Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Would an enclosure made of a 1"x2" frame & tile board be strong enough for an adult rtb ?

Enclosures like this have been done and as far as I know continue to hold medium to large constrictors.

However, I can see issues with this design. Typical construction lumber is very unstable due to the nature of the softwood and due to how much moisture it has when sold. It is very likely to warp and shrink over time, especially when exposed to the conditions that a snake cage can see. This can cause the front of the cage to distort and may make the door less secure.

Also, these cages end up being somewhat expensive for the amount of durability they offer. I don't consider the standard tileboard to be a material that will last for years and years in a Boa cage. Don't get me wrong, I do like tileboard, but I always try to install it in a way that allows it to be replaced.

I can make other recommendations, but first tell me what appeals to you about this design, what you're trying to accomplish, etc.

I'm guessing a cage this is somewhat light and somewhat affordable. Anything else?
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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)

Two things I am looking for. Lightweight & I'd rather not have to paint the cage. I was thinking about using mdf & lining the inside with shower liner. Melamine is also a choice but not sure if I wanna use it cuz it's so heavy. this is a cage I made outta house doors. If I could do it over I woulda just used water based polyurethane. It came out pretty good for my first large enclosure though.

>>Two things I am looking for. Lightweight & I'd rather not have to paint the cage.

Well I happen to think that hollow core door blanks are a decent cage building material, and they stay flat, unlike a similar panel made from construction grade 2x2's and tile board. That is what I was going to recommend, depending on how you answered.

As far as painting the cage, I believe it would be a lot less work than building your own panels as mentioned. You could spend a lot of time getting them flat and still have them warp on you.

The other thing about painting is that in most cases you are at least making an easy to repair surface. But there are tradeoffs there and I can understand why you may want to avoid it.

How about using hollow core doors and then using linoleum, vinyl film or shelf liner to cover the cage?

Are doors too big for this next project?
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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)

Yeah chris. Doors are gonna be too big. I wanna build a 6'x30"x18 for my rtb and two 4'x2's for my blood & ball.
What would be the best material to make door frames if I use melamine. I already have the plexi, therefore was trying to not go with glass. I was gonna make drop down doors like on my tegu's cage in the last pic but don't wanna take away from the nice clean look a melamine cage will have. Any suggestions ?

I totally understand about wanting to keep a clean look. That's one of the reasons why I like sliding doors, but ultimately they work well for the species I keep and I just like them in general.

Another reason I like them is that doors can be easily removed and set aside for more thorough cleaning and for when the cage needs to be moved. I hate moving a cage with a flip down door that you need to leave open to get a handle on the cage.

But I digress...

I would see if your hardwood dealer carries face frame stock, often called s4s wood (smooth 4 sides). It's not straight enough for glue ups but is straight and dry enough for door and face frames. I can also get it at Menards and the quality is very good but it is more expensive.

I'm sure there are cheaper options but when it comes to the front of the cage or the doors I don't mess around. I am willing to spend some money on the most visible part of the cage and the part that needs to function properly. I did use some select pine from Menards one time and it was good stuff.

Another good choice is baltic birch plwyood, which is the multi-layered plywood you see with the edges exposed on modern furniture and for some drawers. If you live near a Rockler they carry scraps or you can order scraps from bargainbirch.com.

It's a void free plywood that acts a lot like solid wood. I love working with the stuff and plan to try to make face frames from it myself.

Now, regarding your cages, you could still use doors for some of the boa cage, if you don't mind it being 8" longer than you planned.

For the others, melamine is still a good product to use. However, I do recommend tracking down 100 weight thermofused melamine. I do not recommend the melamine foil stuff they sell at Home Depot, etc. I can get it from the local hardwood supplier in my area.
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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)

Thanx. I got some deciding to do. I'm gonna check some local glass shops for pricing. That'll help me make my decision.