How to Make a PVC Reptile Enclosure
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- How to make a PVC snake enclosure - Step by step on how to build a PVC cage just as good as a professional Animal Plastics or Boaphile enclosure.
Here are the plans I used for making a 4'x2' enclosure. Keep in mind this is customizable and you can change the sizes accordingly.
docs.google.co...
Make sure to watch part two on building the enclosure on heating, lighting, and other building details! • PVC Reptile Enclosure ...
I would add for some people it’s best to outline the pvc where your screws go when putting it together so you don’t miss. Also pre drill all your holes. If some people are concerned about drilling into plexus glass you can use 3m gorilla tape with the hinges. Also depending on what you plan to keep in it you can add air vents on top or just drill holes. Want to make it stronger you can use glue to connect all the pieces before screwing it. As well as add silicone on the inside to keep any liquid from seeping through. I’m sure there are a few more ideas that can be added. Good video!!!
A quick note: You had the right setup for cutting the inside of the face, you just used the wrong saw. You can make a plunge cut with a circular saw and then continue cutting normally along the track (it's the same idea as a miter saw, if that helps). Start far enough in that you can back-cut slightly to your first line and then go forward to the next line. After you do all four cuts, flip the face piece over and use the jigsaw to finish cutting the corners. This will give you the straightest, cleanest lines.
Anyway, good job with it. You should be proud of this build.
I was thinking the same thing watching this.
dude awesome job, you gave me the confidence to try this in the future. excellent video
Thanks man! I appreciate the support
hey man good job on the development. i really want to build my own pvc cages instead of using aquariums (basically giving them my own touch). I'm really interested in this but don't have the tools yet to do so, so i'm doing research on it as we speak. i want all my animals to have the similar setup. Thank you again for the video.
How much did this cost you to build?
Cassie Blanch would also like to know
Nice job. Others might criticize your work, but if u have the willingness to do it thats all that matters. Buy always look at ways to improve your work. Half the battle is getting over your doubt of even trying . Keeo it up.
Great video, but when it came to cutting and drilling into the Plexi, you kept saying to be careful as it would melt if sawed slow, and it would crack if drilled to fast... I work with Plexi everyday at my job and can confirm that it is super durable ... you will not likely "melt it" or crack it by drilling into it.... not to undermine you with this comment, I just wanted to let everyone know if they didn't.
Great video, just curious how much weight this enclosure will hold ?
Hey how long have u need using this PVC... any trouble?
Thanks for doing this video! I appreciate your time doing this.. Inspired me to use my extra pvc laying around
With some help from my pops, I think that I can build my own enclosure. You did a great job.
Don’t forget about ventilation holes . Also you could glue a handle on the acrylic to make it easier to open. Overall great job though , I don’t have the tools to do that or I would defiantly give it a shot !
Was curious as to how you included ventilation.
just drill a few holes along the side and ur all good
No breathing allowed
@@Ace62595 breathing is for the weak
Just want to say thanks for this video. I built 2 like this
No problem! Always glad to hear this is helping people!
Love your idea and design but I’ll probably go with sliding doors instead. I just rather not see the locks or hinges. Also the front panel will be covering the edge to give a more smooth look
Nice job. Do you have a list of all the part you purchased? I know the 1/2 in. x 48 in. x 8 ft. White PVC Trim but there was a lot of those tool you used for the job.
subbed
I don't have a list unfortunately other than when I went through all the parts at the start of the video. As far as tools I just used a circular saw to cut the PVC and a drill to put in the screws. A lot of the screws and bolts are interchangeable, I just used what I could find easily at the hardware store at the time that worked. If you want to see exactly what I used, you should be able to see the labels on them at the start of the video. Thanks for the sub!
MedusaPythons quick question I have a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure what heating source would you recommend for this enclosure to house a boa ? And where would you recommend I get it ?
c4 tomato hey man, where did u get that setup from ?
Other then sealing the edges do you have to seal the inside like you do with wood? My enclosure needs high humidity
Use tape on the surface before you beat up the sheet from the jigsaw , you are better off dropping in with a circular saw for the door same as you did with the other sheet cuts , set your guide and blade depth and drop in , PVC is very fragile to work with blue painters tape helps protect your surface from bruising or scuffing.... Azec makes 10’by 20’ sheets of up to 1” thick also ... can get pricey
Would an enclosure like this be stackable?
Yes if its built correctly
This is amazing, thank you so much for posting this! I’m definitely going to do something like this!
Hey man how exactly did you take the measurements to get the top to fit in perfect? I’m doing a 3x2x2 if I cut them all precisely to those specs will it fit in like that? Any help is greatly appreciated!
No, you'll have to accommodate the thickness of your material. Depending how you frame it.
