New Dragon Strand Hybrid Large Atrium for my Beman <3

[Jo00]

Wow, that's some casque! Are we looking at cham porn?
(Y'know... the bigger the casque... )

 

[Jo00]

WOW! That is an astounding casque! Beautiful guy! Thank you!☺

Yes. He’s very special! Love him to pieces

 

[Jo00]

So I am misting prior to heat lamp being on and well after it goes off... So I mist when the cage is cooler. I also do not run a dripper so I want them to be awake when the misting is actually happening. Your misting schedule is going to depend on your species and your environment.

I have switched up my misting schedule quite a bit to accommodate for my very high day time humidity levels.

So basically you will see keeper to keeper that it really varies. But most do not mist mid day because you create hot moist air due to the cage being hotter.

Wow that is going to be some intense shipping fees lol. Congrats it is a beautiful enclosure.

My 2x2x4 I just got is the acrylic door version. I have been extremely happy with how well it stabilizes temps and humidity. I am currently replacing the doors on my other two enclosures to clear vinyl to create the same effect. I have to do the large atrium today.

Here are some pics of my enclosures the large atrium is in there. https://www.chameleonforums.com/media/albums/my-enclosures.6672/

Here is one I just took of all three... The atrium your getting is the one on the right

View attachment 278894

Just wondering...we’re you able to convert the existing screen doors to clear vinyl or did you have to make new frames? How did you secure the clear vinyl?

 

[Beman]

Just wondering...we’re you able to convert the existing screen doors to clear vinyl or did you have to make new frames? How did you secure the clear vinyl?

Yep I did... It is easy. You have to use 20 gauge clear Marine vinyl. You essentially are removing the screen material and putting the vinyl in instead. You have to be careful when you do this though that you keep the shape of the frame or your frame/doors won't line up right.

 

[Jo00]

Yep I did... It is easy. You have to use 20 gauge clear Marine vinyl. You essentially are removing the screen material and putting the vinyl in instead. You have to be careful when you do this though that you keep the shape of the frame or your frame/doors won't line up right.

Thanks again. I might just do that. I have acrylic doors but Bill sent me screen doors to switch them out because the acrylic ones were likely what started the problems I had. But, of course, the screens don’t hold humidity well.

 

[Beman]

Thanks again. I might just do that. I have acrylic doors but Bill sent me screen doors to switch them out because the acrylic ones were likely what started the problems I had. But, of course, the screens don’t hold humidity well.

Well if you have the acrylic doors but had to switch to screen then you do not want to use the marine vinyl it is the exact same concept as the acrylic doors.

 

[Jo00]

Well if you have the acrylic doors but had to switch to screen then you do not want to use the marine vinyl it is the exact same concept as the acrylic doors.

It’s the weight of the acrylic that’s a problem. Vinyl would be lighter weight.

 

[Beman]

O

It’s the weight of the acrylic that’s a problem. Vinyl would be lighter weight.

Ohhhh ok lol yeah then that would make it easier. I have one solid acrylic door and then my other two cages I clearsided the doors. I prefer those because they are lighter weight for me.
This is the company I buy from. Make sure it is the 20 guage... But it is clear and works wonderful. You need about 2 inches extra on each side of the frame to lay it in right so account for that in your amount you order.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/492482460/clear-marine-vinyl-by-the-yard-20-30-40?ref=yr_purchases

 

[Jo00]

O

Ohhhh ok lol yeah then that would make it easier. I have one solid acrylic door and then my other two cages I clearsided the doors. I prefer those because they are lighter weight for me.
This is the company I buy from. Make sure it is the 20 guage... But it is clear and works wonderful. You need about 2 inches extra on each side of the frame to lay it in right so account for that in your amount you order.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/492482460/clear-marine-vinyl-by-the-yard-20-30-40?ref=yr_purchases

Thanks for the link. You are very generous with your knowledge and I appreciate that very much!

 

[Beman]

Thanks for the link. You are very generous with your knowledge and I appreciate that very much!

awww Your welcome... I figure that is why I am here to share what I have learned over the last 2 years lol. So that my trial and error at least helps other

 

[reddog]

I have a DS large hybrid atrium with screen doors. I contacted Bill about ordering acrylic doors recently and he mentioned he is working through some issues with the weight of the acrylic doors. Converting them to clearside seems like a great alternative. I have been able to hold my temps and humidity fine with my current setup, but I think it would looks a lot nicer with clear doors. Is the marine vinyl easy to work with and install in the door frames? When you mention you need to keep the shape of the door frames, is there a special technique for that or just leave the frame alone as I roll in the spline?

 

[Beman]

I have a DS large hybrid atrium with screen doors. I contacted Bill about ordering acrylic doors recently and he mentioned he is working through some issues with the weight of the acrylic doors. Converting them to clearside seems like a great alternative. I have been able to hold my temps and humidity fine with my current setup, but I think it would looks a lot nicer with clear doors. Is the marine vinyl easy to work with and install in the door frames? When you mention you need to keep the shape of the door frames, is there a special technique for that or just leave the frame alone as I roll in the spline?

So, I found that using the rescreening tool that you want to run that over the material on the frame to create the well that your spine runs into. I used very large paper clamps to hold and secure one side at a time that I was working on. This material is really similar to rescreening a cage with normal screen but it pulls much more so you have to watch how tightly your putting it in. You want it pulled but not to the point that there is a lot of resistance just so that it is not loose... Do one side then hook in its opposite. This way you can see the resistance and if you have too much pull on your frame. Then turn the frame and do one side then you will have three sides hooked in. The last side you will know what your resistance is gently lay in that side. You can use the spline that is in the screen for the DS cage. So just save that when you remove it. You will need a very sharp razor to carefully cut in your corners then push the spine down into them. Then run your razor along the excess on the edge and do a clean cut where the spline meets the frame and the edge hangs out.

The important thing I found is going slowly. It takes a little more work then recreening with regular screen.
With my atrium I only did the doors. I did not do the middle panel I left that one screen for airflow along with the service door of course.

I hope that makes sense.