Melamine?

[RaskaNeil]

My main question is where does everyone get their melamine? I'm looking into building a 41qt rack, but my local Home Depot and Lowes only sell 49x97" boards for about $25 a piece.

So for 17x36" shelfs are going to cost me quite a bit. By the time I got done doing that I would have been better off buying just another animal plastics! For all you do DIY cage people, what's your secret for saving?

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[Kaorte]

Are you sure your home depot doesn't have more shelf options in the closet section? I usually see various lengths and widths of melamine there. I buy the width I need and have them make the cuts I need. The last rack I made probably cost me about $100 for all the melamine, screws, various hardware, and melamine edge tape.

I find it a little odd that you aren't able to find different sheet sizes for the melamine.

[OhhWatALoser]

You're probably looking at 1/2" melamine for 25 bucks a sheet, just make sure the thinner wood is up for the job with your rack design. 3/4" melamine around me is 38 bucks a 4'x8' sheet.

I just buy the big sheets and cut them, 17"x36" shelves you can get 5 out of a 4'x8' sheet. On their website an AP economy 4 tub rack is 225 bucks shipped. two sheets of wood would easily build that. plus other stuff like screws glue flex ect. you easily come under the 225 mark. Plus with DIY regardless of material, you can make the rack fit the space you are putting it in.

[RaskaNeil]

Thanks guys! I havent looked at shelving and was mostly having a problem finding anything with a good width other than the big boards!

My brain completely forgot oh wood can be cut in any direction apparently too though! Conveniently I found a store that pre cuts boards width a 17-20" width ran locally!

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[Stewart_Reptiles]

People usually buy 4 x 8 sheets from home depot and get it cut there (in a lot of cases they won't even charge for the cut)

$25 for a 49 x 97 sheet (which they generally cal) 4 x 8 is not expensive and you won't find any cheaper

[TheSnakeGuy]

I found a local wood supplier in my area that had the same prices as home depot and lowes. I couldn't find what I needed at either of those stores so the local shop sold it and cut it for me. The only hard part of was getting all those boards into my Honda Accord. I used 3/4" for the walls/top/bottom and used 1/2" to make the shelves. It costs about the same and it saved a bit on the weight. PRO TIP: Put your rack on wheels/casters!

[BPLuvr]

Definately add the casters $2-3 a piece and the make so much of a differance once done. I actually tore down the first rack I built to rebuild slightly smaller at 1/2 the width but still 9 levels.

[JiBster816]

Hello, I am curious to why do people use melamine wood to built their racks? Is it because it holds the heat in better? wood is more affordable? I am new and never did a diy racks. I've seen some rack that has flexwatts heatmat place on the back wall? I thought heat mats are usually placed under the tub. Placing the mat on the back wall just doesn't make any sense to me. Thought it would be better if the heat is coming off from the floor and not the side wall of a tub.

Sorry if I hi-jack your thread. Just that the topic was about racks and diy.


Thanks

[OhhWatALoser]

Hello, I am curious to why do people use melamine wood to built their racks? Is it because it holds the heat in better? wood is more affordable? I am new and never did a diy racks. I've seen some rack that has flexwatts heatmat place on the back wall? I thought heat mats are usually placed under the tub. Placing the mat on the back wall just doesn't make any sense to me. Thought it would be better if the heat is coming off from the floor and not the side wall of a tub.

Sorry if I hi-jack your thread. Just that the topic was about racks and diy.


Thanks

It comes with a water resistant coating already on it, so you can just build and not worry about moisture damage. It is also much cheaper than xpvc. Personally I have been able to keep for consistent temps with back heat. Heat on the floor of the tub has to make it's way through the substrate also, making under the substrate much hotter than on top of it where the snake normally is. Back heat just has to make it through the tub.

[Firemaniv]

If I build an Melamine enclosure, is it possible to paint the outside so its not Melamine white?

( item # 461877 4x8 melamine sheet on the home depot website and it will tell you the closest store to carry it)