| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| hodgie |
Posted - 07/07/2009 : 22:44:10
Once you`ve bought your first Royal you`ll quickly find that you`ll need another Viv for your next purchase
If your like me you`ll be up for making one yourself.
So this is what you`ll need for a 2ft Viv.
2x pieces of wood 610mm - 380mm (top & bottom)
2x pieces of wood 380mm - 350mm (sides)
1x piece of wood 575mm - 350mm (back)
2x pieces of wood 570mm - 70mm (front)
1x tub of No More Nails or other wood glue.
1x dowling rod
1x plastic plant pot.
1x packet of cable clips.
Multiple purpose garden mesh
1x drill + drill bit same size as dowling rod.
1x supervisor (we`ll come to that later)
Glass runners and perspex.
You`ll notice that i`ve decided not to use nails as i wanted a stronger unit.
First you need to cut the bottom off the plant pot, this is your vent. Cut a hole in the back piece of wood and use the clips to lock it into place.
Now you need to cut your dowling rod into 20mm pieces, you`ll need about 30 of them.
Next get your back and side pieces and drill the holes for the dowling rods as shown in the picture. Do them at even intervals around the top and bottom edges for added strength. Put a small blob of glue on the end of each rod and tap it lightly into the hole with a small hammer.
Drill the 3 holes to join the edges to the back. (marked with yellow arrows) once they are in place line up Side A with the back and mark where the holes need to be drilled.
DO NOT GLUE ANYTHING TOGETHER YET.
Once your happy that these 3 pieces are all lined up perfectly you then need to line up each piece with the bottom board (marked with yellow arrows again).
You`ll see that i have already stuck the bottom ledge into place.
Once this is done you can push it all together to make sure there is a nice tight fit. If for some reason you haven`t lined a piece up properly just make new holes and put some new rods into place.
Now take it apart and do it all again with the top piece.
Once this is done put a line of glue along the back and sides to join them to the bottom piece.
Then glue the top into place.
Now you need something really heavy to sit on top of the Viv. I used a spare wheel off my car. If you have someone to keep an eye on it give them a shout.
I have quickly painted some boat varnish along the inside joins to seal any gaps.
You now need to drill the holes to add your heat source. I`ve used a reptile radiator. Use some multipurpose garden mesh (from B&Q) to make a heatguard and clip it into place
Now glue your runners into place.
I decided to use perspex instead of glass as its safer.
Now you need to leave it to get to the correct temps and again get someone to keep an eye on it for you.
Once everything is correct introduce your Royal to his or her new home.
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| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| MissCat |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 07:36:33
they sell them on ebay too |
| hodgie |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 23:35:33
quote:
Originally posted by hodgie
Plymouth.
heres their details, not sure if they post items or not but they had a good selection.
The Cabinet Supplies (Plymouth)
45 Union Street
Plymouth
Devon
PL1 3LU
United Kingdom
Telephone: 01752 663914
Fax: 01752 263456 |
| hodgie |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 23:29:56
Plymouth. |
| Bren501 |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 23:06:04
where u live?? |
| hodgie |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 17:56:05
Thanks for all the good comments. |
| hodgie |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 17:55:16
quote:
Originally posted by Bren501
where did u get the rails for the glass from???
There is a cabinet shop in the city centre. |
| lee2308 |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 16:43:52
nice job hodgie |
| Bren501 |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 16:19:03
where did u get the rails for the glass from??? |
| Remmy |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 15:50:45
Nice viv hodgie |
| reptiles-ink |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 11:00:40
quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
Apart from nails, when I've built vivs you can get chipboard screws which do the job well too.
Yes and screwfix sell screws that wont split the wood as well so nice and easy.
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| Blackecho |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 10:42:20
Apart from nails, when I've built vivs you can get chipboard screws which do the job well too. |
| hodgie |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 09:29:01
quote:
Originally posted by wolfspirit
can you do one for a stack please?.,....lol..
thats very good..and easy to follow..
would that mesh be ok under constant heat over a long period of time?
You could do a stack but it would take quite a while, it would be much faster with nails but i didnt want to use any as this way is much stronger, it won`t fall apart when you move it as all the panels lock together making it very strong.
From what i`ve seen the mesh is doing its job just fine as its thick plastic it isn`t holding the heat |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 07:37:50
You've been added to the DIY section |
| wolfspirit |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 06:34:49
can you do one for a stack please?.,....lol..
thats very good..and easy to follow..
would that mesh be ok under constant heat over a long period of time? |
| MissCat |
Posted - 07/07/2009 : 23:37:46
flowerpot air vent. pure. frikken. genious. |
| dazb |
Posted - 07/07/2009 : 23:08:03
Looks good... |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 07/07/2009 : 22:56:14
Looks great, the one thing I'd add would be another vent to aid air flow. |
