An introduction and my enclosure build.

I'm new to snake ownership, but one of my best friends is a breeder of balls and burms. Well, we got drunk one night and he talked me into tearing out my fireplace and building a snake enclosure. I'm a better carpenter than I am a photographer so bear with the crappy cell pics.

Here's the corner fireplace that hasn't been used in 10 years devoid of all the trimwork.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1011.jpg

All the trim will be saved and reused.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1010.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1015.jpg

The breeder, Rome-e-rome standing in the future location of the cage.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1039.jpg

Wall framed up and the sides and roof installed. That's me inside there and I'm 5'10"
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1042.jpg

What type of snake do you plan on putting in that?

Something Arboreal?

There will be a raised floor in the front and a pool area in the corner of the cage. Here's the door to access all the electrical equipment that will hide under the raised floor.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1045.jpg

Raised floor installed and some of the sheetrock back in place, it's starting to come together
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1050.jpg

Here's why we kept the molding.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1052.jpg

Openings trimmed out.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1054.jpg

Pool area sloped, and scrap pieces of MDF screwed down to create a fake rock pattern around the paremeter of the pool.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1056.jpg

There will be a waterfall in the rear corner to keep the water from stagnating and for asthetic reasons. After the basic shapes were roughed out they were covered in fiberglass.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1058.jpg

front doors hung.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...mage1061-1.jpg

filler glass installed
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1064.jpg

Rome-e-rome made the doors. They have the 1/4" glass installed.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1065.jpg

Close up of the "rocks".
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1062.jpg

light setup from the top
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1067.jpg

all the doors hung
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1069.jpg

pump for the waterfall installed
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1073.jpg

where the electrical cord disappears.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1072.jpg

foil laid down because I don't want the next round of fiberglass to stick
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1074.jpg

Green florist's foam cut into random shapes, glued onto the foil, and fiberglassed over. I'm using this piece as a cover for the pump/hose/electrical cord and also for asthetics.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1077.jpg

The trim mold was pulled off and excess fiberglass trimmed off. Time for a test fit.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1079.jpg

The pool area ended up receiving 3 to 4 layers of 3/4 oz chopped strand fiberglass mat to seal the mdf as well as make it watertight for the pool. The raised floor and fake rock areas got 3 layers of glass, and I painted the walls and roof with 2 coats of resin to seal the wood.

This is the first coat of paint on the inside.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...mage1080-1.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

What type of snake do you plan on putting in that?

Something Arboreal?

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Right now its going to be a baby albino burmese. Eventually I may put a GTB in there and make a vivarium out of it. I figured if I'm building a custom cage, I might as well make it multi-purpose.

That's totally awesome! Good job with all that and good luck with the future snakes!!

I'm off to put the second layer of sealer primer on the inside.

p.s. does anyone know how to make realistic looking tree branches for the interior that will support a good bit of weight. I've googled the heck out of it and can't find an answer. I may end up just figuring it out. I'll post build pics if I do.

This would be a very painstaking process, but you could get PVC tubing, and little by little attach ripped apart Styrofoam to the pipe for the texture. Then add paint for color. Then seal. There's some awesome videos on Youtube that deal with making environments with styrofoam, so all you'd have to do is adapt it to a PVC pipe.

Maybe someone else will give ya less laborious work to make branches!

This is the dude's page that makes awesome styrofoam environments. If you use the same technique but instead do in onto a PVC pipe, that may work.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LizardLandscapes

Alright one more pic since I figured out my camera phone.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1081.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mitch21

This would be a very painstaking process, but you could get PVC tubing, and little by little attach ripped apart Styrofoam to the pipe for the texture. Then add paint for color. Then seal. There's some awesome videos on Youtube that deal with making environments with styrofoam, so all you'd have to do is adapt it to a PVC pipe.

Maybe someone else will give ya less laborious work to make branches!

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That doesn't sound too labor intensive. I come from a custom car background so nothing is too labor intensive as long as the end result is right.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mitch21

This is the dude's page that makes awesome styrofoam environments. If you use the same technique but instead do in onto a PVC pipe, that may work.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LizardLandscapes

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Thanks very much for that link. Doing it in pvc for strength and using the styrofoam for texture sounds like the perfect solution.

WOW dude, thats simply amazing, I love it!

Dude, you did that pretty quickly :) Albino's are niiiice. I think the multi-cage suggestion in your other thread sounds like a good idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reaxion07

Dude, you did that pretty quickly :) Albino's are niiiice. I think the multi-cage suggestion in your other thread sounds like a good idea.

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*not really quickly* that was about two weeks of work being lazy on the weekends and waiting for resin to cure. I think I'm going to keep the cage like it is for a while and in a few years, I've got a futon-shaped spot in my extra bedroom begging for an enclosure for a full-sized burmese enclosure. :) BUT after that, I have a perfect separation point in the mantle for an upper and lower enclosure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by orphan

Here's why we kept the molding.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Image1052.jpg

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To hold the beer of course!
Very nice job! :gj:

Do you own the house? I want an Albino Burm sooo bad, haha. My girlfriend and I held one at a show last year, and it was 150 pounds of amazing :P Thing weighed more then she did.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reaxion07

Do you own the house? I want an Albino Burm sooo bad, haha. My girlfriend and I held one at a show last year, and it was 150 pounds of amazing :P Thing weighed more then she did.

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That's the beauty of owning your own home.... and not having a wife and kids to ruin your cool ideas. ;)

That would make a great Carpet cage. A burm would outgrow that pretty quickly. Strong work for sure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

To hold the beer of course!
Very nice job! :gj:

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hahaha... so far the build cost is touching the $400 mark, but the beer cost is up close to $180. There is a cost for "free" labor. lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by orphan

hahaha... so far the build cost is touching the $400 mark, but the beer cost is up close to $180. There is a cost for "free" labor. lol

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hehe of course. i've found its a wonderful currency when enlisting the backs of friends to help when it comes time for moving. but only when they don't get "paid" till the job is over. :P

:welcome: great job :gj:

That is one of the coolest things I have ever seen!

It's one thing after another. I haven't been able to get too much work done due to my job and other priorities, but here's the latest.

I painted the background colors. Sky blue and flat black where the jungle scene will be painted.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0046.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0047.jpg

A new addition purchased from the display at a local pet store.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0053.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0050.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0051.jpg

I think your enclusoure is great! I'm also leaning towards constructing my own enclosures, because of the high cost of commercially sold cages. Can't wait to see the final pics!

Got a little painting done today.

Spray painted some clouds in the sky part of the paint job.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0055.jpg

Then I painted some simple foreground tree designs.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0057.jpg

did some background trees as well and did a bit of detail
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0059.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0061.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0063.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0064.jpg

That was all I could muster tonight. Tomorrow, I'll do some more greenery and the the canopy of the jungle.

Wow, your a good painter too! :D

I still think you should put a carpet in there. Especially with that branch. A burm might climb it, fall, and hurt itself. ;)

Good stuff man.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Wow, your a good painter too! :D

I still think you should put a carpet in there. Especially with that branch. A burm might climb it, fall, and hurt itself. ;)

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Actually, I decided to get a carpet instead. The more I started researching, the more I realized it was more than I could handle at this time (someday...sigh). So now I'm on the hunt for a jungle carpet. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Wow, your a good painter too! :D

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Thank you for that. Those two semesters I spent in college learning how to paint didn't go to waste. Thanks Mom and Pops!!!

That's coming out great! I really like how this isn't one of those posts where someone starts a cool idea and then just fails to post the results. Very interesting!!!:gj:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0068.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0067.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0065.jpg

Still have to finsh up the foreground on the canopy, but you get the picture. I'm beat. Dang summer colds!!!!!!

That enclosure is perfect for a Carpet, nice choice.

GREAT JOB WITH EVERYTHING!! Keep the updates coming! :gj::gj::gj:

And I didn't want to influence you, but I'm glad you're going with the carpet!

Great job! keep the pics coming

absolutley amazing!! You are one talented guy!!!:gj:

Floor coated with grout and sealed up.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0071.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0072.jpg

that turned out amazing! :gj:

Very very well done!

Get a Jaguar Carpet, and you will have one of the best display snakes in the nicest display I've seen! :D

The pump for the waterfall is back into place.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0084.jpg

The pump cover is finally done and mocked into place.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0085.jpg

Tomorrow, after the sealer has dried I get to fill it up with water and give it a test run. YAY!!!

man that thing is SMOKIN!!! you need to come and build me one, i have a fireplace we could rip out, but then again my wife might get mad since we have not used it yet!!!

Very nice man.

That will be a great entertainment/conversational piece when you have company over. :gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jeffh231979

man that thing is SMOKIN!!! you need to come and build me one, i have a fireplace we could rip out, but then again my wife might get mad since we have not used it yet!!!

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Haha. You live in the south man. You only can only use a fireplace like 3 weeks out of the year. :P

The waterfall works like a mother. Very relaxing.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0087.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0089.jpg

Mortised the doors and installed the slide bolt. I had to make the strikers with some 2" angled aluminum I picked up at Home Depot.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0090.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1.../Photo0091.jpg

Very cool! It just keeps getting better!

Dude this thing has come out AMAZING!

Way to go :-)

Can't wait to see it occupied.

that enclosure is like a show peice!