Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm going with melamine coated shelves, instead of expanded PVC. To get the thickness I'd need, I'd have to spend a lot more money on the expanded PVC. It might be a bit more durable, but in the long run, I think the wood will suit me better. The wood I can always tear apart & change things later, the PVC I'm stuck with if I need something different.

My question now is- how do I go about attaching a door? I'd really like to use a hinged glass door. I may have to end up using sliding glass, but that doesn't appeal to me as much. I don't see it as being as secure, and I don't like the inability to open the whole cage at once; however, if I find the sliding glass to be cheaper & sturdier, I will go with it.

So, what would be the best way to attach a door? I was thinking originally of cutting another of those boards into 1 inch strips, and mounting the glass onto those strips. My problem then is that I'll have to cut into the melamine coating, and leave an exposed edge. If I mount the glass onto the back of the frame, the exposed edge is on the front. I can then seal it with polyurethane, but it will look ugly. If I mount the glass into front, the exposed edge will be on the back. Then I'll have to seal it with something more expensive to prevent fumes inside the cage.

If I go with sliding glass, where can I get a track? I had asked at Lowes before, and the closest thing they could find was to sell me a window frame, or solid angle iron in a U shape. I'm going to be housing colubrids in these cages, specifically North American rat snakes, which can be good escape artists. Whatever kind of track I get would have to be able to keep a 36" snake contained inside the cage. As juvies, I don't mind housing them in a rack, but

Oops, forgot to include- At the local glass cutter, who generally has better prices than any one else in the region (with a photographer for a father, we've dealt with multiple companies for framing glass, and other glass products), a 12x36 sheet of 1/4" thick clear laminated safety glass is $31.38 tax. That's a little.. Insane. Is there any alternative for that type of glass? I know I've seen many different things on different cages, and not all of it has been 1/4" safety glass.

I perfer the sliding door to the single hinge doors for a few reasons. The plastic track (availably at Outwater Plastics or you local glass co.) is cheap IMO and easy to attach (I use locktites version of liquid nails to attach it quick and easy).

Also with sliding door you can maintain better control of the captive with one big door you never know when the snake might decide to slip out the far corner. With sliding doors you only have to open the door on the side you intend to axcess keeping the snake controled in the other end. With quick moving rat snakes this would seam essential IMHO. A friend of mine keeps quick Rat snakes and he uses the same sliding method for that very same reason.

Lastly when closed they are more secure IMO, due to the fact that the entire door is contained within the track along the top and bottom. Making it very difficult to impossible for a large snake to push open the door and make a gap large enough to slide through. With a hindged door the likely hood of a loose edge is greater. In the event the snake may have the ability to slide the doors open (One of my Dumerils was good at that) they make display case locks that lock the two pieces of glass in the closed position.

As far as Glass that price doesn't seam to bad. Laminated glass is a bit more expensive than plane or tempered glass. But it is the safest IMO. It will also last longer than the cage itself. So when the cage need s to be rebuilt you can mearly build the new cage around the same size glass.

Good Luck

-----
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-

Well, I may end up going with sliding glass. I'm really not sure. My security problem with the sliding glass is the gap between the panes in the center. I'm always scared a snake's going to fit into a crack and squeeze its way out.

For the glass... I can undoubtedly buy cages cheaper than I can build them for that price. I'm not looking to save a ton of money buy building my own, but I'm looking to spend smaller amounts at a time; I can build one cage at a time, and not pay a ton of money for shipping. But, at that price, I can't afford to do these at all. That price just seems crazy to me.

It doesn't looks quite so nice but it is in the 20 dollar range at home depot. Depending on the size you might be able to make two cages with one purchase. Just a thought. You could also try tempered glass I here people will use that also.