# DIY Pine enclosure in progress, and one to sell?



## rosequoll (Apr 14, 2012)

Working on a huge pine enclosure. Plan is to put large frogs into it (probably my Peron's for now once it's done, and later adult Magnificent Tree frogs depending on how many of my morphs make it to full adult size) but it may end up being a green tree python enclosure someday. =)

False roof, hinged lid, going to have a big full glass front door once I save up the money. You can see all the pics here: Deluxe Frog Enclosure - Quoll's Photos | SmugMug

I've attached some of the 'complete' photos here. The enclosure and the cabinet/stand are separate, next work day (I can only work on it once a fortnight as my days off are random) on it will be wood putty and sanding and starting to work on placement for lights and features.

Will include (in the end) a full custom background (which I'll be making a mould of so I can cast more later in resin), pool, waterfall, plumbing with a fogger and hygrostat, etc etc. I'm excited to get it done but it may take the next 3-4 months at this rate!

Enclosure is approximately 1.2metres tall, 90cm wide and 60cm deep. With the false roof area in place the internal dimensions are approx 100x90x60. The cabinet is an additional 50cm of height, plus I'll be adding locking caster wheels at the end. =)

-----

Which brings me to my next point, I have enough scrap bits of wood to make a second smaller enclosure with sliding front glass doors. I don't want to actually take an order for an enclosure (since it could be a month before it's done and I don't want to leave someone hanging if other things come up) but I'm looking for suggestions on a size that would sell well. I'm up for anything up to 3ft tall and 2ft front to back. Not sure about width. I was thinking 3x2x2ft but maybe a bit taller would be nicer in the pine?

I'd be putting it up for sale as finished and sanded, but RAW pine, no light fittings or anything, put it would be ready to stain, with the glass and the glass runners cut and ready to go. =)

Anyways, make suggestions for sizes that you think would look good! It'll go up for sale here when it's done anyways, so be selfish and suggest sizes you like!


----------



## disintegratus (Apr 15, 2012)

Wow. That looks really awesome!! If you weren't so far away, I'd definitely be up for buying your left over enclosure.


----------



## IgotFrogs (Apr 15, 2012)

rosequoll said:


> I'd be putting it up for sale as finished and sanded, but RAW pine, no light fittings or anything, put it would be ready to stain, with the glass and the glass runners cut and ready to go. =)
> 
> Anyways, make suggestions for sizes that you think would look good! It'll go up for sale here when it's done anyways, so be selfish and suggest sizes you like!



I trust that by the time you put it up for sale you will have the right account to be able to sell on this forum


----------



## CaptainRatbag (Apr 15, 2012)

Geez thats an ugly creature you are keeping in it :shock: nice enclosure tho 

You will need to subscribe to APS to be allowed to sell anything on here, like frogz said. When you next look at this post, it will prolly have been edited by the mods. If I were you I would edit out the 'for sale' references in your post & title before the mods edit it for you, and put it back after you organise to subscribe to APS 

Looks fantastic, nice workmanship from the pics, good work!


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 15, 2012)

IgotFrogs said:


> I trust that by the time you put it up for sale you will have the right account to be able to sell on this forum



Of course. I used to have a full account but sort of wandered off for a while (okay for ages) and I think I'm back now! Planning on paying for the acct tonight. =)


----------



## Virides (Apr 15, 2012)

A couple of our stainless steel handles on this would look amazing - Virides - Stylish Enclosure Enhancements


----------



## Scleropages (Apr 15, 2012)

Oh cab makes it look heaps better!

Hate ya quoll! wish i could make wooden stuff like that! haha


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 16, 2012)

Virides said:


> A couple of our stainless steel handles on this would look amazing - Virides - Stylish Enclosure Enhancements



Make some little froggie shaped ones and we have a deal! Haha, I was actually thinking I'd kill to have cabinet handles shaped like crickets, of all things. =)


----------



## Virides (Apr 16, 2012)

rosequoll said:


> Make some little froggie shaped ones and we have a deal! Haha, I was actually thinking I'd kill to have cabinet handles shaped like crickets, of all things. =)




That is eventually the plan


----------



## Red_LaCN (Apr 16, 2012)

Very nice. I wish i paid more attention in wood work way back when i was in high school lol


----------



## boxhead1990 (Apr 16, 2012)

some people just have alot of tallent with wood iv never been good at making things with wood but i can weld and make stuff like trays and that for a patrol haha 

looks pretty good wish my bredli enclosure looked that good (plenty of bog and paint to cover up my mistakes haha


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 16, 2012)

Virides said:


> That is eventually the plan



Well, consider me a buyer once you have a froggie themed cabinet handle! +100 votes for a cricket shaped one. haha. =)

Thanks for all the comments guys! It's torture that I only get time to work on it one day a fortnight! Ahg! I'm itching to get it done sooner, but I don't have the money to power through it all. Hoping that it will look awesome when done!


