# Another TV unit conversion



## pythonmum (Sep 26, 2013)

I decided to go ahead with this conversion which is just wide enough for my Darwin girl. Here's the unit which was free from curbside cleanup:




So far I have finished new, thicker (6mm) backing pieces for the centre and left side.




After some careful planning,



I have installed the main vent for the centre section.




Tonight I cut the hole between the two sections, but the jigsaw was really bucking, so I need to tidy up with the electric plane tomorrow to straighten the sides.




I've got glass doors for both tall sides, but will put sliding glass in the centre. I haven't bought that yet. Everything else, including heat cord, special jigsaw blades, fake plants, etc has come to about $200. More to come in a day or two as I get more done!

I'm going to heat it with a homemade heat panel from heat cord underneath a basking shelf in the tall lefthand side.


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## smileysnake (Sep 26, 2013)

looking good i have one like this in my shed i have done a fake brickwall in the centre part but i also ripped out that cupboard in the middle...make sure you put more pics up of your progress,looks great....


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## pythonmum (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks smileysnake. I like to leave the cupboard for all of the junk that I invariably want to store near an enclosure. It also has a central vertical piece that will keep the long floor of the centre from sagging. The enclosure it is replacing sags a bit due to the weight of the glass, etc.

I like to use the aquarium backing because it is so easy to clean and cheap. I hadn't seen this rock pattern before and was stoked that it came in a really tall roll. I had to buy a bit extra to add to the bottom for the tall cupboard, but think that my cutting and gluing is pretty good, so no one will really notice. The snake certainly won't care!


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## pythonmum (Sep 30, 2013)

*More progress - heat source, doors, backing*

I have had a fun time working on this for the past couple of days. A discussion in Herp Help about using tiles inspired me to use a tile as a shelf instead of the existing shelves in the unit. As of now...

The backing is on




The frame for the heat cord is screwed into place.




Cord is wound around.




Tile is placed on top, held down by original shelf supports put in upside down.




Finally, I put the doors back on!




Next jobs are to sort out lighting, cut a litter guard for the left side using an old shelf, cut top and bottom pieces for centre sliding glass using old central shelf, install tracks and glass, seal everything, then finally do some decorating with branches and vines. That should keep me out of trouble for a while!


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## Flaviruthless (Sep 30, 2013)

Looks great so far!


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## smileysnake (Sep 30, 2013)

looks great...too easy hey....


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## Jimie (Sep 30, 2013)

It looks really good great job


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## pythonmum (Oct 2, 2013)

Another update! Kingsirloin helped me cut the melamine shelves without chipping, so I was able to install the litter guard on the left side and the top and bottom sections to hold the glass tracks in the centre.




I also put silicon around the inside of the glass for both sides and sealed all of the joins in the main cupboard:




The problem with nicely done sealant is that it doesn't look like anything! It was painstaking taping everything up properly, but worthwhile with a really neat job in the end.

Tomorrow I hope to get tracks, glass and lighting!


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## pinefamily (Oct 4, 2013)

Is that some sort of wire or mesh stapled to the frame for the heat cord?


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## pythonmum (Oct 5, 2013)

Yes, pinefamily, I shield the heat cord with aluminium fly screen mesh. Staples are where the tile sits, so not where the snake can get to them.


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## pythonmum (Oct 5, 2013)

All done at last (well - still have to stain and nail on the new skirting, but never mind)! Moved the beautiful girl in to her new digs.


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## Porkbones (Oct 5, 2013)

Awesum job to match an awesum snake


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## Skippii (Oct 5, 2013)

I love this! Gives me inspiration for a TV cabinet I've got that's similar (middle section and 2 side sections). I'll probably end up using the aquarium backing like you have, it looks great and I'm not sure I ever want to work with render again after the project I'm currently working on 

How's your girl liking her new home, spent much time exploring yet? Or just made herself at home and gone for a nap in her hide?

x


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## Jimie (Oct 5, 2013)

nice work that looks awesome your albino does too


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## thomasssss (Oct 5, 2013)

nice love the heating idea , do you find that it radiates much heat downward aswell ? do you use a thermo or does it stay stable on its own and what are the little black clip things holding down the tile ? sorry for all the questions but wanna try this in a few of my up coming enclosures , cheers


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## pythonmum (Oct 5, 2013)

Thanks for the compliments, folks. My lovely girl crawled around and checked things out, then went into her familiar hide for a snooze. She will probably start basking on the shelf tomorrow.

Thomassss, This is my second heat panel like that. The other is in my male albino's enclosure, also a converted TV unit, but very different shape. It does radiate heat down, hence the branch underneath for basking. However, I have noticed that my Darwins like to lie on a shelf for basking and I have used heated shelves whenever possible. I put the thermostat probe on top of the shelf where the snake lies. The other side of the enclosure can get downright cold in winter, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for them, as they keep successfully breeding. They just need that reliable warm spot to hang out in. 

