Plans for my hand made enclosure :)

[Loki]

What Im wanting to do is build the main enclosure frame from the smallest PVC pipe I can find, most likely square if I can find it (none of the hardware stores here have it) then cover that in aluminum window screening. (Ive heard that some feeder insects tend to chew through plastic) Now, this next part is totally untested, so Ill have to see how it works, but I wanted to try actually sewing a long zipper along the front of the enclosure to open up like a tent flap for the door. The basic structure will be octagonal, with a matching stand made from treated wood to go underneath it.
The next feature will focus on drainage as well as humidity. What Im thinking of doing is building the entire flooring of the enclosure from some of the same aluminum screening, but if it turns out to be too abrasive for the cham's feet Ill use plastic. Directly under the screen will be small bars of some kind to reinforce the screen and keep it from sagging, but other than that Im wanting to leave it open for drainage. Underneath all of this in the stand will be a high walled tray for catching water which will be pull out for emptying. What Im thinking might happen is that having the water from earlier in the day underneath the cage might help keep the humidity up without causing standing puddles in the actual enclosure.

So what do you think? This is my first plan for building an enclosure so any ideas would be appreciated I havent seen anything like this with an entirely open floor yet, but seance my Veiled cham would normally spend its entire life in a tree I didnt think the open space would bother it.

 

[melrito]

The general idea sounds good, although I would think a regular screen door with a latch would be better than trying to make something with a zipper. How big are you going to make the enclosure? An adult veiled needs at least the equivalent of a 24x24x48" tall. Also not sure about square PVC, I've never seen any, but you could use wood or at home improvement stores they also sell aluminum like they use to make reptibreeze cages out of. It has premade grooves to fit the screen into and then there is a rope-like rubber that you roll into the groove over the edge of the screen to hold it in. If you want an octagonal enclosure, I'm sure this concept could work by attaching those aluminum pieces to wood or somehow connecting them together).

 

[Loki]

I hadn't thought of using metal for framework. That would probably be more attractive than PVC too. My reason for not wanting wood framework is that the cham would be coming in direct contact with the wood, which basically rules out most treated wood or varnishes I could use to keep the wood from eventually rotting due to the constant moisture... Do you think the heat bulbs would over heat the aluminum screening and metal frame though? I just thought of that, and I wouldn't want him burning his feet.
The zipper idea came from my current store bought enclosure from LLLReptile.

I haven't fleshed out the measurements yet, but I'm thinking at least five feet tall and three feet by three feet for depth and width. Two feet for the stand, so that my cats wont want to stare at the cham and bother him, and Im still wanting to leave one foot from top of enclosure to ceiling to leave room for lighting... I haven't even measured the room Ill be putting it in yet to be honest, so Ill have to tinker with that a bit.

 

[melrito]

As long as your cham cannot get into contact with the heat bulb directly, he should not get burned (otherwise your lamp is way too hot). Most chameleon cages are screen with aluminum frame (except your reptarium from lllreptile, which is mesh) - that's all I use and I've never had any issues. The zipper works for the soft mesh of the reptarium, I'm just not sure how well it will work with screen which isn't flexible (although it might work fine - you'd have to see).

 

[jdog1027]

I built 2 cages out of PVC pipe way back in 1998 and used a plastic mesh and hand sewn zipper, and it wasn't the most attractive or functional design. The plastic mesh I got from a friend who worked for a guy who raised catfish and made these giant holding pens with it. It was kinda thick and coarse. I actually still have them in the crawl space at my ex-wives house. The zipper was problematic and I had to sew in 2 pieces of velcro to hold the door open. The mesh was very loose on the frame and not tight like an aluminum screen cage is. The materials to build it were very cheap, but the labor of meticulously sewing the seams of the mesh together and trouble shooting the zipper everytime I had to open the cage would lead me to suggest, just build an aluminum frame/screen cage. Some people are very particular about aesthetics and how appealing the cage is in appearance and choose to build a 'furniture grade' cage out of wood. I personally won't use wood in my cages. Everything is made from water/rot/rust resistent materials. I know they aren't as visually appealing as a stained or varnished wooden framed cage, but one of my many my mottos is, 'Function; Not Fashion'. I'll try to dig through some old photo albums for some pictures of my PVC cages. I'll have to scan them; they were taken on a camera that actually used film! Long before the digital revolution. Are some of you younger forum members asking yourselves, "What is film?"

 

[reptoman]

I hadn't thought of using metal for framework. That would probably be more attractive than PVC too. My reason for not wanting wood framework is that the cham would be coming in direct contact with the wood, which basically rules out most treated wood or varnishes I could use to keep the wood from eventually rotting due to the constant moisture... Do you think the heat bulbs would over heat the aluminum screening and metal frame though? I just thought of that, and I wouldn't want him burning his feet.
The zipper idea came from my current store bought enclosure from LLLReptile.

I haven't fleshed out the measurements yet, but I'm thinking at least five feet tall and three feet by three feet for depth and width. Two feet for the stand, so that my cats wont want to stare at the cham and bother him, and Im still wanting to leave one foot from top of enclosure to ceiling to leave room for lighting... I haven't even measured the room Ill be putting it in yet to be honest, so Ill have to tinker with that a bit.

I you use something like 1" square stock of red oak or some other stable hard wood and spray paint the rails after building it, there is little concern for the cham coming in contact with it. Allow at least a week of drying time after applying several coats and water will shed off of the wood easily. Use a spraypaint for outdoor furniture and it will last for years.
Another option for the screen is petscreen. Its PVC coated nylon that is strong enough to keep a dog from scratching through it but it will not rip out your chameleons claws. Aluminum screen is notorious for doing just that. This video shows an example of one of my more recent builds. Most of the frame is scrap plywood and the solid panels on the sides are painted 5/8" insulating foam board. I used 1/4" galvanized mesh for the top to maximize the amount of light coming in but would use something smaller on the next one. Crickets escape too easily.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jclE2nv4wn0
Hope this helps.

 

[Jono]

You should look into those 3 way PVC corners, the ones you can just slot the tubing onto. Some of the site sponsors sell them, super cheap and makes building very easy. Also instead of sewing use a hot glue gun.

 

[Loki]

jdog1027, I see your point. I think the zipper idea is out, because it does work extremely well with my soft mesh enclosure but screen isn't as flexible at all and it sounds like Ill be working on an actual door with hinges design.

I really want this to be "function as well as fashion." An idea I got last night was to use the outdoor spray paint (as long as its entirely safe for my cham of course) to color my PVC, that way it looks a bit better, but is still collapsible for easy storage. Dry time isn't as issue because my cham is actually still on its way here and will be using a much smaller cage until hes grown. Thanks reptoman for that idea and I think the pet screen sounds wonderful! Ive never heard of it before.

Jono, Those 3 way PVC corners are my best friend right now! lol The Lowes near my house actually sells them in all sizes, and seance I'm also working on an irrigation system for my garden next year Ill be stocking up soon. But don't you think the hot glue will wash off easily when I disassemble the entire thing for a good scrubbing every once in a while? I read somewhere that people were using hot glue for placing sticks and vines in smaller enclosures because it was removable..?

Thanks everyone for the input My overall design has already changed a lot and I get to avoid some irritating mishaps now. Ill try drawing up a technical design later tonight and Ill upload it if your interested in seeing it?

 

[MD19]

I have recently built both a PVC and a window frame screen enclosure. IMO, the PVC was more work with less satisfaction compared to the screen. The PVC does it's job but the window frame could pass for a professional job at first glace.

Here is my screen enclosure thread, as opposed to a picture of my PVC enclosure (which I had to use elbows for rather than three sided ones since my hardware stores didn't carry them).

 

[Loki]

Wow MD19 both of those are amazing! To tell you the truth in my opinion I think the PVC one you did looks really professional too.

 

[MD19]

Wow MD19 both of those are amazing! To tell you the truth in my opinion I think the PVC one you did looks really professional too.

I appreciate it. The problem with the PVC is that it sometimes bends out of place if a little too much pressure is applied, but really it comes down to preference.

 

[Loki]

Oh.. I hadn't thought of that. Well, I know I'm going to have to use PVC for my outdoor enclosure, it gets cold in the winter here and the snow and ice would probably damage it if I didn't make it collapsible for storage. Ill just have to see how my outdoor one works out and then Ill decide if its good enough for indoors too.
That sure is good to know though.

 

[MD19]

Oh.. I hadn't thought of that. Well, I know I'm going to have to use PVC for my outdoor enclosure, it gets cold in the winter here and the snow and ice would probably damage it if I didn't make it collapsible for storage. Ill just have to see how my outdoor one works out and then Ill decide if its good enough for indoors too.
That sure is good to know though.

Once the zip ties are on (unless you cut them and then put new ones on) they aren't really collapsable. I find the screen one is much easier to move since once the screws are inserted they are very secure. Also in terms of collapsibility, I suppose you could just unscrew the screen and stack the pieces, although over time this would definitely affect how tight the screws held.

 

[Loki]

Zip ties were actually exactly what I was planning for the outdoor one. lol I would only need to take it down and store it once a year, so it wouldnt be too much trouble to just buy more after cutting them down. For the indoor though Im definitely planning something a bit more permanent, but considering I just like to design things like this it will come down and be replaced eventually.