Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking for some information on building plastic cages. I have a few 50 gallon tanks around, some down low, and I cant stand having to remove lights, screen tops, etc and then all the bending and lifting to move, clean them, etc. I would love to build some cages to replace them. I have worked with Melamine before, and have made some nice cages/racks, but I want something light weight now.

So, if it is possible, where should I start? Try and find a local plastic supply shop? I dont think Home Depot sells large sheets of plastic, but then again I never really looked.

As far as the assembly itself, does anyone have any tips? How to peice it all together for the best strength? Are there any online plans available for building PVC? Any of those "Reptile Cage Design" CD's that are sold online have PVC plans?

Any information on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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Billy
Reptile World
http://www.reptile-world.net

Well, if your familiar with power tools such as routers and table saws and willing to shell out a little more for tools at first they are extremely simple to build.

For building the basic 4x2x1 enclosure the easiest way is to

1: take the 4x8 sheet of material and measure out 1' for the back, another 2' for the bottom, 1' for the front, and 2' for the top, then take a router with a V groove bit and run your groove approximately 1/8" deep. After you run the grooves between back and bottom, bottom and front, and front and top heat it up with a hot air welder, or a heat bending rod and fold it into the box shape, square it up and cut off the excess 2'x4' strip (set it aside to cut the side panels for)

Then chem weld the top to the top of the back piece and allow it to set up. After it is set up measure and cut out the side panels and chem weld them into place approximately 1/4" inset to provide a lip to pick up the enclosure. After the side pieces have set up cut out your front openings (I suggest making a template and using a router to do this) Then either cut your plexi to size or measure and have it cut for you.. Drill and install hinges and barrel locks and walla you have a cage.

If you are having difficulty placing the side panels in place you may need to cut the front opening out prior to installing the side pieces.

There are other techniques to make these, but this is the quickest and easiest method for high strength. After a little practice you should be able to make a cage per hour not rushing yourself.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

Thank you for the advice. You have probably given me one of the best replies yet on any forum, lol.

On Monday I head over to a few local plastics shops. Hopefully, I can find one with black PVC sheets, but I guess I can always go white, and then paint it with one of those new plastic spray paints after it is built.

I also think I am going to need to start practicing with my router, I dont do many projects that require it, so I dont have much experiance.

Also, the hot air welding, is it possible to do all chemical welds instead? Or do I really need to look into a hot air welder? I have seen that one on eBay and mentioned here on kingsnake before, the airless one, and from what I read that one takes a very long time to weld maybe a 1 foot stretch. Do you have any recomendations on brands/models for me to look into?
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Billy
Reptile World
http://www.reptile-world.net

You can go without an air welder (or any welders for that matter) I just suggest it for making 3 of the 4 main seams without having to use chem welding or even material welding. By heating up the plastic and bending it after grooving it, it saves ALOT of time over bead welding and is about the same time as cutting out the pieces and chem welding, but alot sturdier. If you go with chem welding all the joints and cutting the pieces out separately it isn't much different then building a wooden enclosure, just without screws and nails. If you have any other questions feel free to ask or shoot me an email.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

Just wondering, do you guys have any recomendations on using the router? I really have little experiance with it, and last time I couldnt control it too well, lol.

Would you suggest making some kind of guide to make straight v groves? If so, what should I do, just build a frame the same width as the router, and just clamp it down to the plastic?

I am just worried I am going to mess up and wind up with a useless piece of PVC. Thats why I think I am going to play around with the $15.00 piece of Sintra before I try and work with the solid 1/4" PVC.
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Billy
Reptile World
http://www.reptile-world.net

I don't own a router any more but I just used to run mine along the same edge-guide I used with my circular saw. You can buy these edge-guides at most HIC's.

There is a slight tendency for the router to "walk" away from the edge, making for a crooked cut. I'm guessing with a shallow V-groove is relatively soft PVCX this won't be a problem.

When you practice you'll want to experiment with both left-to-right passes and right-to-left passes. Left-to-right is the conventional way, but I have heard it argued that the opposite way will pull the router tight against the straight-edge.

Or do I have that backwards?

Sorry, it's been so long since I've used a router that I'm second guessing myself.
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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)

If your worried about a router jumping and walking you could also invest a little more and pick up a router table. A router table is the easiest way to do it. But as Chris said pick up a clamp guide and it will do the trick.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

>>So, if it is possible...

It is possible. Building a melamine cage should be enough experience.

>> ...where should I start? Try and find a local plastic supply shop?

I suggest expanded PVC (aka Sintra) starting with one or two sheets from a local supplier. Plastic supply stores will always be your best bet but you'll probably need to live near a large city to find one. Sintra from sign shops is your next best bet. They can get you the black.

Speaking of sign shops. I have found they always have scrap and are willing to give it away. This makes a great way to practice.

>>As far as the assembly itself, does anyone have any tips? How to peice it all together for the best strength? A
>>Any information on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Randy gave you some excellent advice and I'll point out he has much more practical experience than I with using this material for cage construction. Despite all my research I've not had the time to actually build a cage from expanded PVC.

Still, I recommend you at least consider building a cage with Sintra bonded together with PVC corner angles. Ironically there is a picture of such a cage in the Enclosures Forum on Randy's site.

The corner angle will be a more time consuming cage to build but will be stronger than a heat welded joint and you can even get away with using the 3 mm thick expanded PVC. With the 3 mm Sintra and the corner angle the cost will be about the same. You'll save a ton of money if you don't have the tools for bending the cage.

If you want me to explain this more I'd be glad to go into it.

The V-grooves and bending is a great way to build a cage as well.
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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)

Thanks for the info. I actually mentioned the cornder angles to Randy in an email, and he told me a bit about them too. Since I am probably not going to go out and get a heat welder just yet, I am probably going to do v-groves and bends with Chem Welds, and the Corner Angles could be used for the front and sides at least, if not on all corners. These cages are going to be used for a Burmese, Dumerils, and possibly some larger monitors, so I would want them to be as strong as can be. .
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Billy
Reptile World
http://www.reptile-world.net

Cool. Please post pictures when you're done.

Are you going to use expanded PVC? If so, are you worried about large monitors tearing through that thin layer?
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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)

Well, I got a price of $15.00 for a 48" x 96" piece of PVCX from a sign company, its only 3/16" though. I might just get it though to practice on. Cant go wrong for 15 bucks, lol.

A local plstic shop has standard PVC sheets at $45.00 for white, $50.00 for black. 1/4". So I will probably go with that for the actual cages.
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Billy
Reptile World
http://www.reptile-world.net

I can't get white PVCX in 6mm for under $70 where I live.

Looking forward to seeing the final product.
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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)

I guess its since all these places are actually making the plastics. Northern NJ is probably where alot of this stuff actually comes from and gets shipped out to other smaller plastics shops. When I do a google business search for plastics shops in my area, they are literally like one on top of another in Northern NJ, lol. Guess I lucked out living so close (Staten Island).
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Billy
Reptile World
http://www.reptile-world.net

Does the plastic need to be heated to be bent? Or do you just bend it cold?
I like the router idea...that works on expanded pvc also????

I would heat it in addition to the V-groove. At least for the 6mm PVCX.

If you use the PVC angle you can likely get away with the 3mm PVCX and then you don't need the V-groove at all - it bends with just heat.

But if you use the PVC angle you really don't need to worry about bending in the first place.

The router idea is for expanded PVC, aka Sintra & PVCX.
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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)

Before you set yourself on pvc, do a Google search on (plastics and cancer!)