Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I'm looking to build a cage similar to animalplastics or boaphile and need to know where to look for this type of plastic?

Will it be at home depot or lowes?

Thanks!

There are many plastic distributors that sell this but if you can't find it locally, or are not willing to order it in bulk, you will probably spend more on materials than most companies, like AP, will charge you for a completed cage.

Here are a couple companies I know of:

http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=342&

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=115&product%5Fid=10432

Bart

Ouch, your right... what I thought would be some cheap PVC plastic is really expensive ordering by the piece

US and Tap Plastics are both pretty expensive. Where do you live? I may have some recommendations depending on your location.

I live in W. South Dakota and can order of PVCX cheaper than what it would cost me to buy a cage (and yes, that includes doors and everything). In fact I can buy it already CNC milled to size for less.

However, I do have to say that the cost savings for DIY plastic cages is not as great as one would expect or what the savings are like for DIY plywood/melamine cages. I believe the main reason for building your own plastic cage should be that you need a slightly odd size, in particular one that does not lend itself to shipping, and/or prefer some sort of door or ventilation feature that one of the big companies cannot provide.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

I live in Atlanta GA. Any recommendations?

I "think" I mainly want plastic is because it is durable, easy to clean, and will probably last longer then plywood. I am also trying to build a fairly large cage for a burm and then about 6 smaller cages for balls. Maybe I could order in somewhat bulk?

All of this would probably cost $1000 to buy form AP.

You probably have more choices that I do living near such a large city. I would look up plastic distributors and see who carries expanded PVC (don't call it PVCX) and also ask if any of them have CNC equipment for milling it. If they can CNC cut it for you I would absolutely do it.

Also, with the number of cages you're considering you probably will see some $$ savings compared to just building one or two cages. But you should really check this and make sure the $$ savings are worth it to you.

There are ways to make plywood cages last a lifetime, but it does involve a lot more work any money. Cheaper than PVCX in the long run but a lot more work. Basically the more durable you want them to be means the more work.

One other thought is that the hollow core PVC material like Habitat Systems uses may be readily available for you in the South. Unfortunately I don't have any distributors for that product bookmarked on this computer. It is harder to find that PVCX.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Cool, thanks for all the good info..

Do you have any blueprints for nice plywood cages? I looked over at boamaster and that looks like the cheapest route...

I could get 4 3 ft x 2 ft cages for $110 each @ AP these would be $150 each shipping..

I'm going to go to Lowes and see how much I can build the melamine cages for...

I don't have any blueprints. Snakes are a basic box/carcass so you just adjust measurements based on desired final size and material thickness.

Regarding melamine, I would not recommend the stuff at Lowes or Home Depot. Instead I would go and look at the price of higher quality melamine like you would find at hardwood dealers that cater to the cabinet building industry.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

True enough but US Plastics is the cheapest I have found around my location but to save any real money, I would need to buy a lot.

One nice thing about TAP is they will cut the peices to your specs. One bad thing is they don't deal in large sizes/quantities, making it only beneficial for small projects (smaller than even a single adult cage).

In the end, I have found it cheaper to just go with a cage manufacturer directly....for plastic cages that is.

Bart

Just a few months ago before the gas prices went crazy I priced six sheets of black expanded PVC from a distributor in MN, about 700 miles from here, IIRC.

They gave me a quote for six sheets cut to size with a CNC panel saw and shipped to my house. The price per sheet, cut and shipped, was WAY below what US Plastic would sell full sheets for before shipping. Maybe only 60% of the cost. Factor in shipping from US Plastic and the cost would be nearly double and again the sheets would still not be cut.

In other words, US Plastic is very expensive for full sheets of expanded PVC.

I'm trying to find the notebook I wrote all the info in but I can't find it at the moment. Have some family coming into town but I can look it up next week.

I think the cost for just the carcass of a 48 x 24 x 16 cage was going to be well below $100. I think it was between $80 and $90.

Granted that does not include the doors and hardware, but that is my biggest gripe with any of the pro cages anways so not a factor for me.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

I wish I knew where my local supplier gets his.

I am paying 65.00 including tax for a 4x8 sheet of black 1/4" and about 85 for 1/2" in white.

I cut my own material and try to use it to my best advantage, Of course certain sizes of cages are wasteful if you are buying 4x8 sheets.

