Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Chris,

I was looking at a site for Black plexiglass. I have been thinking of making my own black hide boxes.I don't know the first thing about doing this.Could you tell me how you would hold the peices together with something that would be safe for the animals.Maybe even what thickness might be best? I want to be able to create snug boxes for specific snakes that are just heavy enough not to move around like those high domed commerecial ones.
Thanks,
Bob.
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Sometimes I think the kid with two pet snakes has something that those of us with 50 to 200 lost a long time ago.

Then a video should be worth at least 1001....

Tap Plastics Video

I'm not sure if they mention the exact solvent they are using, but IPS Weld-On #3 is the most common acrylic solvent that I know of. It offgasses completely as is safe once it has done so.

I can't stress enough that acrylic requires very accurate and smooth cuts in order to be solvent welded. I think they cover this in the video and I think TAP also has a video on cutting acrylic.

Still, I'm not certain that acrylic is the best choice for this. I would be more inclined to use something like expanded PVC which can be held together with mechanical fasteners and thicker and more forgiving gap-filling solvents.

Another choice would be extruded polystyrene insulation held together with Gorilla glue. It could then be carved or textured somehow and coated with various products to give it a rock look. This choice would be harder to clean.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

That TAP website has some interesting videos. I happened to run across it just recently as a result of a conversation with Bart about heat bending .

I am relatively inexperienced with acrylic when compared to some of the others here, but I would agree with Chris that there would be easier materials to work with.

I have made a pile of hides from 1/2" expanded PVC and I think it would be a very cost effective solution for you. It really is a little thick for the intended purpose here, but it provides the extra weight you are looking for and as Chris mentioned would be easy to bond or screw together. I make them out of the 1/2" stuff just because I have a supply of scrap.

If I remember correctly Chris found 1/2" black XPVC for under 3.00 a square foot, so depending on the size hides you need it should be even less than a cheap commercially made one.

Natural looking hides are my favorite, but I lack the creativity for those kind of projects!

nm
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Sometimes I think the kid with two pet snakes has something that those of us with 50 to 200 lost a long time ago.

Not sure what species you have or what sizes you're wanting, but how about PVC pipe and/or fittings?
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats