Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I keep reading about expanded PCP...and MDF( that one I know )
And other materials described by initials.
Can someone expound on exactly what these materials are?
I still have a hankerin to try my hand at making a cage, but with all these initials, I may as well make it out of cement.
I'm sure I know what they are, I just probably know them by a different name.

I have no idea what PCP is. Have you perhaps confused it with PVC?

At any rate, here's a list of defined acronyms.

PVCX - Expanded/Foamed Rigid PVC sheet, aka "sign board" or "sintra", with the latter being the brand name for one of the more common brand names. This is the material Boaphile uses. Can be welded with solvents or heat.

EPVC - same as above

HDPE - High-Density Polyethylene - This is the material that those sturdy plastic cutting boards are made of. Can only be thermally welded (no solvents) and varies greatly in quality. I have seen 1/2" sheets that seem to be permanently warped. Animal Plastics uses HDPE. A nice product if you can find a good source. It is very heavy, however. One of a very few plastics that does not react poorly to the commonly used disinfectants.

HDPP - High-Density Polypropylene - Similar to above but lighter according to Alan at Jungle Habitats.

HDS or HIS - High-Density/Impact Styrene - A thin plastic used by Doug Barr ( herpcages.com ) and Precision Cages. Can be welded with solvents or thermally.

FRP - Fiberglass Reinforced Panel - Not to be confused with Fire-Resistant Panel. This is the thin, textured plastic often seen lining the walls of restrooms. Very scratch resistant so is popular with monitor enthusiasts. Creates a nasty dust if cut with a power saw but otherwise cheap and easy to use. Too flimsy to use on its own so is typically used as a laminate onto the interior of plywood or melamine cages.

Those are all I can think of. May update later once the coffee kicks in.

HDPE - High-Density Polyethylene - This is the material that those sturdy plastic cutting boards are made of. Can only be thermally welded (no solvents) and varies greatly in quality. I have seen 1/2" sheets that seem to be permanently warped. Animal Plastics uses HDPE. A nice product if you can find a good source. It is very heavy, however. One of a very few plastics that does not react poorly to the commonly used disinfectants.

HDPP - High-Density Polypropylene - Similar to above but lighter according to Alan at Jungle Habitats.

Chris i was doing some looking yesterday as i was looking to pick up some IPS weld-on #3-#4 to toywith some scrap acrylic i had left over . Well HDPE & HDPP can be solvent welded this was new to me but after talking with the people at IPS weld-on they told me it can be solvent weldedso i will be experimenting with this and let you know how it works.

Now as far as HDPE & HDPP the first material i was experimenting with in my cages was the HDPE which for a 4x8 sheet weighed 88 lbs which i didnt care for as it was like moving a M1-A1 tanks lol now theyre may be other HDPE forms that are somewhat lighter but with that one encounter it turned me off of it .

The HDPP i use is considerably lighter , i use 5'x8' sheets and the weight on it is 66 lbs per sheet which is a considerable difference when it comes to weight.

there is also *Sintra = same as xpvc just a different name .
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Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....Creating better ideas today then the day before while i dont claim to have invented the wheel... im just making that wheel roll a little better ... Edit this !www.junglehabitats.com and www.junglehabitats.com/forums/portal.php

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That's interesting that HDPE and HDPP can be solvent welded. It will be especially nice for your customers if they can screw your products together and inject #3 or #4 along the seams. I may have to cut up my cutting board and go experiment with that. LOL.

Regarding the weight of the HDPP, that's impressive that a 5'x8' sheet only weighs 66 lbs. That works out to 53 lbs per standard 4'x8' sheet which is which is online with 1/2" standard-core plywood.

Some questions regarding HDPP:

1) Is the quality generally pretty good or are there a lot of products that are warped, etc.?

2) How does the price compare to Expanded PVC from a given supplier? I realize comparing 5x8 to 4x8 sheets is not straightforward.

3) How is the rigity or how well does it span across longer lengths?

4) Is it offered in colors other than white? You use a black or a dark blue, correct?

5) Do you know of any national suppliers of 1/8" perforated polypropylene? I have found US Plastics but their products tend to run on the high side.

Oh yeah, I did mention Sintra in my post under PVCX.

