Wanting to build my own cage.

[DSGB]

Whats up GTP guys? Well I am wanting to build a cage for my new "biak-type" (Ive been reading Gregs book!!!!!!!) Does home depot or lowes have that melamine stuff? And i dont think i poses the skills to build sliding glass doors, what do you guys think? All tips are greatly appreciated!!

[Rejekt]

you should be able to find melamine at home depot or lowes, and sliding glass doors are fairly easy. on my beardie cage i built i had sliding plexi doors, i used small rails found at home depo there kinda like guides and place them so the glass fits inside of them :
http://www.patwin.com/images/photos/sec3photo.jpg
something similar to that for the sliding doors. thats what i used

[zakomak]

I'm also thinking about building one, and at lowes they had some, but it was already cut. They were really narrow cut too, kinda like a shelf, so it was basically useless unless you glued them together side by side. I'm going to eventually check out home depot to see if they have it. Might be better off going to a local lumber place.

*edit*

Also, lowes can cut the plexi-glass for you.

[PythonWallace]

Home Depot should have all the basic materials you need. I built a 14x14x14 clear acrylic cube enclosure for my small Biak type, with clear acrylic hinges, clasps and clear acrylic rods for perches. It looked sweet. If you use melamine get some of the 3/4" iron-on trim for the raw edges. Home Depot will cut the melamine to size for you, too.

If I was going to make a melamine enclosure for a GTP I'd use a 2" circle cutter drill bit to make the vents, use some white Krylon plasti-kote paint to clean up the raw edges and cover them with metal finger guards made for computer fans. That would look tight. I'd also use some 2mil clear laminate on all the inside walls so the humidity/wetness required for GTPs doesn't warp the boards. I am picking some up tonight to coat all my racks. Good luck, and be sure to post some pictures when you finish it.

[Brandon Osborne]

Be careful what you buy from Lowe's and Home Depot. Sometimes they sell a low grade melamine with a paper coating rather than a plastic coating. You can find melamine pre-cut into 24x48 boards with the plastic coating for around $10-11 each. This is a pretty good size to work with. Get 2 sheets and have them cut 20" off the length for your sides.

Screw your top and bottom with your sides to the inside of the cage structure.....so your side walls are sitting on your floor and your top is sitting on your side walls. ALWAYS PRE-DRILL YOUR HOLES WHEN USING MELAMINE.

If they have plastic coated melamine shelving, get one piece and have it cut into 2-3" strips for use as a litter guard on the bottom and top of the cage face. When attaching these, place them 1/8-1/4" inside the front of the cage.

Get a sheet of white shower board (dry erase) for the back. A 4x8 sheet is around $10. This can be cut to fit the back of the cage and can also be cut for vent placement. Before securing the back, caulk the inside front of the cage where the litter guard is. Trust me, it's so much easier to do it before the back it on.

As for the sliding glass, you can find the tracking at www.outwaterplastics.com. It should tell you how to measure glass for your opening.

Here are some chondro cages I built last year. These are all 40 x 20 x 20 and 30 x 20 x 20. Because of the black melamine, they ran me about $80-90 ea completed. The smaller cubes on top are 20" PVC cages.

[PythonWallace]

Be careful what you buy from Lowe's and Home Depot. Sometimes they sell a low grade melamine with a paper coating rather than a plastic coating. You can find melamine pre-cut into 24x48 boards with the plastic coating for around $10-11 each. This is a pretty good size to work with. Get 2 sheets and have them cut 20" off the length for your sides.

Screw your top and bottom with your sides to the inside of the cage structure.....so your side walls are sitting on your floor and your top is sitting on your side walls. ALWAYS PRE-DRILL YOUR HOLES WHEN USING MELAMINE.

If they have plastic coated melamine shelving, get one piece and have it cut into 2-3" strips for use as a litter guard on the bottom and top of the cage face. When attaching these, place them 1/8-1/4" inside the front of the cage.

Get a sheet of white shower board (dry erase) for the back. A 4x8 sheet is around $10. This can be cut to fit the back of the cage and can also be cut for vent placement. Before securing the back, caulk the inside front of the cage where the litter guard is. Trust me, it's so much easier to do it before the back it on.

As for the sliding glass, you can find the tracking at www.outwaterplastics.com. It should tell you how to measure glass for your opening.

Here are some chondro cages I built last year. These are all 40 x 20 x 20 and 30 x 20 x 20. Because of the black melamine, they ran me about $80-90 ea completed. The smaller cubes on top are 20" PVC cages.

Nice job on those, man. That black melamine looks sharp.

[DSGB]

Wow those are nice lookin Brandon. I want mine to look like those. Ive never tried to build anything like this so hopefully the guys at home depot will help out a bit. Maybe i can get my grumpy old man to help out!!

[Brandon Osborne]

Wow those are nice lookin Brandon. I want mine to look like those. Ive never tried to build anything like this so hopefully the guys at home depot will help out a bit. Maybe i can get my grumpy old man to help out!!

Thanks for the compliments. I'm in the process of helping a friend build 3 more for his room.....which is where all of my chondros are at right now.

Don't expect the guys at HD to help you. Most really don't have a clue when it comes to building or construction. You might also try a local millwork or cabinet shop. HD and Lowe's do no carry black melamine and it's like talking to a wall about ordering the right stuff from them.

Some cabinet shops will cut your materials for a small fee and they will be perfect cuts. You could ask them about assembling the cage as well and adding the other items yourself later on.

Depending on the market price, black melamine runs $45-60 per sheet, where white is around $32-45 per sheet.

These cages take very little time to put together. I would estimate from start to finish, about 1 hour per cage....if all of your cuts are made before hand. They are surprisingly simple build. It's easier to have them cut it for you because of the weight. A 4x8 sheet of 3/4" melamine weighs around 75lbs....which in my opinion is the only downfall of melamine. I've sprayed and sprayed these cages, and as long as they are sealed properly, you shouldn't have to worry about warping.

[DSGB]

What is your opinion of MDF? I skipped a few chapters in "The More Complete Chondro" to read about caging. Does hd or lowes have the stuff to water proof it? Im sure im gonna use melamine though. Also what size do you keep your yearlings in?

[DSGB]

Also, Why not use melamine for the back piece instead of the white shower board? Is melamine hard to cut?