# Guess what I'm doing over the next week...



## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

This was the car at the weekend....











and this is the lounge after a routing session at work and an aluminium tape fest!










More to follow!

Cheers

Andy


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## CrawlingRuby (Dec 28, 2009)

i guess makeing a stack??

CR


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

CrawlingRuby said:


> i guess makeing a stack??
> 
> CR


you should have gone for making a tub rack....


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

A shoe rack? :whistling2:

Jay


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## cacoonkitty (Aug 10, 2008)

I SPACE SHIP???? YES..:lol2::bash:


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

cleaning the car? it looks bloody filthy around those lights.


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## ralphsvivariums (Dec 15, 2009)

ok i have been on this forum for about 6 months and im not having MEKO is an IT manager he is pretty much right on everything he says, he is too good at building viv's which makes my life a little harder, so meko come out and tell me more im still a young pup to this forum, i want to know how you get so much respect ????


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

lol..

1 - i'm not an IT manager, although possibly i am. I'm an It contractor doing telecoms or first / second / third line support.

2 - i'm not that good at building vivs. Like you, from your vivs, if i'm having a viv in a 'living' area i want it to fit in. i tried the stacks / racks etc in the lounge and didn't like it, so when i decided to get another beardie i decided that i'd be furniture. 

3 - i earn it by demanding it  i'll argue all day if i know i'm right, i'll give advice if i'm not sure i'm right and if somebody is being dumb then i'll happily tell them. I don't suffer fools and i don't sugar coat anything.


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Meko said:


> lol..
> 
> 
> 3 - i earn it by demanding it  i'll argue all day if i know i'm right, i'll give advice if i'm not sure i'm right and if somebody is being dumb then i'll happily tell them. I don't suffer fools and i don't sugar coat anything.


 
:flrt:

:lol2:

Jay


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## beardie&crestielover (Feb 20, 2010)

Meko said:


> lol..
> 
> 1 - i'm not an IT manager, although possibly i am. I'm an It contractor doing telecoms or first / second / third line support.
> 
> ...


i like your style


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

CrawlingRuby said:


> i guess makeing a stack??
> 
> CR


nope



Meko said:


> you should have gone for making a tub rack....


gold star that man



Pendragon said:


> A shoe rack? :whistling2:
> 
> Jay


:lol2:....even Heather's tiny size 3's would struggle to fit (unless we're going for one shoe per box?)



Meko said:


> cleaning the car? it looks bloody filthy around those lights.


yeah, realised that after I took the photo....IMO, life's to short to clean cars..especailly when there's snake houses to build:2thumb:




Anyhooo.....been busy so thought I'd update!

wood moved up to rep room, first few shelves done for stability, gonna do a step by step for one shelf......










place tubs onto shelf...


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

add spacers....










and place next shelf on top, mark position with a pencil line....










check heat cable fits and adjust hole accordingly...










remove shelf and drill polit holes about 7mm below marker line...


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

stick the screws in ready...










shelf on top, screw in and start again!....










finally finished...










now thread the heat cable...










when all loosely through, secure at the top and begin pulling tight and sticking down..




























and then stick the tubs in...












Slight issue with the bottom shelf (tubs don't fit) reckon it's 'cos the floor is uneven and so the bottom shelf on the floor it bent up. I'll look to trimming the tubs or putting it up on feet......

All I gotta do now is add the back panel and the radiator heat reflective panel that will line the back of each shelf.


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## Carlos (Jul 28, 2009)

how much did it set yu bk matey???


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Finallly, my secret weapon!

I've used the SAMLA range from IKEA for the tubs and it turns out that two of the box sizes are very similiar.

I've used the smaller ones for this rack (giving room for 44 baby boas) but the next size up is the same depth and as wide as the smaller ones are long. Turns out they're also exactly twice the width of the smaller ones.

Basically it means I can do this....










and I can therefore have some boxes for growing on my hold backs and have any combo I need!

Genius!


Cheers

Andy

p.s. big thanks to my better half Heather, for helping to hold things etc!


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Carlos said:


> how much did it set yu bk matey???


2440x305x15mm white conti x 6 @ £8.28 = *£49.68*
12m Parasene heat cable x 1 @ £29.99 + £5 p&p = *£34.99*
aluminium tape x 1 = *£5*
turbogold screws 3.5mm x 40mm x box of 200 (plenty spare!) = *£5.08*
SAMLA tubs from IKEA 280x200x140mm x 44 @ 99p = *£43.66*

total so far

= *£138.41*

just gotta add the backing (using some old hardboard I have in the garage) and the stat so add another £40 ish.

