Shopping for new rack shelf material.

[velvetiine]

How do you guys come up with your build ideas?

[velvetiine]

I just finished my new rack, after shopping around for materials I settled on melamine. I sealed it with silicone and used rods and nuts to keep it from sagging. It's very heavy so I put it on casters.


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That is so cool.. I wish I had some sort of crafty or constructive ability.

[JodanOrNoDan]

How do you guys come up with your build ideas?

You stare at the problem, think a little bit. Go to bed. Wake up and then the answer is there.

[mdb730]

That is so cool.. I wish I had some sort of crafty or constructive ability.

Aside from working a few summers putting up drywall I have zero carpentry skills. It really comes down to having the right tools, clamps are a lifesaver on solo builds.

[JBRHerps]

It looks kind of junky, but the protective coating makes all the difference I suppose. Definitely cheaper than high-grade paint-coated plywood! Thanks for the tip.

Nothing like a good looking steel or PVC rack, but the cheapness and sturdiness is what seals the deal imo.

[Godzilla78]

I changed my mind, after doing more research, it seems I was correct in that melamine IS junky. It is very heavy, it sags, it swells with moisture... no thanks! It might be fine for some, but when I build something, I want to to be strong and LAST for a long time. I'm still not sure what to use yet. I'm tempted to just scrap the whole thing and buy a commercial PVC rack, but I might still do my original idea of high-grade plywood (much stronger than melamine), and seal it with acrylic paint.

[SDA]

It's not so much that PVC is expensive but that finding 1/2 inch thick at a hardware store is difficult. I know the 1/4 inch thick is about $48 per sheet of 4'x8' but I am not sure the 1/2 inch stuff. I guess the problem is to build a rack with it it might cost nearly as much as from one of the vendors so yea, You might save $50 even $100 but think of the time you are going to spend and if you don't have the right tools then it for sure gets more expensive. Add in that you won't be able to get the cutouts for like probes and heat tape unless you have a router (which gets even more expensive) and you end up spending a lot

Idea: instead of using acrylic paint, why not look into deck sealants? They have those paints that keep a deck weatherproof so I don't see why it wouldn't work for a project like this. Once they dry, they would be non toxic to the snakes.

[Regius_049]

Any suggestions on good rack-shelf materials? I was going to go with a high-grade plywood, and then maybe laminate it with an acrylic paint, or other sealant.

I changed my mind, after doing more research, it seems I was correct in that melamine IS junky. It is very heavy, it sags, it swells with moisture... no thanks! It might be fine for some, but when I build something, I want to to be strong and LAST for a long time. I'm still not sure what to use yet. I'm tempted to just scrap the whole thing and buy a commercial PVC rack, but I might still do my original idea of high-grade plywood (much stronger than melamine), and seal it with acrylic paint.

I would highly recommend going the plastic route. If you want something cheap and fast, then melamine is an OK solution. Clearly it worked for reptile keepers for many years before the introduction of plastics. However, if quality and longevity are your primary goals, there is really no reason not to go with a plastic rack. Modern materials insulate well, tool similar to wood, and are water-proof.

Buying a commercial rack is certainly the easier way to go. There are a plethora of choices out there that are readily available and some manufacturers (animals plastics for sure) will customize your request. That said, if you really want to build a rack yourself, this is how I would do it:

Material:

Per the above, I would without a doubt select a plastic material to build with. There are tons available from local plastic companies and many can be shipped to you. Eplastics for example, will even CNC pieces to your specifications and then you can assemble a design of your own making. PVC has become the most commonly available plastic for most reptile cages for the following reasons: It tools well, it is water-proof, it can be made flame retardant, and most of all, it is inexpensive relative to most other plastic choices. There is a mishmash of information regarding PVC and out-gassing / toxicity. Some sources claim it is harmless and others suggest carcinogenicity. Personally, I have set my standard to use plastics that are both FDA and USDA approved the best I can. FDA approved for human food contact is generally my preferred metric. Most industrial PVC plastics do not meet this criterion.

Plastics that do generally include: Polyethylene, polypropylene (the translucent material most tubs are made out of), acrylic, and acetal. There are more, but these are the most common. The downside is that these are usually more expensive. For a rack, it probably matters less than an enclosure as they snake is still in a polypropylene tub. My favorite of these plastics is the HDPE (high density polyethylene) that constrictors NW uses, which is a lighter version of King seaboard / starboard. The material is FDA, USDA certified, UV stable, and extremely non-porous. Urates (and everything else) still very poorly making it extremely easy to clean up. If animal plastics used this stuff instead of PVC, they would basically be the perfect enclosures in my opinion.

Design:

This more depends on you and your purposes for the rack. Is the rack for babies / hatchlings? Is it designed to permanently house adult ball pythons? Do you want to house other snakes there?
Either way, and this is more expensive, I would probably do 4-6 shelves with a large ultratherm heat mat recessed into each one that would essentially heat 2-4 tubs on each shelf. I would then have a herpstat 4 or 6 controlling them. One probe for each shelf. You can use a single probe, but it gives you more control with each shelf being individually monitored.I would definitely get whatever plastic material you make the rack out of in at least 3/8" thick, with 1/2" or 3/4" being better. Narrower plastic makes assmebly more difficult as you have less material to work with when screwing everything together.

[Godzilla78]

I would highly recommend going the plastic route. If you want something cheap and fast, then melamine is an OK solution. Clearly it worked for reptile keepers for many years before the introduction of plastics. However, if quality and longevity are your primary goals, there is really no reason not to go with a plastic rack. Modern materials insulate well, tool similar to wood, and are water-proof.

Buying a commercial rack is certainly the easier way to go. There are a plethora of choices out there that are readily available and some manufacturers (animals plastics for sure) will customize your request. That said, if you really want to build a rack yourself, this is how I would do it:

Material:

Per the above, I would without a doubt select a plastic material to build with. There are tons available from local plastic companies and many can be shipped to you. Eplastics for example, will even CNC pieces to your specifications and then you can assemble a design of your own making. PVC has become the most commonly available plastic for most reptile cages for the following reasons: It tools well, it is water-proof, it can be made flame retardant, and most of all, it is inexpensive relative to most other plastic choices. There is a mishmash of information regarding PVC and out-gassing / toxicity. Some sources claim it is harmless and others suggest carcinogenicity. Personally, I have set my standard to use plastics that are both FDA and USDA approved the best I can. FDA approved for human food contact is generally my preferred metric. Most industrial PVC plastics do not meet this criterion.

Plastics that do generally include: Polyethylene, polypropylene (the translucent material most tubs are made out of), acrylic, and acetal. There are more, but these are the most common. The downside is that these are usually more expensive. For a rack, it probably matters less than an enclosure as they snake is still in a polypropylene tub. My favorite of these plastics is the HDPE (high density polyethylene) that constrictors NW uses, which is a lighter version of King seaboard / starboard. The material is FDA, USDA certified, UV stable, and extremely non-porous. Urates (and everything else) still very poorly making it extremely easy to clean up. If animal plastics used this stuff instead of PVC, they would basically be the perfect enclosures in my opinion.

Design:

This more depends on you and your purposes for the rack. Is the rack for babies / hatchlings? Is it designed to permanently house adult ball pythons? Do you want to house other snakes there?
Either way, and this is more expensive, I would probably do 4-6 shelves with a large ultratherm heat mat recessed into each one that would essentially heat 2-4 tubs on each shelf. I would then have a herpstat 4 or 6 controlling them. One probe for each shelf. You can use a single probe, but it gives you more control with each shelf being individually monitored.I would definitely get whatever plastic material you make the rack out of in at least 3/8" thick, with 1/2" or 3/4" being better. Narrower plastic makes assmebly more difficult as you have less material to work with when screwing everything together.

I completely agree, 100% that plastics are the best choice, but the $$costs and $$$shipping are exorbitant. I ordered high grade oak plywood and exterior deck paint to water-proof it all. It will just as good as plastics...but HEAVIER . I would have preferred plastic, but there is nothing local and the costs of what I wanted for the large rack was too high.

[Godzilla78]

It's not so much that PVC is expensive but that finding 1/2 inch thick at a hardware store is difficult. I know the 1/4 inch thick is about $48 per sheet of 4'x8' but I am not sure the 1/2 inch stuff. I guess the problem is to build a rack with it it might cost nearly as much as from one of the vendors so yea, You might save $50 even $100 but think of the time you are going to spend and if you don't have the right tools then it for sure gets more expensive. Add in that you won't be able to get the cutouts for like probes and heat tape unless you have a router (which gets even more expensive) and you end up spending a lot

Idea: instead of using acrylic paint, why not look into deck sealants? They have those paints that keep a deck weatherproof so I don't see why it wouldn't work for a project like this. Once they dry, they would be non toxic to the snakes.

Yep, you are right, I ended up ordering the deck paint.