Make a top for my cage!

I got a larger tank for my Burm today FOR FREE!! It's 4X3X3 and made from 1/4 thick glass. It's a large step up for for him. What in the crap am I suppose to do for a top for this thing? I have to keep in the humidity and make it secure. I am on a serious budget. ANY suggestions are much appreciated.

A picture would help :p

Custom build a top using wood or melamine.

I would suggest using melamine for easy clean. You can make the top of the cage look like a coffee table, with legs made from 2x4's painted white and the melamine top. When I built my cage I measured everything out then started to brain storm, and made sure my designs worked.

I made a top years ago for my 150 gallon glass tank.

I framed wood around it so that it sat just below the top plastic lip that lines the tank. I used bolts to go through t-nuts in the wood to sit snugly underneath that plastic lip so that the top could not be lifted off.

You can then add a hinged top to the wooden frame you've attached to your tank. If you need a heating source other than flexwatt, you could consider running stationary ribs front to back on this frame so that you could mount a heat panel or enclosed CHE.

I made a few sheets of ventilated polycarbonate as windows in the top that I framed into the wooden hinged lid.

The polycarbonate isn't cheap, somewhere around 15 bucks for a 12"x"18" sheet or so, but the wood and sealer would cost you 20 bucks. I think a can of polycrylic would do the job, just let it air out for a week before you put the snake in.

Melamine sheets are gonna cost you a lot more money than sealing your own wood... I'd guess 2-3x more expensive that way.

I ended up making one out of 5mm plexiglas. Silicones the hinges and locks, cut ventilation holes and heat lamp holes. It looks awesome. I'll have to get a picture up. I'm really orpine of how it turned out.

This is what I made...
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/...p21024x567.jpg
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/...p11024x481.jpg

I like the look of that top you made, but I'm worried about the lock/hinge attachment.

I know silicone is very strong for glass joints in aquariums, but are you sure it has that same strength in this type of application? I could see a juvenile popping that off, plexiglass has some flex to it and those locks are only set an inch into the top.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slyther83

I like the look of that top you made, but I'm worried about the lock/hinge attachment.

I know silicone is very strong for glass joints in aquariums, but are you sure it has that same strength in this type of application? I could see a juvenile popping that off, plexiglass has some flex to it and those locks are only set an inch into the top.

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You were right. I pulled on them last night just as a test.... They popped off after I applied a bit too much force. Now they are clear Gorilla glue.

If the Gorilla glue starts to wear off you can buy grooved molding and create an edging, this can also be done around the cage to add done look. I like your top, I'll make sure to recommend this to others. How thick is the plexiglass?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by cmz1234

If the Gorilla glue starts to wear off you can buy grooved molding and create an edging, this can also be done around the cage to add done look. I like your top, I'll make sure to recommend this to others. How thick is the plexiglass?

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I think it's .092" which is about 5mm? It's pretty darn sturdy.


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