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Homemade Cages and Enclosures

crazycoolpaul

crazycoolpaul

It's All About The Dragon
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So let's start a thread of your homemade Cages and Enclosures
No matter if it's wood to melamine, glass to plastic

If you have Enclosure specs and would like to share with other members please do as many people have no idea the idea's some of us creative people are when it comes to building cages and Enclosures for our reptiles.​
 
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I am incredibly curious how you do the lighting inside the cage? That is the only thing stopping me from building some of my own. It's probably simple and I'm just a ditz but I really am clueless,lol!
 
Iguanachic said:
I am incredibly curious how you do the lighting inside the cage? That is the only thing stopping me from building some of my own. It's probably simple and I'm just a ditz but I really am clueless,lol!
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Well i have a 3' florescent fixture screwed to the top of the cage and a basic outdoor flood set up for my heat source also screwed to the top of the cage both with 8' of cord w/ a plug. Now this setup is not recommended for snakes as they could easily burn themselves. I use these to house bearded dragons. I did a trial and error till i found what worked best
 
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nice setup Paul, I use a similiar look but instead of the flood light I use a standard light houseing unit with an electric cord that as the plug for outlets but the otherside is just bare wire and wire in the light! I will take some pictures and post them of what I have! I use melamine myself and the specs are

2- 24Dx48L
2- 22 1/2D x 16 H
1- 48 W x 17 1/2 H
1- 2 x 46 1/2
1 - 3 1/2 x 46 1/2

I would then just buy some plexi at lowes or homedepot for the glass and get the glass track online!

I'll post pics later and show you what I got once I find my camera!
 
I had an awful time finding melamine. Where did you get it from? All I found was at lowes, they had pre-made shelves built out of it.
 
try lowes and homedepot, its smaller sheets then plywood and heavy as crap, but they cut it for you there at a cheap price
 
I have also seen melamine at homedepot, I was fortunate to know a place that did custom closets with melamine and I ordered it through them! If you get a full sheet of melamine becareful if you have them cut it. I've heard that they will do a free cut but then charge you to cut the wood after that. One more thing becareful of the edges on melamine it is sharp and may cut your hand, just a word of advice from experience...LOL I would look on the web and see if you can find a place that uses melamine and see if you can give them specs and cut it for you. Just another option. If you do cut it yourself just be sure to do a partial cut with a saw not all the way through the wood and then do a second cut that is all the way through. That will help to reduce the chipping in the wood for a nice clean cut. I'm kinda OCD when it comes to the tanks and like them nice and clean with no chips! If they have the pre-made shelves that can work to you will have to upgrade to a bigger size later but can work for juvie dragons. Here is a pic of the shelves used for tanks. Once I find my camera I'll take shots of my bigger tanks. The picture here is from a friend that used to breed dragons and he gave me this as an option also!
 
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Wow, Paul! Those are really nice!

This is a rack I built last year. It's made of melamine which needed to be waterproofed. I needed something that would pass for a wardrobe closet. I have also made decorated doors since these photos were taken.

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mxracer4life said:
I had an awful time finding melamine. Where did you get it from? All I found was at lowes, they had pre-made shelves built out of it.
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I found my melamine precut at home depot. I only really had to cut the side pieces and the front lip to hold in substrate and the rear for venting. My cages measure roughly 4'x2'x18"

Wow, Paul! Those are really nice!
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Thanks Kimberly
That's funny you had to camouflage it as a wardrobe piece of furniture
 
The baby cages

The baby cages
Now these i made just for my baby dragons
3/4 melamine 1 piece unit that I'm not done with, as i have 3 more to build on top of these.
dimensions are 3'x16"x12" with a 2' under cabinet florescent in each
I only use a 35 watt heating bulb in the bottom and a 25 watt bulb in the top cage as there in the basement of my house and as i build more the heating will decrease in wattage. You ask why? well the top of the bottom cage is the bottom of the next cage, melamine is known for being able to contain heat and absorb heat unlike other wood composite material. i have track for my 1/4 glass doors witch makes removing the glass easy and a 1" gap in the back for venting. I have to spots hooked up 1 for day and 1 for when it does get cold an inferred ceramic bulb could be added
 
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Iguanachic said:
I love your cages Paul! Wanna come visit PA and build me a few or a dozen? lol.
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Thanks!!! sure I'd love to take a trip to pa. I want to go to the hamburg show i have never been.

beardedbrad612 said:
Paul I was wondering do you edgeband the pieces yourself or do you buy them that way?
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Yes brad i iron on my own 3/4 band. I like the finish look and it only take 10 min or so to do
 
Thanks!!! sure I'd love to take a trip to pa. I want to go to the hamburg show i have never been.
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I like the Hamburg show. It isn't huge but it does have a great selection. If you head to the next one let me know and we'll meet up!
 
Iguanachic said:
I like the Hamburg show. It isn't huge but it does have a great selection. If you head to the next one let me know and we'll meet up!
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I think i will be at the next one, I have a few friends that set up at that show and i think this time I'm going to make the 3 hour trip and go. Maybe meet some new people like yourself and i might just even buy something you never know. I do have a bunch of baby leatherback dragons to sell so we shall see.
 
Yes brad i iron on my own 3/4 band. I like the finish look and it only take 10 min or so to do[/QUOTE]

Well you did a great job on it!!! I have never tried to do it but it looks like a pain to do good job on it!:thumbsup: If you get a chance pm me the specs on the baby tanks or post them would love to know what sizes you have I got to get going on some of the baby tanks myself and would love to use melamine on them not a fan of baby bins and glass tanks!!
 
Here are my custom enclosures, 1st one is my beardie enclosure
IMG_3477.jpg


This is my Frilled Dragon enclosure.
IMG_7083.jpg

IMG_7085.jpg

IMG_7087.jpg

 
I've used rope lighting inside cages run along the ceiling of plastic and pvc cages (with the clips that came with the rope lights, or with zip ties) with good results. Heats the cage a little bit, and provides a nice ambient light that isn't as harsh as fluorescent, and the rope lights can be dimmed with a rheostat. You just have to be careful when cutting rope light to length as it can only be cut at certain locations without making some of the lights go out. It's a pain to install, but looks good when finished.
 
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