Hey guys,
I used this guide to make my own enclosure. Worked out great! (Reference source Striking Serpents).
"Supplies
To build this cage you will need the following tools and supplies:
2 sheets of 2ft by 4ft 3/4 inch melamine*
2 sheets of 1 ft by 4ft 3/4...

The coating on melamine is like countertop and I caulk all the seams so I should have no worries!

Cool thanks because I'm building some for my my boa's.

So 4x2 is large enough for an adult BCI? I am thinking of adjusting the plans to be 6x2 for when my BCI is full grown.

Sure. 4x2 of floor space is plenty for most adult boas. More room never hurt anything though!

Well I have been searching around for how to build a cage and this is the best one I have found. One question, Mine will be housing a bearded dragon, so I will be making it 4x4x2, but what would you suggest to be able to put a basking lamp in there for them? I was thinking about not using a wood top and making my own screen top for it. What do you guys think would be the best way to go about this. Thanks

Nice set of planes for someone to use. The two thing I would change would be the side and back panels. I would have them inside the cage instead of out side the cage. So have the top and bottom are sitting on the side and back panel instead. This will make the cage a lot stronger and less chance of it to bow or blow out the top panel. The screws are holding most of the weight the way you made it. All you will need to do is make the side 1-1/2 inches shorter in height and the cage will be the same size as the one you have made. You will still have to cut 1-1/2 inches off the back panel for height and length and don't cut the top or bottom sheets down the 1-1/2 inches.

You can kind of see what I mean in this picture.


I also like sealed plywood over melamine for wood cages.
take care
Tom

Well after seein this post I went ahead and made my own, I will see if I can pictures a little later when i get it finished. I made mine 4x4x2. I also made it so the top can open and put the heater cover vents in for ventalation. A 40 gallon breeder tank with top costs about 120.00 around here I have a cage twice the size for a about 150.00. Great thread thank you.

I am also building an enclosure very similar to yours but I have a question. Where did you get that glass slide tracking? I have looked everywhere around me and nobody seems to know what I am asking for ....

I found mine at a glass shop. Most people have to order it online
http://doitbest.com/Sliding+door+har...sku-224055.dib

Is melamine the same stuff that the cheaper cabinets that you can buy at Walmart and put together once you get home? If so, then doesnt that stuff bubble up when it gets wet? I am just curious because I was very interested in this tutorial and I would like to build one myself. And is a full grown red-tail able to have this cage as a permanent enclosure?

Mark

Melamine is very similar stuff, but not completely the same.

The cheap furnature you are talking about is Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) that has basically what amounts to contact paper stuck to it. Melamine has a vinyl like product coating it. Either way, yes, it can bubble up over time when exposed to heat and humidity, but not nearly as bad as the stuff you are talking about.

thanks for the info. What can be done to the melamine to protect it better from moisture or what else could be used to build the cage?

Mark

One important thing that anyone can do to melamine to make it more water resistant is to purchase the edge sealing material... it is the same material that the melamine is coated with, but in thin strips designed to protect the edges of the board. You affix it with an iron.

Sealing the edges and corners of the completed cage with silicone caulk is also a good practice as it is moisture rather than heat that is highly detrimental to MDF.

You can construct cages out of many many materials and all have their drawbacks and advantages. Here are just a couple. Plywood is cheap, but you will want to use polycrylic on every interior surface to protect it from moisture. It also warps easily. Plastic makes a great cage material, but it is hard to work with if you don't have special training and/or special tools.

Would this warp and bubble and get ruined really fast in a room that is kept at 70% humidity?

Yup. So would your walls and floor.

I havnt had any problems with it so far and its been like this for a year. I have 30+ geckos in that room and it stays that high cause of misting. So the best bet would to go with an AP enclosure?

AP, Boaphile, BARRS... If it's made of plastic, I feel it is superior... bit much more spendy.

It's basically formica countertop. Like in a kitchen. It can get wet. It can take humidity. It is not what the furniture at Wal-Mart is made of. It's inexpensive countertop.

what do you make the quarter inch gap with between the cages?

I just went get some materials, but they only had small pieces of melamine precut. So I got MDF anyone know what I should cover it with to make it liquid resistant and not harmful to reps. $54.00 got me enough wood to make 2 4Lx2Wx14"H and maybe a base cage for small rep. Its awsome.