Building new cage! follow my progress

So today I decided I'd build the first of my new enclosures.
It is going to measure 4' x 2' x 18" high.
Here's the start of it!
At this point I just have all the wood (3/4" 5 plywood) cut to size, and sanded.

note that in this pic, the top is actually laying down to the side, this cage will open from the front.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ages/cage1.jpg

Kinda big for a Ball.

that looks way to big for a ball python, anything over 30 gals would be fairly stressfull

That'd be good for a 7ft boa constrictor. :]

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Originally Posted by Nagini88

that looks way to big for a ball python, anything over 30 gals would be fairly stressfull

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Hmm I saw you post something similar in another thread.

I *highly* doubt that anything over 30g would be very stressful. Come on, give people some choice. It's highly likely that if you fill the tank up nicely it'll be excellent.

yeah my 5.5' boa is in a 4'x2'x18"

my bp's are in 4x2x1 but i got some big hunks of wood in there that take up about 60% of the cage plus it gives them like dozen hiding spots

on thing tho what type of plywood are you using?????

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Originally Posted by DutchHerp

Hmm I saw you post something similar in another thread.

I *highly* doubt that anything over 30g would be very stressful. Come on, give people some choice. It's highly likely that if you fill the tank up nicely it'll be excellent.

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It's a matter of opinion...
But I've seen many feeding issues resolved with a smaller tank.
20g long tanks are max adult ball python tanks in my mind, unless you have a huge female.

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

That'd be good for a 7ft boa constrictor. :]

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actually if my boa was 7 feet in length i would have him in a 6x2 or better yet a 6x3

Thanks Z&L; he has a success story with larger cages...so far at least ;)

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

It's a matter of opinion...
But I've seen many feeding issues resolved with a smaller tank.
20g long tanks are max adult ball python tanks in my mind, unless you have a huge female.

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we all know bp's like to live in small areas but gosh darn if the man want a 4x2 let him have a 4x2 cause i have 4 4x2's and then for my baby i have a 18"x12"x????16" or maybe just 12" i don't really remember

The idea was that it would be big enough to house a boa or something larger than a ball in the future. This is just a prototype more or less, the next cage might be smaller. Second cage will be housing my 8 month old corn, but at the bare minimum that one will be reducable down to 2x1.

This box is made of some unheard of made in china wood from home depot, shouldn't matter seeing as it is going to be stained and sealed with several coats.

thats cool. how much was the 3/4 sheet? did you buy as a 4x8sheet

one good thing about 3/4" is strong but dang its heavy. Have you seen pics of my rack. its made of 1/2 birch and without any doors one on it it weighed close to 300lbs hmmm maybe lower 2ish.

so are you gonna do what i call GCN - glue,clamp,and nail it since your gonna stain it. cause if wouldn't come out like you want it if you put screws in it.

I DO KNOW FOR A MATTER OF FACT: my next cage will be 6x2. 1st tier will be 16" or 18" high (that boa wont need all that headroom unless someone disagrees with me). then 2nd tier will be split into two sections 12" high and the same with the 3rd tier. so that ill give me a total of 5 cages. and thos will be my show cages the rest will be rbi rack. As soon as i get my own house again im gnnna start breeding mice and rats and then breeding BP's i want some really exotic morphs. lets just hope i find a lady that will stay home and take care of my babys while im on the road doing jobs for weeks at a time

This is mean lady's holla me single man present that travels. YOU never know i could end up workin in your home town or where you live for a week or 2 or 3

This was a CHEAP sheet of wood, yes 4x8.. think it was $16.79 or thereabouts. I even had home depot cut it to size and they didn't even charge me for the cuts. Yes its gonna be heavy, I figure 80 or so pounds, maybe a little more when everythings done. I'm gonna use glue + wood screws, but I'm going to sink them so they are flush with the board, then if I get ambitious I'll put a little epoxy or something over the heads so you cant find the screws. Should look pretty good.

I will say that I'll spring for some good maple plywood or something for the next cage, this was just cheap exterior wood.

from experience if your gonna stain it, don't i repeat don't use screws

do you have a small air compressor and a finishing nail gun?? if so use 1 1/4" finishing nails. set your gun with the proper psi and the right counter sink and it will come out amazing. You will be thanking me later for not using screws. and for glue get titebond type II and use clamps as many as you can get your hands on for 90% angles go out and buy 2 pairs of 90% clamps. they are really cheap at harbor freight. like i got mine for 2 bucks a pop then like i said borrow buy or whatever you gonna do get as many clamps you can get. i have 2 36" clamps and 4 48" clamps when i get them money im gonna buy me some small ones too cause them big things get in the way sometimes.


well just giving you my thoughts and etc....

keep me updated on you build. wish i could help ya cause i love building stuff ... but i got my work cut out for me right now. im almost done building a box for 4 2500watt a piece subwoofers so this box is 48.5"long x 35" deep x 23.25" height. this guys is gonna be pushing 10000watts that is 10K that is outrages plus hes giving me the hole install the whole works. i gotta dynamat the roof, floor, all 4 doors, rear qt panels, rear hatch. run 2 alternators wire 4 battery's and it has to be all be down in 4 weeks for the first sound comp down here in tx. if your in to car audio he should hit about 150 easy we are shooting for 155 tho. haha my little infiniti q45t hits 140's. well OK 138.5 im gonna dynamat some more of the rear of the car and i hope it raises the the dB at least 2dB

wowo i got really off track

its cool im having funny just sitting here tweaking from my meds

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Originally Posted by Smooth23

This was a CHEAP sheet of wood, yes 4x8.. think it was $16.79 or thereabouts. I even had home depot cut it to size and they didn't even charge me for the cuts. Yes its gonna be heavy, I figure 80 or so pounds, maybe a little more when everythings done. I'm gonna use glue + wood screws, but I'm going to sink them so they are flush with the board, then if I get ambitious I'll put a little epoxy or something over the heads so you cant find the screws. Should look pretty good.

