Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We are in the process of building a few new racks. We have a few smaller ones that we built using melamine. These next two however require a LOT more materials than the first two. I didn't look up any info on the MDF prior to purchasing it and having it cut. Will it be ok to use for a rack w/lidless tubs? Any info would be great!
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% het albino/100% het pied
0.3 100% het albino/50% het pied
1.1 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
0.1 Pastel

It will swell with moisture. Melamine isn't great but is much better than MDF. I have melamine racks that have been here for 15 years or more. I don't think MDF is a good choice. Mike

MDF is a very poor choice-go for Melamine!
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

I wouldn't think MDF was a good choice, but if you realy want to use it you will need to seal it first, two or three coats of polyurithane should work. Several years ago my brother worked with a guy who made plywood aquariums with glass on one side and sealed them with poly, he said they lasted several years. If I were makeing wood aquariums today I would use epoxy paint, but for humidity poly should work. Be sure it is cured and well aired before introducing animales.

Claude

Thanks for all the info!

I've already purchased it, but I may just chunk it or try to find another use for it. (We had homedepot precut it for us)

I mainly wanted to know if it would be toxic to the snakes. I read that it is hard and soft woods and XXXX combined. I wasn't sure if the Xpercent of pine would harm them.

Thanks again!
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% het albino/100% het pied
0.3 100% het albino/50% het pied
1.1 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
0.1 Pastel

You can use MDF no prob, you can do a light coat of fiberglass resin you thin down the resin with denatured alc which really penatrates deep in mdf it wont swell or mold later on neither you can pickup resin from ace hardware or other providers.Not to mention it is easy to clean when it dries slick like glass.
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spider m
pastel f
graziani pastel m
high c albino m
het for albino m
het for albino f
cini f
orange ghost f
mojave m
het for piebald ringer m
rodent breeding setup
and still growing

Awesome! Thank you! Now it won't go to waste.
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% het albino/100% het pied
0.3 100% het albino/50% het pied
1.1 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
0.1 Pastel

Oh... What's the ratio for thinning it down?
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% het albino/100% het pied
0.3 100% het albino/50% het pied
1.1 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
0.1 Pastel

I thinned mine to a little thinner then syrup,it depends on how thick the resin is.Let it soak and dry to a tack then apply a regular thick coat and let dry completly.It will look like poly but hard as glass and better in the long run ive built these for friend and they have had for 12 years now.You will have to get throw away brushes from h-depot or lowes.With the hardner the resin comes with use a good bit that way you'll know it will kick off hard and do this in a well ventalated area.And make sure it is dry and sent free before snakes go in.Any help let me know.
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spider m
pastel f
graziani pastel m
high c albino m
het for albino m
het for albino f
cini f
orange ghost f
mojave m
het for piebald ringer m
rodent breeding setup
and still growing

Thanks again! I'll have to make a trip to one of the hardware stores this evening.
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% het albino/100% het pied
0.3 100% het albino/50% het pied
1.1 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
0.1 Pastel