Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been trying to decide whether to scratch build an enclosure from mdf or plywood. Thought of stacking tanks on their sides and building doors for the front of them.
Then I was visiting my parents tonight and they said they want this out of their house


I'm not sure what wood they are made of but I know they are solid wood, not mdf or plywood. They are wicked old (at least early seventies, wicked solid, and wicked heavy. three separate units, 76 high, 30 wide, and 15 deep. Not to happy about the depth being only 15 inches , but hey what are you gonna do.
So, I got this idea to remove the shelves, put the units on their sides, and stack them up, then make front sliding doors for them.
Something like this

what do you guys think?

and is this a good idea for the heat

this is a rear view of the enclosure. 12 inch slate tile on 1 inch riser, vented out the back of the enclosure

>>and is this a good idea for the heat
>>

You can do that. Alot depends on the species being kept of course, but yes, you can heat tile with Flexwatt and have the snake use it as a basking area, either on top of the heated tile or underneath it.

BTW, I use hook and loop (aka Velcro) to adhere Flexwatt to cage bottoms (plastic or glass) instead of tape. Way easier to remove if needed.

As for making cages out of the shelf unit you showed - you certainly can. You will have to purchase door track material, which is available.

There are benefits to wood, like the ability to hold heat and the ability to attach light fixtures or radiant heat panels. Problem with wood is that it can get dirty and smelly along the seams. Caulk helps but does not prevent it. Something to consider before investing in material to modify the shelf system.

thanks Mark,
I was thinking of covering the entire interior surface with water based polyurethane.
The species in the enclosures would be an eastern rat snake, a texas bull, northern pine, and if things go as planned, a yellow rat and a russian rat.

At aquaticeco.com they have epoxy paint that is used for fish ponds and such. It is water-proof! Paint the bottom of each enclosure with that (maybe about an inch or two up each side), and you will be good to go. Although it seems expensive, it is not way too much more than polyurethanes these days.

Not sure if it will stick to previously finished wood. Better ask first. I have seen this stuff used in a snake cage as described above, it was eons better than store-bought polyurethanes. And once cured, zero odor.

I would ask them about it first. Like I said, your wood unit looks like it has a finish on it, so check first.

thanks Mark