Started to build my flex today

[Mark7616]

Well I started to build my flex today. After gathering all the materials I made a start and got the frame for the enclosure built. It works out to be 47hx24dx31w. Next weekend I will be building the door to the enclosure and the hood to house dripper UV and heat bulbs and I have spent all night last night filing down the mesh that I will use as the roof so that if the Cham decides to go for a climb he will not hurt his self on any sharp edges. I will also have the side of the hood angled at about 65-70 degrees to add a bit of shape so it doesnt just look thrown on top. After that I will build a 12" stand that will also hold a plastic tray to collect water with a mesh floor in the bottom of the enclosure meaning water and detrius can fall through but the cham cant access it. Anyways here is my current progress after I have varnished and sealed it all joins will be sealed with aquarium silicone and screws covered in silicone aswell.



What do you think so far???

 

[Vegas Chad]

Looks really good!

 

[dondeb562]

looks great so far!!

 

[Mark7616]

Well I got a bit more work done today. I have now built and fitted the door. The hinges are sunk in aswell. The wood had a bit of flex to it so I strengthend it with the wood in the corners. As you can see I also ran a lip around the inside of the door for 2 reasons 1. To stop bugs escaping and 2. To stop the door falling through. I will be adding the roof tomorrow:

 

[Debmonster]

Very nice work! I can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[Mark7616]

Right I cracked on a bit more today and got half of the roof done, on the table it looks a little big but I needs to hide all the equipment and dripper and I will build the base to the same dimensions so it looks equal and not so tall. I also used the aluminium mesh on top I used this for the top so that the UV rays pass through it well and it is also stronger for holding the weight of the dripper which will way about 3.8kg when full. I spent ages sanding it down to make sure there were no rough edges. I will also run some beading round the edge just for peace of mind that there are no sharp bits either.

I also bought 2 more plants today and re-potted them What I plan to do is have them at different heights, the ficus benjamina will be sat on the bottom, I will then about 6" up from there on a shelf have the ficus elastica then further up from that will be the Dracaena meaning I have live plants at all levals and when bushed out will look good. I also have 2 large, 2 medium and a fine jungle vine which will be run inbetween the plants and up at the top for basking and I have 2 fake ficus plants that will be incorporated near the top for shelter untill the live grow that big.

 

[Syn]

Looks good, I forgot - can that type of soil cause impaction? If it can be sure to add those nice soft and shiny rocks on top of your soil.

 

[Lizardlover]

Dont forget to wash your plants too.

 

[kylerenz]

You have a very lucky chameleon. That cage looks awesome. You could honestly sell those on here. I would buy one so that I could have a designer cage in my livingroom that wasn't just a plain old screen cage. What was your total for buying the supplies?

 

[Mark7616]

Just to confirm Plants are washed and cleaned, pebbles are all ready to go ontop of the soil. I live in the UK so I estimate about £60-70 for everything including varnish, hinges etc.

 

[Jason4045]

Well done! I look forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[eisentrauti]

Hello,

is the wood sealed ? Looks very good so far !

 

[NewOwner]

Get anything else done on it? Youve got alot of followers on here, Anxious to see your finished cage!

Very beautiful... Update please!

 

[OntarioLizardman]

looking great! i like that rubber plant you got, those are like 20 bucks ( at least where i saw them )

 

[sageghost]

It already looks amazing. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[Gaerei]

It's coming along great! I may have missed it but what kind of wood are you using? Are you going to shingle that big roof?

 

[NewOwner]

Id love to see more pics, i been wondering how the progress on it is doing, i cant wait to see the finished product Keep us informed Eh?

 

[NewOwner]

Now your just teasing us We want to see!!!

 

[Mark7616]

I only get time to crack on with it at weekends, there is no point trying to do a couple of hours here and there after work thats when people tend to rush and I want to make sure everything goes perfectly so dont worry I will update when I do something.

 

[Mark7616]

Right im nearly done on the construction side now. Today I got the other 2 panels or the roof on to finish that off. I then put 2 shelves inside to hold the plants then I started to build the base the frame is built all I need to do next week is build a door for it and I am going to coat some boards with plastic so water runs from the main enclosure into the tray at the bottom, then all that you do is clean the mesh and open the door take out the tray and empty the water.

Here is the cage now with door locks, finished roof and shelves sitting on the half built stand. You can also see the tray in the stand to collect water.

The 2 shelves

To give you an idea here it is with the plants in it, I still need to build a stand for the ficus on the bottom so for now its just on some wood so you can see it.