Converting Audio Cabnient into Chameleon Cage?

[justjumpit621]

You know I went on craigslist.com and found someone giving away screened wooden window frames so I went and got them and nailed them together with a large piece of painted particle board on the bottom and plastic on it. You could try looking on craigslist for something like that, or a solid wood entertainment center would also work.

 

[justjumpit621]

By the picture you posted if it really does look like that one I would put a screen door on the front and a screen top, drill a few holes in the back, line the interior with painters drop cloth or a weatherproof outdoor paint and stick PVC piping into the holes to keep the wood dry. If you choose to use a drop cloth, staple the drop cloth in first and then push the PVC into the holes so some of the plastic lines the inside of the holes to keep water from seeping in. If you can get aluminum screen on craigslist for free I would say it would cost you about $10 to build, depending on the PVC piping that is. You would need 2 door hinges, a lock, and the PVC. I think it would work wonders =) I have built many cages and that looks like it would make a great one. Just make sure if you use paint or any other chemical to let it air out for a week. One more thing, if you don't use the dropcloth and use paint, buy some caulking, make the PVC pipe stick out a little inside, and caulk around it to keep moisture in. Your cabinet also looks great for a drainage system. you could drain right through the bottom into that lower cabinet. Mine unfortunately does not have a drainage system but it does not get too wet. Plus the plants soak up most of the moisture.

Here is a picture of the cage I built. It cost me $7 minus the plants. It looks different now, more plants and a different lay bin.

 

[HecticZ]

^^

Ingenuity at its finest.

 

[PhxKarma]

For drainage, I am placing a shelf about 4 inches from the bottom, I have a 20x18 pan that I will place in the bottom to collect water. There will be papertowels on the bottom, and holes drilled through the shelf for the water from the plant/dripper to drain into, or I might just let it drain into the bottom and put a 5g bucket.

I am going to line the wood inside with some sort of plastic cover, looking around today to see what I can find.

 

[xanthoman]

the plan you have suggested will not isolate the wood from the humidity. as dj richey rich pointed out, if the wood is not isolated from the humidity. it WILL fall apart , or at least mold and mildew. my personal recomendation would be to fiberglass tape all inside seems and coat the entire inside and all drill holes with polyester resin , readily available at home depot, lowes, fred meyer, or any fiberglass store (like fiberlay). jmo

 

[PhxKarma]

Alright, I have a few rolls of fiberglass tape I can use, so just line the inside with the tape? Can I paint over the tape so it doesn't look trashy?

I already cut the top off, the back off, and the windows in the sides, working on getting pictures tomorrow.

 

[xanthoman]

what i would do is use 2-3" tape , first coat the inside corners and seams generously wth resin ,then cut the tape to length and apply, you can use a putty knife or something to help get it in place. let get slightly tacky, then roll out the inside corners with a tool for getting air bubbles out of fiberglass, its just a handle with 4 or 5 spiked wheels on it available at any place that sells fiberglass supplies (for probably $5) like fiberlay or most places that sell boat repair stuff, you may also find it at true value, the rollers will flatten and adhere the tape without moving it, if you just try to coat over it, then you will probably have problems with the tape moving. then, when every thing is firmly in place (but still tacky) generously recoat the entire inside (with resin not paint, paint won't waterproof and will cause problems, and could be toxic ), when you do that the tape will become almost invisible, and it will waterproof the entire inside of the structure. might not be a bad idea, to coat any lower outside edges, if you dont recoat while still tacky , you may have problems with adhesion of the second coat, any holes you drill should be coated 2 or 3 times with a little bottle brush or anything you can get in there , they will require 2or3 coats because the first coat gets sucked up by the wood. for a final coat you may just coat the entire thing it will make it look great and be a lot more durable. be sure you are using laminating resin and not casting resin and be sure to use the proper amount of catalyst or you may have drying or cracking problems. if you want you can use fg dye(which is added to the resin) to color the inside like green or light blue or some thing, i would let it dry in outside or in a good warm room til there are zero fumes. once dry you can wash it to help get rid of any remaining fumes. jmo

 

[PhxKarma]

Can I just paint the wood using waterpoof paint, then seal it with the fiberglass tape, or is resin necessary?