----------



## raycam01_au (Apr 16, 2012)

nice work Rose 

keep us posted i am picking up 27 green tree froggies in a few months, cant wait


----------



## Virides (Apr 16, 2012)

rosequoll said:


> Well, consider me a buyer once you have a froggie themed cabinet handle! +100 votes for a cricket shaped one. haha. =)



Whenever we have the need to do a batch of our current range, we are able to slot in a "custom" order. We are coming upto having some stainless steel and painted handles being done. I am currently in the process of drawing up a cricket handle. The initial design may not be the final one, but is a good indication of what can be. Below are some initial concepts (the dotted circles indicate the post where the screw is inserted):







The lower one is what we consider a "best case scenario". Usually alot of the detail is omitted due to cost of cutting, also smaller details are also removed or altered because of the laser. In this case, the top one would be more of what you could expect. None-the-less, we will enquire on both designs to see what you would be looking at.


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 16, 2012)

Ooo, locusty. The only thing I can think is that in a matching set of cabinets it would look akward with two bugs facing the same direction. Would it possibly be easier to do a 'birdseye' view of a cricket so that it would be more of a mirrored image? Just a thought! Something like the attached shape?


----------



## Virides (Apr 16, 2012)

rosequoll said:


> Ooo, locusty. The only thing I can think is that in a matching set of cabinets it would look akward with two bugs facing the same direction. Would it possibly be easier to do a 'birdseye' view of a cricket so that it would be more of a mirrored image? Just a thought! Something like the attached shape?



Without Penny, my go to girl about all things related to this field, I sometimes don't know what is the right kind of animal to reference 

This way would work best, I can simply trace this image and it would serve better as a handle (as a pair) for doors opening outward from eachother.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The top one would be a more realistic spacing since the manner of the design does not permit the handle spacing to be any closer without compromising the strength of the handle (depending on the material the handle is attached to). The bottom would be a "perfect world" placement. The top one is 20mm apart and the handles are 80mm high while the bottom one is also 80mm but 5mm apart.


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 17, 2012)

Yay cricket! Definitely get a cost on that for me? I would LOVE to have halfcrickets like that for the cabinet doors (or even a whole cricket for each handle, depending on what's reasonable, I know the cost would be more).

I looked into getting some cut in acrylic for myself but 1. I'm no good with vector art and 2. I have no idea where to get it made! Oops!


----------



## Virides (Apr 20, 2012)

We got the pricing back for the Cricket handles.

If you wish to have these as a custom order by themselves you will be looking at $130 for one black powder coated steel handle of the complete cricket or $200 for a pair of Left/Right handles. This is obviously very expensive and are only this price if not cut with other orders. Add about $20 each for Stainless finish.

If we manage to get them cut with another batch, you will be looking at $20 for a complete black powder coated steel handle or $33 for a pair of Left/Right handles. Stainless would be $25each for complete and $43 for a pair of Left/Right Handles.

If you want black powder coated, I suggest you let us know ASAP so we can add it to our recent order before it gets cut. If you want stainless we will add it to our other order in the next few weeks.


