Dave94
Gray-bearded Member
Hey guys. I've built a couple of 4x2x2 enclosures now. Thought I'd post 'instructions' These are perfect sizes for dragons and only cost $180 au which is like $80 american I believe.
First off, you can get all the material from hardware stores. I'm in aus so I personally used bunnings.
Materials:
4x 1200x595x16mm Melamine sheets (base,back,top) and the leftover piece you will cut in half for sides..
1x 1200x16mm melamine sheet (I think thats the size, I will edit when I find it) this will be how you will fit the glass tracks and keep the substrate etc in. (If you get what I mean :lol: )
1x 1200mm glass track
1x large vent (these can be whatever vents you want anyway)
4x small round vents (these can be whatever vents you want anyway)
1x packet or bucket of chipboard screws 8 or 10g x 32mm length is what I us
1x packet or bucket of small nails I use 20mm x 2mm
1x PVA glue
Optional :
White iron-on edging (I didn't use this for my first, it really just makes it look better looking..)
White screw caps (So you don't see the holes where you put the screws in.. again for looks)
Tools Required:
Electric or cordless drill
Jigsaw
Handsaw – although a drop saw is straighter and quicker
Drill bits
Screwdriver bit for your cordless
Ruler
Tape measure
Pencil
Work horses or bench of some sort on which to build your cabinet
For optional stuff
Iron
File
When assembling the unit, it is best to pre-drill and screw all joints to keep it together longer and to withstand the knocks and bumps it may get from moving. I don’t use glue for this part, you can if you want.
Start of with your bottom piece and one sidepiece. Ensure the side is matched correctly with the bottom.
It is vitally important to make sure you have all the edges nice and close Start off with one edge and pre-drill your first hole. Screw in your screw. After tightening the first screw, work your way along the unit until you have about 4 screws in it. These two pieces should now be locked nice and solid together.
Now that the sides are done, place the cabinet on its base and sit the top on it (1200x595). Ensure that all corners are a close fit because if they aren’t, it may end up crooked. This is why it is important to make sure all corners are square and all edges are flush. Pre-drill and screw together. Once finished you should now have the resemblance of a box.
Flip your box forward so the back is now facing you (although it doesn’t really matter, as it will all be the same). The backing now should fit almost perfectly on top. Make sure that all the edges and corners are neatly lined up. Pick a square edge of your backing and start from there keeping all else in alignment. Pre-drill and screw on your backing. You now have a box.
Get your piece of timber for the glass track to sit on and cut this to suit the gap at the bottom front of the enclosure. If you have a strip of melamine, that’s great, if not, and you have pine, then it must be sealed.
Align the timber with the face edge of your cabinet and pre drill and screw it in as you have done with everything else. Making sure you put 2 screws in at each end and 5 or 6 underneath screwing up from the bottom of the enclosure into the strip.
Now the glass track is to be fitted. Cut the glass track to suit the enclosure, ensuring the thicker one goes at the top. This is to allow for the glass to slide in and sit down on the bottom track and locate in place. I take a tiny drill bit, slightly smaller than the nails you are using and predrill the holes in the track. Glue (PVA) and nail in your glass tracks. Start at one end and make sure it is flush at the front edge. Tap your nails down and then countersink them, very gently, with a small nail punch. Your track is now done.
We need to fit some vents now, I always like to have my vents at the opposite end of the heat lights at the top of the enclosure, so pick where you want to put the vents and start measuring. I allow a 50mm gap from the top and side edges before I measure where to cut. Just makes it a bit easier. Once you have picked and carefully marked the location of the vent, get a drill bit big enough to allow a jigsaw blade through the whole and drill anywhere in the space to be cut out. Cut out with jigsaw, making sure you keep your edges nice and straight for the vent. Once cut out, clean up the edges and test the vent. Better to cut less and have to cut more than to cut too much and have to get another vent to fit the bigger hole. I now use some PVA glue to help seal up the cut out melamine, but if you wish, you can cut some strips of iron on edging and use that. This will help seal it and looks quite nice.
Optional :
You can now apply the iron on edging, it is very easy to do. You need a nice clean iron, so it doesn’t dirty the edging. Line up the edging nice and flush with one end and one edge. Apply heat to the edging and it will melt the glue already on it and allow it to stick to the timber. If you make a slight error, just heat it back up and move it. Do this to all your bare edges. Once done you can then scrape the edges. Where the stripping overhangs the edge, you take your file and come down on the top of the edging in a forceful way and the edging will just scrape off, it should make little pig tails when done right. The file should be held vertical to the edge you are scraping and only push against the edging, do not pull back as you will cause the edging to come off. Screw caps can now be placed over the screws. I use a little bit of PVA glue to hold them in place although it is not necessary.
Wiring it up
There are many options for wiring up a unit like this, it is really up to your imagination and how much you have to spend. The wiring you fit should meet the requirements of the animal you wish to house.
I will edit this part later with some pictures of the enclosures.. Will be putting some glass and stuff in a new one this week so can take pics of this. I got this off another site and have re written it.. some parts MAY be close but this is a little different then the other persons..