How much was the PVC at Home Depot the sheet
So, I watched the video, and I think it's for 48x24x16. Is there a way to expand this to 48x24x24? Would you have a diagram for that size? Is the PVC sturdy at the thinner thickness, without secondary framing? Is there sagging with the thinner sheets?
Pvc is very expensive and/or hard to find. The big box hardware stores dont carry sheets of it and finding specialty shops is very very difficult. Also just like every other video claiming cheap/easy reptile pvc enclosure, you do not put a link to where you got the materials or even mention it in your video. There are also many kinds of pictures board and you give no explanation what kind is used... don't make a "how to" or "walkthrough" or so called "helpful" video if you cannot address this to people who are actually watching your video to follow for use as reference. I'm tired of all these custom reptile cage builders who are like "this is how you build it but I won't show you where or how to get the parts/materials"
This looks very cool but I can't get the link to the plans to open. I'm getting a message that it's been deleted. Any chance you can fix this?
Dude really just used a power drill to drive the screws. Omg
I made my first enclosures with melamine but they were so heavy I went with the pvc board this time. I love working with this stuff. The only problem I ran into was because mine are 2x4x15 is that the top was to flexible to stack so I am going to try supports to see if that will stop the sagging in the middle. Great video. I did the same door and really like the look.
Thanks! Good luck with the supports!
I'm wanting to make a 6'x2'x18" cage, how would you do your supports? I'm super worried about the sagging since I'm going to be spending to much money on building my boas forever home.
Now I need to figure out if this is best for me or wood as it is now 100 for a sheet of it I want somthing like 4ft by 3ft by 4ft high
Is it posible to walk on pvc , If you got a realy big enclosure?
This PVC enclosure is dope
How much was all of the material?
Are there holes for the snake to breathe?
Yes. Take a look at part two of this video in the description.
Home depot can cut that stuff for you I think?
What is that white board called ? Thank u
Awesome video! I subbed. I'm definitely gonna make an enclosure for my boa now (: thanks
No problem! I'll be doing some update videos on my collection this weekend thanks for subbing!
Could you make the tank out of acrylic instead? Like black acrylic or something? Would it hold heat okay, or melt, or anything?
Acrylic is usually pretty sensitive to heat. I made a top out of acrylic once and it warped like crazy when I tried setting a heat bulb on it. I imagine it would warp a little with heat tape too although heat tape is not as hot as a heat lamp.
Your other problem would be putting it together. It's not going to be thick enough to hold screws of course so you would have to hold it together with special acrylic bonding cement (which I don't think is cheap). PVC really is the best option as far as I know for building reptile enclosures.
What morph was the second to last ball python
Can you give a link for the PVC
great job!...but you've forgotten the ventilation hole...
Part 2 shows that.
what is better to use pvc or abs i heard after awhile pvc sags down in a year or 2 from the humidity is that true or does it not matter wich one i use
In the year or two that I've had mine it has not sagged significantly. If you made the cage really large without supports then it may sag, but then any plastic would. I prefer PVC because it's easier to work with and much easier to put together. With ABS, because it's so thin, you cannot screw it together and you need to use a special glue instead, which is very expensive (~$40 a bottle).
im a plumber and times arre changing we never use abs any more only pvc and pex
@@grant9182 I thought cast iron was always the best for plumbing.
no home depot / lowes selling this pvc sheet in my region (southern U.S.) :c
Dang that sucks. Maybe you can special order it and have it shipped to the home depot near you? Home depot in general definitely stocks it. The one by you just may have run out
Model H120AWS6 Internet #205309788 Store SKU #1000052907, $80
1/2 in. x 48 in. x 8 ft. White PVC Trim
Easier way, not much more, but it from Tapp plastics, bonus you can buy the pieces you need! No cutting. This is called "Foamed PVC", thats what most people call it.
Pro tip for cutting anything that you don't want to have a jagged finish on, tape the lines before you cut.
Interested in this idea.. what tape? And does it just help you see the line better or actually keep the blade from making jagged marks?
@@nikkidian I just use masking tape. Preferably frog tape though, because I've found that it adheres the best. Definitely keep the blade cool, to keep it from making too bad of marks.
@@STOPH3R01991 thanks so much!
Nice dude, I might make one of these for my monitor, Where do you get the pvc sheets from? and how much do they normally run?
Jah'an Luik Home depot. It's called Veranda HP trim 1/2". You should be able to find it on their website, it's about $60 for a 4x8 sheet.
I’m in SoCal, and I don’t know where to find those PVC board here.
Home Depot
@@melmicsim I've only been able to find super thing pvc sheets at home depot
Isn’t that plexy glass
Awesome video dude, best design option I've found so far!