That's interesting that HDPE and HDPP can be solvent welded. It will be especially nice for your customers if they can screw your products together and inject #3 or #4 along the seams. I may have to cut up my cutting board and go experiment with that. LOL. *****

Chris #3 IPSweld are for acrylics only not the hdpe&pp materials

Regarding the weight of the HDPP, that's impressive that a 5'x8' sheet only weighs 66 lbs. That works out to 53 lbs per standard 4'x8' sheet which is online with 1/2" standard-core plywood.

Yep thats why i use it its not as light as 1/4" plastics but the extra weight in my opinion does have its place in cages where larger snakes come into play as it can help iliminate the cage being moved by a tail grab etc , and to me the weight is only a issue when initial set up ofthe cages etc are done as normally the things are moved around like furniture lol

Some questions regarding HDPP:

1) Is the quality generally pretty good or are there a lot of products that are warped, etc.?

if you are reffering to the material warping in use ? as with any plastics depending on the load spread on it when stacked tec they can warp if the weight isnt distributed equally . As far a sheet materials being warped or prone to it the answer is it will warp up in direct sunlight when laid out or if leaned on a wall etc but it doesnt per say form amemory to it where it cant be reversed easily.

2) How does the price compare to Expanded PVC from a given supplier? I realize comparing 5x8 to 4x8 sheets is not straightforward.

Well my suppliers XPVC(sintra) in 1/2" is a 4x8 and is about $25 or so less then the hdpp, i was going to use the XPVC but with the center core being " foamed" it has a softer inside core therefore a mechanical screwing can be done but can also strips easier and has ALOT more flex to it i built a arboreal cage with it as a trial cage when using it as a test and it was unbeleivably flimsy so i chooseto stay with the HDPP

3) How is the rigity or how well does it span across longer lengths?

On a 8ftx30x18 cage on the length of 96" there is a small deflection in the length of the cage maybe 1/2" but with a solid machined face it allows the structure of the front to stay rigid and not have any sagging to hamper door movement /operations. On the width of 30" deep there is some deflection but again it doesnt have ill effects to the cage and with a installed rail support frontto back it will provide ample support to the cage itself ian all i think its one of the most rigid plastics to use for rigidity over pvc and similar products due to the compound in the plastic.

4) Is it offered in colors other than white? You use a black or a dark blue, correct?
I use black , grey & white. there are some other colors such as a "seafoam" and similar shades but when you get into the more custom colors likethat the price range increases greatly.

5) Do you know of any national suppliers of 1/8" perforated polypropylene? I have found US Plastics but their products tend to run on the high side.

i think my supplier carries it i think i had asked several months ago as iwas planning to make like a FB style rack and was going to use that as venting for the top of the racks over a full screen opening as it would keep humidity in alot better and heat also thats still in the works as it will be made with aluminum modular racks etc so they can be a multi use rack and not limited to one size tubs for it .

Oh yeah, I did mention Sintra in my post under PVCX.

take care
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Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....Creating better ideas today then the day before while i dont claim to have invented the wheel... im just making that wheel roll a little better ... Edit this !www.junglehabitats.com and www.junglehabitats.com/forums/portal.php

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edited signature file to remove advertising slogan. Please update accordingly. [phw 3/25/04]

So essentially these are all materials one would'nt find at Lowe's or Home Depot?
The bathroom wall sheeting, is this the one with a what looks like a particle board backing?
Still a lot of letters here to deal with.
Now I know why there are cage manufacturers!

The FRP board is not the white, smooth-surfaced showerboard you mentioned. It is a solid, highly textured, plastic-type product. Very durable. It is found in the same section as the showerboard at my local Lowes.

I used some of the showerboard many years ago. It did not hold up very well but was so cheap that replacing it was not that big of a deal. TTreptile has used some in his recent cages and it sounds like a higher quality product than what I used.

The rest of those plastic products need to be picked up at plastic suppliers in major cities. There is always mail-order but that is much more cost prohibitive.

pcp = angel dust? lol jk dont ban me!!!! i think pcp is poly carbonate polymer? Any ways thanks for ur advice on another topic. I remebered I had some linoleum left over and decided to just make a lil pan on the bottom of dresser conversion. Used a water based polyurethane ( it looked like watered down elmers glue lol) to seal the wood. Later when I have more money I'll redo the dresser even better , but will work right now just so he can get a few hours of real sun and fresh air. Thanks again!
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