Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Hey everyone, Im having a hard time with building a rack. Mostly because i am so indecisive, i would like to A. save money, B. keep weight down, and C. have some type of uniformity because i will most likely be building more when hatch-lings come and my females get BIG! My problem is i dont want to use melamine, id like to avoid spending that much, and its heavy. I cant track down pvc sheets ANYwhere and again it would still probably be a little pricey. So im looking for alternatives and i dont see why plywood wouldnt be feasible. I need it to hold 28 qt sterilite tubs since they dont make 32 anymore ( i think the dimensions are the same though) and i was thinking of just using some type of sealant on the underside of the shelves to keep the humidity from warping the wood. I was wondering if anybody had used plywood or had any other ideas. Maybe a suggestion on a sealant that is no toxic, i dont want my snakes getting sick. Any advice would be greatly appreciated im having a hard time. Thanks
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Serpent Merchant
When you add it all up using plywood isn't going to save you much money, as you will have to spend a good bit on sealing the plywood, and thick plywood isn't nearly as cheap as the thin stuff.
If you go with ply I would recommend 1/2" thick ply That has been sealed very well as plywood is usually very porous.
I highly recommend that you look into the economy line of racks sold by AnimalPlastics and/or the racks sold by RBI
AP:
http://www.animalplastics.com
RBI:
http://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-rack-systems
A professionally made rack will be much lighter than a home made rack, and in most cases will be better made (since they use computer controlled routers to make all of the parts with extreme precision)
I definetly would like to invest in some plastic racks but was thinking plywood for now. Just to last a little while. 1/2 in would be my choice definetly and I was thinking of just sealijg the underside of the shelves where they will serve as the top of the tub. That's really the only part that would have to be resistent to humidity I would assume right? Only thing is I don't know what I could use that would not hurt the animals. Maybe latex paint or a water based sealant as opposed to oil.
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
my entire set up is wood and never had to deal with wood mites.... never even herd of anyone dealing with them from processed wood.
My question is whats the big deal with it being heavy? do you really move your rack that much? 35 bucks for a 3/4 inch 4x8 piece of melamine and a 2 dollar tube of caulk and you're not going to have issues. cheapest i could find pvc sheet around me was 125 bucks and it was only 1/2 inch. the sag depends on many factors, I've talked to people using 20 year old racks made of melamine and no sag. support it well and take care of it, just like anything else.
but if your set on using thinner plywood, you might run into issues with design, make sure it is supported very well. also I would seal the entire thing, the tubs are not air tight, the humidity is going to be high in the rack pockets, not just in the tub.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...9206760438.jpg
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Yea I'm not worried about mites. Good point the tubs aren't air tight. Sealing the entire inside would definetly be better. The weight isn't too much of an issue, but I will definetly have to move it at some point I don't plan on living where I'm at forever. I've seen people put casters on them that would be a good idea. I would just like to get the most space for the lowest price of course, plus I will need more when three clutches of eggs hatch and my females get bigger they'll need to be moved to 41 qt tubs. Plus ill have plenty of subs and adults and I would like to have a rack that holds 14 or 16 28qt tubs as opposed to 7 or 8. Likewise for babies. And id like to have the option to move them when I want. So I'm just trying to get the most bang for my buck until I upgrade to plastic.
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Nice those are sick man. They look clean too. Better then malemine in my opinion. I'm definetly going with plywood now! I don't why everybody is so against it. Its lighter and cheaper and if sealed properly I don't see why it can't be just as effective. Do you use belly heat in yours? Any problems with the flexwatt on it? I'm thinking of taking a suggestion you made on another post and contacting a local cabinet maker and trying to get some pre sealed. Hopefully the can cut it for me too. I feel much better about it thanks. That incubator is nice too i ll need to start looking into one soon and was thinking about building one too. Definetly think ill do that also. Thanks again man
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MaxT815
Nice those are sick man. They look clean too. Better then malemine in my opinion. I'm definetly going with plywood now! I don't why everybody is so against it. Its lighter and cheaper and if sealed properly I don't see why it can't be just as effective. Do you use belly heat in yours? Any problems with the flexwatt on it? I'm thinking of taking a suggestion you made on another post and contacting a local cabinet maker and trying to get some pre sealed. Hopefully the can cut it for me too. I feel much better about it thanks. That incubator is nice too i ll need to start looking into one soon and was thinking about building one too. Definetly think ill do that also. Thanks again man
I use back heat in my racks and RHP for the burms cages. For the incubator I lined the inside with Formica to withstand so much humidity and heated it with heat cable. Flexwatt isnt a problem either though. I have a sample that we take to expos that we set up to display belly heat using the same material
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
satomi325
Man thats BA!! Thats a really good idea! i like the door thats sick. Just Shellac huh thats all? I really like it thats really cool.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
grits
I use back heat in my racks and RHP for the burms cages. For the incubator I lined the inside with Formica to withstand so much humidity and heated it with heat cable. Flexwatt isnt a problem either though. I have a sample that we take to expos that we set up to display belly heat using the same material
Ok cool. im going to go with the belly heat for sure. I was going to look for a wine cooler or see if i could pick up an old fridge or freezer or something but id really like a glass door. I think building one would be more interesting i enjoy the DIY projects. I think an incubator would be great to build i just dont want to do the trial and error process seeing as it will be housing potentially a couple grand worth of reptiles! but i like your design its clean, and simple. Maybe you could give me a few pointers come time to build
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MaxT815
Maybe you could give me a few pointers come time to build
Id be glad too
Re: Anybody build a rack out of plywood?
Here's one I made 3 or so years ago. Still as good as the day I built it
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...01115626-1.jpg
