Hi all,
I'm building a 3 ft x 2 ft x 78 inches tall cage complex (6 cages in 2 boxes each holding 3 cages) and I'm at the part where I'm deciding on the doors. I am thinking about doing it like Boaphile and just have a one piece swings down door, hinged on the bottom. I have never done it like that and I don't kno0w that I will like it, buit it is cheaper and faster to build. Does anyone have any experience with these doors warping, since they are just an unsupported piece of plexiglass (as in there is no frame of any type around the edges for support) and do they bow in or out over time? It seems to me they would, with the different levels of humidity inside the cage as opposed to outside the cage. If so, the snakes could get out easily. What thinkness does he use?
Thanks
Paul Edwards
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Question about plexiglass door warping
Replies (3)
I think warping occurs when you have a difference in temperature on one portion of the material surface vs another. Since the door will experience the same difference (outside vs inside) across the entire surface, I think you'll be OK.
I have a few of the original Boaphile cages. Doors are fine after some years now. Looks about 1/4" thick. The room they are in gets cold in Winter and warm in Summer.
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Mark
I have 3 different cages that have acrylic (plexi) doors. Boaphile, BARRs, and Proline. Whatever Proline uses is the strongest, no warping, like a lighter version of glass. The Boaphile and BARRs have a slight curve to them over time. The Boaphile not so much because air escapes around the frame, an the way the hinges and latches support it still hold it in place well. On the BARRs cage I rotate the door every so often. It will curve out, so I just take of the hinges and flip it around.
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Gilbert Boas
The Boa List!
It depends on conditions inside the cage.
I have found that humidity warps plexi but temps don't seem to. For my desert species I have unframed plexi doors that are perfect after several years. With humid setups they bend after a few weeks. It also depends how your locking mechanism supports the edges. With a door as large as yours I would put a small frame around it.
Like the other poster said you could always make them reversible.
