Glass Lined - Foolish or Fantastic?

[BP_Mama]

Hello!

I want to thank everyone who replied to my previous enclosure post and any who contribute to this one. As I stated back then, we are slowly upgrading all our snakes to larger bioactive vivariums. I love hands on projects and was open to building, but quality and comfort for our critters was priority #1. Through my research, I hadn't found any builds that were the quality we want for a price below pre-built so we have been planning and saving for Animal Plastics vivs for adult enclosures and are happy to follow through on that.

That stated, I am always open to creativity and have loved learning from other's experiences how different materials behave. I had a new idea today and was curious if anyone's experience could contribute!

The biggest reason my family decided wooden enclosures weren't right for us was reading about warping. We keep primarily ball pythons, we live in a rainy humid climate with large temperature fluctuations, and we want these enclosures to last as long as possible. Ideally outliving their occupants and perhaps even us. I wasn't able to find examples of wooden vivs still unwarped and solid 10, 15, 20+ years into operation, and this project is a big one that I am not looking to redo in 2-5 years.

I asked in my last caging post about some creative lining ideas and those who responded were super helpful in sharing the limitations they have faced with those materials. It has been great info to have even outside enclosures! I caught myself wondering today about glass. More specifically, scrap glass.

In my area there are a number of places that offer scrap windows from old buildings or demolition for very cheap, sometimes free. I wouldn't have control over thickness or size, but was curious if smaller panes could be pieced together to effectively line and waterproof a wooden viv? I read in another forum the limitations of piecing glass together like this to serve as a whole tank due to the weight of water or soil, but wondered if with wood outside to provide the structural power things might be different?

This is all hypothetical, just curious if there could be an opportunity there to upcycle some of my community's scrap. Thank you to all the handy people helping me learn more about how these materials behave!

[Lord Sorril]

You can make an enclosure out of anything if you are willing to spend enough effort/money.

Recycling scrap glass to make a lining inside a wooden frame seems like a lot more effort than purchasing a glass aquarium and adding a few simple modifications.

[BP_Mama]

I appreciate that. Money is a tighter constraint than time at the moment, though I want to reassure that we took thar into account before any animals. They are all happy, healthy, well housed, access to vets if needed, all that. We like to spoil them and try new things they might enjoy as we are able.

I also like the connection of making things by hand, the personal touch and the process. I'd never let that get in the way of their care though. If buying is the best path, we have found what will work for us and have already made moves that way. This is more a for fun project that I am hoping to learn from experienced hands if it is going to be more expensive than a fun project is worth or if it's likely to resort in more of a mess than a project. I'd rather use the time and materials for other endeavors if that is the case.

TLDR because I ramble: A cheap project would be fun and rewarding, but best for my animals comes first and I'm okay with that too.

[Homebody]

Given the choices, I have to reluctantly choose foolish. The plywood will warp anyway and glass doesn't bend. So, your glass liner will no longer fit inside of its plywood shell. Window glass is thin. So, the pressure from the warping wood may crack it. Even if you managed to scrounge up some thicker glass, the alignment is still going to be off. How that affects your enclosure depends on how it's designed, but imagine doors that no longer close, that sort of thing. You'd also have to be very careful working in the enclosures and moving them. How nerve racking! So, I don't think adding glass will make plywood enclosures more durable. I think it will make them dramatically less so.

Now, I respect your DIY spirit. I have it, too. I can't pass a piece of litter without wondering whether I could use it in my enclosure. So, though I've raised some potential issues with glass, they are just potential issues. I've never built an enclosure like this before. There may be solutions to all these concerns. If you still love this idea and want to give it a go, I suggest you start smaller. Instead of ten bioactive ball python enclosures, try making a jewelry box lined with glass. If it turns out o.k., you can give it to your mother for Mother's Day and start thinking about how you can scale up the size. You'll have fun and learn some important lessons without the pressure of having committed serious resources to the effort.

[BP_Mama]

Thank you so much for your reply!

I expected much of this to be the case, but figured what I could learn from posing the question would be worthwhile in either event. Sometimes my creative excitement puts the cart before the horse so I've learned to temper that with more experienced advice to avoid finding myself in messes too big to tidy up!

If I get my hands on some smaller pieces, I may experiment more at the scale of an art project. I appreciate the knowledge and perspective you've shared with such kindness. It lifts my heart to find kindness in this community and safety to ask possibly silly questions in the pursuit of learning.

[Malum Argenteum]

Glass that is thick enough to be safe in the use you intend to put it to is thick enough to be a beast to cut by hand. Once you get up to 4 feet in an animal enclosure situation, I think 1/4" glass should be the minimum considered. I've managed to cut 3/16", but not a long cut. It is possible to cut thicker glass on a wet saw; I've not done it personally, but if I needed to cut 1/4"+ that's what I'd consider. Old aquariums can be a source for thick scrap glass, though they're a challenge to disassemble and as mentioned simply modding them makes more sense (though wouldn't be my first choice for an enclosure).

People make aquariums and boats out of plywood; done right, a plywood enclosure would not warp. It is the 'doing it right' part that is the kicker, and the expense (and the slight risk of developing an epoxy sensitivity before the project is complete). But that's the kicker with any enclosure, DIY or purchased.

[Bogertophis]

I sure wouldn't want to try cutting the glass myself, but fyi, you can usually get a pro to do it for not too much money- at least in the small town where I live you can, so I figure that's a fairly good prediction for elsewhere. Contact the local glass & mirror installers- I've had them cut some glass for a picture frame before, when mine got broken. And I also had them cut a piece of glass to divide a glass tank, & was considering other projects as well. In fact, if you tell them what you need, they might even have the scraps to supply you? Never hurts to ask- & they might prefer working on glass they can vouch for.

I agree with Malum- I'd want 1/4" glass too. And also, wood can be sealed so it's waterproof, if you use the right stuff (just make sure it doesn't off-gas & harm your animals- many products are not pet-safe.) As far as lining a wood enclosure with glass, it sounds like a lot of work but I don't see why it wouldn't work, & it would really insulate the "tank" too. The main thing is making sure all the seams are sealed thoroughly with aquarium (silicone) sealant- & you don't want it too thin (for durability) but if you lay it on too thick, it takes forever* to dry because the interior stays moist while the outside slowly dries. You must ensure it has stopped off-gassing fumes before having critters move in. It's smells like vinegar & is very irritating to their lungs. (*If it's too thick, it might take weeks.)

I've done some creative enclosures out of furniture cabinets in the past, but never tried this specifically. Hope it works out for you.

[BP_Mama]

Thank you for sharing your experience! There are some very helpful local places here too. I'll try playing with some small scale scraps and certainly if something proves fruitful I'll be sure to share!

In the immediate future we'll stick with pre built as needed. I'm grateful for all the guidance offered! All knowledge can be useful and I'm happy to have some more on hand!