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| Making a Set of CagesHow to make a set of cages This is a step by step tutorial that results in a set of cages suitable for housing leopard geckos, aftrican fat-tailed geckos, and other small animals. Special steps may be needed to secure smaller snakes and you may have to adjust sizes slightly if the ones specified are not suitable for your intended occupants, or the materials are not available in the exact same size. The plans create 4 large enclosures, approximately 1m x 30cm x 30cm, and four approximately 49cm x 30cm x 30cm. Materials and Tools Plans Construction Heating Lighting Finished Product! Materials and Tools You will need the following materials (all sizes are in millimetres unless stated otherwise): (6) 2000 x 325 x 18 melamine board (2) 1000 x 250 x 15 melamine board Tongue and groove boards at least 2m long, and enough to span 1m width (16) 60mm Vents (16) 48mm Vents (6) 1m 4mm Glass Runner (Bottom) (6) 1m 4mm Glass Runner (Top) (3) 1200 x 600 Perspex/Clear Acrylic/Clear Polystyrene Lights: (4) 600mm Fluorescent Fittings (4) 250mm Flourescent Fittings Heating: (4) 11"x11" Heat Mats (4) 6"x11" Heat Mats (4) Habistat Twin Thermostats The following tools will be used: Hand Saw Drill 2mm Drill Bit 10mm Drill Bit 44mm Hole Saw 60mm Hole Saw Silicone Gun with Clear Silicone Hacksaw Hammer Stanley Knife Steel Rule Tape Measure Hardware: (52) Plasterboard screws (approx 35mm long) (43) Slim nails (approx 30-40mm long) Strong Glue Got all that?! Lets Go!! Plans The following images are full plans for the project. Mark out each piece now, then cut them all at once. This will save time later and allow you to make sure everything matches! Click on the link to view the image. Side Piece Layout Backboard Layout Construction Start by cutting 4 of the 2m x 325mm boards exactly in half, and set them to one side. This makes then easier to handle. Next, measure each one carefully and cut a strip 20mm wide off one edge of 7 of them. These will form the shelves. The 8th one should be put to one side for now. Mark the outlines on both side pieces in pencil as shown, and pre-drill all the holes. Countersink them all now as well to save time later. The lines will help you align everything easily later on. Cut each of the two 250mm wide boards into 3 strips each measuring 83mm wide, then cut one of these strips in half along its length to give you two narrower strips. These are the top and bottom strips. Now stand one side piece on its edge, front down, and lay one of the narrowest strips on the ground beside it, aligned with the pencil marks you made earlier. Stand one of the shelves on this strip, and pilot drill the two screw holes using the holes you made in the side as a guide. Fit the two screws and repeat for the other end. Get someone to help you and carefully lift the assembly so the side piece is laying flat on the ground, with the two shelves sticking up. Lay the other side on top and drill and screw it in place. Carefully fit all of the front strips, ensuring a flush fit with the front edge of both sides then fit all of the shelves, butting them against the strips. NOTE: It is easier to put in all the screws on one side, then flip it over and put all the screws in the other side rather than keep turning it over unless you have a lot of room. Once you have done this you can stand it up on its end. Before fitting the back put a small bead of silicone around every joint to prevent water getting into the melamine. This greatly increases the life of the rack. Cut all the tongue and groove boards to be 2m in length and starting from one edge glue and nail each board to every shelf. When you get to the last board, cut it to fit tightly into the remaining space. Mark out the position of the vents and using a hole saw the correct size, drill the holes for each of the 32 vents. at the same time, drill holes for the cables for the light fitting and a 10mm hole in the bottom corner for heat mat wires. Apply a liberal coat of varnish and fit the vents, securing them with a small blob of silicone at the back. Cut the two dividers for the bottom shelves and fit them in place, then glue a strip of plastic runner to the top and bottom of each opening. Make sure that you fit the one with the deeper channels to the top, or the glass will not fit properly. Cut the bits of plastic to size by marking the sheet with a pencil, and scoring along teh egde of a steel ruler with a sharp stanley knife. Make sure your cuts are deep enough to provide a clean snap, and snap the sheet by placing the line along a square edge, holding it down with a bit of board and pressing down sharply on the overhang using another section of board. If it will not break easily, you may have to deepen your score. The boards are not necessary but they prevent injury if the plastic shatters and allow an even force along the whole line. Heating Feed the probe of the thermostat through the hole in the back of each enclosure. remove the plug from the mat and feed through the hole from the other direction. It is important to thread the thermostat probe through first as it will not fit once the mat wire is through. Re-fit the plug and pulg it into the thremostat, then repeat for the other enclosures. Tape the mats down, taping along all 4 edges using duct tape or similar. Parcel tape is not strong enough.  Lighting Lights can be screwed to the top of each section with short screws, the wires are then fed out through the holes drilled earlier before plugs are fitted. If possible try to wire more than one fitting into the same plug to reduce the number of plugs.  Finished Product! Plug everything in and check all the cages are at the right temperature, then put some silicone around the hole where the wire for the heat mat and probe enter to prevent livefood escaping. Decorate as necessary for your animals and you're done! Make sure all varnish and silicone is completely dry before introducing any animals!!    Other Projects: Aquarium Incubator Polystyrene Box Incubator Humid hides Fake Rocks Naturalistic Vivaria Set of Cages
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