would love to build a new rack out of the pvc that is used by the pro's (RBI, AP, etc) but to find that material is damn hard and its expensive. so onto the other ideas... was thinking melamine.. but its so damn heavy and expensive as well but a more feasible option. then hubby thought perhaps using 1/2 inch mdf. but how to make it heat and water resistant? laminate sheeting glued onto it? would that work? what do you guys think? thanx.

Wouldn't MDF present the same weight issue as Melamine? I don't think it's quite as durable either but I may be wrong. I've looked at it also though and I think it's doable as long as you can find some way to seal it that won't be affected by heat tape being on it and tubs sliding in and out....... Could be done but you might just have to do some testing first.

well the difference is that the mdf would be 1/2 inch while the melamine would be 3/4 inch, but after its all built there might be a slight weight difference. I was thinking of buying the laminate that you put on counter tops when you are refinishing your kitchen and gluing it to the mdf. its supposed to be heat/scratch/moisture resistant and then just use clear silicone to seal the corners. Just ideas to toss around. thanx for the input every little bit helps.

I am not going to swear by this but, for whitewater rafting I built a number of dry boxes for my boat out of ply. Once the boxes were built I coated them with 4-5 layers of a heavy duty waterproof epoxy. Just paint it on, let it dry and then apply another coat. And I can attest to the waterproof nature cause I still have them in use 10 years later so they can take the normal wear and tear of a river plus a couple flips in some pretty heavy water.

lots of people make them out of plywood coated w/ a sealer.

btw - you can get MDF in several thicknesses. Check and see if you have any distribution houses for cabinet makers, casework or interior construction locally. We have one here in Louisville that is called Kruse (Not sure if they are local or not.. but worth a shot). The melamine will be better quality then what you get at lowes and I think they have it in 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 but I have seen it in 3/8, 5/8 and 7/8 as well.

Dig around a bit.. Melamine is a great option.

thanx everyone. the homedepot near me only has the melamine in the 3/4 inch thickness. Would love to find it in 1/2 inch.

thanx everyone. the homedepot near me only has the melamine in the 3/4 inch thickness. Would love to find it in 1/2 inch.

I'm pretty sure I've only seen the big pieces in 3/4". Some of the closet shelving pieces might be smaller but they aren't really good for a rack since they are so narrow. Yes, melamine is heavy but you have to take into consideration how much you think you will be moving it? I have some large, heavy, melamine racks that aren't going anywhere. But I don't need to move them anywhere and I have no foreseeable plans to move in the future. So if you don't really need to move them a lot then melamine is a good way to go.

i built my 2 racks out of melamene and i love them yes there heavy but im gonna put casters on mine to make them more movable when i get some extra cash ill probably go with the pvc racks but for right now the melamene works great i payed 350 for the materials at homedepot and made 2 racks one 10 tub 32qt rack and 1 4 tub ve175 rack and there great make sure tho that you dont make the shelves to long or they will sag

I have built a couple racks a small one and a larger one out of Melamine....They are heavy but with casters on them they move around in the room nicely :yessir:

I'll second the plywood route that was mentioned. It weighs a lot less than the melamine, just a little more work because you have to seal it and possibly paint it, depending on how nice you want it to look.

yes if your not going melamine then go with some good wood and seal it to make it water resistant.

You can also go with the plywood and use the lids with the boxes.
Just another idea.....

thanx for the input everyone. More ideas to roll around my noggin!

I'll second the plywood route that was mentioned. It weighs a lot less than the melamine, just a little more work because you have to seal it and possibly paint it, depending on how nice you want it to look.

instead of using a sealer or paint on the plywood, would the laminate for kitchen counters work too? I was thinking of that as well. and then I would only need to silicone the corners.

thanx everyone. the homedepot near me only has the melamine in the 3/4 inch thickness. Would love to find it in 1/2 inch.

if you have a lowes near by check with them also. they usually carry 3 different sizes.

thanx for the input everyone. More ideas to roll around my noggin!



instead of using a sealer or paint on the plywood, would the laminate for kitchen counters work too? I was thinking of that as well. and then I would only need to silicone the corners.

i would use linoleum if you wanted to go that route. i am thinking of building a few more cages and using plywood also. and when i do i will use the linoleume and some non toxic silicone. clay davenport has some nice info on how to and what to use on his site. he has step by step rack and cage building.

http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/cages.shtml

if your worried bout weight... you could go this route

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/RidgeTopReptiles/Racks/Rack105.jpg

I used melamine for the shelves... and I had 2x4 legs and 1x2 runners supporting the shelves.

They sell the counter top plastic stuff at home depot but its expensive! Last time I checked it was about 40.00. But its a lot better than the melamine coating.