 

[pssh]

Some people use a no voc acrylic latex paint to seal the wood.

 

[Jason H]

The tape is a fiberglass mat, it can not be used without resin.

 

[PhxKarma]

Alright, well I don't like working with resin, so what are my other options? Wouldn't using a paint seal the wood?

 

[ZippiesPal]

A thought...

... You can buy a brand new, purpose built, screen cage for less than $120.00. it will work and be safe too.

OR

YOu can get (or use) a free sterio cabinet and spend a huge amount of time and (probably) more than $120.00 fixing it up, and STILL not have something that is right.

I am familiar with this turd polishing scenario as I have done it a few times. I have gotten involved with a project and been very unwilling to let it go in favor of something that would be better, cheaper and more usable for less money.

Just a little reality check.

 

[Chameron]

Honestly I if you are interested in building your own cage I would use pvc pipe(small) and reptile safe screen mesh. otherwise check out lllreptiles.com

 

[Metric]

I'm not advocating the use of an audio cabinet as a permanent chameleon enclosure, but if you do place a bucket or something similar to catch water, make sure it's impossible for your cham to access it, not only will it more then likely be full of bacteria, but chams can drown very easily.

How were you planning on only misting the plant btw?

 

[Texas Panther Man]

If you want to build it go ahead. Just make sure that particle board is sealed up tight. Personally I'm looking for an armoir or a type of closet to convert into a large cage. But i want something made of oak or pine. Jmo but the only down side to your idea is the fact that the cabinet isn't made of real wood.

 

[tkilgour]

Your idea has potential. I think you would just need a way to waterproof it. Otherwise, that particle board is going to look horrible. It will bubble and peel once moisture is absorbed. The water is your biggest issue here. Best of Luck to you and post some pics.

 

[PhxKarma]

... You can buy a brand new, purpose built, screen cage for less than $120.00. it will work and be safe too.

OR

YOu can get (or use) a free sterio cabinet and spend a huge amount of time and (probably) more than $120.00 fixing it up, and STILL not have something that is right.

I am familiar with this turd polishing scenario as I have done it a few times. I have gotten involved with a project and been very unwilling to let it go in favor of something that would be better, cheaper and more usable for less money.

Just a little reality check.

I won't end up spending more than $20 for the enlcosure.

 

[PhxKarma]

I'm not advocating the use of an audio cabinet as a permanent chameleon enclosure, but if you do place a bucket or something similar to catch water, make sure it's impossible for your cham to access it, not only will it more then likely be full of bacteria, but chams can drown very easily.

How were you planning on only misting the plant btw?

By only misting the plant, I don't see a need to spray down the enclosure itself, especially if I have my dripper going.

I talked to a friend of mine who is a contractor, he reccomended some waterproof sealer, like for decks, but he wrote down one that has low voc's.

I am going to seal the particle board, and see how it does, leave it in my garage for 2 weeks to air out.

 

[GoFast]

Make sure that you seal all of the seams as well!

I don't think that you have a bad idea or should be discouraged from a project like this. One thing that projects like this offer that just buying a cage does not, is a sense of pride. Will this project cost more than just buying one? Perhaps but so what? It will be different and be something that YOU made.

 

[PhxKarma]

Make sure that you seal all of the seams as well!

I don't think that you have a bad idea or should be discouraged from a project like this. One thing that projects like this offer that just buying a cage does not, is a sense of pride. Will this project cost more than just buying one? Perhaps but so what? It will be different and be something that YOU made.

The cabnient also matches the rest of my furniture, which is the main reason I want to use it, even if it takes a bit of work.