New Project.

[guidofatherof5]

Just something from a forum friend. Stop smoking. We'd like you around for a good long time. It's also very unhealthy for the snake, heck, everyone.
Think of the money you would save and could spend on new enclosures and Thamnophis. I'm sure you've heard much of this before but I felt obligated to say something. I lost my Dad to smoking and 23 years after he died he killed my mother from it.
Hope I didn't upset you. That was not my intent.

[ConcinusMan]

Just something from a forum friend. Stop smoking. We'd like you around for a good long time. It's also very unhealthy for the snake, heck, everyone.
Think of the money you would save and could spend on new enclosures and Thamnophis. I'm sure you've heard much of this before but I felt obligated to say something. I lost my Dad to smoking and 23 years after he died he killed my mother from it.
Hope I didn't upset you. That was not my intent.

oh shuddup! (just teasin' you) I smoke too, but not in my house! If it's stormin' really bad I'll smoke by the natural gas stove hood vent in my kitchen so the smoke gets sucked outside. My dad is 64 yrs old and he's smoked since he was 13. His next oldest brother never smoked a day in his life but he died in '94 of LUNG CANCER. go figure.

As far as the setup goes, I don't really like wood setups like that. I go for plexiglass or real glass setups with locking screen tops, homemade or not, and only 12 inches high for ground dwellers like garters. No higher. But, as far as "safe" paints go, I wouldn't use latex at all. Machine enamel. Now that's tough, hard, waterproof, and once completely cured, I'm sure it's safe. Even if I did use wood for an enclosure, plywood or particle board is out! no way. Still trying to figure out how proper lighting, heat, and ventilation can be provided in a box like that. Garters should NOT have any way they can get to the actual light fixtures or bulbs. Not only that, but you can only see them through that screen top. Bad setup IMHO.

I'm trying a spray can water based Polyurethane today.It's called Varathane from Rust-Oleum. Looks like it should work pretty well.

NO! BAD NEWS! an oil-based enamel would be a better choice.