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DIY Snake Tank... Perhaps YOU Can Answer Some Questions

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by Bela, Feb 24, 2011.

  1. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    So I finally bit the bullet and paid to have my snakes shipped out to me. There was a guy that would take care of them back home (the person who had been is moving to Hawaii), but wanted $100 a month on top of feedings. I thought that was a little over the top so... here thay are. The 60g tank they were in is far too small, namely shallow. So I built a tank out of melamine, sealed the edges/seams with white silicone to make it waterproof/resistant, and now I want to add a front. The front is (in my mind) going to be two sliding pieces of tempered glass, kind of like they have at the store when they have electronics locked up. I can add/remove a lock and I think it looks clean and simple. Anyway, how do I go about looking for a track for this thing? Usually when I go to the hardware store (Lowe's or Home Depot), unless I know what I am looking for I get strange looks like what I am saying is crazy! I am thinking 1/4" thick glass (will have to order that elsewhere) and some runners or something. For the size and weight I imagine I can just set the pieces of glass into some runners (second time I called it that but I am not sure that is actually the name) and be done. I can get some glue on clear/opaque handles made specifically for glass. I think it will look quite nice in the end. I guess I just needed some help with the terminology. [​IMG]
     
  2. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    Here is a pic by the way. Had it this way for drying. It is on its back, so the opening you see is the front. This is where the glass will go. Will also have some trim around the front to keep any outward pressure on the glass (for the snakes) from potentially popping it off the tracks!
    http://s693.photobucket.com/albums/...AG0036.jpg" target="_blank">[​IMG]
     
  3. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    could you use tracks for sliding shower doors?
     
  4. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    Hmmm, that's not a bad idea, but I think that might be a little bulky, no? Usually those things are an inch or two deep, aren't they? Seems like overkill, but I will defeinitly take a look at that. I also have a feeling (and this may be totally off as well) that with sliding shower door tracks there would be a relatively large gab in between the two glass panels. I am talking inches where I would ideally have something like centimeters.
    I need something that I can glue down with liquid nails (or some other such glue), which I didn't mention. These cannot be screwed down due to potential seepage (water bowl, urine) into the wood.
     
  5. Guest

    Guest Guest

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    Display case glass door runners
     
  6. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    ^^^ Will Lowe's/Menard's/HD have these?
    A search for them revelas nothing... but that was the case with malamine as well!
     
  7. Gered

    Gered Experienced Reefkeeper

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  8. vikubz Well-Known ReefKeeper

    734
    Cedar Falls
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    See if you can find any listings for auctions where a store is going out of business. You might be able to score a case cheaply enough and snag the parts you need.
     
  9. ransomed4ever

    ransomed4ever Inactive User

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    most glass shops have the tracks, we need new glass doors for a case at work and the guy had all the hardware and everything in the shop
     
  10. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    That looks like exactly what I want. Ironically we have a bunch of these stores in California and my girlfriend was just there. Oh well! I will take a closer look when I get home from work tonight. Shipping might be cheap enough that I will just eat it.
     
  11. cowdust9

    cowdust9 Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    im coming over and feeding them something cool
     
  12. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    Hmmm, one thing I cannot tell with that product is whether I would need one or two per tank. It looks like just one would be enough and a sheet of glass will fit in either channel but then the description mentions something about the door sliding on the center channel?
     
  13. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    Lol sounds good to me. When I was at the poultry unit getting my bachelor's chicks would get stepped on so I would feed those all the time. That was a great deal. Free meals! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif
     
  14. cowdust9

    cowdust9 Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    do they eat live at all? i can get some cute bunny's for a discount /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif
     
  15. marty

    marty

    105
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    here ya go: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=127

    not sure how to make it into a link but this is exactly what you wanted
     
  16. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

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    That looks great but $60+ a pop? Dang! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/shocked.gif That is more than the rest of the materials per crate cost!
    After looking online there are some people that are just using thin aluminum C channels to get this done. I sent some PMs to a guy that is somehow reinforcing the glass with a metal strip. Since the doors wouldn't be slid open all that often I am willing to deal with some wear and tear and possibly just have to replace them a couple years down the road.
     

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