acrylic panel

[phanx]

hi i am thinking of buying an all around acrylic enclosure (with a screen top). but i believe that the drainage will be a very hard task to do. is there anyway or any place like Home Depot or Rona that will drill holes in the bottom panel for me? i am afraid to do it myself for i am afraid that acrylic will break easily. has anybody ever drilled holes in acrylic before??

 

[sandrachameleon]

Yes, I drilled holes in the sheets of Acrylic I use for doors. I used a table saw to cut the acrylic sheets to size and a drill press and a hand drill to put screw holes along edges and across the middle so I could attach a wood frame and hinges. I had no cracking issues. However, success may depend on the thickness of the sheets? And I drilled holes pre-assembly, so the sheets were laid flat on a wood surface

You may need more holes than just for drainage - what about ventilation holes?

 

[summoner12]

What is the reason for acrylic? Why not a proper cage made of screen to ensure good ventilation?

 

[phanx]

well i read somewhere on this forum that the humidity in Canada is not that high enough to have stagnant water build up at the bottom. and there are good ventilation, i have a screen top with air vent holes in the front of the enclosure, right under where the doors open up. if i did have a screen cage, keeping the humidity and temperature up would be such a hassle, considering my room is in the basement and it gets really really cold over here in Canada when it is winter time. i was actually thinking of building a screen cage for a very long time, but i also decided against it because my cage will be located in a corner of my room. in that corner, i have wallpaper on 1 side of the wall, and dry wall on the other. i was afraid of moulding, so i just decided to save my hassle.

 

[summoner12]

If you plan to build the cage from scratch, I would make at least the top and front screen. What kind of temps do you see in the winter, and what kind of temps do you get in the summer down in the basement? If you get a swing of temps I would consider making the cage of screen and then building attachable panels that you can easily hang or fasten to the side of the cage for winter time. If the cage isn't ventilated well it can easily become an oven.

 

[LaserGecko]

I would use something other than reflective acrylic to avoid stressing the cham due to seeing his reflection.

Get some coroplast from a sign shop. It's incredibly cheap and mold/mildew resistant. It's also strong enough that you can build a radio control airplane out of it.

 

[Justin Carl]

What is the reason for acrylic? Why not a proper cage made of screen to ensure good ventilation?

Kevin, in certain areas of the world people do things a little different then us.

Most of my cages only have two sides for ventilation. The top and front.
Yes, I use screen cages with 5 sides of aluminum screening, but I have barriers in between each cage, and then back side is up against a wall.
Plexiglass and acrylic has been used is cages in the UK successfully.

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Actually, IF you can provide ventilation, a large plastic or glass would be preferable to screen. No claw damage, no climbing on part of the cage you dont' want them too... which means reduced burns, increased humidity control, no drafts...

The biggest problem is not reflections, but transparency - chameleons will try to pass through the invisible barrier - if they feel a need to get out. For large enclosures, it's not a problem, usually, as they won't be trying to escape.

screen's cheaper too.

 

[phanx]

lol u can easily put a wallpaper on the glass though cant u? or would they still be seeing their reflection?

 

[summoner12]

huh?

Kevin, in certain areas of the world people do things a little different then us.

Most of my cages only have two sides for ventilation. The top and front.
Yes, I use screen cages with 5 sides of aluminum screening, but I have barriers in between each cage, and then back side is up against a wall.
Plexiglass and acrylic has been used is cages in the UK successfully.

Which is why I suggested removable panels, please read the entire post next time.

 

[Grizz]

I make rc parts out of lexan and acrylic sheeting. they can be safely drilled by using a non-pilot point drill bit and a board of some sort on back side for bit to go into without blowing out back side of plastic. your drill gun should also be set to highest speed. low speeds will grab and crack.1,500-2,000 rpm min. also dont push hard let drill bit do work.

 

[eisentrauti]

Hi,

here in Germany we often use glass or plastic enclosures - with a lot of success I think.
Normal tanks have a screen under the front door, at one side and at at the top of the tank. So you have enough ventilation and humidity.

Best regards
Benny