Quote Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant View Post
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.