>>HELLO ALL IM TRYING TO BUILD MY 1ST RACK I HAVE OVER 40 ADULT BREEDERS...ALL IN 20GALLON LONG TANKS..THIS IS TAKING UP WAY TO MUCH SPACE...I NEED A RACK BAD....I CANT FIND 3/4 IN 4X8 SHEETS OF MEL NEWHERE....WILL REGULAR ODF PLYWOOD WORK? WILL IT POSE ANY TYPES OF HEALTH HAZZARDS..NE HELP WILL BE GR8..THANX..
People like melamine because it is cheap, easy to clean, readily available, and they don't realize the health risks it poses (particularly when used in direct contact with a heat source, such as heat tape).
Any sort of sheet good can be used to build racks: plywood, MDF, MDO, melamine, particleboard, etc. For racks, plywood would actually be my preferred material, followed by MDO. MDF, melamine, and particleboard all contain too much formaldehyde for me to feel comfortable with them in a rack situation.
FYI, **ANY** lumber yard will be able to supply melamine. They may not have it in stock, but they can easily special-order it for you. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days to get it.