For you custom cage builders

[Dougie]

I am just curious as to what materials everyone uses that makes their own cages?

[Nate]

some very good quality ones come from PVC plastic. That's what is used on mine that I bought from HerpEnclosures.com

If you're looking to build, there are a few that use melamine wood from Lowes or Home Depot...it's cheap and it's white, so it's appealing. Someone was supposed to post a DIY, but they never did.

there's a few links floating around for DIY's but i don't remember them..someone plz post them

[mr~python]

i know melamines popular. just make sure to seal the corners with silicone or some sort of good sealant to keep moisture from getting to the particle board and rotting the particle board.

[Dougie]

I see a lot of people that use melamine, but I just don't really care for it that much. The last cage I built I just used plywood, and it turned out looking like crap to give it a lot of credit.

[Evan Jamison]

I mainly use racks, but I have built few cages using similar methods to Greg Maxwell's design. These plans use MDF covered with contact paper inside, and all the seams are sealed with silicone. They are very moisture resistant, quite functional, and they look good with the finished pine fronts on them. They are not difficult to make if you have the right tools, but they are pretty heavy. This being said, well made plastic cages are better in my opinion, but for DIY, plastics are a little tougher to work with (and make the finished product look good) if you don't have experience working with them before.

What are you planning on housing? The size of cage you need may dictate using one design/material over another.

-Evan

[tmlowe5704]

I just did one out of MDF and it came out good I think for this being my first time picking up a saw for something like that. 4x2x2 with a sheet of plexi on the front(which needs to be redone because they cut it too small). I will try and get pics up when i go to my friends house on Tuesday.

[Grishnákh]

This is my Ball Python's cage, I used an old 4 drawers cabinet as my starting point. I removed the drawers and used that area as the opening for the cage. The top and bottom of the cabinet became the sides of the cage, and because there was no wood in either side, I put screening material that allows ventilation. I custom made the door with wood frames of 1-1/2" x 1/8" and screening material.

[Dougie]

I am building a cage for two ball pythons. I am going to use a single 6 foot cage design with a divider in the middle so that each has a 3x2x2. I have a good set of tools, and some experience with woodworking, I was just wondering what was most popular for building materials. I have no experience with plastics, so I am trying to stick with wood products.

[mr~python]

never house 2 ball pythons in the same cage. do a search for it and you'll find many threads on the subject.

[Dougie]

never house 2 ball pythons in the same cage. do a search for it and you'll find many threads on the subject.

Re-read what I said. It is one six foot cage with an entirely sealed divider between the two snakes. Essentially it will be the same as gluing two entirely separate cages together. I know my husbandry, I have kept snakes for years, I am just wondering on common cage building.