New(ish) Enclosure builder Looking for some Advice

[aizkora]

Hello there, been away from herps for about 10 years now and just got back into it when my girlfriend surprisingly impulse bought a baby Ball at Petsmart a few weeks ago ( Don't get me started with the ethics behind that I was not really a fan but I must say the little guy is a voracious eater, reminds me of a retic my dad had when I was a kid, and I couldn't imagine finding a healthier snake in a chain store) On to the point here I'm looking to get away from our temporary housing as soon as possible. I really like the look of the Animal Plastics T-8's but there are some things I would like to change up to help the enclosure be more suited to our means. With that being the case I would rather just build my own if it is possible and with in a reasonable price.

I have been searching for a reasonable price on PVC sheeting and I can't find prices on a 4'x8'x1/2" sheet any where near what I have seen some claim they are getting it for. I keep finding people claiming to get sheets in the 80.00 to 120.00 range but everywhere I can find online and local seems to be 180.00 to 250.00. I can only figure I must be looking at the wrong material. I have been assuming XPVC is Extruded PVC sheeting and I have been assuming Type 1.

If anyone can enlighten me on the specific PVC sheets being bought in the 80-120 range or possibly if anyone in the North Texas ( DFW Metroplex) knows of a local supplier and can point me to the place to get it I would be greatly appreciative.

[JaGv]

try http://www.repti-racks.com i saw it in a ad on kingsnake.com it said they were here in texas

edit: oops sorry thought you were looking for already made cages

[The Serpent Merchant]

I own a few T8's, and highly recommend them... what exactly do you want to change about them? AP is really cool about customizations... they might be able to help you out.

Here is a thread I wrote on them: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

You should look for a sign shop local to you. most have large sheets of PVC available.

You can get 1/8" thick PVC sheets for much cheaper: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/She...YL9?Pid=search

[aizkora]

I have to admit I have read and loved your Articles on the T-8 and Animal Plastics in general.

The main thing I would like to do is change the doors and build it with a heat panel on the top center line to help keep ambient temperatures in line. Being in Texas and and person who likes his AC this is a must as I don't think I will have the ability to have a dedicated reptile room for at least the next 6 to 8 months. I have never really liked sliding doors and while I have not seen any good pictures of their swing doors they don't seem to be very secure or sturdy from the limited pictures I can find so was planning on doing my own swing doors.

Another factor in all this is I do have access to a full shop so I have all the tools and most of the hardware ( glass, appropriate screws,nuts, bolts, ect) to build it myself for hopefully cheaper. I was really wanting to stick with the 1/2" thickness as to keep it sturdy enough to stack a second one on similar to how the AP enclosures can be stacked. While I understand the use behind the racks I just would rather lean more towards giving all my snakes a bit more room and have my eventual snake room look more like a home for them than a warehouse for me so aside from one or two eventual hatchling racks I plan on using full enclosures for all my snakes ( luckily I only have one at the moment and not planning on increasing that number too fast). So using full size enclosures I need to make the most of the space I have and stack them at least 2 high.

But again if it comes down to costing about the same as a complete T-8 setup ( actually already had your suggested setup as my price point thanks to your thread) then I will just end up buying a T-8 or T-10 from AP and doing the conversion work on it.

[The Serpent Merchant]

If you buy a heat panel, and have it shipped to AP they will install it and route a channel for the power cord.

Personally I wouldn't go with anything other than the sliding glass doors, they maximize viewing, slide really well, and if needed simply push up on them and they lift out of the tracks.

I have thought about making my own large enclosures (I too have access to a shop) when I get either a monitor lizard or a reticulated python. (I'm talking about a 8' x 4' x 4' or 12' x 4' x 4' cage)

what I am planning on doing is building an aluminum frame (welded or screwed together not sure which yet) using 3/4" box aluminum (6061 alloy). I would then skin the frame with 1/8" PVC sheets.

I'm glad my thread has been useful to you!

I agree, I'm just not into racks I would much rather have stacks of larger cages!

I will use them for hatchlings, but not much else.

[aizkora]

If you buy a heat panel, and have it shipped to AP they will install it and route a channel for the power cord.

Personally I wouldn't go with anything other than the sliding glass doors, they maximize viewing, slide really well, and if needed simply push up on them and they lift out of the tracks.

I have thought about making my own large enclosures (I too have access to a shop) when I get either a monitor lizard or a reticulated python. (I'm talking about a 8' x 4' x 4' or 12' x 4' x 4' cage)

what I am planning on doing is building an aluminum frame (welded or screwed together not sure which yet) using 3/4" box aluminum (6061 alloy). I would then skin the frame with 1/8" PVC sheets.

I'm glad my thread has been useful to you!

I agree, I'm just not into racks I would much rather have stacks of larger cages!

I will use them for hatchlings, but not much else.

That was pretty much my plan as well, to build a frame though I was thinking a bit more along the lines of using angel ( was thinking 2 inch angle, 1/4" stock) dropping 1/8" pvc sheets into each "window frame" but the cost of the aluminum and the extra work required seemed like over kill.

My worry about sliding doors has always been the track,most track is rather sharp and while I don't plan on dragging a snake out of it's enclosure I would like to remove any possible sharp area my snakes or anything else I decide to hold in an enclosure could accidentally catch itself on.

So it was in hopes trading a afternoon of sweat and work in the shop to get what was essentially a T-8 or T-10 ( not sure which I would want to order just yet, the extra height seems like it would be nice) about 100.00 bucks cheaper. That 100.00 is money I could put towards the next enclosure or future snakes or just about anything related to the hobby you know.

[aizkora]

As an added note to my previous post my original thought was building 4 enclosures meant as "display" enclosures.

The center piece being 2 stacked 4'x2'x18", BP enclosures with a removable divider down the center. Flanked by two 2'x2x3' arboreal enclosures to hold GTP as I have had a love of them and desire to own a pair ever since I was little and out of all the snakes I have had I have never had any GTP.

With the entire thing containing a custom humidifier/ Rain system, and extra space in a low standing base for supplies. All built to be able to be taken apart and moved easily if / when it was needed.

[The Serpent Merchant]

There is nothing sharp about the tracks on my T8's, I'm not sure if AP makes them or if they buy them, but they are rounded plastic. The substrate dam is 2.5" tall, and completely blocks the tracks, so they can't even get to the tracks unless the glass is open/off



I don't think that the extra height is worth the cost, at least not for BP's

[The Serpent Merchant]

As an added note to my previous post my original thought was building 4 enclosures meant as "display" enclosures.

The center piece being 2 stacked 4'x2'x18", BP enclosures with a removable divider down the center. Flanked by two 2'x2x3' arboreal enclosures to hold GTP as I have had a love of them and desire to own a pair ever since I was little and out of all the snakes I have had I have never had any GTP.

With the entire thing containing a custom humidifier/ Rain system, and extra space in a low standing base for supplies. All built to be able to be taken apart and moved easily if / when it was needed.

That does sound cool, if you want to get into GTP's, I suggest you pick up this book. I have it and it is a great read.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/...plete-chondro/

[The Serpent Merchant]

That was pretty much my plan as well, to build a frame though I was thinking a bit more along the lines of using angel ( was thinking 2 inch angle, 1/4" stock) dropping 1/8" pvc sheets into each "window frame" but the cost of the aluminum and the extra work required seemed like over kill.

I build competition robots, and all of the robot frames that I use are welded 3/4" 6061 Aluminum... so I already have the stuff laying around. Plus I'm talking about a cage for a retic/6 foot + monitor lizard, so the extra strength might be nice lol

For a BP, I would go with angle aluminum as well, riveted together.