Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm going to build some new cages and was thinking of laminating mylar to the plywood. This stuff is also called clear polyester film, and here is a description of it from eplastics website.

" clear polyester film or sheet is a flexible, exceptionally strong and durable film with properties that make it most suitable for many industrial applications. Clear polyester sheet and film is inert to water and acts as a moisture barrier as well as being unaffected by oils, greases and most aromatics. Even under attack by these conditions, clear polyester sheet or film will retain its superior properties and remain tough, clear and flexible from minus -100°F (-73.33° C) to over 300°F (148.88° C), and since clear polyester contains no plasticizers, it will not become brittle or yellow with age under these or other normal conditions"

Sounds like it just might work. In the past I've used the Greg Maxwell method, but was not pleased with the durability of contact paper. Anyone have experience with this stuff?
Paul

I have not but another alternative to contact paper, is vinyl film. Cheap relatively durable, easily repairable and comes in more colors than a crayola super box of crayons.

What is the price point of mylar and what are the color options?
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

0.0.2 Morelia Viridis
1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

for a 48" wide by 50 foot roll it's $55, thicker stuff is more, thinner stuff less. It only comes in clear, but i was thinking i could put contact paper over that for appearence. I look into the vinyle, just this other stuff sounds extremely durable. thanks for the feedback.
Paul

>>for a 48" wide by 50 foot roll it's $55, thicker stuff is more, thinner stuff less. It only comes in clear, but i was thinking i could put contact paper over that for appearence. I look into the vinyle, just this other stuff sounds extremely durable. thanks for the feedback.
>>Paul

Clear product often does a poor job of hiding the adhesive underneath. You didn't mention the preferred method of attachment and what you plan to attach it to?

Vinyl film over a polyurethane interior works pretty swell the film likes to adhere to smooth surfaces such as glass or vehicle body panel. So a ply carcass covered treated with urethane and lined Greg Maxwell style will be pretty cheap. Melamine is even cheaper.
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

0.0.2 Morelia Viridis
1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

The manufacturer recommends spay on adhesive. And whatever i decide to coat it with the cage will be made out of 3/4" plywood, probably birch. I've been building cages for many years now and have tried many things...I HATE melamine. I used contact paper, drylock, polycrylic, pool paint, FRP, shower board, and haven't found the "perfect" method. Plastic would actually be perfect except I like woodworking (read cage building) just as much, if not more than keeping reptiles. Also, I like big cages!
Paul

Paul,

I have been building cages for about twenty years now, and I have found that one of the best materials for the interior of a cage is laminate (Formica, Wilsonart, Pionite, etc.). It's incredibly durable - I have cages that have been in service for 15+ years that still look new. It's easy to work with, readily available, moderately priced (around $2 a square foot) and of course available in a kaliedescope of colors and textures. I use a water-based contact cement called TitanDX, which has no obnoxious fumes.

You can also use thin sheets of PVC in a similar fashion, but it's more difficult to work with. You're also limited in terms of color palette and I find the slick, shiny texture less desirable.

Just something else you might consider.

Laurie

Sounds like a great product per the description.

Do you have some as a sample? If so, adhere it and test it. Myself and others I bet are curious to know.

My last cage I made from plywood I sealed with Shellac, which dries very fast and is completely safe once cured. After that, I placed some contact paper on the floor and partially up the sides. The rest of the cage interior was just the shellac.

Although I had to replace the contact paper from time to time, this setup worked nicely, and the cage has held up.
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Mark

>>Although I had to replace the contact paper from time to time, this setup worked nicely, and the cage has held up.

Is this current production contact paper or the older stuff?
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

0.0.2 Morelia Viridis
1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

Current stuff.

I think the contact paper, plus the newspaper/Kraft paper on top of that does a fairly good job of protecting the floor.
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Mark