# Building small glass enclosures for mantids



## Gruby626 (Feb 24, 2008)

My friend gave me 2 glass pieces so I decided to make some small enclosures for my mantids.

Glass was 28x64 cm and was 6 mm thick.

Looked like this:







I decided to take it to the proffesional glass cutter, so it will be done ok.

Looked like this after cutting and cleaning:






The rest of the things I used while building:






there is no ventilation net on the photo, and i changed the little pocket knife for a sharper one  

First I taped the glass with masking tape to prevent it against the silicone:






Didn't make pictures while gluing, because I forgot  . 2 looked like this after gluing (3rd dried in a different place):






When they dried I glued the ventilation - before I cut it:






I cut the cork into 6 pieces - 3 into each enclosure - 1 for back and 1 for top:






Then I sticked in the cork on the back and cut the ventilation net:






To other 3 pieces of cork i stapled some gaze:






Then I sticked the cork with gaze to the top piece of glass with a double sided tape.

Then I cut of the rest of the silicone, took off the tape, and it's ready  :






I made 3 of them - they are 13x13x15 cm (long/wide/high), ventilation is 2 x 13 cm.

Pricelist:

Cork- 25c

Silicon - 3$l

Masking tape - 1,25 $

Glass cutting - 5 $

Net , Double sided tape,, pencil, ruler, knife - I already got.

All of it cost me around 10 $.

PS The silicone on the fron was not very straight so i taped the edges with black tape  .

I think it looks ok, since it was the first time I glued glass pieces together  

Hope you like it.


----------



## Mantida (Feb 24, 2008)

Very nice!

You should start a business, I'm sure people here would buy from you.


----------



## idolomantis (Feb 24, 2008)

nice! thats cool yeah start a buisness


----------



## Rick (Feb 24, 2008)

Very nice though I wonder how the cork will do in the humidity?


----------



## Gruby626 (Feb 24, 2008)

Rick said:


> Very nice though I wonder how the cork will do in the humidity?


I heared it does pretty well, but anyway by now it will be for O.distinctus, and they don't need high humidity


----------



## Gruby626 (Feb 26, 2008)

One more picture of all compleated - ready to use:


----------



## Gurd (Feb 26, 2008)

Nice work, cool little mantis houses


----------



## chun (Feb 26, 2008)

very nice! that has inspired me to hunt down some glass/acrylic and try it out myself!


----------



## OGIGA (Feb 26, 2008)

I can't believe it only costed you around $10! Maybe you can pay yourself for the labor.


----------

