DIY cage

[westcoastchameleons]

hi all,
i am going to be making a new cage for my male ambilobe. The plans are for a 2dx3wx6h...He should be happy. I was wondering though, for the would...it needs to be treated right? also,
any suggestions about the would would be nice too.

thanks,
Jake

 

[Marc10edora]

The easiest way to treat the wood would be to paint it with 2-3 coats of latex house paint (same paint you use for your walls). As for choosing a wood, there are some types that shouldn't be used. I forgot wich ones those are but I would stay away from maple or anything that has sap.

 

[davemailcall]

When you build it, make sure that all visible cracks and visible wood is completely covered with paint or some kind of sealant. I went to Lowes and they have about a bajillion different kinds of caulk and such. Make sure it is waterproof AND paintable. Seal all the joints in your wood and any knots, even the ones that aren't visible from the outside of the cage. Then sand and paint! Worked well for me! If you leave any opening for water to get in, it could cause your wood to rot...I used about 1/2 a tube of sealant for my cage and it was smaller than yours.

 

[Marc10edora]

for sealant I used aquarium safe sealant. You can find it at major petstores or aquarium/fish stores. I chose this because I knew it would be pet safe. But, the paint will not stick to it.

 

[Hempa]

You can use pressure treated wood. http://www.chameleonnews.com/diycage.html
I think its looks good too.

 

[Chill]

hey everybody i've recently been doin the whole DIY cage thing too, some things that i've beed doin are i use 2x1x10 pieces of pine. I cut the ends into 45 degree angles and put em together like that i think it looks better like that. i use vinyl window screening and staple it on the inside of the cage so you cant see the staples and what not. i mean other than that its just decorative things you can add as you go.

 

[Electric]

on another forum I've also read of rubbing down all your wood with flaxseed oil to waterproof it, I will probably end up trying it cause i'm not too crazy about chemical sealers varnishes and paint(mostly cause of fumes and my cage is in my bedroom)... if I were to go that route I would try and find water based products and let the stuff air out for like a month before putting a chameleon in it, plus, natural wood grain is much more attractive than painted

 

[angus310]

I would be careful of flaxseed oil. Have you seen what it can do to a head?

 

[Electric]

no...? what do you mean do to a head? human head or cham head lol?

 

[angus310]

sorry, it was a joke. That was Barry Bonds' excuse for accidentally taking steroids. (he thought it was flaxseed oil)