BRB custom display cage (re)build!

[Charis]

We got these two homemade 4x2x2 cages in a trade we were very happy with, even though they were quite rough and have needed a number of weekends worth of work and a good bit of money sunk into them. They are finally nearly finished though! My husband has done almost all of the work on them and has done a great job. We replaced the plexi glass in the doors with Lexan, sanded, repainted, caulked and just today put on the bottom liner. Still have to finish rehanging the doors, installing the Radiant Heat panels we've decided on, the LED light bars we've found and hanging the neat drift wood that came with the one cage in a way that it can be removed for cleaning. Plus we want to find something similar that we can do in the other cage. Figuring they are going to need at least a month or more to off gas as well before we can move Kaylee and Zoe into them.

This is the original before any restoration work.

Floor removed and some sanding complete.

All sanding complete with handles installed. Much easier to move!

Partially painted. About the only part I helped with.

All painting complete!

Floor complete and waiting to dry. Used herculiner to protect the floor.

Will continue to update as this project comes along.

 

[cguarino30]

Wow. Nice work.

 

[Durante]

very nice work!. I usually like doing this kind of stuff when I find time & half way through find myself wondering if with the time I invested if I was better off spending a little more money & building from scratch. Either way at the end it's nice to have something you did & to be proud of...very cool!

 

[Snakesitter]

Wow, nice work! Do you do apartments? ;-)

 

[toddnbecka]

Looks great now, nice and clean, almost ready for the critter to poop in... lol.

 

[Charis]

Did a little more work on the cages this weekend.

We installed some small hooks in the back roof, to hang foliage from or whatever.

And hung the drift wood back up in the one cage.

They are now removable.

Close up of the liner.

 

[Snakesitter]

More nice work!

 

[Charis]

My husband got the lights installed today, they are quite neat. They have 18 different shades of colors and 4 settings. Two of the settings, like strobe, are migraine inducing and will never be used but the others are wonderful! The pictures don't really do them justice, hard to take a good picture. This first one will probably be the default setting, it is a nice soothing warm yellow.

 

[Snakesitter]

It's, like, disco cage!

 

[Helenthereef]

We are building cages right now and I am totally stealing this idea - it's brilliant!
Many thanks for posting.

 

[Charis]

This is sloooooowly coming together! Just got the heat panels here, installed and the doors put back on with new hardware and locks last week. Now just need to build a stand for them and they will be ready to move snakes into!

New lock ...

New hinges ...

Pardon the junk in the garage around them ...

 

[Charis]

My husband had to work a ton of overtime and my mother in law got really, really sick for a long time (she's much better now) so these got put on the back burner. Finally had time to tackle some projects in the last few weeks, so he was able to set up the outbuilding as a work space and tackle building the stand for these.

Mostly done.

Painted.

Finally in the room and set up!!

Got the enclosures partly made up now and the heaters and thermostats running. Will let them run for awhile to make sure everything is working right and then move the girls over into them. I'm so happy to finally have them almost ready!!

 

[Helenthereef]

VERY nice!

 

[Randall Turner]

That is a nice enclosure project. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that has projects like this get put on the back burner for so long.

 

[toddnbecka]

Stand looks great too, much nicer than I have in mind. My enclosures are all in the basement, and occasionally when there's a really heavy rain water comes in under the door and spreads across the floor. I'm thinking to use small diameter pvc pipe and fittings to build minimal stands to raise the enclosures a few inches so they don't get wet, and allow the floor to dry quickly when it does happen. The alternative would be to have the concrete floor dug up to clear/replace the drain pipe, but the floor drain in the middle of the basement is fine. It's just the one outside the door that's partially blocked.
As for delays with completing projects, I started 5 plywood 4x2x2 enclosures last spring. Completed 2 that are in use, and just need to get glass for the 3rd to finish it now. The remaining 2 still need painted, the interior then sealed with polycrylic, and sliding glass tracks installed (as well as glass for them.) On the bright side though, I did order 6 T10's from AP that should be arriving this month sometime.

 

[Snakesitter]

WELL done!!!

 

[Charis]

Here are some kind of crummy cell pictures of Kaylee cruising her new digs tonight.

 

[ShawneeAlice]

Wow that is really cool, you did an awesome job! I love the fancy black hinges. Beautiful snake, too Thanks for sharing the project with us!