The tile seems to spread the neat very nicely, based on my heat gun readings. It is held down by the shelf supports that were originally in the unit (little black things). This means that I can remove the tile to get at the heat cord if I need to, but the snake can't lift it at all.

Skippii, I have seen your thread on the render project. Those are just too much bother and too hard to clean for me! You have a great texture going there, so I hope it looks like you want it to in the the end. If you put a few plants in front of it, it will look great. (That is my solution to any enclosure problem.)


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## Skippii (Oct 5, 2013)

pythonmum said:


> Skippii, I have seen your thread on the render project. Those are just too much bother and too hard to clean for me! You have a great texture going there, so I hope it looks like you want it to in the the end. If you put a few plants in front of it, it will look great. (That is my solution to any enclosure problem.)



I'm not feeling the need to hide it just yet  I'm actually kind of pleased with how the painting is turning out. Does look a bit of a mess at the moment, but I'll neaten it up, seal it and be done with the darn thing. You're too right about making those backgrounds being a bother. I just hope Floyd sticks to his habit of only making a mess on the floor where it's easy to clean up.. *knock on wood*

Again, great job with your conversion!

x


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## Gruni (Oct 6, 2013)

That enclosure looks great. 

My Mac does well in her cabinet too. I don't run a thermostat for my heat light but rather a timer and even in winter the temp range was quite acceptable with the cool end getting down to about 9* overnight and then the warm end gradually creeping up to the high teens by the afternoon but with the heatshelf (which does have a thermostat) providing a constant warm spot to retreat to if she needed it Skittles has been very content. She likes the enclosure so much that when I got her out of her old one she would fight me when putting her back to try to get back out, where as this one if the door is open and I stand near it while holding her she will scoot straight back in of her own accord.


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## DanielM (Oct 6, 2013)

Is there any other heat source besides the tile? Looks great by the way!!


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## pythonmum (Oct 10, 2013)

The tile and the area under the tile both heat up. That is all. That works for me in another enclosure which is in an unseated portion of the house. This one is in the living room where we put on the heater/air conditioner if it gets too unreasonable.


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## pythonmum (Oct 17, 2013)

She definitely likes the new branch.


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## SteveNT (Oct 17, 2013)

Now Ess wants one!


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## Jimie (Oct 17, 2013)

pythonmum she's wonderful and that viv is stunning


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## pythonmum (Oct 17, 2013)

Jimie said:


> pythonmum she's wonderful and that viv is stunning


I must agree! She is the most good-natured and easy to care for snake, plus being a reliable breeder. She gets 2014 off, so has a nice new home to spend her bachelorette winter in.


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## Porkbones (Oct 17, 2013)

Wouldn't mind getting one of her little bubs


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## SteveNT (Oct 17, 2013)

Porkbones said:


> Wouldn't mind getting one of her little bubs



I've got one. Woo HOOOOOO......


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## Porkbones (Oct 18, 2013)

SteveNT said:


> I've got one. Woo HOOOOOO......View attachment 298880
> View attachment 298881



oh now that's not nice of you !!!!!!! LOL wow I'm loving the looks of these beautiful snakes. Yours is stunning also.now I really want 1


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## pinefamily (Oct 18, 2013)

Well done on a great job, Pythonmum.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## brock98 (Oct 18, 2013)

I picked up a yearling darwin albino for my birthday 2 days ago  butt nice conversion !! 
I would post pics but I cant find the tab  but nice albinos guys!

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 4


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## Amberbubula (Oct 18, 2013)

Pythonmum, you are a legend! I have this last week been turning over many ideas of changing from ceramic heat emitters to heat cords/heat mats and the way you have done your heat chord is absolutely brilliant IMHO! 
I shall be stealing that idea pronto


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## Brad26 (Oct 18, 2013)

hey i love this idea, would this be a great idea for a bhp size wise, hes over 1 metre id say, just thinking of doing the same thing


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## pythonmum (Oct 18, 2013)

The heated tile is ideal for a BHP. They carry some huge ones at tile shops. A number of _Aspidites_ keepers use heated tiles, often with a heat mat between two tiles. I find the heated shelf for my Darwins much more energy efficient than the ceramic emitters I have used. You don't lose all of that heat through the top of the enclosure and the snake can choose between belly heat (on the shelf) or back heat (branch underneath). Even though my enclosures can get down to 15 degrees or less away from the heat source in winter, the snakes are healthy and happy because they can bask as needed to heat up.

When I bought the large tile, they had a demonstration of under tile heating at Amber. The temperature felt just right for a snake to me. Do any tilers out there know if they have this system available in smaller patches like the little demo in the shop? It would be interesting to see if it is more cost effective than cord or heat mat, but those are both pretty cheap.


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