First off, you can get all the material from hardware stores. I'm in aus so I personally used bunnings.
Materials:
4x 1200x595x16mm Melamine sheets (base,back,top) and the leftover piece you will cut in half for sides..
1x 1200x16mm melamine sheet (I think thats the size, I will edit when I find it) this will be how you will fit the glass tracks and keep the substrate etc in. (If you get what I mean :lol: )
1x 1200mm glass track
1x large vent (these can be whatever vents you want anyway)
4x small round vents (these can be whatever vents you want anyway)
1x packet or bucket of chipboard screws 8 or 10g x 32mm length is what I us
1x packet or bucket of small nails I use 20mm x 2mm
1x PVA glue
Optional :
White iron-on edging (I didn't use this for my first, it really just makes it look better looking..)
White screw caps (So you don't see the holes where you put the screws in.. again for looks)
Tools Required:
Electric or cordless drill
Jigsaw
Handsaw – although a drop saw is straighter and quicker
Drill bits
Screwdriver bit for your cordless
Ruler
Tape measure
Pencil
Work horses or bench of some sort on which to build your cabinet
For optional stuff
Iron
File
When assembling the unit, it is best to pre-drill and screw all joints to keep it together longer and to withstand the knocks and bumps it may get from moving. I don’t use glue for this part, you can if you want.
Start of with your bottom piece and one sidepiece. Ensure the side is matched correctly with the bottom.
It is vitally important to make sure you have all the edges nice and close Start off with one edge and pre-drill your first hole. Screw in your screw. After tightening the first screw, work your way along the unit until you have about 4 screws in it. These two pieces should now be locked nice and solid together.
Now that the sides are done, place the cabinet on its base and sit the top on it (1200x595). Ensure that all corners are a close fit because if they aren’t, it may end up crooked. This is why it is important to make sure all corners are square and all edges are flush. Pre-drill and screw together. Once finished you should now have the resemblance of a box.
Flip your box forward so the back is now facing you (although it doesn’t really matter, as it will all be the same). The backing now should fit almost perfectly on top. Make sure that all the edges and corners are neatly lined up. Pick a square edge of your backing and start from there keeping all else in alignment. Pre-drill and screw on your backing. You now have a box.
Get your piece of timber for the glass track to sit on and cut this to suit the gap at the bottom front of the enclosure. If you have a strip of melamine, that’s great, if not, and you have pine, then it must be sealed.
Align the timber with the face edge of your cabinet and pre drill and screw it in as you have done with everything else. Making sure you put 2 screws in at each end and 5 or 6 underneath screwing up from the bottom of the enclosure into the strip.
Now the glass track is to be fitted. Cut the glass track to suit the enclosure, ensuring the thicker one goes at the top. This is to allow for the glass to slide in and sit down on the bottom track and locate in place. I take a tiny drill bit, slightly smaller than the nails you are using and predrill the holes in the track. Glue (PVA) and nail in your glass tracks. Start at one end and make sure it is flush at the front edge. Tap your nails down and then countersink them, very gently, with a small nail punch. Your track is now done.
We need to fit some vents now, I always like to have my vents at the opposite end of the heat lights at the top of the enclosure, so pick where you want to put the vents and start measuring. I allow a 50mm gap from the top and side edges before I measure where to cut. Just makes it a bit easier. Once you have picked and carefully marked the location of the vent, get a drill bit big enough to allow a jigsaw blade through the whole and drill anywhere in the space to be cut out. Cut out with jigsaw, making sure you keep your edges nice and straight for the vent. Once cut out, clean up the edges and test the vent. Better to cut less and have to cut more than to cut too much and have to get another vent to fit the bigger hole. I now use some PVA glue to help seal up the cut out melamine, but if you wish, you can cut some strips of iron on edging and use that. This will help seal it and looks quite nice.
Optional :
You can now apply the iron on edging, it is very easy to do. You need a nice clean iron, so it doesn’t dirty the edging. Line up the edging nice and flush with one end and one edge. Apply heat to the edging and it will melt the glue already on it and allow it to stick to the timber. If you make a slight error, just heat it back up and move it. Do this to all your bare edges. Once done you can then scrape the edges. Where the stripping overhangs the edge, you take your file and come down on the top of the edging in a forceful way and the edging will just scrape off, it should make little pig tails when done right. The file should be held vertical to the edge you are scraping and only push against the edging, do not pull back as you will cause the edging to come off. Screw caps can now be placed over the screws. I use a little bit of PVA glue to hold them in place although it is not necessary.
Wiring it up
There are many options for wiring up a unit like this, it is really up to your imagination and how much you have to spend. The wiring you fit should meet the requirements of the animal you wish to house.
I will edit this part later with some pictures of the enclosures.. Will be putting some glass and stuff in a new one this week so can take pics of this. I got this off another site and have re written it.. some parts MAY be close but this is a little different then the other persons..
Going to get my dad or hubby to build something for mine.
