# Making own acrylic/perspex enclosures



## paynestaley (May 28, 2009)

Can someone point me in the right direction for instructions on the above, and where's the best/cheapest place to get materials from? I've had a look at the House Of Spiders stuff but as I have quite a few Ts I think I may as well save some money by buying the materials in bulk and making the enclosures myself (by myself I mean, get my OH to do it for me :lol2 At the moment my adult Ts are in glass tanks, but I would like to have something more aesthetically pleasing for my slings than the various plastic containers they are in now when they grow bigger, plus it would enable me to make up more naturalistic setups. Talking of which, do you all tend to buy fake plants/hides etc from shops or is it better to take a walk in the woods and wash/cook the stuff you find? One more thing, all my T enclosures are laid out on flat surfaces at the moment (desks and top of vivs) but I'm thinking of getting some shelves so they can all be in the same place, obviously they will need to be deep enough so do people normally make these themselves, if not where have you bought yours from? Thanks : victory:


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## AndyJY (Jul 30, 2009)

b&q for perspex 2mm and 4mm can be bought in 2'x4',4'x4' and 6'x4 i would use the 2mm for top back and sides and the 4mm for doors, ye can cut them with a decent stanley knife and snap them along a straight edge use a piece of timber on top to ensure a straight cut, also use hinges and bolts/nuts that won't rust, the only concern i would maybe have is i don't know how well aquarium grade silicon takes to perspex rather than glass as the viv ive built the perspex is attatched to a varnished timber frame this is fine as it a huge viv, maybe someone else can let ye know if the silicon will be suitable.


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## David L (Jul 13, 2009)

I am thinking about making some of my own, my Exo's aren't very suitabole for mid - high humidity T's and I have been pondering some perspex cases that would look really nice on display.

I think the key is like what has been said before (Andy), is silicon sealant suitable for perspex? I might make a few of my own if it is. Fitting hinges for doors might be an issue for me... any ideas?


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## voyagerxp (Aug 7, 2009)

I made one by buying off cuts from ebay and even some sellers on ebay will cut it to the size you need so you don't need to cut it yourself. David l you use Clear Setting Acrylic Perspex Polycarbonate Glue what can be brought from ebay.

I made this one below but words of warning. buy 4mm+ as i used 2mm and it started to bow.


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## mikemike118 (Aug 15, 2009)

voyagerxp said:


> I made one by buying off cuts from ebay and even some sellers on ebay will cut it to the size you need so you don't need to cut it yourself.
> 
> I made this one below but words of warning. buy 4mm+ as i used 2mm and it started to bow.
> image
> ...


wow! looks wicked! im tempted to have a go, but i don't know where to start lol...would of been more better if my grandad was still alive :2wallbang:

i just love because you don't have much bits and bobs to do with the viv, unlike the exo's which have black silicon, air vent, pointless background and other stuff, but the thing i like with exo's is there doors


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## MissyBats (Nov 11, 2009)

I would love to try but would not be able to do it well, so I pay someone who can, and does it well and gives me a good enclosure and Im safe in the knowledge it is right for my spider as I told him what spider I have and hes made it for that specific breed... 
I know I would FAIL lol!
plus I have 2 kids and am studying so I have enough to do! lol
xxx


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

I got some prices from a seller on ebay for pre-cut perspex one time. It will cost about a fiver for the pieces to make a 12x8x8 in 4mm acrylic. Then you need the glue and hinges, and you'll need to drill ventilation holes yourself. 

If you've got the DIY skills, the right tools and enough time, why not have a go  I'm pretty sure I'd mess it up, my husband could do it but I don't like to ask him because he works long hours and is always knackered at weekends.


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## toro9186 (Aug 18, 2009)

garlicpickle said:


> I got some prices from a seller on ebay for pre-cut perspex one time. It will cost about a fiver for the pieces to make a 12x8x8 in 4mm acrylic. Then you need the glue and hinges, and you'll need to drill ventilation holes yourself.
> 
> If you've got the DIY skills, the right tools and enough time, why not have a go  I'm pretty sure I'd mess it up, my husband could do it but I don't like to ask him because he works long hours and is always knackered at weekends.



I attempted this from a seller on ebay, Got a great quote for the perspex with polished edges but when it came, the cuts were not square and the edges werent polished up to the standard i thought they would of been! They was just like cuts and someone had sanded it a bit.

This was a reputable seller of perspex but i think when it comes to exact measurements and stuff they were no good!

Just beware and make sure you tell them what you need the perspex for as you want the finished product to look good!

Putting mine together was such a failed attempt. I used 5mm perspex and aquarium sealent, plastic hinges. It looks kinda good from a distance but up close it looks a shambles:lol2:

Its now used to house all my spiderlings and juvies...

If anyone wants to know the seller on ebay i had a bad experiance with just pm me.


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## Richard77 (Feb 19, 2009)

Personally, i wouldn't use anything thinner than 5mm, i did tests and i find it unstable and can warp.
Also i don't use sealant, i use liquid cement but in order to do this you have to have perfect polished edges for the chemical to work.