Those prices are a bit high, but not horrible. If I could pick up 1/2" sheets locally for $85 I'd probably work with it more, although I am not a fan of the white.

Your point about cage sizes and waste is very important and something every should look into before deciding to work with plastic. However, I do understand the 1/2" stuff is used at times to make woodworking jigs so having some scrap might not be the worst thing.

In additon to the typical 4x8 sheets, I have seen PVCX sheets for sale in 4x10, 4x12 & 5x10. Everytime I have inquired about those sizes I have been told it is special order only with a full pallet minimum, which is about 10 sheets or so. Same goes for 3/8" PVCX at most distributors which is a shame since I suspect that would be the most useful thickness for the majority of herp applications.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

If you ever locate the name of that distributor, please post. At this point, I have pretty much ruled out building my own with the prices I have seen.

Bart

I agree that 3/8 might be a nice thickness for our needs. I will be using the 1/4" black for my own caging though, I don't need any benefits that might come from a thicker material.

By locally buying the material at the prices I posted , I am able to build my own cages for about half to three quarters of what a commercial unit would run. I order my hardware online, I like it better than what I have seen on most comm. caging.

I have also been doing some horse trading cages for snakes, a benefit I hadn't considered before.

Of course there is the DIY feeling you get that makes it all worthwhile no matter what, if any savings.

Hardware is a huge reason for DIY, IMHO.

My main reason for liking the thicker material is that it is easier to reinforce with rivets and/or screws in addtion to solvent welding.

How are you joining the 1/4"? Solvent welds with a combination of V grooves and thermoforming?
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

You are right about the thicker material being easier to make mechanical connections. That is where some of my 1/4" waste goes, along with door lands etc.

I also like to use a rabbiting bit on the door openings of the 1/2" for a really nice seal. Of course this requires adding vents somewhere else.

Correct again on the constructionn, v-groove and thermal forming with a heat gun. The other joints are made with a dado/groove (which is it?) and adheseve.

This brings me to something I have been meaning to do....

My gluing is done after the cage is assembled. I apply a bead of adhesive along both sides of the joint all the while holding everything together with painters tape.
This simple idea was given to me by you Chris, so I owe you a big "thank you". The first time I tried it was like a big "Doh" why didn't I think of this!

Any way, thanks for the idea, it is people like you and others here that make internet research so fun.

The other joints are made with a dado/groove (which is it?) and adheseve.

I have always used the term dado to describe a groove that it inset from an edge and rabbet to describe a groove than runs along an edge. However, I read a discussion on a woodworkers forum last winter and evidently that is not quite correct. Turns out one describes a cross grain cut and the other describes a long grain cut. Well at least assuming I remember correctly...

Regarding the use of painters tape, glad to hear it's working for you. It's an idea I picked up from woodworking and passed it onto working with plastics.

Speaking for myself, I would really love to see some pictures of your plastic cages. I've got a carcass built up that I need to glue and build a door for. I'll post pictures when I do.

What sort of adhesive are you using?
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Hi Chris, I hope we aren't hijacking the op's thread here, but I guess it is all relevant to the discussion.

I did post these pictures on this forum at one time, I think you have seen them. I don't have any current project pics, but these will give you the idea of what I have been doing.

This is a cage that I made from 1/4". It only has one thermoformed edge on the top front. This is the hardware I have settled on and like the best of all that I have tried.

You can see the adhesive applied to the joints.

This next cage is 1/2" and has two thermoformed corners on the front top and bottom.

The hinges and latches are loose and look crooked, it was unfinished at the time the picture was taken. Also the diamond plate was a wacky way to cover some screw holes. The material started life as a jobsite sign and had several holes in it. Lucky for me my company throws this stuff away all the time, I have four more full sheets plus several smaller pieces that I salvaged and will be turning into racks and an incubator! I don't mind some scratches and a few holes considering the price.

I am now going to three thermoformed corners with the joining at the top rear edge. It is all a work in progress and I hope to start building my own cages soon.

The adhesive on these is normal pvc glue applied with a squeeze bottle. I just received a few sample adhesives that I will be trying out.

Larry

Of course, I have seen those before. Same comments as before - I like them. Thanks for sharing them again and I'm sure they are helpful to the OP. My apologies if not since I brought it up.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback