Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i read the post below about the reptishield and was wondering how that compares to Spar Urethane....

i have a project going myself and from my research so far im am leaning toward using the spar, anyone use this for anything?
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

The short answer is only use Spar Urethane for outdoor projects where your project will get a lot of direct sunlight.

If this project is an indoor reptile cage then there is no reason to use Spar. Believe it or not it is actually less moisture resistant than regular polyurethanes.

Describe the project to us, including what species it involves and whether it will be indoors or outdoors and we can give more advice.
-----
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

so here we go, i have a nice entertainment center corner unit and i plan on closing it in sealing it up, fitting in some sliders light and heat it.... here are some pics

i pretty much have it all worked out in my head as far as heating,, lighting, wireing, power, doors, vents, other than what to do on the inside is what remains undecided. i have considered everything from lining the entire inside with vinyl flooring or laminate, to sanding it all out and using urethane or or epoxy, or simply just painting it with a 100% acrylic, or a nice wallpaper under some type of clearcoat...

i hope to get it set up to where it can become a nice looking naturalistic enclosure that can house a list of reptiles anything from corns, balls, carpets, rainbows, chrondos, to maybe even water dragons or some other type of medium size arboreal lizard. or switch it around for a berdie. see i would love to have this for myself but i dont have the space for it so i building it up in hopes to sell it off. so if anyone has a beautiful reptile "showpeice" they can house it in a beautiful piece of furniture in stead of your average cage... and thats where i am at all i need is to figure out what to seal the inside with

-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

i have considered everything from lining the entire inside with vinyl flooring or laminate, to sanding it all out and using urethane or or epoxy, or simply just painting it with a 100% acrylic, or a nice wallpaper under some type of clearcoat...

First let me say that I have always liked the looks of a nice furniture quality corner cage/terrarium so I'm really looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

Second, I would probably not use any sort of oil-based urethane on this thing, either inside or out. In particular avoid spar urethanes. I think I mentioned earlier that Spar urethanes are formulated to be flexible and UV resistant, both of which make them less water resistant when used in an interior application.

Given how versatile you want this enclosure to be and that the back does not have panels of any sort I would probably use some sort of plastic liner or laminate. If the inside was all veneered plywood and you wanted to keep the wood grain look then I would suggest clear epoxy or clear polyurea (Repti-Shield).

I like the idea of using black PVCX or counter-top laminate. I really like the appearance of black PVCX and think it would contrast really well with plain (i.e. un-stained) oak. I think it has the perfect semi-matte finish. Some of the newer black laminates are also very nice as are some of the faux granite laminates.

What are you going to do with the outside? Personally I would not stain it and would probably use two coats of de-waxed shellac followed by two coats or more of waterborne polyurethane.

I would avoid oil-based polyurethanes for this project, even on the outside. If you want to use an oil-based project due to its durability and the slight amber color than I would use a non-polyurethane varnish.
-----
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

Second, I would probably not use any sort of oil-based urethane on this thing, either inside or out. In particular avoid spar urethanes. I think I mentioned earlier that Spar urethanes are formulated to be flexible and UV resistant, both of which make them less water resistant when used in an interior application.

that is both interesting and very good to know, i was thinking water, heat, and uv resistant is PERFECT that exactly what i need...

yes i do need to close in the back and the reason why i have not yet is because i dont know what the inside is going to look like yet. for instance if i do want to stain and seal i need a wood laminate plywood. but if i go with a plastic counter top veneer, or vinyl flooring then a sheet of MDF for the back... so the final outcome will determine what that needs to be.

i think it would look very nice with a medium dark green stain both for the color and to keep a bit of the wood grain. if i went that rout i was thinking of using the spar, but if you recommend clear epoxy or the polyurea (Repti-Shield), i will have to look into that further...

on that note one other though i had (and i dont even know if it work this way) was to find a nice wallpaper some kind of tree designs or leafy vines. if i line the walls with that would that polyurea, or epoxy bond to, and seal the wallpaper? just a thought that might look really good if it can even be done...

as far as the outside of the unit it is coated with something (poylurthane i would assume) i dont know what though. i think it looks good as is if anything all i would do is maybe clean it up a bit and wipe it down with a furniture oil
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

Well I think you can make any of those options look good, so do what you want and just make it work.

