# new arboreal viv build from scratch



## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

so basically im buidling a new vivarium from scratch for my male frilled with the idea of adding a female or two later in the year.. its going to be 5ft high 4ft wide and 2ft deep .. started the frame work today and going to do the panels tomorrow (or some of them atleast) .. heres what iv done so far


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

been a little slow due to a new job but here you go.. majority done, just the roof left to do!


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## Kilbz (Jan 12, 2013)

What have you used for the sides and the front? Looks abit like plasterboard.

Looking good so far.


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

its 18mil mdf, probably just the camera making it look that way lol, same way it makes some lines look wavey


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

hello again.. slow but steady progress, filled and sanded and started on the custom interior..










and a close up of the interior


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

noone like it? any *constructive* criticism is welcome


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

JonnyFrilledDragonLawson said:


> noone like it? any *constructive* criticism is welcome


No offence, but your pics aren't the best :Na_Na_Na_Na: its difficult to tell. I'm liking how the stonework is looking (I think :whistling2 and once you've got a lick of paint on the viv itself it should look great.

Dave


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

my_shed said:


> No offence, but your pics aren't the best :Na_Na_Na_Na: its difficult to tell. I'm liking how the stonework is looking (I think :whistling2 and once you've got a lick of paint on the viv itself it should look great.
> 
> Dave


haha yeah i know, the room is quite small so i cant get far enough back to take a decent picture so doing it through the door! .. i wont be painting the viv till iv got the runners and glass and vents sorted so may be a a couple of weeks but should be able to get better pictures of the rock wall when i grout it, add more depth and that


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

few coats of grout on and vents installed, getting the perspex this week so will be able to properly crack on soon










as you can see there is a little bit of trellace, well the side wall to the left is basically covered in it from the bottom to about 4ft high


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

Ahhh much better, we can see the rockiness now  Can I ask why you've got overlapping sheets of polystyrene? 

Dave


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

my_shed said:


> Ahhh much better, we can see the rockiness now  Can I ask why you've got overlapping sheets of polystyrene?
> 
> Dave


just to make it deeper.. on the bits which overlap iv went in about 3 inches in certain places and one sheet is only 2 inch thick


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

well its had a coat of paintof the inside has been painted.. just need to fit the plexi and varnish the lot then its all about interior decorating lol


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

well its all done and hes in it now! 

havnt got a pic of it from a distance yet but hes a few of him having his first explore


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

Nice! I like the corn flour palm, sometimes a real plant in amongst some plastic ones makes the whole thing look really realistic.

Dave


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

thanks man, yeah its the only real on in there lol.. wouldnt mind a climbing plant for the trellis on the left side wall


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## RFC84 (Feb 14, 2007)

That's quality mate :notworthy:

Wish I had the tools/balls/skills to build something like that lol


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

thanks, was abit of a budget build, all i used power tool wise was an electric drill and a jigsaw lol.. give it a go


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## switchback (Nov 25, 2011)

Looks great! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk and technology


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

I really like it, I even think the overlapping polystyrene sheets look good as it's a bit different :2thumb:


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

thanks guys, yeah it also makes abit more of a ledge at the top if he wants to go there lol


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

ok heres a pic from a little further out to get the scale of things


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## bob brown (Mar 15, 2010)

JonnyFrilledDragonLawson said:


> ok heres a pic from a little further out to get the scale of things
> 
> image


 Looks good mate well done , just asked you on another thread if you had any photos of this... doh! iv been following this thread


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## jasper89 (Feb 1, 2010)

Oryt mate i was just wondering if u could tell me a few things please 
1... i thought u couldnt use MDF ?
2) could you do a tutorial please ...  as i need for my chinese water dragon
3) what paint have you used to seal the mdf and what silcone and
4) how do you do the rock like effect in the cage ....

AND any idead of how i can tell what branches etc i can use from woods 

cheers in advance


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

jasper89 said:


> Oryt mate i was just wondering if u could tell me a few things please
> 1... i thought u couldnt use MDF ?
> as long as its decent thickness (i used 18mm and sealed *properly* it will be fine, by properly i siliconed all the joins and used a low VOC varnish on the whole thing inside and out and done 3-4 coats of this
> 
> ...


answers in red buddy


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## jasper89 (Feb 1, 2010)

cheers mate just wondered if you used 3x2 for the frame work ?? and i thought mdf would bow in time because of the heat ??


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

jasper89 said:


> cheers mate just wondered if you used 3x2 for the frame work ?? and i thought mdf would bow in time because of the heat ??


erm,, cant remember haha, think it was 2x2.5 tbh, and properly sealed it will be fine as the heat isnt penetrating


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## raymaral (Feb 1, 2013)

Well done looks good and he looks happy in there. Random question, If people keep saying not to use mdf, what should be used. Just wondering cause im not that great at diy and probably wouldn't seal the mdf it properly lol


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## JonnyFrilledDragonLawson (Oct 26, 2012)

alot of people use the likes of contiboard or plywood


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