Not bad when you compare to the professional rack systems that are a grand plus!


Cheers

Andy


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

That's impressive - not that I keep snakes. I bet the cashier in IKEA wondered why you wanted so many storage boxes and the stock checkers why their supplies suddenly diminished so rapidly!


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Fantastic!! Does the job, heats properly and is sturdy - brilliant! WHY would anyone pay over £1000 for the same thing?!?!


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Stephen P said:


> That's impressive - not that I keep snakes. I bet the cashier in IKEA wondered why you wanted so many storage boxes and the stock checkers why their supplies suddenly diminished so rapidly!


Funnily enough I thought I'd have to go twice as I wouldn't get them all the first time, but my 44 hardly made a dent in the pile they had! The cashier didn't even bat an eyelid...mind I'm not even sure she was breathing let alone functioning on any sort of cognitive level....




chondro13 said:


> Fantastic!! Does the job, heats properly and is sturdy - brilliant! WHY would anyone pay over £1000 for the same thing?!?!


Thanks! I have wondered the same myself! 

I just have to hope that my female actually is gravid now....:whistling2:

Cheers

Andy


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## Josh-sama (Sep 26, 2008)

V. Nice. How do the screws work? (Blonde moment.) You say place on top? Not the sharpest of knives in the draw this morning :lol2:


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Josh-sama said:


> V. Nice. How do the screws work? (Blonde moment.) You say place on top? Not the sharpest of knives in the draw this morning :lol2:


 
the screws connect the wood together.. 
he said 'shelf on top, screw in and start again'


that means he puts the shelf in place, draws a line, removes the shelf, drills the hole, puts the screws in, puts the shelf back in places and then screws them in fully.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Meko said:


> the screws connect the wood together..
> he said 'shelf on top, screw in and start again'
> 
> 
> that means he puts the shelf in place, draws a line, removes the shelf, drills the hole, puts the screws in, puts the shelf back in places and then screws them in fully.


this:2thumb:


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

the only way you could have explained it any easier would have been to include pictures..... oh hang on........


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## Josh-sama (Sep 26, 2008)

Meko said:


> the screws connect the wood together..
> he said 'shelf on top, screw in and start again'
> 
> 
> that means he puts the shelf in place, draws a line, removes the shelf, drills the hole, puts the screws in, puts the shelf back in places and then screws them in fully.





Meko said:


> the only way you could have explained it any easier would have been to include pictures..... oh hang on........


Aha, guess the sarcasm was inevitable. :lol2: I interpreted it as "Put the shelf on top of the screws" which confused me. Lack of sleep does it to you :whip: 

Thanks.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Finishing touches....

All the boxes off, lay it down on it's front and screw on a panel of ply and a couple of hardboard offcuts (all of which I had lying around = free!)










(The over lap is intentional as I have heat cable on the top shelf as well so I can use the top for spare space for a few RUBs (5L and even 9L's will fit, and the overlap of the backing will stop them sliding off the back)

then stand it back up










Now take a roll of radiator heat reflector and so 'no more nails' type stuff and using your best/sharpest kitchen knife, cut a 14cm strip off the end of the roll. Cut into 80cm strips..










and then stick them to the the back of each shelf...




















And that, as they say...is that!













On a final moment of budgeting genius, I also got these from IKEA....

£1.39 for 6 so I've got a full set of water bowls for all these tubs for *£11.12!*



















Thanks for staying with me...over and out!

Cheers

Andy


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

total so far

= *£138.41*

+

Radiator reflector x 1 @ *£5.95*
forget nails x 1 @ *£3.28*
6 pack of GLIMMA dishes x 8 @ 1.38 = *£11.12*


*Total Build cost = £158.76*


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

looks good and a bargain price.. although i have to say, i feel sorry for that piece of contiboard _'i can be a shelf but i dream of being much more' _... yeah, sorry mate! you didn't even make it as a shelf.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Meko said:


> looks good and a bargain price.. although i have to say, i feel sorry for that piece of contiboard _'i can be a shelf but i dream of being much more' _... yeah, sorry mate! you didn't even make it as a shelf.


 
LMFOA!

Yep...that bit is an offcut.....destined to lay forever up against the wall in the corner of the rep room, never to be thrown out ("'cos it might come in handy one day") and yet never used as part of a viv ('cos I never remember to check the size of the offcuts when I build a new one, and 'buy fresh' instead..)

Poor wood.....


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## Pinwallace (Jul 30, 2009)

Your water bowls are brilliant ! 
I bought glass ramekins last year for 1.50 each. :bash:


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## Brett (Jul 21, 2009)

bothrops said:


> LMFOA!
> 
> Yep...that bit is an offcut.....destined to lay forever up against the wall in the corner of the rep room, never to be thrown out ("'cos it might come in handy one day") and yet never used as part of a viv ('cos I never remember to check the size of the offcuts when I build a new one, and 'buy fresh' instead..)
> 
> Poor wood.....


 brill mate :2thumb:


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## serpentsupplies (Sep 4, 2009)

well done mate looks good. can you paint contiboard?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

serpentsupplies said:


> well done mate looks good. can you paint contiboard?


 
dunno?

You can buy it in different wood effects though if you don't like the white!


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## kingball (Jun 21, 2009)

looks great mate whats going in the rack


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

baby boas with any luck: victory:


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## aceboidz (Jul 25, 2008)

what I cant get my head around is getting the tubs but then working out measurement of wood


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

aceboidz said:


> what I cant get my head around is getting the tubs but then working out measurement of wood


 
The tubs are 197mm wide so I made my shelves 800mm long in order to get four on each shelf. They are 140mm tall, and each shelf is 15mm wide so to calculate the total height is easy...( 140 x number of shelves ) + ( 15 x number of shelves ) + 15mm for the top piece and another 15-20 to allow for the 'CD width gap'


Easy!


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

serpentsupplies said:


> well done mate looks good. can you paint contiboard?


 
yes you can but you need to prepare it first. If you paint straight onto Contiboard it'll peel off.


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## aceboidz (Jul 25, 2008)

How long did it take you?


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## arm2010 (Jun 2, 2005)

What sort of temps are you getting with the heat cable and what stat are you using ...?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

aceboidz said:


> How long did it take you?


Working out plans = 2hrs
putting together = 4 hrs



arm2010 said:


> What sort of temps are you getting with the heat cable and what stat are you using ...?


I currently do not have a stat on it, but switched it on for a few hours (empty of course!) and monitored temps. The cable reached 114F and the tubs were 93-94F at the hot end after just four hours. I will be putting the cable on a pulseproportional stat and am confident the cable will easily reach the required temps for my baby boas!: victory:


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## arm2010 (Jun 2, 2005)

Cheers Boths , I am thinking of using that cable myself and was curious to know how it will run ...! When are the Boas going to be moving in ...? Can you gives us an update when its full and the obligatory pics. Thanks


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## Avpl (Nov 13, 2007)

Its awesome!

How did you cut the trenches for the cable? (grouting i think it is?)

The cable is 12m, was there enough cable? is there not a 1.5m cold lead?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

arm2010 said:


> Cheers Boths , I am thinking of using that cable myself and was curious to know how it will run ...! When are the Boas going to be moving in ...? Can you gives us an update when its full and the obligatory pics. Thanks


I can indeed. Keep an eye on this thread to find out when it is likely to have anything in it!

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snakes/500048-place-your-bets.html





Anthony Laing said:


> Its awesome!
> 
> How did you cut the trenches for the cable? (grouting i think it is?)
> 
> The cable is 12m, was there enough cable? is there not a 1.5m cold lead?


:lol2: routing..(grout is what you put between tiles!):2thumb: ....I borrrowed a router from work and cut the grooves.

I was under the impression it was just 1m cold? Anyhoo, not using the bottom shelf at the moment and there is around a metre spare on top of that . Add that to the fact that I have also put the cable across the very top to allow a couple of RUBs to be stuck up there if I run out of room on the other rack mean the 12m is fine for 11, 80cm shelves.: victory:


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## Avpl (Nov 13, 2007)

bothrops said:


> :lol2: routing..(grout is what you put between tiles!):2thumb: ....I borrrowed a router from work and cut the grooves.
> 
> I was under the impression it was just 1m cold? Anyhoo, not using the bottom shelf at the moment and there is around a metre spare on top of that . Add that to the fact that I have also put the cable across the very top to allow a couple of RUBs to be stuck up there if I run out of room on the other rack mean the 12m is fine for 11, 80cm shelves.: victory:


 
Oh. cool, thanks, I'm just using zoo-med heat cable for a stack, hope it works fine:blush:


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## Blackecho (Jun 30, 2008)

Really really good mate.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Blackecho said:


> Really really good mate.


Thanks!

Pity it's looking likely it'll be empty until next year!:bash:

(See link posted above!)


Cheers 

Andy


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## Blackecho (Jun 30, 2008)

Yeah, I saw in the Snakes section, still a chance though, fingers crossed.


