Snaking flexwatt between shelves?

[towelie4365]

I'm about to put together my rack made of melamine--it will be 4 shelves heated with 4" flexwatt, holding 4x28qt tubs.

My question is, how do you get the flexwatt from one shelf to the next? I plan on just going up the side, then up to the next shelf, so should I somehow shave down the melamine to allow for a small channel for it to go through? Or should I just build the unit by putting in the flexwatt as I go, screwing it into place along with the shelf.

Also, if I have to shave it down, whats the best way? I have a .5" drill bit that can shave it down a bit, but is there a more efficient way?

[kitedemon]

Personally i don't like using melamine as I have no idea of how the formaldehyde out gassing effects snakes. That said I would not fasten it down so it can't be removed. racks are very difficult to clean and I remove the flexwatt for disinfecting every month it would be even harder to manage if the rack needed to come apart. Or maybe not depending on how it was designed... Perhaps some kind of knock down hardware would make cleaning the rack body (disinfecting) easier.

You can use a single strip or multiple strips either works, the single strip needs to ned at the ceiling not the floor as it runs along the width and up one side of each level many have had issues with the top being cool due to the last section being 6 inches shorter than all the others.

I like multiple strips all plugged into a custom cord with female plugs along it. This way one level can be done at one time. I am able to unplug a single section so it may be correctly disinfected. (saturated and left to stand for the contact time.) I worry about disinfectant and electricity.

[grits]

I set up my router with a straight bit in my router table and make notches that way. Here's some pics of a rack we did for a customer.