Building cages

[boaluvr]

I'm in the process of building a tank for my boa. He is 7' long and turns everything upside down in his current tank. I am making it out of wood with glass sliding windows for the front ...also plan to have a hinged lid for alternate access.Any ideas on finishes or special nedds requirements would be greatly appreciated as this is my first endevor cwm25.gif

[Chad_Youngquist]

My two cents.

I would build it so that all surfaces exposed to fluid waste be treated for penetration. This can be done by melamine, plastic (like Boaphile's), or plywood covered with formica. I wouldn't just throw a plywood enclosure together, paint or stain, and call it good. Over time the paint or stain will break down and all the liquid waste from your animals will destroy the wood and cause an unsanitary environment for you reptile.

I posted a picture of a cage I built here inside this forum. I think it is on page 2.

Chad Youngquist

[redtailboas]

Also Melamine products are available at Home Depot and Lowe's.  They have full 8 X 4 foot sheets as well as 16" and 12" pre cut sizes.

I recommend using the 3/4 inch thick melamine. It handles the screws much better.

Melamine is like a preglued formica "type" product so that part of the work is already done for you.

Melamine handles the heat, humidity very well. The down side is it is extremely heavy.

[The_Boaphile]

Melamine weighs a lot but lasts for several years. Depending on how much water you use to clean, melamine may last as long as eight years before you will begin having problems with it. I am looking forward to replacing all my melamine cages this year with a...um... with a... ummm Boaphile Plastics cages I guess. I can't wait. Good joints are the most important thing when it comes to melamine. Use sheetrock screws to screw your cages together. Pre-drill your screw holes with a bit slightly smaller than the thinnest part of the sheetrock screws. I like the square drive screws best. Next put a bead of clear silicone on the edges of the melamine before the actual assembly. This silicone will help more than anything to make your cage last longer.

Good luck!

Jeff

[SchirmA1]

I have a quick question about the Melamine. I have seen it mentioned a lot in this section of the forum and I have a little yearling boa now, but he will soon outgrow the rack I have him in now. So I am looking for Ideas on building him a custom cage. If you build a cage out of Melamine do you use flew watt heat tape on the inside or the outside of the cage. If you use it on the outside do you have to worry about fire, and does the Melamine transfer heat well? If you use it on the inside how do you protect it from water and other stuff on the inside?

Thanks