by Nover in Australia, called "Prolight Plus." It's available in 16mm x 1200 x 2400 sheets, and is very easy to machine (on any benchsaw, as per MDF or melamine particleboard.) It does have a premium price, at around $150 per sheet (3 times the cost of quality melamine particleboard) but as it is waterptoof, it should outlast any of the usual products by a factor of many times. It is significantly lighter than the timber equivalents, but only comes in white.

I will be trying it soon myself when I upgrade my chondro enclosures. Apart from baffles at the front, one sheet will yield one 4x2x2 enclosure.

Jamie

Once cut, is it just a simple glue and screw? or do you need a different method to join the pieces together?

 

[Amelia]

Amelia, there is a lightweight, waterproof foam composite PVC sheet made & sold by Nover in Australia, called "Prolight Plus." It's available in 16mm x 1200 x 2400 sheets, and is very easy to machine (on any benchsaw, as per MDF or melamine particleboard.) It does have a premium price, at around $150 per sheet (3 times the cost of quality melamine particleboard) but as it is waterptoof, it should outlast any of the usual products by a factor of many times. It is significantly lighter than the timber equivalents, but only comes in white.

I will be trying it soon myself when I upgrade my chondro enclosures. Apart from baffles at the front, one sheet will yield one 4x2x2 enclosure.

Jamie

This is great information, thank you. When you construct yours will you be using glass or acrylic hinged or sliding doors? I'd be very interested to see your design once you're ready to upgrade.

I've considered importing PVC enclosures, I like the look & functionality but am put off by the idea of warping/bowing. Not big on acrylic doors either being scratch prone.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Prolight Plus has similar rigidity to MDF or particleboard, and it is just as easy to drill & screw as those products. I guess you could use a PVC glue as well, but it bites very quickly and might make perfect alignment of the panels a bit more challenging. I have never glued the joints of melamine coated enclosure panels - the melamine just about guarantees that glueing is pointless - and the box structure is inherently strong anyway. Just make sure the joints are well sealed with a neutral cure kitchen/bathroom sealant. This step is probably not necessary for structural reasons if using Prolight, but it would serve to make the joints easier to clean when needed.

Not sure about the doors at this stage - sliding or hinged - but would definitely NEVER use acrylic - when wiped it becomes charged with static and attracts dust, it is highly prone to scratching, and it absorbs atmospheric moisture so will bow significantly if the humidity is higher on one side than the other (not good for GTP enclosures...) I had many years of experience with acrylic showcase covers when working at the WA Museum, and it's a pain in the butt for those and a few more reasons. BUT... it is far more clear than glass...

Jamie

 

[Amelia]

So at this stage it's between prolight & plywood. I'm busy compiling a list of all the must have features, trying to find a healthy medium where aesthetics & workability are concerned.

 

[Rogue5861]

There is also twin wall polycarb, comes in a range of tints and is used for greenhouses or pergola roofing. Great insulator, light weight and light transfer is good.

There are a lot of options out there to make suitable enclosures that arent damage by moisture, cost is the biggest factor though.

Bunnings sell a range of products called "connect-it", can also be used to frame enclosures and doors with any sort of acrylic used as the panels.


Rick

 

[Amelia]

Ah so that's the name of the product used to make some Green enclosures I was looking at earlier, very innovative! I'm prepared too spend quite a bit of money, I want them to tie in with my home's decor as well as meeting the requirements of my animals.

What about polypropylene faced plywood, no idea whether it's even viable as an enclosure option yet but it looks great.

 

[Rogue5861]

Ah so that's the name of the product used to make some Green enclosures I was looking at earlier, very innovative! I'm prepared too spend quite a bit of money, I want them to tie in with my home's decor as well as meeting the requirements of my animals.

What about polypropylene faced plywood, no idea whether it's even viable as an enclosure option yet but it looks great.

Are you talking filmply? Personally i would steer away, it looks horrid.


Rick

 

[hoppyd]

I agree with virides. But I would use penetrol mixed with the oil based paint for penetration and excellent adhesion.

Is there a mixing ratio that is recommended?