Inexpensive Tank Tops! Complete How To! Dial up warning!

eddie · #1 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 04:32 AM

How often do you see the metal screen lids at pet stores, check out the prices and cringe?
How about for oddball sized tanks you have that noone makes a top for?

Those days are over!

This is a simple project anyone can do at home with a few basic tools and the need for a simple, nice looking top for small critters, such as most smaller lizards, some Ts' and others that normally don't require locking tops.

First off, the tank..
Typical 5 gallon glass aquarium.

The tools..
Drill, miter box and saw, staple gun, hammer, spring clamps and clamp board (plain wood, just to hold pieces flat) A few others not pictured- a sharp knife, tape measure and a small square.

The basic materials, aluminum screening, 3/16 dowel rod, screen moulding and 1x2 stock.

Now for the how to!

The top being made here, fits on top of the tank, seated on the inside lip of the plastic topping.

Begin by measuring the lip of the tank.

And cutting the first 45 degree angle on a 1x2, using the miter box and saw for a perfect cut.

Measure the peice you just cut, starting at the end of the point on the 45 and mark the wood with a pencil, so you will have the next cut easier to make.

The second cut, will have the 45 opposing the other ends cut, it will look like this and can be checked for fit at this time.

Go ahead and cut the rest of the sides, measuring and cuttin the same as the first was done. Tip- To insure squareness of the finished lid, make the opposite sides, equal to each other in length, the long sides the same and the short sides the same.

Now get the clamps, clamp block and square ready!
Put two of the peices together on the board, clamp them and check for squareness.

The clamps are a handy set of tools to have when drilling the holes for the dowels (same size bit as the dowel rod) or predrilling holes for wood screws. (I use dowels over screws as it lends to a neater look with no chance of rust stains or loosening)

The finished hole. It needs to go through the first section of wood and at least 3/4" to 1" into the second piece.
Drill slowly, with little pressure while holding the second piece of wood tightly to keep the joint from seperating while drilling.

Cut some of the dowel rod, about an inch longer than the holes you drilled for them and taper one end.
Spread wood glue on the joints and use a small stick to get a good amount of glue inside the holes.
The glue makes an incredibly strong joint and the glue inside the holes helps lubricate the dowels so they can be tapped in easily with a hammer.
Give the dowels a good coat of glue as well, tap them lightly while holding the two pieces together and don't worry about the excess glue that seeps out.
You can wipe it off with a damp paper towel.
The dowel, we'll trim off later.

Tapered dowel end beside non tapered. The taper helps start the dowel into the hole.

A good coat of glue.

Using a stick to coat the entire hole with glue.

Dowel driven in and excess glue wiped off.

One corner, complete with dowels, clamped down and being checked for squareness.

Finish the rest of the frame in the same manner, checking all the corners for squareness and clamping all four sides to the clamp block to keep its square while the glue cures and the frame becomes a single solid piece.

After the glue is cured and the framing tight, trim the dowels flush with the frame.
If using screws instead, don't worry about dowels.

Now test fit it to the tank and sand it smooth and finish or paint it.

That is the basic frame, tommorrow, we screen it

MTB Mamba · #2 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 04:54 AM

Wow, was that Bob Villa that just posted on here or what. Man that was a great little How-To with step by step and details. I'm sure that will be helpful to many. Thanks a ton. Just another example of what makes this site so great.

natas · #3 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 06:40 AM

Eddie:
Throw this up in the howto section along with "Buying Herps"

faze · #4 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoPure25

Wow, was that Bob Villa that just posted on here or what.

i knew eddie reminded me of someone......
eddie i do basicly the same thing but out of aluminum and fiberglass/nylon screen considering that i have such a abundance of it and since the metals made for it i can just pop out the old screen and replace it if need be....

eddie · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 09:59 PM

Nylon screen or fiberglass can be used, but I like the aluminum better for certain species due to chewing holes in the mesh along with another top design I use that the mesh supports the weight of the lid on the tank.
The aluminum hold up better in that design.

The critter I have that I suspect of eating the fiberglass mesh is a golden gecko.
I don't trust crix with it either

John_White · #6 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 11:45 PM

Eddie,
Thanks for the DIY (do it yourself) lesson!

