Home Depot Home Made Enclosures

[Ghostie]

Here's a cage I'm working on straight out of home depot.

Consist of 12 x 3/4" wide square dowels 1 foot long. (sold pre-cut at home depot for $0.75 each)

Also used some 2" screws and a countersinking pilot drill bit.

I think I'm out $8 on this one so far. After screening it will be like $10 since when I buy a roll of screen it will cover several of these. Screen will be aluminum mesh window screen attached with a heavy duty hand stapler.

Just need to devise a door for it.

Will work good for small Pygmy Chameleons or larger mantids eating House flies etc.

Thought I would share. I built this in about 1.5 hours in my apartment bathroom. lol

Only tools were the drill, a few different bits and a stapler will be used later.

Thanks for looking. Hopefully someone gets some ideas form this. I kinda got the idea from the butterfly cages.

 

[Ghostie]

Well heck,

It holds 165lbs too. Might even work as a step stool. Came out pretty solid! I'm surprised.

 

[LauraMG]

I saw silk flowers in the background too! Let me know what you decide for a door because I'd be very interested to know. I will probably go this route once all my babies grow up. I have......10 babies right now and 1 adult

So I'm gonna need good, cheap enclosures!

 

[Rick]

Very nice! Courious to see how the screen looks when attached.

 

[Ghostie]

Thanks for the kind comments.

I get the feeling I will be making more of these. hehe

The cool part was I was able to carry all the pieces home on my GSXR 600. I don't have a car! Only a motorcycle. lol

When my chameleons get to go to the vet or come home from the pet shop they have to ride in the backpack. The funny thing is they don't seem to mind! As long as I box and pad them up well, it's just like riding in my lap in a car.

Well I managed to fold up and stretch a piece of the screen for the top of the cage last night. The rough edges are folded UNDER the screen and cut short so they won't stick out into the cage. Every spot with a thumb tack will get a small finishing nail or staple. Have not decided which yet. The screen is proving it will be the most tedious task of this project.

Should look pretty snazzy! I can imagine joining a few together for mantis apartments too or something. No sharp edges from the screen but if you did use this for chameleons you may want to sand the wood down so no splinters get to your pets.

 

[Ghostie]

A quick and easy diagram of how the screen is attached to prevent damage to critters.

 

[Rick]

Is the screen going to be stapled down or nailed?

 

[Ghostie]

I did a quick test with the heavy duty stapler and I think that is the way I will go instead of finishing nails.

The staples made it all the way through the screen and all the way into the wood no problem. B)

When I get a bit more done later today will post pics. It comes out very neat looking with the staples.. but I have yet to complete a side that way so there may still be unforeseen difficulties. To be continued after I get some work done. Hehe

 

[Tomato]

Well heck,

It holds 165lbs too. Might even work as a step stool. Came out pretty solid! I'm surprised.

Lol no offense but that surprises me too, considering those short grain to long grain joints. Hey, if it works it works, and it looks awesome!

-Tomato

 

[d17oug18]

i made one like that with 4 chambers, i tryed a staple gun and it right THROUGH the screen lol, i bought plastic screen and aluminum screen and a simple air staple gun and a non air gun both went right through both screens =( i had no choice but to use glue =/

 

[Ghostie]

OK looks like the staples will do fine.

Maybe smack a couple of them in better with a hammer later.

Few more pics.

I'll try and hold off posting until it's done now.

 

[LauraMG]

Looking good man! Are you using metal screen?

 

[Ghostie]

Yes, Aluminum.

I think I may scrub the cage down some once assembled. The screen is making my hands dirty while I put it on.

I got another side done but been busy with a few other things so still have yet to finish the cage. Will shortly.

Only other screen I saw at the store was fiberglass and I figured that's no good for animals and mantids so passed. I probably should have used some nice soft plastic screen or something but what's done is done.

 

[Ghostie]

Well I guess this will be a cage for a gongy. I can put a light right on top.

Since they are mostly on top and so are the fly food, I can leave the bottom with no screen and just set it over a towel with some sphagnum.

Might be nice with a few built in perching sticks maybe. Better too little than to overdue it though.

Nice cheap cage if you have the patience to make it. I have enough screen left over for another one. So including the dowels, 2" screws, about $5 in screen and some staples I'm probably at about $12 in supplies, since I had the tools.

I'd suggest finding the square dowels that are a bit soft so the staples make it into them good. Press your fingernail into the different dowels and choose the softer ones, the ones that mark up easier. The harder dowels you may have to finish tapping in some staples with a hammer.

 

[Rick]

The fiberglass screen works well for mantids. I use it all the time. However in this case I think what you used is better.

 

[LauraMG]

Very nice! I just may do that today because I was looking at my s. carolina's enclosure thinking it's not big enough for another molt now! He's currently in a larger Ziploc container with a hole cut in the top and plastic screen glued into it. I call his enclosure the trailer park of the bunch, and I think what you've made would give him a nicer, bigger enclosure that's just as cheap to make! Thanks for the great idea and the instructional help Ghostie!

 

[KingPrawn]

Nice work! I'd love to see the finished product.

 

[hibiscusmile]

U did really good! I love it, all u need is couple hinges and make door same as one of the sides to fit inside. I like the screen look with it folded. the alum screen has a oil base to it from machinging it, so it will need a good dish liquid scrub, put in tub with u! :lol: I use my plastic screen, but if using crickets, not a good choice.

 

[Ghostie]

ooooooooK I'll slap a door on it.

Just as soon as I move these two shields and sally over to new bigger containers.

Been lagging and need to get to them before they molt on me.