Thanks! Good luck with it!
how much did this cost?
Are u selling any
Cost of materials
This is a 10mm pvc?
Anyone think you could water proof weld the seems and make a box \ pond for fish keeping like say 100 gallon ?
uh
2 questrions... 1 where do you get the PVC sheets cause I have not been able to find them anywhere. Found some places online but they want outrageous prices. 2 How much did it cost to make?
No air holrs
Definitely going to do this but with a sliding door I'm making a double stacking tank or 1 tank an two floors but this is exactly what I needed an example of thank you
Great build! What are the clips called that you installed to stop the acrylic from folding down? I also like mostlysnakes videos; he uses rotating scrap pieces, but I like yours better.
Where do you get the larger PVC panels? I know that they're more in demand in humid areas, but I live in a desert...
Hey, hows the build currently holding up? Im thinking about making my own pvc builds but every forum is old and has that one person saying that its not worth the build and to buy an expensive custom.
Holes
finally someone who's smart enough to build things up on a table and not try and do it on the floor of their garage.
Quite often a 2x4 is not perfectly straight, if you want a really professional looking straight edge get a saw with a laser on it and draw a line with a long level, it’s a little trickier if your new to using a saw but the outcome will pay off
Whats the song again at the beginning Ive heard it before but totally forget who it even is
I’m late lmfao but I was wondering how could you make this a stack cage? Would that work or should I get a shelf to separate the two?
You could have used a plunge cut with the circular saw to instead of using the jigsaw.
It's quite refreshing to see a video where they make mistakes and openly admit them.
How do you heat these? I built a rack out of pvc and made a groove for the heat tape so it would be recessed
Impressive. Thank You
Would of def wired from top of the back.. cleaner look.
Thank you for this video, I've been looking for what materials are best for a snake cage, and as a cabinet maker I know how bad melamine and wood is with water and humidity, you can always treat it but I'm not sure if the stuff needed to treat it will be toxic for the animals, I know pvc is the best for reptile enclosures I just don't have experience with it so I wasnt sure if would be able to do it myself, but seeing your video helps alot because I see it's exactly like working wood basically, just different type of glue lol, one thing tho, did you need to seal the edges with silicone or something? Or did the pvc glue seal it to prevent any leaks?
I'm glad it was helpful! No I did not seal it other than than the PVC glue in the joints. I haven't had any problems with leaking in my high humidity enclosure with just that but if you're really worried I suppose you could always add a bead of silicone to the inside seams if you saw it leaking. With that said this isn't really intended to be an aquarium haha so for typical reptile applications the PVC glue is probably more than sufficient.
MedusaPythons ok cool, thanks for replying, and one more thing I plan on building some of these for burmese python, I went and saw this pvc at homedepot and it seemed very soft, have you had any problems with it sagging, specially where your heaters are? I do plan on putting some supports on these on the bottom because I know burmese are gonna be heavy, but I'm concerned with the spot the heater is going to be at.
I haven't noticed any significant warping that is noticeable to the human eye. With that said, my enclosures are only 4x2 so the ones you will build for burms will definitely need supports to keep them from sagging.
True, I built one today, i made a 2x4' one for my 7' male, I noticed the pvc glue is crazy strong, I didn't use screws on mine, just put the glue and clamped it together, and let it dry for a while, before I did that I did a test piece with just the glue, and I couldn't take it apart, I had to clamp the piece down and hit it with a hammer to finnaly take them apart. And it tore a chunk off of the piece it was glued to. Just thought I'd share for your future projects, the screws work but as a cabinet maker it irks me to see screws on finish ends lol, I usually laminate the ends where I screw but I can't do that with pvc. Hope this helps.
Good to know! Glad you had success doing this. Personally, I don't mind seeing the screws and I feel that they give it a bit better support if the pieces don't fit together exactly perfect (I don't have a table saw unfortunately so I tend to get a couple of very small gaps sometimes in the pieces where the glue might not be able to do its job)
What brand latches are those? Please some tell me? Thank you!
I really hope you respond to this, but can these be stacked?
Tip: use a screen door for ventilation.
Looking through DIY tutorials for PVC cages. Home Depot doesn't carry your PVC board anymore. Would this work too?
www.menards.com/main/building-materials/siding/trim-boards/royal-reg-building-products-1-2-x-4-x-8-white-pvc-panel/1429329/p-1510903720728-c-13411.htm?tid=6334415417275934342&ipos=19
What paint would you recommend to paint it?
Meagan Walsh I expect it would work since it looks to be the same dimensions and made of the same material although I haven’t ever seen it in person so I couldn’t tell you for sure. Home Depot still carried the pvc sheets a couple months ago. If you can find it online on the Home Depot website maybe you could have it shipped to one near you if the Menards option doesn’t work out.