The real cost is the clasps and staples, here is the only place i can find clear acrylic ones. Plus the delivery charge is way over the top.

Medium Hasp & Staple 2

I charge £35 for my setups, by the time you've had you acrylic delivered, the clasps and stable, hinges and liquid cement delivered from somewhere else, trust me, i don't make any money, i just do it for the love of the hobbie. But i'd recommend anyone to try it's very rewarding once it's finished, I started mine because i wanted to put a setup on my book shelf and nobody did the sizes i wanted, so with a bit of design and a plan i ended up with this and my avic loves it!


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

I agree, anything less than 5mm will eventually bow - I've even had a slight bow to one side of my tank and it has 5mm thick sides. You have to consider how heavy tanks can get if they have lots of damp substrate in them. 

Richard, those tanks look ace. You should start making custom sizes! :2thumb:


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## Richard77 (Feb 19, 2009)

Cheers GRB, Yeah people seem to be more interested in custom made:hmm: i'll look into it in the new year.

What size is you acrylic cage? to get 5mm thick acrylic to warp?


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Richard77 said:


> Cheers GRB, Yeah people seem to be more interested in custom made:hmm: i'll look into it in the new year.
> 
> What size is you acrylic cage? to get 5mm thick acrylic to warp?


I think mine warped because my lid was not perfect - it is about 12" x 8" x 8" (the base has the dimensions of a sheet of A4). The lid sits within the inner side of the cage so doesn't form any support for the sides. It was my first attempt and I've learned quite a few tricks from it. 

Custom tanks would be quite handy - I have some smaller spiders where a 12" x8 x8 is fine, but some of my Asian species get quite big as adults so even a 12" or 15" cube would be ideal.


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## Richard77 (Feb 19, 2009)

Oh ok, yeah, same here, learn more by your mistakes than by your successes:2thumb: i think i'll start custom made tanks next year then, if i have enough interest so it's worth my while...


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## paynestaley (May 28, 2009)

Thanks guys. I'm tempted to have a go now, will just need to buy a drill so I can drill the ventilation holes. Do you just drill small holes or do you cut a big chunk out and put some mesh or something on it? As you can see from my signature, I have Ts that need a lot of ventilation and others that need high humidity so need less. How do you put the clasps and hinges on? :blush: I need a step by step guide lol. I've had a look on ebay but I'm wondering which seller didn't cut them properly now! I can't find any see-through hinges though. If I fail abysmally, or find it's not cost effective to buy everything, then I'll get mine custom made. Richard yours look good, do you deliver? Who do you use Missybats? Voyagerxp yours looks really good too, what ebay seller do you use? Is that real pothos? Sooo many questions :lol2:


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## lilollou (Aug 22, 2009)

Richard77 said:


> Oh ok, yeah, same here, learn more by your mistakes than by your successes:2thumb: i think i'll start custom made tanks next year then, if i have enough interest so it's worth my while...


i would be interested in your tanks! waaaay to much glass in my house!


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## Mr_Goodbytes (Sep 7, 2008)

David L said:


> I am thinking about making some of my own, my Exo's aren't very suitabole for mid - high humidity T's and I have been pondering some perspex cases that would look really nice on display.
> 
> I think the key is like what has been said before (Andy), is silicon sealant suitable for perspex? I might make a few of my own if it is. Fitting hinges for doors might be an issue for me... any ideas?


If it's for arboreal t's, you might not even need to fit doors. If you look at old fish tanks, theres a little ledge on either side near the top for a lid to sit on?
Modify this idea and just have a piece of acrylic to sit on the ledge with a handle : victory:


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## Richard77 (Feb 19, 2009)

Hi Paynestaley,

To glue the clasps and hinges you'll need a chemical called 'Liquid solvent cement' It's not like glue, it works in seconds buy melting both pieces of plastic together.

Once i get a chance over christmas i'll do you a photo step by step guide.

i don't use ebay for my materials, hinges and clasps etc can be purchased from here
Medium Hasp & Staple 2

Yes i do deliver but as the cages in the past sometimes get damaged i use royal mail parcel 48 delivery service now, it costs about £9 (i make no money on this) but you sign for it, but if the box is damaged you tell the delivery guy your not happy,then i'm covered on the insurance to send you another free of charge.


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## paynestaley (May 28, 2009)

Hi Richard
Liquid solvent cement...oh yeh I have found some online, it's quite cheap :2thumb: A photo step by step guide would be extremely popular! That's very kind of you, I look forward to it. I will make sure to check out your site once it's up and running and have a look at your enclosures.


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## AndyJY (Jul 30, 2009)

good stuff . i will look forward to a detailed design, i never thought about under 5mm warping but it makes sense i have now checked a piec of 2mm i had just sittin on top of a spare tank and yer quite right the corners are warped and by quite a bit, any info u can provide on the building of enclosures will be greatly appreciated, ps the acrylic hinges are awesome .
: victory:


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