Boamaster Prices Jump $200+ Right Before I Order

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Originally Posted by wnateg

For how much per sheet? The sheets online are so expensive, like $150+ each. I've heard people making enclosures out of melamine.
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If I remember correctly they were around $90/sheet. But I priced them out maybe a year or more ago.
Melamine is sturdy but very heavy. I've never worked with melamine, but I'd be a bit concerned about moisture eventually breaking down the particle board. But I'm not too sure.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

If I remember correctly they were around $90/sheet. But I priced them out maybe a year or more ago.
Melamine is sturdy but very heavy. I've never worked with melamine, but I'd be a bit concerned about moisture eventually breaking down the particle board. But I'm not too sure.

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Me neither, but from my understanding, moisture is only a concern when the inside layer is exposed, so if the seams aren't sealed or scratches maybe. I think it could work fine for snakes. And it's so much cheaper. $30 / sheet!

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Originally Posted by wnateg

Me neither, but from my understanding, moisture is only a concern when the inside layer is exposed, so if the seams aren't sealed or scratches maybe. I think it could work fine for snakes. And it's so much cheaper. $30 / sheet!

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Yeah, definitely a lot cheaper. I know plenty of people use it, so it obviously works. I feel like I'd be inclined to go overboard sealing it though. But that's just me.

A buddy of mine years ago built a giant iguana enclosure using melamine. It was gorgeous. He's a carpenter as well, so he did it really well. He built it so that it could be broken down easily in case he ever needed to move it, which turned out to be handy. That may be something to consider depending how big you're going.

Yeah, $30/sheet. But also like 97lbs per sheet... I’d honestly go pvc all day over melamine


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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Yeah, $30/sheet. But also like 97lbs per sheet... I’d honestly go pvc all day over melamine


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Yea, not sure that's a viable option then. He is 70 something years old, not sure he wants to be lifting heavy pieces of melamine for me.

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Originally Posted by wnateg

Yea, not sure that's a viable option then. He is 70 something years old, not sure he wants to be lifting heavy pieces of melamine for me.

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Ah, that's a good point too.

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Yeah, $30/sheet. But also like 97lbs per sheet... I’d honestly go pvc all day over melamine


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I'm trying to find estimates about the weight of pvc sheets, and everything seems to be saying it's just as heavy.

http://www.siriusplastics.com/sheet-weight-calculator/

Edit: nevermind, looks like expanded pvc weighs about half.

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

What did Jon say about your cage? He never replied to either my text or FB messenger communications recently which is why I ordered pre cut panels for my cage mods through acme plastics. The cage he built for me is tough as nails though


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Originally Posted by wnateg

I asked him if he could make me a 72x24x24 without a center brace, and he said no problem, hes not worried about sag either, for $360 + shipping.

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I was going to place an order today, and it seems he's changed his mind or misunderstood, as he is saying the center is required now, so I'm back to square one, and I really need to place an order.

Have you considered hiring a local carpenter to build you a wooden cage or DIY-ing one yourself? Wood's pretty cheap, fairly light, and basically plastic if you put enough coats of epoxy over it. A pro carpenter should be able to build an enclosure to whatever dimensions you'd like. It may wind up being the most cost-efficient option, especially if you'd like some larger cages.

I'd imagine a cage as long as narrow as a 72x24x24 needs some sort of center brace, regardless of material and whether you want to stack on top of it or not.

No one with any cabinet construction know how is going to build a cage that long and narrow without a center support. There’s a reason none of the big manufacturers offer such a thing


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