Rack materials

[Abaddon91]

Hey guys I'm planning to build a 6qt rack for hatchlings. I've been wondering what is the cheapest LIGHTEST wood for that? I was thinking pine but I hear that it's bad for the snakes.thanks guy

[decensored]

Hey guys I'm planning to build a 6qt rack for hatchlings. I've been wondering what is the cheapest LIGHTEST wood for that? I was thinking pine but I hear that it's bad for the snakes.thanks guy

Pine is bad for racks because the top of the bin is open and it exposes the snakes to the wood (which from what I understand is toxic to reptiles). Hardwoods are recommended for herps but they are very expensive to work with. What a lot of people do is purchase a finished or coated poplar to work with. It doesn't hold the toxicity that other woods have and its not as expensive as hardwoods. A lot of people feel that as long as the wood is coated properly than it doesn't matter what kind of lumber it is but personally I don't like to play games with the health of my animals.

When it comes to playing around with making your own rack I find its easy and safer to have one made for you. Melamine is relatively easy to work with but depending on your location can be expensive. There are a lot of affordable racks out on the market right now that are worth looking into.

Cheers.

[snake lab]

If you are gonna build a rack dont cheap out on regular wood. The moisture will desyroy it. Go with 3/4 inch melamine. Its 38 bucks a sheet at home depot. And dont build it too wide. I have like 12 melamine racks and each one is 6 ft tall and 2 feet wide and 20 inches deep. A 2 ft wide rack will fit either 1 28qt tub per shelf, or 2 15 qt tubs per shelf or 3 6qt tubs per shelf. The melamine will last along time and hold up to moisture without warping. I use luan for the back of the rack and i personally use backwall heat. I put 2 strips of 11 inch flexwatt 6 ft long and use foil tape to keep it in place until i screw the backer on. People will have their own oppinions of back heat versus belly heat but i hold any temps i want using back wall heat just fine so i dont see the reason for using belly heat on those racks but thats just me. I have a couple melemine racks that i built in 2004 and they still do the job.

[Abaddon91]

i have a melimine rack the thing weighs a ton i want something that is lightweight and not all that expensive

[snake lab]

Melamine is heavy and is why you should know what your doing when building one. You are not gonna find a lighter rack of eaqual quality any cheaper then what it costs to buil one with melamine. Go price a 6 ft high 10 tub adult rack. I can build one with heat and tubs for just shy of 300 bucks. Good luck beating that price with a lighter equal quality rack. Oh and if ya do please email me cause ill buy 20 of them.and replace.my heavy racks and give you a finders fee lol

[kitedemon]

It is not really cheaper but 1/4 inch pvcx or 1/2 inch pvcx works well moisture is not a problem.

[Lucas339]

1/4 XPVC is not strong enough for racks unless you plan on doubling it up.

i build all of mine out of PVC. even melamine has bad chemcials such as formaldehyde.

[pbjtime8908]

i plan on building a modular unit rack where all the shelves easily bolt and unbolt from each other and i can also just build as i need to. oh and ill be using melamine.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Go with 3/4 inch melamine. Its 38 bucks a sheet at home depot.

I have checked every HD and Lowes here in San Antonio and they are not carrying the 4x8 sheets anymore because they dont sell

[PitOnTheProwl]

1/4 XPVC is not strong enough for racks unless you plan on doubling it up.

1/4 should work.................. its a hatchling rack he is wanting to build