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Awesome DIY build

Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
How did you put the wood together? Did you screw it together? are you just use some strong bonding glue to put the wood together?
Screws with pilot holes. The slides for the glass doors I used Loctite adhesive.

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Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
Added my first coat of water based wood sealant to ensure I am keeping my dragon safe from pine toxins.
Started working on some fun features for the inside as well.
Finding glass at a reasonable price is proving difficult so I'm still working on that.
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Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
Sliding glass doors are in!!!! Found glass for $35 cut to eat size I needed!!! Which is saying something since one measurement was 22 5/16".
Anyway.....here are some pics of the finished product! I'm really happy with how it finished up. Now to work on the inside to get a good basking level. Here is some rough cut inside the cage. The bottom two pieces aren't part of it. I just needed to prop it up and hope it dries overnight.
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Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
Im interested on how you will do the sliding doors.

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Sliding glass doors are in...posted a pic in here. I purchased the sliders from amazon then found someone local to cut the glass to my exact measurements.

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Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
Got the polystyrene all glued up and expandable insulation to fill the gaps! Now I just have to find the time to finish sculpting!
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Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
So, I can say before I am even done, I will not do this part of the project again. I loved the cage build but the furniture part has been VERY time consuming.

I finished sculpting and have put 2 coats of loose grout mixture on. I used the fawn colored grout from when I did the tile so I had to buy some red acrylic paint to make my creation more red.....going for red rock color out in Moab,UT. Not done yet but it's progress!
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SoCalSk8r

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
18
How easy is a structure like that to clean? I would love to build one but my beardie often poops on his furniture and I'm wondering how easy it is to clean once you have it all sealed up.


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BeardedHippy

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
672
Location
Scarborough UK
well it is tile grout on polystyrene, if the grout is applied thickly enough I dont see why it shouldnt be completely waterproof, it will need to be removed and washed periodically. It should be easy to touch up too by just applying a new coat or 2 every so often. I really like the effect it creates, Im sure a beardie will love it
 

Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
How easy is a structure like that to clean? I would love to build one but my beardie often poops on his furniture and I'm wondering how easy it is to clean once you have it all sealed up.


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That is a very good question. That I don't know the answer to yet. I'm hoping the sealer will make it somewhat easy to clean, but my guess is that if he poops on it it won't all come off. I'll keep you posted on that

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Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
I am a bit concerned about how long this thing is going to hold up. Only time will tell. I felt like I put the grout mix on pretty thick but I am already starting to see imperfections where a piece of grout will chip off and expose a small spot of styrofoam. I wonder how the experts keep this from happening.
 

Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
Finished!!!! I ended up recovering some of the imperfections with the grout mix and then adding additional coats of sealer.
Testing my temps, turns out once you cover the Styrofoam with grout it holds in more heat. Which makes sense considering the darker color. So I am currently getting over 130 degrees F on top!! Looks like I will be changing the bulb out for a lower wattage. Currently I have a 100 watt. I'm gonna try a 75 and see how that is.

Now I just need a dragon for this awesome home! The next w weekends we are out of town so I'm waiting til after we get back.

To be continued. .....
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BeardedHippy

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
672
Location
Scarborough UK
I am a bit concerned about how long this thing is going to hold up. Only time will tell. I felt like I put the grout mix on pretty thick but I am already starting to see imperfections where a piece of grout will chip off and expose a small spot of styrofoam. I wonder how the experts keep this from happening.
I have a few theories, but I need to test them to be sure (im no expert, just enthusiastic lol). I am presuming the cracking is being caused by the different expansion rates of the styro and the grout. Either the grout needs to be a lot thicker and conditioned with a plastisizer, Im thinking(guessing) as much as a 1/2 an inch or more thickness, or , a sealing coat of something much stronger, such as fiberglass resin (just the resin, not the glass). The resin would need a full week to gas off, but should be safe once it has, basically its just a 2 part epoxy. Trouble is then the surface becomes smooth, easier to wash but a bit slippy for the beardies, unless you add something textured to it before it dries.
I will get some stuff to have an experiment , but first I want to research some alternative materials. Maybe someone else actually came up with a solution. Anyway, dont give up yet, I know theres an answer
 

BeardedHippy

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
672
Location
Scarborough UK
oh, you did it! lol, as I was typing no less. Looks awesome ,well done. Just get a dimmer for the basking lamp, they are pretty inexpensive (amazon, ebay etc)
 

Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
oh, you did it! lol, as I was typing no less. Looks awesome ,well done. Just get a dimmer for the basking lamp, they are pretty inexpensive (amazon, ebay etc)
Oh cool! I didn't think about a dimmer. A dimmer should work with any type bulb right? Doesn't have to be a "dimable" bulb...if that's even a word.

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BeardedHippy

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
672
Location
Scarborough UK
I had a eureka moment, I believe I now have the solution, just in case an you or anyone else wants to try a future project. It seems to me that the weakness in these things is the grout, but what to use instead? All of that expensive tank furniture you buy in petshops is made from this stuff:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Polytek-P...399684?hash=item4ac01853c4:g:IZ0AAOSwp5JWXuMh
Polyresin, I think could be used in place of both grout and sealer.
I think it could be used to make a type of fiberglass too, but using a natural material like hemp or similar. Im gonna try it
 

Dogdayz1215

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
138
I'll definitely keep that in mind! I'll see how long this holds up once the dragon is in there.

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