Maybe I'm not as pathetic as I thought....enclosure built!

**abitfishy** · 1st February 2007, 10:17 PM

Hey there,

Well, I got sick of wanting to build something but not having the skills or tools, so thought I would give it a go building a new reptile enclosure for my geckos.

Used a circular saw to cut 2 of 1200x 445 melamine in half to give 4 of 600 x 445 pieces for the sides, top and bottom. However, I didn't take into consideration the blade thickness and ended up with 2 shorter bits (by a few mm). Not a problem, since one from each cut was the same, so I had 4 bits, 2 were the same as each other - if that makes sense, so the 2 shorter ones became the top/bottom, the others the sides.

Couldn't get melamine in thin lengths (for where the top and bottom glass door tracks mount), so bought pine and iron on melamine. The pine was cut by hand, as was the tracks and the rear board (that brown stuff on one side, smooth white on the other - forget its damn name). That was cut by jigsaw.

I did stuff up as I confused sides and since the rear edges weren't melamined, I needed to use the iron on stuff for 2 of the front edges as well. Cut the track to side, nail (the bottom), and screw (the top) on, and thats it!

Its surprisingly square for a my work - I usually give in on projects after I stuff the first cut, and walk away in frustration (and disappointment). Just need to add vents on the backboard (best idea I've seen is a hole saw drilled hole, with sink drainers glued in), also to add 2 ceramic ES sockets, one for heat basking globe, the other for a compact UVA/UVB globe. Oh, and of course, the glass doors which I haven't decided whether I'll use old glass to cut myself or just get some cut and edges sanded for me.

I used my new $49 GMC 184mm circular saw with pine as a guide clamped to the melamine to cut the large pieces, and what a bargain tool, I was very happy with the cut (using a 40 tooth blade, not the 24 that comes with it), as I was expecting it to chip the edges of the melamine.

Even though a basic job for most (most of you could knock it up in an hour or so, it took me most of the day), it was way above my skill and tool level and I'm absolutely stoked with the result. Will eventually house a trio of arboreal geckos.

**masoth** · 1st February 2007, 10:25 PM

Well done Mate, and, more importantly, congratulations on having the courage. Your next will bring more joy.

soth

**abitfishy** · 1st February 2007, 10:30 PM

Thanks mate.

I meant to add, I dowelled and glued the sides, but I also decided to screw as well at the last minute, so need to get some of those little white press on things to cover the screws heads too.

**billrule** · 1st February 2007, 11:51 PM

Ello 'ello... a bit of a perfectionist already!! You'd better watch that.

That's an impressively neat job...well done

Bill

**Wild Dingo** · 1st February 2007, 11:56 PM

Is this work from the forum "tragic"???

IM IMPRESSED!! IM STAGGERED!! IM WRAPT!!!... hell IM EXCITED!!!

You aint no flamin tragic boyoh!

You bin leadin us up the flamin garden path or what?

Well done!! It only improves the more you have a burl!

**BobL** · 2nd February 2007, 12:12 AM

Good job abitfishy. Nothing pathetic about that

Originally Posted by abitfishy

. . . I would give it a go building a new reptile enclosure for my geckos.

My shed is full of geckos especially since I got rid of or banished all the garden poisons to a leanto at the back of the shed. For a while I even had a little one living in my plane drawer. Unfortunately I also keep finding them squished between bits of wood and have to keep lids on jars (esp paint brush turps and sawdust jars) as they keep dying of starvation or drowning/dehydrating in these jars.

**Farm boy** · 2nd February 2007, 07:53 AM

great job abitfshy

if you need some more reptiles i have a nice green snake in the back yard you are welcome to

**Harry72** · 2nd February 2007, 07:53 AM

Its amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to it, looks pretty good for a 1st project.

**abitfishy** · 2nd February 2007, 03:46 PM

Hey wild dingo, look, I'm surprised it actually worked out. I was actually wondering how far I would get before I put it in the too hard basket. As it went on, I thought 'gee, I might actually finish this, and maybe even today!', and crikey, I was right! You're not as suprised as I am.

BobL - I'd love to have wild geckos around here, but it seems people who have them invade the house actually wish they'd get lost....I guess they could become a pain.

Thanks for the comments guys. Can't wait to do my next one.

Can someone suggest the best screws and technique to use - I just drove some galvanised wood screws that I had and have now put those white covers on them, but when one of the first screws dig into the melamine it just cracked the melamine and didn't look the best, so the heads stick out a bit, and stick out likes dogs bits even with the white covers on them. Is there a way to countersink them without cracking the melamine? Although I think a lot of it has to do with the Bunnings 'handyman melamine panels being pretty thin and nasty melamine....

**Jonno L** · 2nd February 2007, 06:07 PM

Gday mate,

Nice gecko enclosure! What species will you be keeping in there? You might be able to save yourself a few dollars by not adding the UV, as unless they are from the genus Strophurus, the probably don't need it.

Do you keep anything else?

Cheers

Jonno

**Jonno L** · 2nd February 2007, 06:20 PM

Also, I use 55mm 8g chipboard screws when working with melamine. Make sure you pre drill with a 2mm drill bit first, if you're building a large enclosure or lots of them, it's handy to have two drills on the go - one with the 2mm drill bit, the other with the screw bit. It's also a good idea to run a bead of bathroom sealant between the bits of melamine, so when it's screwed together it gets squeezed out. Wipe the excess away with your finger...this prevents moisture getting into the unsealed area of melamine and making it expand.

Cheers

Jonno

**abitfishy** · 2nd February 2007, 06:27 PM

Hey jonno,
Thanks mate.

Eventually I will be keeping trios I hope of Strophurus taenicauda (goldentail) and intermedius (Southern Spinytail). So will need to build another enclosure!

Not sure exactly which way to go - an ES and fluro, or 2 ES - do you think 2 ES's, one for those new style fluro UVA/UVB and the other for say heat? What do you keep and how is your light/heat setup?

I also have 4 Pygmy Bearded Dragons (henrylawsonii) and 1 Central (vitticeps).

Thanks for the tips. I was going to put a bead of white sealant along the edges afterwards, but I guess before hand would do too.

Yep, having to change depth stop on the drill bit when using the dowell jig, I decided I would get another drill, also for the reason you mention.

**Gumby** · 2nd February 2007, 07:10 PM

I remember my first effort too. A Triton mail box which i was so proud of, I left it on the kitchen bench for days just so I could ponder my accomplishment of actually joining some bits of wood together.

Good onya mr Fish

**Jonno L** · 3rd February 2007, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by abitfishy

Hey jonno,
Thanks mate.

Eventually I will be keeping trios I hope of Strophurus taenicauda (goldentail) and intermedius (Southern Spinytail). So will need to build another enclosure!

Not sure exactly which way to go - an ES and fluro, or 2 ES - do you think 2 ES's, one for those new style fluro UVA/UVB and the other for say heat? What do you keep and how is your light/heat setup?

I also have 4 Pygmy Bearded Dragons (henrylawsonii) and 1 Central (vitticeps).

Thanks for the tips. I was going to put a bead of white sealant along the edges afterwards, but I guess before hand would do too.

Yep, having to change depth stop on the drill bit when using the dowell jig, I decided I would get another drill, also for the reason you mention.

Gday mate,

I'd go for the new style compact UV globes. With the heating, I would be more inclined to supply floor heating, either by way of a heat pad or preferably heat cord.

I keep a wide array of different species of herp, mainly elapids. We do keep geckoes, including Strophurus, Neprhrus, Diplodactylus and Oedura. We don't heat any of them, but we are in QLD so it's easy to get away with. The Stroph's get natural UV thanks to the ever dedicated business partner who takes them outside. We supply UV to the dragons via U fluro tubes, or her taking them outside.

I would love to keep more geckoes, but our collection is huge and they are too time consuming at the moment.

Cheers

Jonno

**journeyman Mick** · 3rd February 2007, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Jonno L

............... With the heating, I would be more inclined to supply floor heating, either by way of a heat pad or preferably heat cord.................

Jonno,
can you tell me a bit about the heat cord, power requirements, suppliers, cost etc. Might be the answer to my fridge drain icing up problem.
Thanks,

Mick

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