I will say that I'll spring for some good maple plywood or something for the next cage, this was just cheap exterior wood.

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10 bucks more you could of gotten 1/2" birch

I don't think I've seen birch available ANYWHERE around here.

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Originally Posted by zombie&lemons

10 bucks more you could of gotten 1/2" birch

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where you from????? cause im sure they have birch and MDF at your home depot or lowes

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Originally Posted by zombie&lemons

where you from????? cause im sure they have birch and MDF at your home depot or lowes

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Michigan. I see lots of cedar though

ewwwwww very nice wood to good coloring but you wont see me go near cedar cause of my snakes im not so bad with pine cause it sisnt as bad as cedar. my bed frame is made of pine but its been primiered sealed and painted

I've been working on the cage more today.

I jigsawed out the hole for the vent in the back:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...s/DSCN1460.jpg

And I got the first coat of stain on (Minwax Colonial Maple)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...s/DSCN1461.jpg

I've since moved everything into my basement so it can dry, will be getting a second coat of stain tonight and a third in the morning then a couple days to cure before I get time to start sealing.

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Originally Posted by zombie&lemons

from experience if your gonna stain it, don't i repeat don't use screws

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Screws are fine if you know how to work with them. You just gotta countersink the hole a little, fill it with a little wood glue or matching wood putty after you put the screw in, and sand over top of it until it gets filled in with the wood dust. Let it dry, stain it, you'll never be able to tell.

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Originally Posted by zombie&lemons

keep me updated on you build. wish i could help ya cause i love building stuff ... but i got my work cut out for me right now. im almost done building a box for 4 2500watt a piece subwoofers so this box is 48.5"long x 35" deep x 23.25" height. this guys is gonna be pushing 10000watts that is 10K that is outrages plus hes giving me the hole install the whole works. i gotta dynamat the roof, floor, all 4 doors, rear qt panels, rear hatch. run 2 alternators wire 4 battery's and it has to be all be down in 4 weeks for the first sound comp down here in tx. if your in to car audio he should hit about 150 easy we are shooting for 155 tho. haha my little infiniti q45t hits 140's. well OK 138.5 im gonna dynamat some more of the rear of the car and i hope it raises the the dB at least 2dB

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I was going to PM you about this so we don't clutter up the thread but you apparently have them turned off. Could always make a thread in the off topic section i suppose.

but its to late now he already staind it

I would be concerned about having a wood enclosure even if it's stained.
It would be difficult to keep clean and could get water damage from the humidity and harbor bacteria.

I built my wood enclosure around a glass tank.
I got the tank on Craigslist for $25 and it worked out well.

Easy to clean on the inside, yet the stained wood look outside.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...size_thumb.jpg

I can give you some of the details if you like.

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Originally Posted by deltaneutral

I would be concerned about having a wood enclosure even if it's stained.
It would be difficult to keep clean and could get water damage from the humidity and harbor bacteria.

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Building wooden snake cages is nothing new. With proper sealing and such, things such as humidity and bacteria should never be any more of a problem than with other cages if maintained right. Thanks for the input and suggestions though :gj:

yeah mine is completely sealed on the inside beside vent holes. i can pour water on the bottom of each cage and the water just sits there. i painted mine and i sealed with sealer

Well I haven't had too much time to work on the cage over the past several days, but I did get some done. I'm in the process of finishing up the staining and starting on the sealing, so all of that wood is sittin in the basement pretty much the same. I did get the frame for my door cut to size, mitered and routed for the plexi.

Here is roughly what the door will look like, but the center piece will be, well, in the center.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...s/DSCN1462.jpg

One corner at a time, using 90 degree framing clamps and wood glue.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...s/DSCN1463.jpg

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Originally Posted by Smooth23

Well I haven't had too much time to work on the cage over the past several days, but I did get some done. I'm in the process of finishing up the staining and starting on the sealing, so all of that wood is sittin in the basement pretty much the same. I did get the frame for my door cut to size, mitered and routed for the plexi.

Here is roughly what the door will look like, but the center piece will be, well, in the center.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...s/DSCN1462.jpg

One corner at a time, using 90 degree framing clamps and wood glue.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...s/DSCN1463.jpg

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awesome your using titebond II that is all i uses for gluing joints. I'm also a fan of liquidnails - paneling glue and and for a sealer i use a adhesive/caulk/sealer and its not toxic and its water based they have it in white and clear. I buy the clear. only thing i forgot the name of it.

i like that your using 90% clamps but for a stronger bond i would also use wood claps like demonstrated in my post here is a pic
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...c/IMG00284.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...c/IMG00285.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...c/IMG00280.jpg
The tighter the bond the stronger it will be

so for GREAT JOB

ill be away from the computer for the rest of the day so if you have any questions

just email me at timderiksen@gmail.com

Yes I've had good results with the Titebond products in the past, so I stick with what works. I've also got small project nails in the corners to keep em from moving. I might try using wood clamps on the next corner, I'm out of town for the weekend so its at a stand still.

I've finally decided what I'm gonna do about heating on the bottom. 2foot of 11" flexwatt attached to the inside bottom of cage, then I will lay 1/4" wood around the perimeter of the floor and around the flexwat, then put a thin waterproof panel of some sort as the actual floor that the substrate, etc will sit on. That way theres a bit of a gap for the flexwatt, and below the flexwatt will get some holes in the wood for circulation.

good deal