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I'm building 5-6'x2 1/2'x15"cages out of plywood.The bottoms will be lined with fiberglass shower panels,the rest of the inside will be covered by vinyl sheets.I bought plastic floor vents for the back of each cage(6"L,4"H),and plan on using sliding glass doors w/jewelry case locks.
1.Liquid nails to attach the track,fiberglass,and vinyl...is it safe?!
2.Should the glass track be attached on top of the litter dam and the inside top of the cage,or is there a better way?
3.What's the best/safest glass to use,and how to calculate glass size?
4.I was thinking of using Kane mats for heat,can several of these be run on 1 thermostat?We I be better off using 11" heat tape? Thanks for any and all help!

>> 1.Liquid nails to attach the track,fiberglass,and vinyl...is it safe?!

Dunno. What does the Materials Safety Data Sheet for it say? I suspect that once it's cured it will be fine.

One question: what type of track are you using? Are you sure Liquid Nails will bond it? I found that the plastic tracking I used was pretty glue resistant...

>> 2.Should the glass track be attached on top of the litter dam and the inside top of the cage,or is there a better way?

What other way is there? I ran rails across the bottom and top of the front opening, then attached the tracks to both. Bottom one keeps the litter inside, top one hides (at bit) the lighting and heating fixtures.

>> 3.What's the best/safest glass to use,and how to calculate glass size?

Do you want the absolute best, no matter the cost? Or do you want to know what most people use?

Again, it probably depends on your tracks, to some degree. The track I bought gave a formula for calculating the size of the glass. It was designed for 1/4" thick glass. I just bought normal plate glass. You could also consider some sort of acrylic (which may scratch easily or discolor over time) or safety glass (=$$$).

>> 4.I was thinking of using Kane mats for heat,can several of these be run on 1 thermostat?We I be better off using 11" heat tape? Thanks for any and all help!

Which thermostat? Add up the wattage of all the heat mats, then compare that to the maximum wattage the thermostat can handle.

I'm not a big fan of under-cage heat for wooden cages. The glues in plywood probably aren't as bad as MDF or melamine, but I wouldn't be encouraging them to heat up, break down, and offgas. That means putting the heat source inside the cage. I probably wouldn't do that with heat tape; just too many opportunities for something to go wrong.

Have you thought about using radiant heat panels? They'd be my preferred heat source...

>> 1.Liquid nails to attach the track,fiberglass,and vinyl...is it safe?!

As far as I know it's safe. I've used it in dozen of herp cages so I certainly hope so.

>> 2.Should the glass track be attached on top of the litter dam and the inside top of the cage,or is there a better way?

I like the glass track on the litter dam as it's generally the most rigid part of the cage opening. I have seen in placed in dados to hide it - you might prefer that.

>> 3.What's the best/safest glass to use,and how to calculate glass size?

Calculating glass size depends on the track. My track required 7/16" less than the opening before the track was installed.

Safetey glass can be used but I hear it's very hard to get a nice polished edge compared to regular plate glass. I use plate glass.

>> 4.I was thinking of using Kane mats for heat,can several of these be run on 1 thermostat?We I be better off using 11" heat tape? Thanks for any and all help!

Not really sure.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

Thank's guys!I'm not exactly a handy man,so I want to make sure I'm doing these right! As for the track,I was going to get the plastic ones from Home Depo.I was told on this forum that I could stick them to melamine w/liquid nails,but wasn't sure about plywood.Someone brought up the weight of 6' melamine cages,that's why I decided to go with plywood.
I asked about the Kane mats because they are being given to me with the snakes,I was planning on using 1000 watt capacity thermostats. These snakes are a rescue,and I'm deffinately not rich,but I want them to have good cages!
Thanks again.

>>Thank's guys!I'm not exactly a handy man,so I want to make sure I'm doing these right! As for the track,I was going to get the plastic ones from Home Depo.I was told on this forum that I could stick them to melamine w/liquid nails,but wasn't sure about plywood.Someone brought up the weight of 6' melamine cages,that's why I decided to go with plywood.
>> I asked about the Kane mats because they are being given to me with the snakes,I was planning on using 1000 watt capacity thermostats. These snakes are a rescue,and I'm deffinately not rich,but I want them to have good cages!
>> Thanks again.

When I was building my melamine cages, I thought I tried Liquid Nails on my plastic tracks and had problems with it. Don't remember for sure though. If you haven't already purchased an adhesive, I'd probably recommend PL Premium Construction Adhesive. You can find it at Home Depot. The builder guys I know swear by the stuff...

I dont know much abou tthe cage building, I beleive Chris is the man to go with on that. As far as the heating, you can use all the heeating you want one one tstat with the following things in mind

1)they are the same size, type and wattage
2)they are the same temp at startup
3)the cages are the same size
4) the cages have the same ambient temps and are close to each other

If you are taling about a alife or zoomed tstat then dont do it. They are prone to failure. A good proportional tstat is your most accurate bet. The kanes are the best bottom heater on the market! 11" will not be efficent in heating the cage through the wood and putting it in the cage is a pain as yo have to seal it and also make sure it has the proper spacing for air flow. Since you ahve the kanes already I would just use them. Hope this helps,
-Matt
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www.mgreptiles.com
CBB Herps and Heating Supplies