beaniebopps
Beanie
Ok, due to me being very flattered about the compliments to my vivarium I have decided to do a quick guide on how I made it, obviously I wasn't planning to so I didn't take any pictures while making it...
I got basically everything I needed in B & Qs, not sure if they are anywhere outside the UK but any good hardware store.
Things needed:
1) A little common sense with DIY (I'm female and 18 and managed - how hard can it be lol)
2) A screwdriver at the very least, a countersink as well if possible.
3) A pile of screws, size 6 or so, about 1 1/4 inch long, doesn't need to be exact.
4) A 96" (8') X 18" piece of chipboard, 15mm depth. (commercial name contiboard is great and cheap, and comes in beech finish, not sure if that is exact size I bought it, needs to be that at minumum.)
5) A 96" (8') by 6" piece of the same chipboard listed above.
6) A large piece of cheaper unfinished contiboard or the thin chipboard at least 4' X 2'. About 5 mm depth is plenty.
7) A glass runner pack, comes as a long length (at least 8' needed) with 2 grooves in it. Each groove is roughly 8mm, needs to be about 1 1/2 times thicker than your glass)
8) 2 glass doors, 24" x 16" each.
9) Small tube good quality glue.
It's hard to describe the making of the vivarium properly - I suggest you spend a while making diagrams. If your main piece of contiboard is 18" thats great, if not cut the width to this so one edge of your contiboard will be unfinsihed.
Cut 2 lengths from this piece of wood at 48" long and cut 2 lengths at 22.5" long. These should be assembled first with the 2 shorter lengths being on the inside of the 2 longer lengths. Counter sink and then screw the wood together, 2 at each end going from the top length to the sides, and bottom length to the sides. 8 screws needed. (See diagram at bottom, don't know how to post pic up here) All edges should be flush.
Cut the larger cheaper chipboard to 23 6/8 inches wide and 48" long. Screw this onto the back of the 45 sided box you now have - if you have any unfished edges screw it onto those obviously, so all the finished edges face the front, and the unfinished ones are covered by the back board.
Cut your 8' x 3" piece into 2 lengths, each one being the EXACT distance between the sides of your box, this is the bottom lip. (should be just under 46") Screw the bottom one on first to the bottom of the vivarium 'box' (see diagram 2) Cut the glass runner to the same EXACT length as your lip is. Carefully glue onto top of glass lip. If the lip is a little wider than your contiboard (15mm) in total, have the sticky out bit on the inside.
Glue the other glass runner for the top lip onto the top lip (same lengths method etc. as the bottom) BEFORE screwing to vivarium box. Place glass doors into the bottom glass runner, one of them in each groove. They will overlap by a few inches. Pushing carefully, get the glass panels into the top runner (attatched to lip but not vivarium yet) and push back till lip is flush with front of vivarium. Make sure your glass isn't so loose it can fall out obviously! Should be a perfect fit. Screw top lip onto the box the same way as bottom lip.
PS everytime I say screw something in, it is neater and easier to countersink first)
Leave glue to cure for 48 hours at least before introducing your snake! The locks for sliding glass doors can be purchased off ebay for a few pounds. Don't think diagrams uploaded in correct order! As for vents you can just use a screwdriver in the back to screw your own, or buy vents and screw large circles out to fit them in snugly. As for wiring it up - I'll leave that up to you!
Hope this was helpful, can't remember exact price but think it was about £55 for everything - cheap!
I've included 2 diagrams and a few pics of Jake enjoying his vivarium!
I got basically everything I needed in B & Qs, not sure if they are anywhere outside the UK but any good hardware store.
Things needed:
1) A little common sense with DIY (I'm female and 18 and managed - how hard can it be lol)
2) A screwdriver at the very least, a countersink as well if possible.
3) A pile of screws, size 6 or so, about 1 1/4 inch long, doesn't need to be exact.
4) A 96" (8') X 18" piece of chipboard, 15mm depth. (commercial name contiboard is great and cheap, and comes in beech finish, not sure if that is exact size I bought it, needs to be that at minumum.)
5) A 96" (8') by 6" piece of the same chipboard listed above.
6) A large piece of cheaper unfinished contiboard or the thin chipboard at least 4' X 2'. About 5 mm depth is plenty.
7) A glass runner pack, comes as a long length (at least 8' needed) with 2 grooves in it. Each groove is roughly 8mm, needs to be about 1 1/2 times thicker than your glass)
8) 2 glass doors, 24" x 16" each.
9) Small tube good quality glue.
It's hard to describe the making of the vivarium properly - I suggest you spend a while making diagrams. If your main piece of contiboard is 18" thats great, if not cut the width to this so one edge of your contiboard will be unfinsihed.
Cut 2 lengths from this piece of wood at 48" long and cut 2 lengths at 22.5" long. These should be assembled first with the 2 shorter lengths being on the inside of the 2 longer lengths. Counter sink and then screw the wood together, 2 at each end going from the top length to the sides, and bottom length to the sides. 8 screws needed. (See diagram at bottom, don't know how to post pic up here) All edges should be flush.
Cut the larger cheaper chipboard to 23 6/8 inches wide and 48" long. Screw this onto the back of the 45 sided box you now have - if you have any unfished edges screw it onto those obviously, so all the finished edges face the front, and the unfinished ones are covered by the back board.
Cut your 8' x 3" piece into 2 lengths, each one being the EXACT distance between the sides of your box, this is the bottom lip. (should be just under 46") Screw the bottom one on first to the bottom of the vivarium 'box' (see diagram 2) Cut the glass runner to the same EXACT length as your lip is. Carefully glue onto top of glass lip. If the lip is a little wider than your contiboard (15mm) in total, have the sticky out bit on the inside.
Glue the other glass runner for the top lip onto the top lip (same lengths method etc. as the bottom) BEFORE screwing to vivarium box. Place glass doors into the bottom glass runner, one of them in each groove. They will overlap by a few inches. Pushing carefully, get the glass panels into the top runner (attatched to lip but not vivarium yet) and push back till lip is flush with front of vivarium. Make sure your glass isn't so loose it can fall out obviously! Should be a perfect fit. Screw top lip onto the box the same way as bottom lip.
PS everytime I say screw something in, it is neater and easier to countersink first)
Leave glue to cure for 48 hours at least before introducing your snake! The locks for sliding glass doors can be purchased off ebay for a few pounds. Don't think diagrams uploaded in correct order! As for vents you can just use a screwdriver in the back to screw your own, or buy vents and screw large circles out to fit them in snugly. As for wiring it up - I'll leave that up to you!
Hope this was helpful, can't remember exact price but think it was about £55 for everything - cheap!
I've included 2 diagrams and a few pics of Jake enjoying his vivarium!
