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Here is an EXTREMELY rough computer drawing of my tegu cage that i am planning to build - it is for an Argentine B&W tegu, does it look good? all sides will be plywood, front will have plexi, top will be screen(actually hardware cloth), will also have casters so it can be rolled outside for Morpheus to get some natural sun. It is 30 inches instead of 36 inches so it can fit through the door! Sound good? The front doors will pull out, and i may make the top on hinges for easier cleaning or something.

SUGGESTIONS?COMMENTS PLEASE~

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Looks pretty good for a rough drawing. Be ready for the plexiglass to get scratched up pretty quick, and discolored. I know you do a lot of screen cages, so you probably don't care as much about a perfectly clear viewing area do you? I never would have though about the 30" thing. Oh, also, I wouldn't put that cage out in the sun if I were you. It would probably heat up pretty quickly. Once you get it setup and you figure out where you want all of the lights and stuff on the screen top, you might want to put some pieces of plexi over most of the open screen top to make it easier to maintain temperatures and humidity.

Other than that, the basic design doesn't seem too bad. Now you just need to figure out how it's all going to go together, and what/how much wood you'll need and everything. It looks like it should be a fun project.

Don't you think a tegu could tear through hardware cloth?
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Hardware cloth is extremely strong, it is hard to cut with wire cutters! Now tegus could easily tear through SCREEN , but hardware cloth is a strong product. And besides, it would be on the top only, so it wouldnt be where he would be digging.
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if you have access to a table saw, or are a circ saw master, you can make triangle shaped light boxes that mount from the back on the inside. Cut a square hole out of the back for mounting and to let the back heat escape. Use the wire you use for the top to protect the lights. This keeps the top free from clutter and looks allot better. Just set the table saw to 30 degrees. All angles are 30 degrees. Here's a pic of how it looks. I'll e-mail you a sketch if you wish.

DZ

Thats not a bad idea i might use that when i do my new one unit multi cage that i am going to make out of shower surround. i just might do that on the side instead of the back for easier access. can you post a sketch on here or email it to me. thanks

ken
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Jeez, if I had thought of that idea earlier, I would do that for the new cages I'm building. I guess it doesn't really matter though. I'll just do internal lights instead. Right now I only have lizards anyways, so it's not like they're going to be able to get to the hot light bulbs. I might still toy around with the idea though, I mean, I do have enough spare clamp lamps anyways.

Here it is. Remember ALL angles are 30 degrees. You'll need to bevel the edges of the top and bottom so they fit properly against the back and each other. The sides are a perfect triangle, again, 30 degree angle on a miter saw. If you're making several, use the stopper, then all you have to do is butt the edge against the stopper, set your miter to 30 degrees, and cut, rotate, cut, rotate. If set right, you won't even have to measure after the first time.
For an 8" lamp I make a 7" hole. Make sure it's centered and there's enough room on the sides to account for: 1/2" each side for the extra inch of the lamp, 1 inch each side so it isn't difficult to remove, 3/4 inch after that to allow for mounting to to the side pieces. Use 2 1" drywall screws on the bottom so the lamp doesn't slide down. When you install the screws ensure they allow the light to sit evenly over the open hole.
Cover the opening with a strong wire mesh. I use 1/2" square wire for my snakes.
The pole on top is a piece of dowel. I put them on top to give my snake something to keep him from falling off when he climbs. Drill a hole down the center except for about an inch. Install with 1 3/4" screw.

Sand smooth, paint, install. The wall the light is mounted to must be open behind the light for replacing bulbs but more importantly to release heat so it doesn't catch fire.