Meagan Walsh as far as paint I am not sure but it seems like a material that would readily accept most spray paints and such. I would experiment on a small scrap piece to be sure.
MedusaPythons The link you provided in a previous comment to the material you used said it was no longer available is why I asked. The Menards stuff looks the same. Just wanted to ask before I purchased to make some of my own. As far as paint goes I'd want to paint the inside black as well, so it'd have to be some kind of animal safe paint.
Meagan Walsh I would assume once spray paints have completely dried and fumes have dissipated they would be safe but that’s just speculation. If the link doesn’t work I would just search for it directly on the Home Depot website to be sure that it really is no longer available as I find it hard to believe. The menards stuff however will likely work as well
Do you think a dewalt rotary saw would do the trick?
Would this hold up if used as a portable case or box?
Where did you buy the pvc boards?
That’s is sooooo cool, even I could build one! Thanks for sharing!
I have been looking everywhere in my small town, that has a Menards and a Walmart and an Ace Hardware store, for any PVC 4' by 8' sheets everywhere.... For the life of me I cannot find it anywhere.... Where do I order PVC 4'x8' sheets? Where can I get it? I couldn't even find it on Menards website...
What am I missing here?
I believe they have them at Home Depot.
How much did it cost you to make
Can you do a Juvenile pvc one
Hey man, gonna start breeding boiga and gtps, gonna have them in acrylic cages with rhps for heating, would you suggest making some homemade ones like this or purchasing from animal plastics or boaphile? Hows this one holding up? Thanks!
It's holding up great! Looks exactly like the day I made it. I ended up installing a screened ring in the top so that I could use a heat bulb for extra heating in addition to the heat tape. I would recommend builiding one because it will save you money and its enjoyable to make your own. If you don't like building things though and are willing to spend some extra money, go with the pre-made.
Love the latch idea ...
Heyy need help ASAP, can I use another material? No one including plastic supplies sell PVC around me lol
No home depot in your area? I'm not sure as I've never used anything but this stuff. I've heard of people using ABC plastic but it is not as easy to work with, you need special epoxy to bond it together, and I'm not sure who sells it. I would suggest trying to find a home depot somewhat near you and special ordering that PVC if they don't carry it in stock.
I was squinting for you the whole time. Eye protection next time bro. good vid.
nice guide, but for stacking purposes it's better to place side parts on TOP of the cage's floor, not just attach to it fro sides, because of weight distribution issues. but for standalone cage it's perfectly fine, good job.
Thanks, and good point. That is part of the reason why I said that you can change the configuration of how the panels fit together to suit your preferences.
Where do I get PVC like that? All the 4x8 sheets I'm seeing online are like $200-300.
Home depot. It's called Veranda HP trim 1/2". You should be able to find it on their website, it's about $60 for a 4x8 sheet.
So do you think a fish tank could be done this way as well 3/4 inch sheeting glue the joints with pvc pipe glue or something? Any thoughts
I’m sure if you did that and then used aquarium grade caulking silicone should be fine
Is the PVC glue safe to use though? Wouldn’t it put off harmful fumes if it got warm??
Its used for humans drinking water
Do not do this
Why? It's pretty standard as far as PVC enclosures go
Nice great job
aesthetics - 10
Can home depoe cut the wood for you and help you with measuring ? What are the measurements for the one you made in this video so I can go and have home depoe help me
I just added the measurements and cuts you would make for a 4'x8' cage in the description since so many people have asked for it. Not sure if home depot will cut it for you - if they do I'm sure they won't cut the hole in the front for you and they definitely won't cut the acrylic. But you can rent a circular saw and saber saw from home depot like I do and make the cuts yourself worst case scenario
Is it necessary to have a half inch pvc plate ? a quarter inch is not more than enough for any snake ?
The 1/2" PVC is not for the snake... it's so that it is thick enough to be able to screw together. If you used 1/4" I don't think you would be able to use screws, you would have to just use glue which makes it much harder to get a sturdy cage.
All the 1/4 acrylic at my home Depot is 130+ how did you find some so cheap
David Penney www.menards.com/main/building-materials/acrylic-glass-sheeting/shape-products-reg-clear-colorless-acrylic-sheets/1ag2196a/p-1444441878608.htm Menards has it for cheaper. This is enough to build two cages.
Nice work 👏
Great video
You should totally grow your hair out long 👽🧬
This is fucking amazing. I wish I was so handy...
I didn't know Jon Snow had reptiles.
Haha of course he does. Glad you think I look like him I love game of thrones.
Excellent video, thank you for sharing!