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After having some serious space issues for my hatchlings this past season, and seeing the adjustable rack idea, I was inspired to build my own rack. It was surprisingly easy to do and cost around $300.

First step was to purchase supplies:

I decided to go with 5/8" All Thread for stability. I found 6 foot lengths at Lowe's. The shelves were Rubbermaid 16" x 36" pre-made melamine shelves...about $8 each. I also needed 2" casters, some wood screws and some 5/8" hex nuts and flat washers.

Then it was simply a matter of measuring where to drill the holes. They were 3.5" from the front and rear, and 1" from the sides to acomodate the casters.

I then drilled the holes, using the first shelf as a template for all the rest:

Then I installed the casters with wood screws:

And attached the All Thread to the bottom shelf:

From there I was ready to start stacking on the shelves:

The biggest time consumer was threading the hex nuts down the entire length of the All Thread. Thankfully, that job got easier with each shelf!

I decided to run heat cable across the back with eye hooks to act as a backstop rather than using a router and installing it in a groove as belly heat. This pic is courtesy of John Lassiter to illustrate what I did also:

I ended up with a finished rack that was 13 levels high with 4 Sterilite shoeboxes on each level...a total of 52 slots!

Combine that with my existing hatchling rack with 28 slots and I now have a nice 80 slot capacity for next season. To me, a very nice, easy and necessary addition to my snake room:

Thanks to those who inspired me. If you want to build your own and have questions I will be happy help any way I can. I feel like it is my duty to pass the inspiration forward! I hope my post was both interesting and informative. Thanks for looking.
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God Bless Evolution.

You did a fantastic job of illustrating the steps of building that type of rack system for people to get a very good step-by-step view of how to do it. Many people do not have much in the way of building skills, or even basic tools either.

I've been a professional carpenter for decades, and I have built several racks and enclosures over the years too. That system is really one of the very easiest to build without question.

Looks like you have a real roomy set-up going on there, and now that you built this one too, you will be good to go bro..LOL!

Again, great job on the post!

Happy Holidays!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

You could also just cut some pvc pipe the right size and slip over the threaded rod between each shelf instead of nutting each one. I guess sandwiching each shelf top and bottom with the nuts makes it very solid, but maybe overkill? Looks like you could keep baby elephants in that thing! It’s a good solid build for sure.

>>You could also just cut some pvc pipe the right size and slip over the threaded rod between each shelf instead of nutting each one. I guess sandwiching each shelf top and bottom with the nuts makes it very solid, but maybe overkill? Looks like you could keep baby elephants in that thing! It’s a good solid build for sure.

The reason for the nuts and washers is to make it FULLY adjustable for any size tub....If you put PVC spacers you would have to take it apart everytime.....which would be a pain in the arse.......LOL



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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Nice table idea. These also lend themselves to a sliding table. Works great and gets out of the way.

>>Nice table idea. These also lend themselves to a sliding table. Works great and gets out of the way.
>>
>>

Cool...I like that idea Zach....I think I will add one of those on my next hatchling rack.....It's just a shorter Melamine board that slides between two shelves, between the all thread, correct?...I think a handle would be nice so that it is easy to pull out...
...Thanks......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>After having some serious space issues for my hatchlings this past season, and seeing the adjustable rack idea, I was inspired to build my own rack. It was surprisingly easy to do and cost around $300.
>>
>>First step was to purchase supplies:
>>
>>
>>
>>I decided to go with 5/8" All Thread for stability. I found 6 foot lengths at Lowe's. The shelves were Rubbermaid 16" x 36" pre-made melamine shelves...about $8 each. I also needed 2" casters, some wood screws and some 5/8" hex nuts and flat washers.
>>
>>Then it was simply a matter of measuring where to drill the holes. They were 3.5" from the front and rear, and 1" from the sides to acomodate the casters.
>>
>>
>>
>>I then drilled the holes, using the first shelf as a template for all the rest:
>>
>>
>>
>>Then I installed the casters with wood screws:
>>
>>
>>
>>And attached the All Thread to the bottom shelf:
>>
>>
>>
>>From there I was ready to start stacking on the shelves:
>>
>>
>>
>>The biggest time consumer was threading the hex nuts down the entire length of the All Thread. Thankfully, that job got easier with each shelf!
>>
>>I decided to run heat cable across the back with eye hooks to act as a backstop rather than using a router and installing it in a groove as belly heat. This pic is courtesy of John Lassiter to illustrate what I did also:
>>
>>
>>
>>I ended up with a finished rack that was 13 levels high with 4 Sterilite shoeboxes on each level...a total of 52 slots!
>>
>>
>>
>>Combine that with my existing hatchling rack with 28 slots and I now have a nice 80 slot capacity for next season. To me, a very nice, easy and necessary addition to my snake room:
>>
>>
>>
>>Thanks to those who inspired me. If you want to build your own and have questions I will be happy help any way I can. I feel like it is my duty to pass the inspiration forward! I hope my post was both interesting and informative. Thanks for looking.
>>-----
>>God Bless Evolution.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
Email Cindy
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Josh Loehr

>>After having some serious space issues for my hatchlings this past season, and seeing the adjustable rack idea, I was inspired to build my own rack. It was surprisingly easy to do and cost around $300.

Nice Job Craig, but I just noticed the cost of $300.....Things must be expensive up in the frozen tundra you call Ohio......LOL
Unless you included the cost of the drill?

Because I spent about $150 for mine with the cost of the heat cable included......Yours is a little taller, but not twice as tall......

Glad you shared your building experience with all so they could easily build their own fully adjustable rack......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...