My Outdoor Enclosure Build

[Beman]

Hi everyone. So this is the actual build thread. My I need information thread can be found here. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/building-questions.175796/page-4#post-1573875

This is a 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 27 inches deep. I used 2x2 Douglas fir for the wood frame. And deck screws to put it together.

I put together all my panels first and pre drilled all holes. Then put all the panels together.

This is where I am at now. I still have to add two vertical posts to brace the front and back but I was off in my measuring. Then build the doors for it. I will add more as I go. ?



This is how it will look with the plants in it. They will need to grow in a bit taller still. But that should not take too long. But you can see how I did the support for them on the bottom.

 

[Grayson Payne]

Looks great so far! I can’t wait to see what it looks like when you’re finished!

 

[Beman]

Looks great so far! I can’t wait to see what it looks like when you’re finished!

Thank you! I am actually quite tickled with myself right now

 

[AmandaS]

You're doing a great job

 

[snitz427]

Hey that looks great so far! Beman said less typey, more buildy!

 

[hiddenflaws]

I'm excited for this! I've been really wanting to make an outside enclosure for Basil so I will be bookmarking this! ((

 

[janjan20]

Looking good so far! Looks like you have a wooden thumb after all lol!! ? ?

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Awesome build!

 

[Pickle-cham]

Looking good so far nice work ?

 

[nightanole]

Ah I remember having a 27" deep cage...

So stay with me now. 38" long arms needed to reach the top and bottom corners of a 54" tall cage...


I gave up and saw zall'd off the center brace so i could lean in


I would also like to say, my frames were never square unless i put in diagonal braces, they aways turned into rhombuses

 

[MissSkittles]

Dang Becca! Great job! I thought you said you couldn’t do this kind of stuff. I bet you’ve surprised even yourself.

 

[Beman]

Awwwww thank you so much everyone! I am really thrilled with it. I got my vertical supports in for the middle of the cage. I just went and got the stuff for the doors, screening, poly urathane and all the hardware. I got a little saw thing that is automatic. It has a name.. Like a jig saw maybe I am going to go put doors together now. Then poly urethane it. The hardware store guy had me buy the best one they had because it will hold up in the weather here. So we will see. I have to get the screen and stuff on tomorrow because we have a storm coming in supposedly on Saturday. So I am trying to get everything done and put in by tomorrow night.

Hopefully the weather will be better after the storm so Beman can try it out. It is very rarely this sunny here even now it is only 61 degrees outside.

It is funny because as a female I tend to underestimate what I am capable of doing when it comes to these kinds of things. I really am enjoying this project and so far everything I pictured in my head is translating into something real.

The cheapest component of the cage was the wood only $75. I have not added up exactly but I have about 200 into the cage but I did need to buy nipper things to cut the chicken wire I got. So there were extras I had to spend that some would not. Then I got the Hibiscus for $50.

 

[MissSkittles]

 

[Beman]

Ok doors are done.... this is was the hardest part to get my measurements right

Now I have to paint on the poly urethane stuff... ugggg

 

[Pickle-cham]

Ikr paint hate it my undercoat taking ages to dry not quick drying stuff reaks still got another coat of primer then two topcoats ?

 

[snitz427]

Girl you are rocking it!! Double check the dry/cure time of the polyurethane so it has time to fully dry before the rain. Otherwise can you bring it up
On a covered porch or something to poly?

 

[Beman]

Ok poly urethane on... it sucked! And smelled awful! And it’s sticky!!! Tried grabbing a spot to brace myself getting out of it from doing the inside pieces and of course it was a place I already coated....

Anyways here is where we are now.

 

[Beman]

Girl you are rocking it!! Double check the dry/cure time of the polyurethane so it has time to fully dry before the rain. Otherwise can you bring it up
On a covered porch or something to poly?

Yes, I have to check again... one thing said 6 hours and one said 24... I don't know what was for what though lol. But we have clouds tomorrow and a storm coming in for the weekend. So I have to get it completely done by tomorrow night. No porch or real garage to store it in.

 

[mujino]

Wow looks great so far!

 

[snitz427]

It might be dry to touch 6 hours, fully cured 24hrs. I would get it done as early as possible to fully cure, otherwise the rain might mess with your finish.

I just stained something with a 24 hr cure time, and it took 36 hrs to be handleable. Sucks as I picked it up without testing it and smudged it.

So - just a heads up. Might be totally fine, or it might leave some bubbles/stickiness in your finish.