wow, it is looking very nice right now. should not be long before you get it filled and put the tegu in....
Tegu cage building thread
- Thread starter rrcoolj
- Start date
Awesome! I love build threads like this
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I'm sure your tegu will be very happy in his new home
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Keep us posted!!
.I'm sure your tegu will be very happy in his new home
.Keep us posted!!
As always thanks for the comments. No pictoral update but I finishid applying silicone to the enclosure. I have also ordered the supplies for the glass track and I will be getting the actual glass hopefully this week. I also plan to order his mega ray this week. If everything goes as planned, he should be in his new enclosure by this weekend or early next week. More updates very soon.
Good and bad news...
Good news is I got the glass and the tracks. I installed the tracks and I also installed the fourescent fixture that will supply his uvb on the cool side. I am going to wait to get the MVB so I can get him in his enclosure faster. I bought a 75 watt halogen that will hopefully help keep the basking spot up.
Bad news... the glass will not go in the tracks. It just barely won't fit. SO I have to take out the bottom lip and trim it a little bit so the glass will fit. Not what I wanted to do but it's not THAT bad so I will get to it either later today or tommorrow. Also, I can't get the mulch yet because my mom has borrowed money from me and has yet to pay me back. It's so close to being done though.
pics...
Good news is I got the glass and the tracks. I installed the tracks and I also installed the fourescent fixture that will supply his uvb on the cool side. I am going to wait to get the MVB so I can get him in his enclosure faster. I bought a 75 watt halogen that will hopefully help keep the basking spot up.
Bad news... the glass will not go in the tracks. It just barely won't fit. SO I have to take out the bottom lip and trim it a little bit so the glass will fit. Not what I wanted to do but it's not THAT bad so I will get to it either later today or tommorrow. Also, I can't get the mulch yet because my mom has borrowed money from me and has yet to pay me back. It's so close to being done though.
pics...
No I didn't say the price of the glass. Since the cage is pretty much done i figure I would go ahead and list the most important "tips" to remember when building something like this.
1.Take into consideration the thickness of the wood.
This is VERY important. It's the reason whay my enclosure won't flush 100%. You have to take into consideration how thick the 2x4"s or you will have small gaps in the wood like I did.
2.Have major cuts done at a hardware store if you don't have the tools to do so(have to go back there to get the side pieces cut).
This I would consider important and It would be time saving. I hate going to stores like lowes and walmart so when you got make sure you know exactly what sizes you need unless your a carpenter and you have all these tools. I knew my sizes so I did not have a big problem with this one.
3.make sure to cover every inch of the wood with your sealnt. Even the little edges.
Pretty self explanatory. Just make sure you cover EVERYTHING with your primer or whatever you descide to use.
4. read the labels of what you buy so you know you got what you wanted.
Also prety self explanatory. Make sure you know your product and you know exactly what your getting. Those clowns at the hardware store have no idea how to build an enclosure but you do so get the product that suits you.
5.Don't skimp on things you need. Better to do it right the first time then to have to do it over.
This I didn't have a problem with this time but I have in the past. Don't try to get a sub-par product becouse it costs a little less. Get everything you need and get the nescessities first.
6.sturdyness is key!
I can't stress that enoguh. I it may very well be nescesary too walk on your enclosure to make sure its sturdy. If it can hold 100lb's+ in one spot it will be fine.
7.When frustrated with a piece take a short brake and come back to it. The heat can make thinking a bit irrational.
8.Planning is key when setting this kind of cage up. Do your research and have a VERY good idea of what your doing before you take the plunge. I did litterly months of research before doing this.
9.exspect to spend a bit more than you assumed if you are a beginner. In other words your probably going to make little mistakes and you will have to pay for it LITTERLY!
As labor intensive as this thing was to build I really had fun doing it. But then again I like putting things together. It was also pretty easy. Mind you mines is on a much larger scale than alot of you will build. These tips are not from an expert but from a fellow hobbyist who has chosen to share what I felt were the most usefull tips. Cost wise it wasn't bad at all. All together including the MVB(when I get it), the glass the tools, the wood, etc. It was right around 400$ so not too bad. The door will be the most exspensive part and the tracks and glass together costed me like 130 something. The glass was like 85$. I am sure someone might be able to find it cheaper but probably not by that much. The plexi was even pricier at like 110$. So the door alone was like 1/3 of the cost. Tools will also cost you. I only bought a jigsaw and some bits,etc but together it costed me like 50$. All in all though it wasn't bad at all.
1.Take into consideration the thickness of the wood.
This is VERY important. It's the reason whay my enclosure won't flush 100%. You have to take into consideration how thick the 2x4"s or you will have small gaps in the wood like I did.
2.Have major cuts done at a hardware store if you don't have the tools to do so(have to go back there to get the side pieces cut).
This I would consider important and It would be time saving. I hate going to stores like lowes and walmart so when you got make sure you know exactly what sizes you need unless your a carpenter and you have all these tools. I knew my sizes so I did not have a big problem with this one.
3.make sure to cover every inch of the wood with your sealnt. Even the little edges.
Pretty self explanatory. Just make sure you cover EVERYTHING with your primer or whatever you descide to use.
4. read the labels of what you buy so you know you got what you wanted.
Also prety self explanatory. Make sure you know your product and you know exactly what your getting. Those clowns at the hardware store have no idea how to build an enclosure but you do so get the product that suits you.
5.Don't skimp on things you need. Better to do it right the first time then to have to do it over.
This I didn't have a problem with this time but I have in the past. Don't try to get a sub-par product becouse it costs a little less. Get everything you need and get the nescessities first.
6.sturdyness is key!
I can't stress that enoguh. I it may very well be nescesary too walk on your enclosure to make sure its sturdy. If it can hold 100lb's+ in one spot it will be fine.
7.When frustrated with a piece take a short brake and come back to it. The heat can make thinking a bit irrational.
8.Planning is key when setting this kind of cage up. Do your research and have a VERY good idea of what your doing before you take the plunge. I did litterly months of research before doing this.
9.exspect to spend a bit more than you assumed if you are a beginner. In other words your probably going to make little mistakes and you will have to pay for it LITTERLY!
As labor intensive as this thing was to build I really had fun doing it. But then again I like putting things together. It was also pretty easy. Mind you mines is on a much larger scale than alot of you will build. These tips are not from an expert but from a fellow hobbyist who has chosen to share what I felt were the most usefull tips. Cost wise it wasn't bad at all. All together including the MVB(when I get it), the glass the tools, the wood, etc. It was right around 400$ so not too bad. The door will be the most exspensive part and the tracks and glass together costed me like 130 something. The glass was like 85$. I am sure someone might be able to find it cheaper but probably not by that much. The plexi was even pricier at like 110$. So the door alone was like 1/3 of the cost. Tools will also cost you. I only bought a jigsaw and some bits,etc but together it costed me like 50$. All in all though it wasn't bad at all.
best cage build ever! i love it. i see you've got more tanks on top of it. what have you got in them?
anyway... i love the build. i love the cage. i love the tegu. hats off to you!!
anyway... i love the build. i love the cage. i love the tegu. hats off to you!!
