# New Enclosure Build With Diy Fiberglass Rock Wall For Reptile Room



## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Was geting sick of how bland my melamine enclosures where geting so here it is.
I'm doing it all in pine and clear coating the outside and i'm doing the inside with Black Japan metho based stain, and then clear coating over that for durability, then adding my fiberglass backing with built in hides,
that i'm building seperate as you will see.
I've used finger jointed timber for the main frame for looks, and i've made the shelves hollow out of a frame of pine with ply so i can run all my wiring though, then i will be filling with expanda foam for extra strenth, through holes in the back.
then i will be framing the front with dressed pine.
these first two i'm building will both have five two foot by one foot tanks in the top for small skinks and geckos.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Here is a pic of the main frame wich i'm staining first to save cutting in latter down the track as the outside will be clear coated.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Adding the hollow shelves.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

I have cut a slot in the back for the heatpad that i make out of coreflute that i run a heat cord through, and the slot is there to do the both hide boxes and so i can slide it out from the back wich i will have an access panel for just incase it burnes out in the future, this will be running on a thermostat along with the other hides of the same size.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

This is it so far, starting to look like a bank.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

I didn't bother staining the top as it won't be seen for the tanks.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

This is how the coreflute will slide in and will be inside the hide.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Here is 2 banks out of 8 i'm making, wich should make for a good looking couple of walls.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

I also have these on weels to make them easy to move around.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Now the frame for the back wall wich i will be puting the fiberglass on, then i will install them at the end after all the clear coat.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Added the vent and preping for fiberglass, its alot better to do it like this so you dont have to worry about making a mess in your new inclosure and you can just screw and seal it in when your finished.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Ground all the sharp edges with a grinder, you won't see it but it will look more natural.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

I've added the matt fixed it with small nails around the edges and stuffed news paper under it for the rock efect, you can just pull it out when it hardens up.
first coat is just to strenthen your ridges and to get the efect you want.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

You just cut the holes and clean the edges up with a grinder when you finish,
now for the second coat to cover the rest.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

The next coat i add pigment that i got from bunnings that is used for tinting cement (oxide powder) dont use to much and mix the resin and hardener first so you know it's mixed, and for this one i used a tan colour, i found out the hard way the chocolate wich looks like desert sand is realy dark lucky i tested first.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

This is the hollow back before i added the colour.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Another angle.


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## Lawra (Jul 18, 2013)

WOW that looks amazing!!! Definitely puts mine to shame. You're so talented  I can't wait to see how it turns out.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

I painted the back black just to clean it up.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

Next i will add a couple of clear coats with sand on top to get a natural efect, but i have to get the sand and it was geting to cold so i just cleaned the edges and checked the fit.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

I will be adding a hinged door to the front of the hide with a plastic clip, and i will add more glass to the door to add to the efect, the hole will be cut in the side and i will make bowls the same way but i'm doing them seperate so that i can take them out and clean them.
This took me about 2lt of resin.
i still got to give it abit of a clean around the vent but i will do that when i finish the rest of it.


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## Jason.s (Jul 18, 2013)

I will post more pics when i am finished this bank.


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## andynic07 (Jul 19, 2013)

Can't wait to see the finished project, is the corflute going into the hide?


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## Marzzy (Jul 19, 2013)

Why the big square box ?


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## Becca-Marie (Jul 19, 2013)

Its the hide.

Sent from my LG-P690f using Tapatalk 2


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## Jason.s (Jul 19, 2013)

I put the box in it for a hide, so i wouldn't have to put one in later on, and the coreflute goes inside, with my other ones i put abit of coco peat over them to make it softer for the snake and the heat just keeps it nice and warm for them.
It will be abit more hiden once the branches and fake rock water bowl goes in, and it still needs the sand on it, this is just the base cote so there is colour behind the sand, like on garden ponds.


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## Jason.s (Jul 24, 2013)

Here is the second one i made, i'm not puting the hides on the wall now if i put them in i'll make them as a seperate rock on the side to make it look more realistic, i use the first one as a test for other ideas but they seem to be geting abit better with practice.


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## Jason.s (Jul 24, 2013)

I've used real sand and it sticks real well to the glass as i scraped of all the rest and hosed it off, so i'll use different colours for different efects.


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## Jason.s (Jul 24, 2013)

Still verry light and strong and if i want to change it i can just take it out.


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## Morelia.spilota (Jul 24, 2013)

That looks awesome and seems so easy to do, i love the idea of using the wood frame. You could also make a cover piece to go where the Square opening is to there hide as well and just make it removable


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## Jason.s (Aug 3, 2013)

got the first one nealy done, just needs some branches and hide rocks and glass.


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## Jason.s (Aug 3, 2013)

I had to find a way to incorperate my tanks for the small skinks and geckos and now there at eyes hight so it works well.


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## Jason.s (Aug 3, 2013)

i used creek sand for the top ones and desert sand for the bottom.



The skinks seem to be happy in there new home.


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## Jason.s (Aug 3, 2013)

The vents are in the front now, and are stips of perforated steel painted black, so i could have the whole rock wall on the back to look abit more natural.


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## Rogue5861 (Aug 3, 2013)

Looking good mate. Best ya happy with how they turned out.


Rick


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## Rogue5861 (Oct 20, 2013)

Need an update and photos fixed.


Rick


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