Cabinet minister

Sputnik · 07-04-2007, 02:26 PM

I thought I'd try my hand at some handy work and transform a glass fronted cabinet into a new home for our snakeys. I managed to find a lovely secondhand cabinet for £20 and would love to share my progress with you...

11.00 a.m.:

Sputnik · 07-04-2007, 02:37 PM

Originally I wanted to use the top shelves as the base for one viv and keep the bottom two as two smaller seperate enclosures, but then decided otherwise.

After removing the sliding shelf at the top and the two smaller shelves, I cut two holes into the back and fitted two airvents.

Midday:

Sputnik · 07-04-2007, 03:13 PM

I took out the shelves, sealed the outside of the airvents with silicone and started squeezing silicone along the edges of the inside of the cabinet.

I had a bit of a fiddely task trying to close the gap above the middle pillar.

Afternoon:

By this evening I had all the rest of the edges sealed, added a removable step at the front to contain the substrate and will just have to find a way of closing the gap at the back after I've added the heatmats in a few days time.

adamanteus · 07-04-2007, 03:16 PM

Looking good so far, Esther. Will you be lighting it too? Your airvents are very similar the the type I use.

Sputnik · 07-04-2007, 03:33 PM

It was looking after looking at your pictures that I decided to get those vents.

I will probably add lighting (full spectrum, energy saving bulb), but maybe not straight away. I'd like to keep the vivs in the living room, near the window so will have a lot of natural light, but obviously no direct sunlight.

adamanteus · 07-04-2007, 03:37 PM

I think it will look lovely in your living room. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of it all finished and occupied. The drawer in in the bottom will be a useful place to keep your snakey bits and pieces close to hand. What size is the cabinet, Esther?

Snaky · 07-04-2007, 04:21 PM

Looks very neat!

adamanteus · 07-04-2007, 04:51 PM

Just a thought, Esther...Are those front doors close-fitting enough to be escape-proof? If not, do you have a plan?

Sid · 07-04-2007, 07:04 PM

Esther,

Very nice looking to this point. Hope to see more photos (with Garters in their new home)

.

Sid

Stefan-A · 07-04-2007, 11:58 PM

Looks very, very promising.

With all my projects ending up more expensive than I had expected, I've always wonder if I might have gotten away cheaper or at least easier by using cabinets and such. Ikea has a lot of really cheap stuff that could probably be easily converted into terrariums.

Anyway, looks good.

07-04-2007, 02:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sputnik "Third shed, A Success" Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Wiltshire Posts: 560 Country:	Cabinet minister I thought I'd try my hand at some handy work and transform a glass fronted cabinet into a new home for our snakeys. I managed to find a lovely secondhand cabinet for £20 and would love to share my progress with you... 11.00 a.m.:

07-04-2007, 02:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
Sputnik "Third shed, A Success" Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Wiltshire Posts: 560 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister Originally I wanted to use the top shelves as the base for one viv and keep the bottom two as two smaller seperate enclosures, but then decided otherwise. After removing the sliding shelf at the top and the two smaller shelves, I cut two holes into the back and fitted two airvents. Midday:

07-04-2007, 03:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
Sputnik "Third shed, A Success" Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Wiltshire Posts: 560 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister I took out the shelves, sealed the outside of the airvents with silicone and started squeezing silicone along the edges of the inside of the cabinet. I had a bit of a fiddely task trying to close the gap above the middle pillar. Afternoon: By this evening I had all the rest of the edges sealed, added a removable step at the front to contain the substrate and will just have to find a way of closing the gap at the back after I've added the heatmats in a few days time.

07-04-2007, 03:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
adamanteus Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheshire. (Near Manchester). Posts: 8,465 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister Looking good so far, Esther. Will you be lighting it too? Your airvents are very similar the the type I use. __________________ James.

07-04-2007, 03:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
Sputnik "Third shed, A Success" Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Wiltshire Posts: 560 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister It was looking after looking at your pictures that I decided to get those vents. I will probably add lighting (full spectrum, energy saving bulb), but maybe not straight away. I'd like to keep the vivs in the living room, near the window so will have a lot of natural light, but obviously no direct sunlight.

07-04-2007, 03:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
adamanteus Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheshire. (Near Manchester). Posts: 8,465 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister I think it will look lovely in your living room. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of it all finished and occupied. The drawer in in the bottom will be a useful place to keep your snakey bits and pieces close to hand. What size is the cabinet, Esther? __________________ James.

07-04-2007, 04:21 PM	#7 (permalink)
Snaky Truieneer, e ras apoat Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,782 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister Looks very neat!

07-04-2007, 04:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
adamanteus Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheshire. (Near Manchester). Posts: 8,465 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister Just a thought, Esther...Are those front doors close-fitting enough to be escape-proof? If not, do you have a plan? __________________ James.

07-04-2007, 07:04 PM	#9 (permalink)
Sid Thamnophis Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,810 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister Esther, Very nice looking to this point. Hope to see more photos (with Garters in their new home) . Sid

07-04-2007, 11:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
Stefan-A The Prince of Insufficient Light. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southern Finland Posts: 5,748 Country:	Re: Cabinet minister Looks very, very promising. With all my projects ending up more expensive than I had expected, I've always wonder if I might have gotten away cheaper or at least easier by using cabinets and such. Ikea has a lot of really cheap stuff that could probably be easily converted into terrariums. Anyway, looks good. __________________ Ophidia in herba.

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