Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have found a plywood that is coated with a black phenolic resin that resists humidity very well. There is no smell to it and I have tested it with exposure to heat and water. Has anyone else heard of this or used it for reptile cages? I think it would look real nice and make a cage that is easilly cleaned and maintained.

Here is a link I found about this stuff. My dad works for a pre-cast company and they use it to make form boards with.

http://www.plywood.cc/2007/11/08/film-faced-plywood/

I have heard of it but have never priced it much less used it for reptile cages. I don't believe it offers any additional protection over melamine coated particle board, although the specific product you have might.

Also, make sure that the interior plies are not pressure treated for exterior use. I think some of the film faced plywoods used for making forms are treated to be moisture resistant to some degree.
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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

The stuff isn't treated or anything, just has the resin coating. The reason I am wanting to use this stuff is that it's so much lighter than melamine, and it is waterproof and easilly cleanable. I can get it for $21 a sheet, a little expensive but I think it will be worth it in the end. I just made a cage with tile board and plywood and it was a pain.

For $21 per sheet it's worth a shot. Let us know how it works out.

Is it pretty flat or does it bow a lot like MDO? MDO is the only resin treated plywood I have worked with. I am not a huge fan of MDO but the stuff you have sounds different.
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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

It's real flat and strong, it even seems lighter than regular plywood. I'm going to get about 5 sheets of it here in the next few weeks and make an 8X3X2 cage for my retic. I'll let you know how it turns out and post some pics.

Cool. If you get an exact brand and product name let me know. I may see if I can find a sheet locally to look at.

Is the black finish an attractive finish? Like black melamine? I love the look of black melamine and black sintra with the semi-matte finish.

Sounds like a good product. Even if the material turns out to not be durable enough for the floor of a retic cage you'll still have a nice structure and can go back and seal the floor with something else. Sounds like a no-lose situation to me.
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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

Not sure about manufacturer. I think they import it from China, but I'll ask. It is a great looking finish, kind of a semi-gloss painted look. By the way Chris, you wouldn't happen to be from Spotsylvania Va would you? I went to high school with someone named Chris Harper.

Nope, that's not me.
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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

Eh, oh well. Anyway, I'll post some pics when I get the cage done. Thanks for all the info.

"Thanks for all the info."

Uh, I think I'm the one who learned the most from this thread. I should be thanking you. Really looking forward to seeing the complete project.

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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

Chris, I finally got the material and cage built. The wood was real easy to work with and I think it will hold up pretty well as a cage. Here are a few pics of the cage, it is the black one on top. If it holds up over the next few months I will definitely be making more of them out of the resin coated plywood.

Hey, thanks for the update. You should go ahead and post a new thread at the top of the forum as I'm sure others will be interested to see this. Cage(s) look good.

BTW, shortly after you posted this thread one of the woodworking magazines ran an article on resin coated plywoods and their use for jigs. Needless to say it was a hot topic on two of the woodworking forums I frequent and many were out looking to see what they could find locally.

The upshot is that it appears this stuff can be hard to track down and vary quite a bit in price, not to mention quality. So if you like the stuff and can get it for the same price by all means stock up on it.

>>Chris, I finally got the material and cage built. The wood was real easy to work with and I think it will hold up pretty well as a cage. Here are a few pics of the cage, it is the black one on top. If it holds up over the next few months I will definitely be making more of them out of the resin coated plywood.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback