plastic storage tub

[snakehill]

What would be a decent price for the soldering iron that you would need? They were around $5 for a 40 watt on Ebay. Would that be a good deal?

[Stefan-A]

Okay...I don't own a soldering iron, nor do I know how to use one.

They're plug and play. Plug it in, let it heat up and start poking holes. I don't recommend doing it indoors, or at the very least it should be done in a well-ventilated area.

[GarterGuy17]

Well to solder through plastic i'm sure you can use any soldering iron , I have a couple my self that I use ( not for plastic ) but all get very hot so , any will due.

[chris-uk]

I've drilled and used a soldering iron. Out of around 50 holes I drilled I only cracked one. I used a 2mm drill bit which I think is too small for even a baby to get stuck in - happy to be corrected if anyone has had problems with holes that small. My preference is to drill many more small holes rather than make one larger hole.
If you use a soldering iron I found that I ended up with lots of fine strings of molten plastic, so if you do that make sure you clear them all up.

[Stefan-A]

I've drilled and used a soldering iron. Out of around 50 holes I drilled I only cracked one.

A couple of months ago, I used a soldering iron to melt holes in 21 plastic boxes, 20 holes per box. Had I cracked 1/50 holes, that would have meant the loss of over a third of the boxes.

[snakehill]

Holes on the cover or around the sides or both?

[chris-uk]

A couple of months ago, I used a soldering iron to melt holes in 21 plastic boxes, 20 holes per box. Had I cracked 1/50 holes, that would have meant the loss of over a third of the boxes.

Not sure that I'd have to throw away a box because one of the holes cracked. It's not like the plastic doesn't hold together perfectly fine. If you're using more brittle plastic it may be different.

[Stefan-A]

Not sure that I'd have to throw away a box because one of the holes cracked. It's not like the plastic doesn't hold together perfectly fine. If you're using more brittle plastic it may be different.

The plastic doesn't hold together perfectly fine anymore. Sometimes the crack extends from one hole to another, or up to the edge of the box and you do lose structural integrity. Then, with a little warping from a load or heat, and an exceptionally tenacious little snake, you may well end up with one escaping or getting itself killed. And sometimes a piece of plastic goes flying and that 2 mm hole you were drilling suddenly becomes a 2 cm hole.

[EasternGirl]

The plastic turtle tub that I posted a pic of...could I just use that? I used it for Seeley when he was little. I do not see any places in it that a snake could escape or get stuck. It already has a wire mesh top built in.

And what about a place for her to give birth? Should I have a birth box in her enclosure?

[tress29]

The plastic turtle tub that I posted a pic of...could I just use that? It already has a wire mesh top built in.

I would think the nice mesh top would negate the need for holes. They are drilled/melted out to provide ventilation.