Make your own screen cages
- Thread starter kylerenz
- Start date
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
What size do you want to build?
Tyler has some again, in the classified forums.
-Brad
Tyler has some again, in the classified forums.
-Brad
Nicodemayo
Avid Member
I made my first cham cage like the screen style ones you see for sale today. Last summer i worked for a window company installing lo e windows and knowing how to build a screen was part of the job. Although you can make them for cheaper than buying one, it isn't half the cost. You need the aluminum framing for the screen, which comes in various colors, the screen itself, and the spline, and a spline roller. Mine isnt near as sturdy at the manufactured one and its way more trouble than its worth, even after working for American window and door. Wood on the other hand is much nicer if you make everything cleanly cut and give the wood a nice gloss polycoat to finish it off. I did that for my panther and i plan on doing that when i build all my cages in the future.
Tatooineboy
New Member
Nico, so you're saying a wooden frame is the way to go?
Nicodemayo
Avid Member
If your crafty and intent on building your own, i think wooden cages are a better route to go.
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
My DYI chameleon enclosure efforts have all ended up out by the garbage cans in the end.
I cannot build something insect-proof and I end up spending more $$$ in the end every time.
Not to mention the frustration (I'm not really much of a builder).
The screen enclosures that are commercially available are neat and tidy, uniform in size and easy to clean. I use foam core to create solid walls if I want on them (just screw it on the outside of the screen side or back).
I will never build an enclosure again.
You can often find really good deals if you shop the classifieds here, check e-bay, etc.
-Brad
I cannot build something insect-proof and I end up spending more $$$ in the end every time.
Not to mention the frustration (I'm not really much of a builder).
The screen enclosures that are commercially available are neat and tidy, uniform in size and easy to clean. I use foam core to create solid walls if I want on them (just screw it on the outside of the screen side or back).
I will never build an enclosure again.
You can often find really good deals if you shop the classifieds here, check e-bay, etc.
-Brad
ian
New Member
the aluminum is kinda pricey. i think i paid close to 8 bucks per 7 ft piece and used like 14-16 of them i think. i found the whole process pretty simple. the toughest part was assembly. cause when you put the screen into the frame it tends to pull the belly of the frame inward. so when i assembled i just used grip clips and i siliconed all the seams together. to cut the aluminum i used a jigsaw, but a table saw would give perfect cuts. i'm pretty (ocd) so it wound up looking store bought.
Sepioteuthis
New Member
I've made my own screen cages, both with wooden frames and with aluminum frames, and I've bought them. In my experience the ones I bought were worth the extra money, they are a lot sturdier and 100% insect proof. The big advantage of a home made cage is that you can make it any size you want to. For the home made cages I also pefer to wooden frames, but I just have more experience with making things out of wood.
So the end conclusion for me is: Next time I'll probably buy one again unless I need a cage with very specific and unconventional dimentions.
Suzanne
So the end conclusion for me is: Next time I'll probably buy one again unless I need a cage with very specific and unconventional dimentions.
Suzanne
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
I was making them - and selling a few. It was fun, to sell the cages with some baby chameleons, but very time consuming.
Ther ewas a screen company in the midwest that makes the frames, with screen in them, for about half the price of materials (that I could buy at a screening supply company). I think, I I bought from them, it would have been about $20 for materials (minus screws and hinges) to put together a 2'x2'x3' cage. THAT CHEAP.
I didnt' have time and money to invest, but it woudl have been very nice. Maybe someday when I've got more space!
I was able to build them from scratch at about half the cost of premade screen cages. I opted for a full size front door, lowering overall stability, but increasing access.
The material at lowes or home depot is a bit thin and pricey. At a local screening supply place, I got it much cheaper and of a sturdier material. It was fun. When I have more space, I'll do it again.
It's SO much easier with a chop saw. cut them to appropriate lengths, add the corner pieces, and run the screen (easier said than done). you have to make a jig that fits inside the screen panel, so that when you run the spline, the screen doesn't pull the frame inwards. Get that down, and it's not too bad at all.
I'm probably going to make some hybrid cages. More like a free roam setup, with plastic barriers, but with screen doors and tops. I really like screen over reptarium shade cloth -so much more light penetration.
Part of the problem with this is getting the right materials. You need small spline for aluminum screen, large diameter for fiberglass - make sure you don't rey to spline aluminum screen with large diameter spline. It's not fun. You'll ruin screen.
Ther ewas a screen company in the midwest that makes the frames, with screen in them, for about half the price of materials (that I could buy at a screening supply company). I think, I I bought from them, it would have been about $20 for materials (minus screws and hinges) to put together a 2'x2'x3' cage. THAT CHEAP.
I didnt' have time and money to invest, but it woudl have been very nice. Maybe someday when I've got more space!
I was able to build them from scratch at about half the cost of premade screen cages. I opted for a full size front door, lowering overall stability, but increasing access.
The material at lowes or home depot is a bit thin and pricey. At a local screening supply place, I got it much cheaper and of a sturdier material. It was fun. When I have more space, I'll do it again.
It's SO much easier with a chop saw. cut them to appropriate lengths, add the corner pieces, and run the screen (easier said than done). you have to make a jig that fits inside the screen panel, so that when you run the spline, the screen doesn't pull the frame inwards. Get that down, and it's not too bad at all.
I'm probably going to make some hybrid cages. More like a free roam setup, with plastic barriers, but with screen doors and tops. I really like screen over reptarium shade cloth -so much more light penetration.
Part of the problem with this is getting the right materials. You need small spline for aluminum screen, large diameter for fiberglass - make sure you don't rey to spline aluminum screen with large diameter spline. It's not fun. You'll ruin screen.
Ren
New Member
I have built many cages, all wood, the largest concern is waterproofing it to suit the need of your animals and not to destroy your home...If you have wood working tools, screw guns, drills, jigsaws,tablesaw/ circular saw you can build these cages and get very good results you desire..
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this on cost me around 12$ for the wood, (i used 1x2 furring strips) and 15$ for screen and stain polyurethane and screws.... a couple bucks for hinge sets and closers and thats it, prolly total investment minus time was around $30 (some stuff I had already... this other cage for April and Phil cost me around $100 I bought a pile of cull lumber 1X from lowes, Cull is a term they use for twisted or cracked or warped boards... you can get this lumber for about 75% off... you just cut the good parts from it and use that , all of the wood i have used so far is pine..btw...
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in this picture I added a 3 switch bow to my cage.. one switch operates the uvb light the other the basking and finally the nightlight (for heat when needed) also has a line that runs down the back to the bottom storage area for a plug in receptacle for heat lamp for my crickets and roaches....
[/IMG]
so it all goes with the old saying if you dream/think it you can do it, which is why i like to build my cages because there arent any that have all the options I want in my cages....Hope this gave you some ideas and or answered any questions...
this on cost me around 12$ for the wood, (i used 1x2 furring strips) and 15$ for screen and stain polyurethane and screws.... a couple bucks for hinge sets and closers and thats it, prolly total investment minus time was around $30 (some stuff I had already... this other cage for April and Phil cost me around $100 I bought a pile of cull lumber 1X from lowes, Cull is a term they use for twisted or cracked or warped boards... you can get this lumber for about 75% off... you just cut the good parts from it and use that , all of the wood i have used so far is pine..btw...
in this picture I added a 3 switch bow to my cage.. one switch operates the uvb light the other the basking and finally the nightlight (for heat when needed) also has a line that runs down the back to the bottom storage area for a plug in receptacle for heat lamp for my crickets and roaches....
so it all goes with the old saying if you dream/think it you can do it, which is why i like to build my cages because there arent any that have all the options I want in my cages....Hope this gave you some ideas and or answered any questions...
I need to build 4-6 Panther Enclosures. Can you remember the Midwest company that buils panels?
Please email me: [email protected]
Please email me: [email protected]
Anyone know of any company that builds custom aluminum framed screen panels at a very reasonable price? I need to build 4-6 Panther Enclosures.If anyone here has built there own screens to make cages, no wood, let me know a little about it. I want to get a feel for how hard/easy it is. I am hoping I can do it for half the price of the retail prices. Let me know!
Thanks,
Chameleomom
Chameleon Enthusiast
This thread is from 2008
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