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 20, 2012)

Definitely! Add to next order, I definitely don't have the cash for the on it's own order. I'll go stainless steel and two complete crickets (so a pair of complete crickets, yes?) and I am happy to send you pics when it's all installed. =) As for payment, I can pay via bank or paypal or whatever, just PM me. =)


----------



## dragonlover1 (Apr 20, 2012)

boxhead1990 said:


> some people just have alot of tallent with wood iv never been good at making things with wood but i can weld and make stuff like trays and that for a patrol haha
> 
> looks pretty good wish my bredli enclosure looked that good (plenty of bog and paint to cover up my mistakes haha



me too ,hopeless with wood but now I've discovered metal much better:lol:


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 20, 2012)

I used to do artistic welding back in high school, but I wouldn't trust myself now. I like working with most things, but metal and glass seem too... non malleable for my tastes. =)


----------



## J-A-X (Apr 21, 2012)

Good on you virides, there's that awesome customer service again
Great job rosequoll, always good to see the girls push the boys out of the shed and show them we can DIY too


----------



## Virides (Apr 21, 2012)

rosequoll said:


> Definitely! Add to next order, I definitely don't have the cash for the on it's own order. I'll go stainless steel and two complete crickets (so a pair of complete crickets, yes?) and I am happy to send you pics when it's all installed. =) As for payment, I can pay via bank or paypal or whatever, just PM me. =)



Was the handles going on this enclosure to be frogs? We haven't designed them yet, but if they are also to be stainless we will look into cutting them as part of the set with the cricket handles however if the order becomes to expensive, the frogs may come later.



Jaxrtfm said:


> Good on you virides, there's that awesome customer service again



Thanks


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 22, 2012)

Virides said:


> Was the handles going on this enclosure to be frogs? We haven't designed them yet, but if they are also to be stainless we will look into cutting them as part of the set with the cricket handles however if the order becomes to expensive, the frogs may come later.



Just the crickets actually! Frogs will go IN the enclosure but I think it'd be cute to have crickets for the handles. =)


----------



## Virides (Apr 22, 2012)

rosequoll said:


> Just the crickets actually! Frogs will go IN the enclosure but I think it'd be cute to have crickets for the handles. =)



Well we hope to have the stainless handles cut sometime within the next month, will let you know when we expect delivery.


----------



## rosequoll (Apr 22, 2012)

That's fine, I'm in no rush. Thanks so much!


----------



## rvcasa (May 9, 2012)

rosequoll said:


> ...suggestions for sizes...



Wow, it looks absolutely awesome!! WELL DONE.
I've taken my boy to see snakes at zoos, where their (frog) enclosures weren't as near as nice as this one. – Congrats.

RE sizes, you need to do a bit research, who's your target market? Briefly, I don't know anything about frogs, but small zoos/reptile parks could be the way to go.

In the snake arena, you have arboreal snakes that require tall enclosures to climb and then terrestrial snakes require a lot more floor space as they don't climb as much.
However, some arboreal snakes also require a more tropical/humid habitat, so you need to think of water/damp proofing.

Hope this helps a bit.

_P.S._ I just built my own 4ft er and was told not to use pine as it releases oils, armful to snakes. Some may disagree?
Maybe pine needs to be treated or painted?


_P.S.2_ – I can't remember well, but I think here you'll find some useful tips about appropriate 
*Enclosures*:
Untitled Document

*Light fittings*:
http://www.southernxreptiles.com/Article PDFs/q_a_vol4i6.pdf


And here some *photos* (of what I built):


----------



## rosequoll (May 10, 2012)

Thanks. I don't think the pine is an issue honestly. Most people will clear coat a raw pine enclosure anyways so that helps. I've made my one to sell (need to bump that now actually), went with 2.5ft square and 3ft tall. No buyer yet but here's hoping!

Thanks. I don't think the pine is an issue honestly. Most people will clear coat a raw pine enclosure anyways so that helps. I've made my one to sell (need to bump that now actually), went with 2.5ft square and 3ft tall. No buyer yet but here's hoping!

Update on the big enclosure! Got out today and got the enclosure stained. Only thing not done were the cabinet doors, they need a bit more work (wood putty, sanding etc) so they'll get stained next time I'm out to work on it (two weeks). Next work day on it as well will be coating the inside of the enclosure and the inside floor of he cabinet/stand with Crommelin Pond Sealer (in black!).

I prefer the Crommelin because of the gritty texture to it, as well as the fact that it's listed as safe for potable (drinking) water, which makes me consider it more safe for my froggies. Also, quicker dry time as well.

Hopefully by the next visit after that I'll be installing some of the lights and ordering the glass. After that it's just tonnes of work on the floor and walls (making custom rocks/ledges/waterfall/swimming pool) so that it's ready for the frogs. I think it'll be about three months before it's completely done.


----------



## Brenny10 (Jun 1, 2012)

SCORPION HANDLE FTW! lol.


----------