If you do go with the wallpaper then I would recommend a thicker bartop epoxy. They are designed to embed things like this. You can pick up small kits locally for this.

If you just go with the woodgrain then I would use a super clear epoxy resin or the clear Repti-shield. One advantage of the Repti-Shield is that it can be ordered in small quantities. I would see if you can get a sample of it applied over oak to make sure you like the look. Not all clear finishes look the same.

Raka is an epoxy distributor in Florida I have heard good things about. They carry a variety of epoxies and hardeners and I believe they will sell them in small kits. If you want to go with the sealed woodgrain look on the inside I would call them and describe the project. I'm sure they'll have an epoxy for that and will be willing to break it down into smaller parts.

Lastly, I would use something with more protection on the outside than an oil. Reptile enclosures always have to deal with a bit of overspray, dripping, etc.
-----
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

well at this point it seems like all of these options will work so now its just up to me to decide... i think i will look into the epoxy company in FL a bit and maybe looking to repti-shield some more, and most likely going with which ever is more cost efficient
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

so just to address this issue as well, this was one of my first ideas to use because it so durable. after thinking about it though just because of the shape of the unit this would mean custom fitting many pieces, and that gives you that many more seams to caulk... so i think for this project something i can "paint" on will save allot of work
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

Ironically I was going to address that issue but decided to drop it. That would be my biggest concern with laminate. At least with PVCX you could probably form a single sheet to fit inside of the back of the enclosure.

I should also add that laminates are said to be less durable than years past. Part of that is restrictions on the chemicals used, another is that kitchens are remodeled much more frequently than 30 years ago so there is no need to have them so durable.

It would be my last choice. I would probably put vinyl flooring ahead of laminate.

As you already seem to know, this really boils down to the look you want. I picture it light on the outside and fairly dark on the inside. But that's just me.
-----
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

>>i read the post below about the reptishield and was wondering how that compares to Spar Urethane....
>>
>>i have a project going myself and from my research so far im am leaning toward using the spar, anyone use this for anything?

When I sealed the wood fronts of my enclosures I used Varathane's Diamond interior water based urethane sealer. I never had any wood damage what so ever from urate contact, water, etc. The cages have been scrapped as the melamine panels the cages were made of lived out their usefulness in the five years of use. But the fronts were salvaged for use in another project.

Actually the melamine panels were salvaged as well. The damaged portions were cut away and trashed and the good panels were re-utilized for LEGO storage shelving.

I salvage and re-use most of my materials. This week I tore out 5 walls in my kitchen and living room. All the studs were over 50 yrs old original to the home. I managed to re use nearly half of them at the original length. The remainder were cut down to usable size, and stored for future use. Of course this is after removing nails, brads, and drywall tacks....

Sorry to get off topic but I think its important to show just how much of our "garbage" is really usable if the effort is put forth. I know my boys will see their grandfathers 40 yr garage rafters re-utilized this summer as a potential bedroom set.

Cheers
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

how does that diamond hold up to to washing and scrubbing?

i know what you mean about hanging onto leftovers, i bring home scrap wood from work all the time, not to mention the cabinet boxes and drawers that get cut listed wrong...
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

>>how does that diamond hold up to to washing and scrubbing?

I never noticed any degradation.

Remember these were just the cage fronts so the backside only saw minimal water contact. Although with Boa's they seam to defecate just about anywhere.

I brushed on 4 coats, I would use it again for cage fronts if I ever get to these storage tote cages I will, but I would not enjoy doing four coats on an entire cage. Very time consuming.
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

I've used waterbourne poly on a few projects. For interior of a cage, it is only fair. In fact, I prefer a good quality paint inside a cage over waterbased polyurethane. For exterior, waterbourne poly is fine.

BTW, I tested a bit of the Repti-Shield on some plywood. Really nice, far better than water or oil-based polyurethanes and no odor when dry. If you want the cage to last, consider this product, epoxy or the suggested plastic laminate.
-----
Mark

www.microphasesolutions.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7&zenid=24d319b62d94acf62df956a084c46f86

is this the stuff you got mark? and you just tried it on some plywood and said it looks good?
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

That is the stuff. I tested it on a small piece of scrap plywood just to see. It dries quite glossy. What I like about it is it cures and then there is no odor (smells bad while curing.) It goes on easy and dries very tough.

