Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well i finally got started on my bp cage today. im converting an old dresser. its 3 ft long by 2 ft wide by 1 ft high. i got it down to the frame. now i need to get the wood (any suggestions on the ytpe ie. ply wood ect.) and then im get rolling.
ill post a pic of it now and the diffrent steps later.

RV
-----
Corns
0.0.1 03' Amel
0.0.1 03' Normal
Ball python
0.0.1 03' (6 months) normal

i would use plywood, treated with a couple coats of envirotex epoxy. If your going to use newspaper/astroturf for the substrate i would place some tile along the bottom of the cage so you can clean easier.
-----
0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 normal ball python (felix)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

"There are six genes which determine the amount of melanism present in a person's skink"-meretseger

thanx. Umm is this envirotex epoxy easy to find, like a lowes, or home depot. just wondering cuz i got to go to lowes next weekend. Big load of my shoulders i was hoping ply wood would be ok.

thanx again
RV
-----
Corns
0.0.1 03' Amel
0.0.1 03' Normal
Ball python
0.0.1 03' (6 months) normal

RV,

Envirotex is something I have purchased at Menard's, a midwest home improvement store. I have never seen it at Lowes or Home Depot.

It probably is overkill for a Ball Python since they don't have excessive moisture requirments.

If I were converting a dresser into a BP cage I would first line the floor with 1/4" expanded PVC. A frame or subfloor may be necessary to support it. PVCX will allow for the use of "belly heat". It will also make for an easy to clean and fairly durable floor.

Depending on the structure of the dresser I'd probably line it with a thin laminated plywood of some sort, almost certainly maple, birch, or oak.

The walls of the cage would then either be painted with an oil-based paint or stained and then coated with an oil-based polyurethane. Both would be cheaper than Envirotex but would take a lot longer to offgas completely.

Another option is to line it with styrene insulation and do fake rock-work similar to Oogieboogie. See one of this posts for a link if you have not already.

I'm looking at Birch plywood for a furniture look but I'm not sure if it is safe. Keep in touch. I'm building a huge cage for my burm and have lotsa ideas.