Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone, I finished my racks. Actually, finished them some time ago but got lazy on posting the results. They are built around Iris CB110 tubs. I selected the CB110 because it has a pretty large floor space for a relatively shallow tub. The tubs are 20" x 39" at the top and at the floor is 17" x 36" or 4.25 square feet.

I built two identical racks, 10 slots each. Each slot is individually wired and can be unplugged from the thermostat when not in use.

Both are on wheels and are quite heavy. I had to reinforce the lower shelf after the first one ripped loose. The new design is much better at distributing the load to the sides. The overall size is narrower and shorter than a std doorway so they can be wheeled in and out if need be.

The CB110's are each heated with one 11" x 12/2" flexwatt panel. Each shelf has a recess for the flexwatt and the thermostat probed panel has a different color cord so I can't mistake which one has to always be connected.

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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
10.22 BRB
10.15 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Very nice looking. I need to make a couple of them as well. What are they made out of?

Made mine out of melamine. I thought a lot about it and checked into several materials including plastics and bottom line the melamine was much less expensive.

>>Very nice looking. I need to make a couple of them as well. What are they made out of?
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
10.22 BRB
10.15 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Did you go with the open back, with just reflectix or is there a panel outside the reflectix. IMO I don't think a back panel is needed, I have found that reflectix offers when stapled every few inches enough tension to support any lateral movement the rack may have. Just curious to see if you came to the same conclusion on what is a bigger rack than those I used the method with.

Looks good, keep up the good work.
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.11 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.2 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
0.0.1 Youth -coming soon-

Hey Jeremy, thanks!!

Being a amature cabinet maker I went with a back behind the reflectix. Used 1/8 MDF to reduce weight, the darn things were heavy enough as it was. You're probably right that the reflectix would be enough support.

>>Did you go with the open back, with just reflectix or is there a panel outside the reflectix. IMO I don't think a back panel is needed, I have found that reflectix offers when stapled every few inches enough tension to support any lateral movement the rack may have. Just curious to see if you came to the same conclusion on what is a bigger rack than those I used the method with.
>>
>>Looks good, keep up the good work.
>>-----
>>Jeremy
>>
>>"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer
>>
>>1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
>>1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
>>0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
>>2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
>>0.1 Suriname RTB
>>0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
>>0.0.11 Red Bearded Dragons
>>1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
>>1.0 Green Iguana
>>1.0 Ball Python
>>1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
>>1.0 Pomeriaian
>>0.2 Catus Terribilis
>>0.1 Spouse
>>0.0.1 Youth -coming soon-
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
10.22 BRB
10.15 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Dave,

Very nice. Thanks for remember to post those. I still think melamine is hard to beat for racks.

What is the general design that you used? Edge-joints, dados, or what? And how did you reinforce the bottom shelf? With cleats?
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

Hey Chris,

Yeah, the cost per slot price is hard to beat and the average joe hobbyist can still easily work with it. Downside is weight, but then again, not an issue, just have to account for it.

The rack is built with all butt joints held together mostly with brads (put my big pin nailer to work). Exceptions being the bottom and top shelves, the kickboards, the backs and the cleats for the bottom shelves. The first time I tried to move rack #1 I had the mobile base (built as a seperate unit to eventually be screwed in place) off a few inches so was not fully supporting the rack where designed, AKA NOT directly under pocket hole screws. The lower shelf failed annd tore out several pocket hole locations. The rack dropped a half inch until the pocket holes screws rested on top of the mobile base. CRUD, back to the drawing board. I added several (ok, MANY) more pocket hole screws to the bottom shelves AND added cleats above the bottom shelf to help distribute the load evenly accross the bottom shelf and it's pocket hole screws.

As you can see in the pic, I kept the cleat short and it does not interfere with the tub due to the rim and sloping sides. PHEW, solved that one fairly easily. The casters I used are dual wheel, rated for 200lbs each, that's 800 lbs total, more than enough for racks plus occupants, waterbowls etc.

Used reflectix in the back along with a piece of 1/4" MDF to make the rack rock solid and square.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
10.22 BRB
10.15 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

That's what I get for not previewing post

Hey Chris,

Yeah, the cost per slot price is hard to beat and the average joe hobbyist can still easily work with it. Downside is weight, but then again, not an issue, just have to account for it.

The rack is built with all butt joints held together mostly with brads (put my big pin nailer to work). Exceptions being the bottom and top shelves, the kickboards, the backs and the cleats for the bottom shelves. The first time I tried to move rack #1 I had the mobile base (built as a seperate unit to eventually be screwed in place) off a few inches so was not fully supporting the rack where designed, AKA NOT directly under pocket hole screws. The lower shelf failed annd tore out several pocket hole locations. The rack dropped a half inch until the pocket holes screws rested on top of the mobile base. CRUD, back to the drawing board. I added several (ok, MANY) more pocket hole screws to the bottom shelves AND added cleats above the bottom shelf to help distribute the load evenly accross the bottom shelf and it's pocket hole screws.

As you can see in the pic, I kept the cleats short and they do not interfere with the tubs due to the rim and sloping sides. PHEW, solved that one fairly easily. The casters I used are dual wheel, rated for 200lbs each, that's 800 lbs total, more than enough for racks plus occupants, waterbowls etc.

Used reflectix in the back along with a piece of 1/4" MDF to make the rack rock solid and square.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
10.22 BRB
10.15 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

What sort of adhesive are you using in conjuction with the brads and/or pocket screws?

I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with how large of cabinets are being built nowadays with melamine, melamine glue and confirmat style screws. I have seen some massive tool cabinets built on some of the woodworking sites I occasionally visit. Those have to hold an awful lot of weight. I wonder if they make a confirmat style screw and bit that can be used with a pocket hole jig? May have to research that a bit.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

Actually I made these dry, no glue at all. I felt that the melamine would not provide that good of a glue surface and even if it did, the end of a particle board shelf does not make for a real strong glue joint. I made all of my joints strong with the brads and screws I used to hold them together and used a full back to keep the boxes from moving.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
10.22 BRB
10.15 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats