My home made Two piece Cage

[Guest]

I just got my first Tegu about 2 weeks ago. Its only a baby but I decided to start building its adult cage now. I build teh cage so that it can come apart in two parts, so that its easier to transport and move around.
It took 3 sheets of 1/2" birch plywood, 1 sheet of 1/4" birch plywood, and 46' of 3/4"thick x 8" wide solid popplar board for the inside frame. I still have to build the drop in plexiglass windows, the vents, and holes for the electric lighting and heating elements. I also will me coating the inside with a reptile safe epoxy and teh outside with polyeurethane.
Let me know what you all think.

 

[Toby_H]

Looks very good so far...

I found tempered glass for the same price as plexiglass. Glass is far less prone to scratching but is much heavier.

I would definitedly stain the exterriror prior to applying poly...

I use Drylok for the interriro of enclosures and am very happy with the result. You can add standard paint pigments to color it to your desired color. I used 'forest green' Drylok for the back and sides of mine and brown for the frame. I'm very pleased with the result.

I'll post pics of mine as soon as I can find the darn cord for my camera!

 

[DMBizeau]

Man your cage looks almost identical to the one I finished a few weeks ago except mine is one piece. I stained the outside and used grey pigmented drylok and I like it so far.

 

[Guest]

Looks good!

I also would recommend using Drylock for sealing the interior. I used four coats on my own enclosure, the first coat being very thin, and subsequent ones becoming thicker as applied. Because I didn't care for the tint colors that were available, I painted over the Drylock with a low-VOC exterior paint, and it came out great. VERY sealed and protected.

 

[Guest]

Is drylock clear or does it look like paint?
I probably stick with the Polygem Epoxy, just because I spent $280 on nice cabinet grade wood, so I want the natural wood to show. I also used this epoxy on my ball python cage and it still looks new, even after 3 years of use with high humidity. Polygem epoxy is what the zoo's use on their cages. Its pricy, but looks beautiful if applied correctly and it's a rock hard finish.
Thank for all the info

P.S. Does anyone have a good method for heating a cage like this. I dont like the ceramic bulbs. I was thinking of a heat pannel that bolts to the top of the cage.

 

[Toby_H]

No, Drylok does not come in clear...

It comes in white, grey and maybe a couple other dull colors. You can have latex paint pigments added to the Drylock to tint the color into anything you want, except clear. One tip to anyone doing this, the pigment effects Drylok less than it does paint. So if paint requires 2 ounces of pigment to acheive a color, Drylok will likely require 3 ounces to acheive the same result.

If your goal is to preserve the natural grain of the plywood Drylok will not work for you. But keep in mind it will be about 80~90% cheaper based on the prices you suggested.

I'm not familiar with the specific epoxy you are using, but consider how well it will stand up to a Tegus claws. I am not suggesting it won't stand up to them, I'm just acknowledging a sizable difference in what it will encounter in a Tegu cage in comparison to a snake's cage.


I'm a fan of Drylok because it has worked well for me on a number of projects. But I also acknowledge that there are many other products that can work. Each persons priorities and goals will decide which product works best for them. I surely wouldn't criticize anyone who made a different decision than I based on their different goals or priorities :thumbsup:

 

[redlizard5]

That is a very good looking cage :app .Could you please draw out some schematics to share or others to make their own .That's a great home for you r little ( soon to be big) guy .

 

[Guest]

That is a very good looking cage :app .Could you please draw out some schematics to share or others to make their own .That's a great home for you r little ( soon to be big) guy .

Here is a 3D view of my cage without the top panel. This lets you see teh internal frame that gives the cage its strength.
If you want actual sizes of each component of the cage, PM me.

One final tip is to got to use trim screws to attatch the panels to the prame. These screws have a small head, so they dont look so funny on the outside of the cage. Just make sure to evenly space out the screws so that it looks neet. You can even get these screws in stainless steel

 

[Guest]

Finally complete

The moment had arrived. I have finished the cage and have moved the sleepy lizard into his new home. I have added a video on Youtube.com that walks you through the new cage. let me know hat you think. Any questions or suggestions yould be greatly appreciated. Here is the Url to my youtube video
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgjxSsIVwws" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgjxSsIVwws</a><!-- m -->

 

[james.w]

How are you holding the two parts of the cage together? Could you post some pics of the cage?

 

[slideaboot]

Do you have sliding glass for entrance?

Or? How do you get into that badboY?

 

[Guest]

It looks like he is lifting the glass out the top ... Its a nice looking cage ... He found some nice plywood for it ....

 

[Guest]

Yes, you llift the glass straight up. It rides in groves that are cut into the sides of the window frame. I am not totally wild about the way they operate, but i can change them someday if I like. I have made hindged windows in the past on other cages, but they seemed to get in my way too. With this design you just pull them up and totally out of the way.

Right now I am holding the two sides of the cage together with 2 pairs of 3" C clamps. I plan on making some better looking clamps that are made out of wood and bolts soon.

I used a rubber window/door seal to make the two sides of the cage air tight. That way you dont have moisture or bedding falling through the crack.
It has a stickey side that adhered well to one side of my cage.

I will try to post pictured of the cage later.
Thanks again guys for all the good feedback

 

[Guest]

Pics of the finished product for those of you who who didnt see the youtube video

 

[Guest]

Updated pics of fully furnished cage, plus ? on live moss

I do have a few questions, will moss stay alive in a cage like this aslong as its humid? Will the PowerSun bulbs give it the artificial light it needs to stay alive? Would I need to get a special plant bulb, or would those be harmfull to the lizzard?