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## ju5t1n (Jan 10, 2010)

love the build it looks really impressive,how will the thermo stat work though? is it a case of one rub will be the same as all the others? or is the thermostat cleverly placed to pick up an average temp?
oh and another question is will trace heating cable work(used to keep hot water pipes hot)?


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## Avpl (Nov 13, 2007)

ju5t1n said:


> love the build it looks really impressive,how will the thermo stat work though? is it a case of one rub will be the same as all the others? or is the thermostat cleverly placed to pick up an average temp?
> oh and another question is will trace heating cable work(used to keep hot water pipes hot)?


For one of my racks, i had (for example) 10 tubs. One would be empty with kitchen role, i would put the probe, and thermometer in that tub. Inside all the other Tubs would also be kitchen role, so they should all be the same temperature.

Trace heating cable... Sorry, I have never heard of it, but I built a triple stack using Zoo-Med heat cable, it works extremely well!
They are probably similair. I know that, for less money, it is possible to get a heating cable, designed for heating soil. :2thumb:


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## Chris7 (May 11, 2009)

Hi mate LOVE the rack! :2thumb:
just wondering when you connect up the Stat Where will you put the probe? 
Chris : victory:


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Stat probe in the centre of the centre tub, at the back. Stat adjusted to corect temp and all tubs checked with a temp gun: victory:


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## turbo1869 (Dec 15, 2009)

:2thumb:


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## Janine00 (Sep 20, 2008)

bothrops said:


> Pity it's looking likely it'll be empty until next year!:bash:
> 
> Andy


Not going to Donny then?.... you could make a good start!!:lol2:


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Janine00 said:


> Not going to Donny then?.... you could make a good start!!:lol2:


I wasn't when I posted that...


...I am now! (Still I won't be buying enough to make it worth while switching this whole rack up, but I'll definitely be picking a couple of bits up!)

Cheers

Andy


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Made almost exactly like mine except I used lidded RUBs. Unfortunately mine didn't work too well with the heat cable, I think the grooves I made were too deep. I couldn't get the foil tape to go down them without tearing either. Any ideas where I might have gone wrong?


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## Warren_Booth (Apr 21, 2008)

Looks good but I would recommend two changes.

1) Route a second channel about 2 inches from the first. If you ever have heat issues, it will be easier to add another cable if it is too cool.

2) Instead of cutting the relective panel, staple this to the back before nailing the back panel on. This will look better. (I am one for aesthetics).

Warren


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Warren_Booth said:


> Looks good but I would recommend two changes.
> 
> 1) Route a second channel about 2 inches from the first. If you ever have heat issues, it will be easier to add another cable if it is too cool.
> 
> ...


Both of these are retrospectively excellent ideas! I wish I had had them before I built it! :notworthy:

Still - no issues so far with heat so not going into the skip just yet:lol2:


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## jbateman1995 (Jul 21, 2010)

Meko said:


> cleaning the car? it looks bloody filthy around those lights.


:lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## wayakinwolf (Oct 6, 2006)

:no1: Brilliant thread, it should be made a sticky so people can refer to it if building their own stacks.

Congrats on a job well done: victory:


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## joshm90 (Aug 12, 2009)

hats off to ya!! :2thumb:


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## mandi1234 (Mar 13, 2009)

wooooo, aint you clever. you should make a load and flog em :lol2:


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Thanks guys..

If I had the space I would consider it (but they'd have to be a much higher standard and a much lower cost to me to make it viable!)

Cheers


Andy


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## befxxx (Feb 12, 2010)

Meko said:


> looks good and a bargain price.. although i have to say, i feel sorry for that piece of contiboard _'i can be a shelf but i dream of being much more' _... yeah, sorry mate! you didn't even make it as a shelf.


lmao. genius.


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## Aston Grewcock (Oct 21, 2010)

I'm going to get some supplies over the weekend and have a go at making the same thing, wanted to for ages but was yet to find tubs cheap enough to make it worthwile, The Samla range looks good, though they've gone up since you did your own now 2p Each! :gasp:
Still... sod the expense, I'll let you know in a few weeks when all should be completed.
: victory:


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## Mister Meaner (Jun 1, 2009)

That looks mint pal, has given me a good starting point to make my own, one thing i would have done is made the side boards 40mm longer and started putting the shelfs in from the top working downwards, this way by the time you get to the bottom there should be a gap of around 40mm underneath and the sides would have acted like feet to stop your problem with the tubs not fitting in the bottom shelf.: victory:


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