Questions about DIY cage

[erikadickson]

I've been looking at the diy enclosures on here and they are so cool! I've been thinking about trying to convert an old dresser into one, but I don't even know where to start and I can't seem to find any good tutorials online. Do I need to put vents in it? How do I mount the lights? Do I seal the wood? What other things do I need to remember? What kind of glass do I put on the front, and how? I have no idea what I'm doing, but my dad said he would help me. I just have to find out what we need to do.

ALSO any product recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Like if there's a specific brand/type of wood sealant that is safe for beardies, etc. Ive never built anything and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing so any tips would be great. Thanks!
UPDATE:
So it looks like I'll need a wood sealer to make it water proof, yes? And I need to cut holes to add vents. And I also need to put insulation on the sides? I am still stumped as to what type of glass to use- I've read plexiglass gets scratched up. How do I make the doors slide? I'm also still unsure what to do about the lights. Do I just cut a hole for the heat lamp and have it sit on top? I'll have to find out how to mount in his UVB tube as well. Gah, so many questions!! Also how do I know that the furniture I will be using as the base will be safe for him?

Update:
Okay, you guys. I found this piece of furniture that already has a glass front and a place to put his lights!! What do you think? I'd still have to cut holes for the vents and do the wood sealant. Looks like the back is mirrored so I'd have to take that out and put a piece of wood, right?
http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/fud/5386896626.html

 

[erikadickson]

So me and my dad have been thinking about it and we talked to a friend who gave us some tips on converting an armoir. We're going to try to find one on Craigslist and take the wood doors off the hinges and put glass in them! I'm really excited. My dad couldn't care less about my pet so I'm really excited that he's been so supportive in helping me find something that will work! Any tips would still be greatly appreciated.

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm sorry your post hasn't gotten any feedback yet. I'm not very handy but will try. The cabinet in the link you posted has nice height. How deep is it? You may be able to put in some levels for basking using something like that. I like tall enclosures because dragons seem to really love climbing around. I suggest sealing the wood using polyurethane based on what I've read. You just need to give it quite a bit of time to set and for the gasses to leave. I'd give it a couple of coats and leave it in a well ventilated spot for a week or two (just my guess). As far as vents go, I'd put some along the back and then put some high on the warm side and low on the cool side to increase airflow. There is a good tutorial for building a basic crossfire enclosure that may give you some ideas on the general construction that goes into it. I'm not sure what else I can offer though. I'd love to build a custom enclosure but haven't tried it yet. https://beardies.dreamwidth.org/2145.html

 

[erikadickson]

Alright thank you so much! Yeah I've only really seen long cages on here- not tall ones, so I wasn't sure about that! But we're going to look for a different piece of furniture rather than the one I posted. How deep should it be? I've seen some that are only 12 inches deep and I figure that's probably not deep enough

 

[erikadickson]

Also if I put a screen lid on top of it and maybe a couple of vents, would that be enough air flow? And if the lid is metal or aluminum will it filter out the uvb? I'm not sure about how to go about hanging the lights inside so I figure if I can just set them on top that would be easier

 

[CooperDragon]

I'd probably go with 2' deep if you can. Taterbug made a 4'x2'x4' (I believe those are the dimensions) enclosure for pepper and it's really nice. The extra height is great for providing climbing areas. There are some photos of it on her lighting site https://sites.google.com/site/thelizardmadness/photogradient

I'd go with a hard top so you can just put hooks in the ceiling to hang the UVB light from (they are designed to hang and often come with clips and a wire) and you can put in sockets for screw in bulbs. Any kind of mesh top would filter UVB so it's probably best to hang the lighting inside, especially if you have a tall enclosure and need the heat and UVB to reach greater distances.

 

[erikadickson]

Alright thank you! Do you think 19 inches deep is doable? All of the armoires I can find are around that. I was planning on building a rock wall and having multiple levels also

 

[erikadickson]

Also if I'm buying something and the inside is not bare wood (it's like shiny), will it be safe or do I still have to put some sort of nontoxic sealant over it?

 

[erikadickson]

http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/fuo/5403554715.html Considering this one since it already has glass doors and I wouldn't have to add any. I'll have to make vents though

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah something like that would work. 19'' deep is OK. I like to give them enough space to turn around easily and the extra width provides more light & heat gradient to the front and back of the enclosure but 19 is sufficient. I'm not sure how to proceed with converting it or what coatings you may need though. It may be worth sanding the inside down and coating it with polyurethane to waterproof it but that's just an uneducated guess.