New Stackable Vivs I am building...UPDATED 10/11/11

[Charlos101]

Looks really good!!

 

[TravisConklin]

Very nice, what type of plywood did you use?

 

[Dementeddogz]

Im curious too...He made a note at paying $25 per which is the price range of some of the softwoods like sanded pine? Your hardwoods like birch and oak usually run $40 1/2" and $45 3/4 and most local stores unless you grab elsewhere. I usually use 3/4" birch and can build a 4x2x2 cage out of one sheet for $45.

 

[rdoyle]

Im curious too...He made a note at paying $25 per which is the price range of some of the softwoods like sanded pine? Your hardwoods like birch and oak usually run $40 1/2" and $45 3/4 and most local stores unless you grab elsewhere. I usually use 3/4" birch and can build a 4x2x2 cage out of one sheet for $45.

I know pine is bad for reptiles, but if it is seals is it still bad for them? I dont know to much about wood ect. Man I knew i should took that woodworking class in high school LOL :lol:

 

[saleen89559]

I know soft woods can be bad for reptiles. This is pine but the outside got sealed and stained while the inside is getting primer, paint, and mod podge sealer. It will be completely reptile safe when done.

 

[RangoTheBeardie]

Hey Saleen.. I thought you might want to check out my viv's DIY page since I sort of borrowed your style.. I did/am doing a few things different, of all the viv's on here I really like the presentation of yours the best. Simple yet amazingly functional. If you have any suggestions for me I would love to hear them :mrgreen: I really hope that it's okay to use your idea. guess I should have asked first.. sorry. Hope you like them. I love the cherry stain BTW. I ended up painting mine black, as it will match the furniture in our house best. haha shoulda put the link in.. woops
viewtopic.php?f=75&t=156557&p=1260241#p1260241

 

[saleen89559]

Go for it!

I will post dimensional diagrams tonight for others to use.

 

[RangoTheBeardie]

Go for it!

I will post dimensional diagrams tonight for others to use.

Thanks!

Yeah I managed to figure out how long each piece was.. I messed up just a tad bc I didn't compensate for the size of the wood and was an inch short for my back piece so I ended up just supporting it with some "L" brackets from the inside and am going to put mesh over the gap at the top on the backside and it will just be ventilation.. I'm just hoping it doesn't mess with keeping my temps at a constant, but I think it will work out.

 

[rdoyle]

I know soft woods can be bad for reptiles. This is pine but the outside got sealed and stained while the inside is getting primer, paint, and mod podge sealer. It will be completely reptile safe when done.

Thanks for that. I will know that for when I do mine.

 

[saleen89559]

I got one of the new viv's done so I could move my big male "Spike" while he is brumating. Yes he is asleep in the box on the right side of the cage. He is perfectly fine in there with temps averaging 70 while no lights are on. So it leaves me free to work on day and hot spot temps at the same time. I have decor coming shortly for the cage.

Here are some pictures of the viv with lights on.

Here is the timer, dimmer, and CHE fixture with a Photocell inside the fixture. The CHE fixture has a bulb in it right now because I was just testing the circuit.

I decided to go with a 24" UVB. The structures I am going to have in the cages will allow my beardies to get within 8" of the UVB.

 

[saleen89559]

Painted my vents today. I am going with a hammered/weathered copper metal look for my cage accents.

 

[TravisConklin]

I really like that, very nice job. Can you go into the technique you used to get that color. Please.

 

[RangoTheBeardie]

Any chance I can get a closeup of the track? I've got four crossfires sitting in the shop waiting on track, can't find any locally and I'm not paying $124 ea for four foot track designed for jewelry display cases.

~V

I found these tracks and they are cheap and great quality!!
http://www.mcmaster.com/#sliding-tracks/=ehiwby

 

[RangoTheBeardie]

Looks great!!! I wish now that I had put a dimmer in mine too! maybe I can still add one?? Bc my basking spot is reaching 120 and I can't find a bulb smaller than 50watts in the kind that I have.. hmmm!?How does your timer work with both CHE and the other lights on it? Does it turn the CHE on when it turns the others off? I didn't know a normal timer could do that?

 

[saleen89559]

I really like that, very nice job. Can you go into the technique you used to get that color. Please.

I painted them flat black first. I left the flat black wet and started spraying copper hammered look paint on the wet flat black. I did that so when the copper started to fish eye, the black would bleed through more. I did the copper in small amounts till I got the look I wanted.

Looks great!!! I wish now that I had put a dimmer in mine too! maybe I can still add one?? Bc my basking spot is reaching 120 and I can't find a bulb smaller than 50watts in the kind that I have.. hmmm!?How does your timer work with both CHE and the other lights on it? Does it turn the CHE on when it turns the others off? I didn't know a normal timer could do that?

My timer doesn't run my CHE fixture. That is controlled by the photcell. When my daylight timer shuts off the lights, the photocell detects that and turns on the circuit to the CHE.