This is my latest project, something that was desperately needed to get the herp room better organized.
This is the easy to make 3 tier rack.
This is a very simple project, all of the joints are made with the dowel style that I used on the
Screen Tops Project
The materials for this is seven 8' 2x2s, non treated wood, 3' of 3/16 dowel, synthetic wood glue and basic handtools, drill hand saw, hammer knife etc.
You can use screws instead of dowels, but the final look will be somewhat different and since it is a structural design, all them joints do need to be glued as well. For this project, I used synthetic wood glue vs. white wood glue, not just for strength, but for the extended cure time which allows the time needed to assemble the main frame and ease of squaring the frame prior to completion.
A close up of a joint.
You can see the dried glue in between the joints. The synthetic is activated by wetting the wood with water, allowing it to foam and seep into the wood for a very strong bond.
You can also see the hole from the dowel on the top of the cross brace.
Once fully cured, roughly 18 to 24 hours, the excess glue can be easily trimmed away with a sharp knife.
The final product (unfinished) with the future homes in place.
***Stability note -
In order for the rack to remain upright while holding the weight of the tanks and animals, it is essential that the feet extend out several inches on the front side. (see above pics)
This will help prevent the rack from leaning forward and or being knocked over by accident.
To help prevent stubbed toes
, the front of the feet can be cut with a 45 degree angle also.
