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Rack/Cage building...

C

ChuUtena

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Anyone here build their own racks or cages? I'm going to have $125 to spend on something, and something tells me it'll be cheaper to build than to buy. I'm not sure where to go to find out, so I thought I'd try here first. Where would I get materials to build it, because melamine is too heavy I'm going to maybe get that pvc stuff? Just wondering if anyone can help, this is my goal for the day, lol build something. Thanks!
 
i have built all mine from melamine, it is heavy, but its cheap and readily available
 
i suggest you go with melamine. a sheet is about 20 or 30 dollars but would provide you with plenty to build your rack.

heat tape... id get the 3 or 4 inch flexwatt and you can find that at Bean Farm at a good price.

youll need a table saw (or something that will cut through melamine in a strait line) and a drill and some screws.

i highly suggest you wire the flexwatt to a dimmer or thermostat. i seen thermostats selling for like 20 bucks on here somewhere... mine is wired to a dimmer switch in a side mounting gang box. youll need wire nuts as well.

as far as tubs (sterilite or rubbermaid 6 qt. shoeboxes) you can find these at walmart, k-mart, target, longs ect...

cut the melamine, measure the heigth of the shoebox, cut an additional two pieces of scrap melamine to that heigth (youll use these to make sure your shelves are uniform), assemble rack using melamine scrap pieces, screws and drill. theres your rack.

wire the flexwatt. you can get instuctions on Clay Davenport's Website .

drill holes in the shoeboxes and you're done.
 
I have made a few racks.

Your right melamine is heavy. One of my racks I tried to get around this by using some 1/2 inch pieces for the inner shelves. This did take some weight away but was minimal. I think if your considering using expanded PVC sheets it would be more economical just to buy some racks already made. Boaphile and Natures Spirit reptiles are two businesses that come to mind. You might end up spending a little more, but when you really look at it you will probably come out better in the long run. For one thing working with the expanded sheets of PVC is going to require specialized tools. Plastic welder etc,etc. Then the time factor. If you have never done any kind of construction its going to be a lengthy process. I mean if you have the capabilities and the tools by all means make your own stuff. If not I think buying some premade racks from someone is an excellent alternative. Just my two cents.
 
its true what blazin said... without some knowledge in wiring, cutting and basic construction skills you'd be better off buying a prefabricated one but i have seen them being sold for ridiculous prices so shop around.
 
a table saw makes it alot easier, but you can use a circular saw with a 2X4 and a couple of clamps to use as a guide... animal plastics is a good place for racks as well.
 
Well I built my newest creation. I'll post a picture later tonight. But what type of flexwatt should I use, the 11inch or the 3 or 4 inch? My whole rack is about 40 inchs tall, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches deep. What would you well seasoned rack users/builders recommend? Thanks for all the input guys!!
 
So the 3/4 inch will heat tape will heat up the whole rack? Because in the rack I have now, it has the 11 inch heat tape. I guess I'm just afraid it won't be warm enough, because over the winter my rack wasnt warm enough. Thanks again!
 
Are you using shoebox size? or the larger sizes? If its shoebox size I run the 4" wide 3/4 the way down one side, from the back. I put the hide box in the back on one side and these granite tile sample things (that just happen to fit perfect) on the other side. they absorb the heat and the geckos love to lay on them.
 

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ya know, Im not sure?
check with tile suppliers &/or design studios.
I work with a lot of interior designers, and at this one shop they had about 10 of them and they just gave them to me.
what they are is samples of different granite & stone.
 
Home Depot had some with the other tiles. I bought a bunch of them in case they quit carrying them.

Regards,

Terry
 
What I built it basically a bookshelf that I'm putting converted fish tanks in. And I'm going to run the flexwatt down the back attached to the back of the shelf. Does that make sense? So it's a rack of sorts, but not quite since I'm not using tubs. And it was cheaper, don't know how, but I'll figure 100% of the final costs after I figure out this flexwatt stuff. I see the 11 inch is 20watts a foot and 3 inch is 10 watts a foot. If i'm running just one long strip (maybe two if I think that'll work better) would I want one long strip of 11 inch or one long strip of 3 inch? Because i don't have a "herper's house" I live at home, so I'm just trying to figure out how to get good temps mainly come winter time next year because damn my room is hot in the summer. Sorry if I keep asking the same question, I just thought I should give more information on what i'm heating and how i'm setting it up. After this I swear I wont ask again!
 
I would definitely go with the 11", and a quality thermostat.
 
3in

i would use 3 in with belly heat it will help keep them warmer in the winter especiallt if you already have a hard time keeping them warm i also recamend soldering all conections fora safer fit vs using the optional clips as for wire i buy 15 foot house hold extension courds and cut the end off they are like a 1.50 at walmart and readily available but definatly use a thermostate unless you keep the room temperature pretty stabile otherwise it is verry difficult to control with a dimmer switch if you have any questins just ask i will help where i can also to run multiple sections of flew watt just connect the wire from one end of the first piece to the 1st end of the 2nd piece in series if you know what that is

Billy
 
Kristen-

I use ESU Thermostats, they are inexpensive (around $30) and work great for me. I have hear dreally good things about the Ranco thermostats as well, they are more expensive but more accurate as well.

Just to make sure I understood what you were planning on doing, you are going to run the heat tape vertically down the back of the shelf, correct? If that is so then you will definitely need to use the higher wattage 11" tape. I have had racks over the years that had the 3" run down the back and it never got warm enough to heat the back end of the enclosure to 90 degrees.

I wish I wasn't so carpentry challenged so I could build my own racks.
 
I agree, you will need more heat down the back...........so I would also go with the 11"
 
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