I just made a wood housing for a temperature controller that I finished in oil-based polyurethane. Comparing the Repti-Shield coated scrap (1 coat) against the box with 3 coats of polyurethane, the polyurethane sure looks nice, but the Repti-Shield is a tougher coating. Using my fingernail to dent the wood, the Repti-Shield is stronger with 1 coat. The poly still smells after a week; the Repti-Shield is odor free.

Price is high for Repti-Shield.
-----
Mark

Mark,

Assuming one was to make a ply carcase for an enclosure and used paintable caulk to seal the seams. Does anything lead you to believe Repti-Shield will not adhere? Or will this be an ideal use for the product?

Just curious.
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

Good question. I have no idea at the moment.

Now that you did that comparison of cost, I agree that the product is not very costly, just moreso than the waterbourne polyurethane that people were talking about using here.
-----
Mark

>>Good question. I have no idea at the moment.
>>
>>Now that you did that comparison of cost, I agree that the product is not very costly, just moreso than the waterbourne polyurethane that people were talking about using here.

Don't get me wrong WB polyurathane provides a wonderful finish and adequet protection, but at what cost?

To get that adequet coating you need quite a few coats and unless your set up for spray brushing is quite a bit more work than rolling.

Plus do we really need a furniture quality look on the inside of the enclosure.

Chris and I have discussed this off thread quite a bit, a product easy to apply with a clean look that provides good protection is an ideal product for the interior of a enclosure.

Pouring bar top epoxy requires prep work. Many Paints don't provide the protection and ease of cleaning. Laminate's always leave a seam. To me this product seams to meet them all on a middle ground. I bet damaged area's can be retouched...another plus.

I'm about [...] this close to ordering a can. Maybe just a color palette...

Unfortunatly and Chris can atest this, i have no time to do any experiments at the moment.

Cheers
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

ok i think im sold....

speaking of the colors does anyone know what those colors looks like? i like the sounds of the black, clear, and the green... but with the green is that a dark green or light green?
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

>>Price is high for Repti-Shield.

How do you figure? Unless it doesn't coat well a single can does 75 sq feet. A 4x2x2 enclosure has 40sq feet of inside surface. Taking that into account you might be able to squeeze two enclosures out one can, taking into consideration those are usually outside dimensions. Larger enclosures are limited to a cage a can or worse but even at a can per cage. I don't see that as a bad price.

Take into account the cost of laminating the entire inside with Formica or PVCX this is definitely cheaper. Maybe not quite as durable...but that remains to be seen.

Now the product page mentions nothing in regards to water resistance, but anything that seals porous surface from bacteria and mold must shed some water.

I'm very intrigued, with this product.

And I have a few Boa's that might be as well.

Even if used to coat the upper sides and ceiling, this could be a very handy product.

Cheers
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

I'm also curious to hear more. What color did you get?

Can you post a picture?
-----
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

This has the makings of a really nice project. It will be interesting to see how you progress, please keep us posted as you go.

Do you have the missing door on the bottom?

I also like the look of black interiors with a wood frame. With the interior lit up it looks really sharp. I'm sure a brush on finish would be much easier though.
-----
Larry Stroud - Fort Pierce, Florida

yes lol i was wondering if anyone was gonna ask that, i do have both doors for the bottom.

i do think it will look good being darker on the inside, i even entertained the though of running rope light down the two top corners and down the two front edges. i think that would ad a really nice looking accent light, but at the same time with a florescent light fixture in there would it be worth it?

once i really get going on this ill be sure to post pics
-----
-Stephen-
-Step-
-Steve Lightning-

0.1 soon to be wifey (hopefully)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer-wifey's pooch)
1.0 norm corn (Jake aka grumpy old terdhead)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella- wifey's baby girl)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Saphira)

hopeful for not to distant future:
--Brazilian rainbow boas
2 or 3 more? maybe a breeding trio or two pair
-- something for the wifey... my list got to big...

I purchased the black. Don't know why I didn't have more fun and get green, blue or red.

I'll be taking pics of my styrene cages this weekend, and I'll show the scrap wood with Repti-Shield. It has a glossy lustre and with a single coat is tougher than polyurethane. What I still need to try is scrubbing the surface, flexing it and other general abuse.
-----
Mark