Creative Cage Building....What Do You Think?

[KShook]

So...My Husband came across a Entertainment center on the side of the road...brought it home "of course" and said "babe look what i found!" I looked at him like he was CrAzY...haha....Anyways here's the step my step process of what we did..Start to Finish, well almost still need to add in lighting and misting...Let me know what you guys think?? And...PLEASE dont mind the mess of everything.....

This is how he picked it up:

Here we Stripped of the borader...water proofed and painted it inside and out:

Here we screened the entire back-side of the cages:

We bought wood measured and fitted each door and screened.. "missing those pictures, I'll take the rest of the pictures this week and post them" but here are the doors cut and painted:

And added some plants into a few of the cages...

"We have all the doors screened and hinges attached, I will get those pics this week"

Let me know what you guys think??? And for sizes of each cage I'll have to measure them out, not sure what the dimensions are since my hubby did all the work!!

 

[stevenelvin]

Looks pretty sick if you ask me

 

[Chameleonkid]

looks like a great idea might have to steal it!!

 

[JFodera]

How are you going to put the lighting in each compartment?

 

[KShook]

How are you going to put the lighting in each compartment?

The cages on Top & Bottom will have 18'' strip lights the Middle ones will have 24'' Strip Lights, the wiring we'll pull through the back...Heat Lights will be mounted by cabinet handles and clipped and pointed down for each cage.

 

[adamkwas]

Nice. I'm just curious as to how you're going to drain the top and middle compartments?

 

[showjet95]

how is the wood not gonna warp or rot from misting? great idea tho! its a chameleon entertainment center

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Looks good! If your TShook had the vision to convert that to a chameleon shelf you should be OK with the lighting and the drainage. He'll figure something that is going to work out.

 

[antithesis123]

You might try a waaterproofer like Dry lock for concrete. I have built underwater 3d backgrounds for aquariums that were sealled well with it. I'm transforfing a corner cabinet into a reptarium right now- Its adapting into an expensive project to make it right though.

Yours looks really cool so far

 

[summoner12]

nice work guys! now what about drainage?

 

[Vegas Chad]

In Soviet Russia the cage drain YOU! ! ! Looks good!

 

[KShook]

Alright for waterproofing we used a waterproofing membrane, inside & out. Then we used a Exterior Paint over the waterproof membrane...did a couple coats. No worries about it swelling up my Husband is a waterproofer, thats what he does for a living! As for drainage, we have not yet tested it, but with our other cages the time we have them set to does not leave "huge puddles" to where we need to set anything up..so were hoping it'll be the same for these.

 

[Carlton]

The cages on Top & Bottom will have 18'' strip lights the Middle ones will have 24'' Strip Lights, the wiring we'll pull through the back...Heat Lights will be mounted by cabinet handles and clipped and pointed down for each cage.

What species are you planning to house? Pretty small critters, right? The upper levels will get warmer than the lower ones during the day from the lighting.

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

I was wondering the same as Carlton. What will be housed in those cages? Future baby chameleons?

Looks really good. Will there be a huge screen door in the front?

 

[Perceus]

Ideas for draining

I was just thinking that if you could apply a slant to the bottom of each cage and then they could all drip into a gutter behind the cage that will ultimately collect in a bucket.

 

[KShook]

haha..the slant idea is a great one..IF it wasnt all put and molded together already.. Anyways..in the top small ones will be my 3 girls since they are pretty little, in the two middle ones will be an adult Male Nosy Be and a Adult Male Veiled. we figure the bottoms we'll use to house the feeders, in bins of course!

 

[Hoj]

looking good, i like the whole idea great recycleing project..

 

[KShook]

Alrighty Everyone,

Bringing this Thread Back...And Need Some Thoughts and Suggestions...Were getting ready to move it Inside this week and are trying to figure out what were going to do about drainage?? Any Ideas...ALL Are Welcome!

Thanks KShook

 

[Chamero]

Nevermind, this thread is from months ago.. haha

 

[Stanly]

Might could modify paint pans and glue in hose bibs and drain hoses on the "low side".
Or find a shallow container (or cut down a deep one) and block one end up and put you're drain on the low end.