Wood Stains and cage size.

[Corpsman82]

Hey guys just wanted a little info on DIY wood cages.

what type of wood stains would be safe for my chameleon?

how long should i let it bake in the sun?

whats the max size? (if there is a max)

and would it be ok to have a solid back panel? ( id rather not get my wall wet with the misting system.)

i plan on building its cage for when it becomes a adult. i was thinking 3ft X 3ft X 5ft.

Thanks for all the help


Jeremy

 

[Fearaffect]

Minwax.....dont let it bake in the sun to long...apply 1 coat...let sit for an hour apply second....30mins then 3rd coat then buff out.

I use Luan board for my backing......

 

[nick barta]

You can use any of the non toxic stains, paint or varnishes.

The cheapest is "white wood" which is fir, pine, or hemlock. This is the typical 1x2 ans 2x2 you see at the large hardware stores. You can upgrade to cedar, you will have 2x2's available, but will need to rip down to get 1x2's. If you can rip boards, Popular is a wood with purple streaking, is fairly available, and you can buy in wide boards.

Bake it (or air it out indoors) until the smell is almost gone.

Back wall can be solid, and gives a great place to anchor branches, feeding cups, etc.

Check out SandraChameleons' cages, go to her page, she uses pegboard-pretty cool idea.

Nick

 

[nick barta]

Minwax.....dont let it bake in the sun to long...apply 1 coat...let sit for an hour apply second....30mins then 3rd coat then buff out.

I use Luan board for my backing......

What is a Luan board? Pic??

nick

 

[Pure]

What is a Luan board? Pic??

nick

I'm pretty sure it's basically thin plywood. I recently used some to replace melamine board on one of my cages. I just stained it with minwax. Looks nice and won't bubble up or warp if sealed properly. It is also pretty inexpensive.

Home depot carries it in pre-cut pieces that are 24/48 and 24/24 inches.. I used the 24/24 for the bottom of the cage.

 

[Fearaffect]

I'm pretty sure it's basically thin plywood. I recently used some to replace melamine board on one of my cages. I just stained it with minwax. Looks nice and won't bubble up or warp if sealed properly. It is also pretty inexpensive.

Home depot carries it in pre-cut pieces that are 24/48 and 24/24 inches.. I used the 24/24 for the bottom of the cage.

and its already moisture resistant. Just dont drill holes in it....tends to snap.

 

[Pure]

I did drill it but sealed it with more minwax and then a thick coat of satin polyurethane clear coat. It's also not a load bearing bottom as it has a raised hardware cloth bottom. So yeah....

Thanks for the heads up though. I never thought to test it's strength after drilling it as it was a mute issue.

 

[sandrachameleon]

what type of wood stains would be safe for my chameleon?

I like zero VOC latex paint. No smell. Better for the earth, me and the chameleon.

If you'll have lots of water sitting on the wood for prolonged periods, consider an exterior latex oil hybrid meant for decks.

Dont want to paint when its super hot sun. A nice warm day. Drying time will depend on the paint choosen. zero VOC latex is a day or two. Oil, a week until the smell is gone.

whats the max size? (if there is a max)

no max.
Your suggested 3ft X 3ft X 5ft would be great.

and would it be ok to have a solid back panel? ( id rather not get my wall wet with the misting system.)

yes. tile board is also an option (used as a back slash in bathrooms and kitchens).

There are some good links and threads in this blog entry regarding enclosures, some with great examples of wood built cages:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/82-enclosures-housing.html

 

[serenitystarlite]

Dont want to paint when its super hot sun. A nice warm day. Drying time will depend on the paint choosen. zero VOC latex is a day or two. Oil, a week until the smell is gone.

I'm currently waiting for Kami's cage to dry. It's been over a week. I used Minwax stain (oil based, I couldn't find any water-based stain). How long do you think I should wait to put her in it? Someone said 30 days. I've seen a couple other people say a week. I did finally end up finding some water-based polyurethane that I'll use for the other cages I'm going to build. I mean I'm assuming the longer you wait the better, but Kami is really excited for her new cage!