How would pegboard work for smaller tubs if it was braced on the sides and back?

pegboard would most likely sag in the middle... its not really that sturdy. At least the peg board I have been using in the shop.

if your worried bout weight... you could go this route

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/RidgeTopReptiles/Racks/Rack105.jpg

I used melamine for the shelves... and I had 2x4 legs and 1x2 runners supporting the shelves.

I would build something like that.. but the only problem is I can't have an open air type system.. my house gets too cold in winter. Now if it can be modified to be enclosed that would be the bomb.

if you want to enclose it and still cut down on weight... just attach some 1/4 inch paneling to the sides.

In my photo you can see the old brown rack. Because of the 3/4 solid sides... it is heavier than the black one... and the black on hold more snakes.

You could also get some insulation board that can be tacked to it in the winter.

great ideas.. I'll have to look into this further. :D thanx.

How would pegboard work for smaller tubs if it was braced on the sides and back?

pegboard would most likely sag in the middle... its not really that sturdy. At least the peg board I have been using in the shop.

Depending on how you do it peg can be an option. I just made this rack (my first so please forgive the fact that it looks like crap...) using peg for the "tops" to the tubs. Since the peg is not actually supporting any weight there is not much risk of bowing.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/asplundii/Herps/P4250017.jpg
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/asplundii/Herps/P4250016.jpg


You could do something like this and just slap some ply on the sides to enclose it.

another interesting way to do it... how does the peg board hold up to the heat? how and where are you using heat? flexwatt? think we all need a DIY breakdown. :D

i Have never had any troubles finding the material the "Pros" use. matter of fact I built all of mine out of Sintra, Komatex, Foamed PVC.. etc.....

Where do you live and i'll tell you if there is a dealer near by

Rob

another interesting way to do it... how does the peg board hold up to the heat?

So far well enough but it has only been a week. And you need not necessarily put the extra peg to the back like I did, I just had extra and figured I would use it as a bit of extra support for the FW.

how and where are you using heat? flexwatt?

Yeah I am using FW, just had not installed it at the time I took the pics. I have it installed about 3"-6" from the back. So if you look at the first pic and count 2 holes left from the rear 1x4 support the FW stops there and goes forward about 4 holes.

think we all need a DIY breakdown. :D

I used this as a guide:

http://www.baileyreptiles.com/cb70rack.html

Just modified it to work for the tubs I had (SteriLite) which are a bit different dimension than the CB70s. Also wired it up a bit differently.

i Have never had any troubles finding the material the "Pros" use. matter of fact I built all of mine out of Sintra, Komatex, Foamed PVC.. etc.....

Where do you live and i'll tell you if there is a dealer near by

Rob

I live in the poconos of PA. I've tried searching around here but I've come up with nothing so far. I'd love to get my hands on the materials the "pros" use cause I know hubby can work with the material as well.

So far well enough but it has only been a week. And you need not necessarily put the extra peg to the back like I did, I just had extra and figured I would use it as a bit of extra support for the FW.

Yeah I am using FW, just had not installed it at the time I took the pics. I have it installed about 3"-6" from the back. So if you look at the first pic and count 2 holes left from the rear 1x4 support the FW stops there and goes forward about 4 holes.

I used this as a guide:

http://www.baileyreptiles.com/cb70rack.html

Just modified it to work for the tubs I had (SteriLite) which are a bit different dimension than the CB70s. Also wired it up a bit differently.

oh okay... keep us posted on how the peg board "holds" up to the heat.

oh okay... keep us posted on how the peg board "holds" up to the heat.

Will do

Hey Lady Dragon,

Piece of cake.....

Total Plastics (this is the company I purchase from here in Michigan too, great company)
Harrisburg
7561 B Derry Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111

Toll Free:   800-442-6839
Phone:       717-231-6510
Fax:           717-231-6519
Email:        tpi_har@totalplastics.com

You want Sintra, Komatex or the like... It's a foamed PVC... depending on the size you are making, 10mm is what you need for most applications. There really is no need to get HDPE, it's a lot more expensive and it's really overkill, heavier too...

They will have the glue that you need as well, however you can always screw it together so that you can dismantle it later if you wish, it's real easy to work with.

PM me if you have any questions.

Cheers

Rob

Thanx Rob. see, now how come I couldn't find this site when I was doing a search :/

:welcome: It's because they are a little well known secret

Let me know if you need any assistance with anything, I've been using the product for about 5 years and can tell you anything you need to know...

Rob, is Celtec the same stuff?

Yes it is....

Thanks

the different names are representative of the different manufactures. The underlying product is foamed PVC

well, got a price quote for the komatex.. lets just say I'll be going with plywood and the counter top laminate for the rack. :D would love to use that the "pro's" use, but not at that price....