John

Stormyva · #7 (**permalink**) 10-05-2003, 12:57 AM

Great looking cage toppers eddie.... how about some pics of the stained and finished tops

Geees I hate staining and applying finish!

JuliusSqueezer · #8 (**permalink**) 10-05-2003, 02:04 AM

Now if I could only learn how to better screen calls!

eddie · #9 (**permalink**) 10-05-2003, 03:18 PM

Now that you have your frame finished, it's time to put the screen on it.

Lay the frame on the screen mesh and trim it with scissors, allowing an extra inch on all four sides of the frame.

The first place to staple the screen is on two of the corners. These are just to hold the screen in position to make it easier to start with the permanent staples which I have begun in the center of the long sides. Once the middle is stapled, you can remove the corner staples.

When you staple the second permanent staple, you want to begin the screen stretching by giving the screen a gentle tug while shooting the second staple in.
It doesn't take much of a tug, just enough to make the screen slighly taunt.
From here on out, give a gentle tug to the screen before stapling.

Once you have a few staples in the long side, begin stapling in the centers of the short sides, starting in the center of the sides and working towards the corners.
Don't forget, gentle tugs on the screen and to alternate between the long and short sides with the staples, so that the screen gets stretched evenly.

The staples don't need to be perfectly in line with each other, they will be covered.

If at any time, you drive a staple too close to the edge, or aren't happy with the screens feel, no problem, pull the staple out with a small flat head screw driver, tug and re-shoot the staple.

When you have the screen completely stapled all the way around the frame, and you are satisfied with its look and feel, run your finger along the tops of the staples, feeling for ones that aren't seated or driven all the way in, or not quite straight in.

You can give those a light tap with a hammer to finish seating them.

Now let's get the screen moulding ready.
Start by making a 45 on the end of the moulding.

Then placing the 45 on the frame so that it lines up with the frames inside corner.

While holding the moulding in place, mark the opposite corner of the moulding with a pencil.
This mark will be the inside of the 45, opposite of the angle onthe other end.

Go ahead and cut the remaining sections of moulding, for the other sides, using the same method.

TIP- Place the two long and short sections of moulding with their counterparts, and make sure they are identical in length. You can trim with a sharp knife if needed to ensure a good match.

You should end up with this.

Once you are finished with the moulding cuts and final trim, if needed, it's time to put it all together.

These are the nails I use for all of my thin moulding work.

Start a nail near the end of one of the longer section, not driving it all the way through yet. This will make the job of aligning the mould with the frame much easier, than trying to hold everything at once.

Align the mould and frame, then tap the nail in about halfway so that it is easier to align the rest of the mould for a perfect fit.
(Tapping also, as the nails bend easily)

Be sure the mould is aligned properly, then drive a nail in the other end of the moulding, driving it in all the way. You can drive the first nail in now and continue putting nails along the moulding, to secure it to the frame.

Once you have the first piece attached, test fit the other peices.

As you can see by the photo, I have also started the first nail in the short side.
Continue aligning and nailing the pieces on.
This is what you are wanting with the alignment, perfect corners.

When you have all four sides attatched, you can trim the excess mesh with a sharp knife, allowing the blade to follow alongside the moulding.

After trimming the screen, be sure to inspect the entire trim area for extra or missed screening.
They can be worse than needles if not removed.
Simply run the blade over them to cut them off.

Now your lid is ready to be used.
It can sit onthe tank with the moulding up or down, for two different looks.

The finished product in use.

LdyDrgn · #10 (**permalink**) 10-05-2003, 07:40 PM

Very nice Eddie!

Boaguy · #11 (**permalink**) 10-05-2003, 08:13 PM

I'd like to see a picture of the other way the top can fit on, if possible

John

JuliusSqueezer · #12 (**permalink**) 10-06-2003, 04:32 PM

I have a good friend who makes them very similar to this but he routes them around the edges so they seet deeper inside the cage...then he drilled holes sideways through the sides and into the plastic lip of the tank...so he can slide wire pins in to lock them down...they work great. Nice job eddie. I'm about to start building an oak/tile coffee table so I gotta go buy a power miter saw anyway...I may make a few of these too.