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BUILDING A SNAKE CAGE
A few months ago, I decided that glass tanks, tubs, and other types of cages just weren't cutting it. Either they were the wrong size, or unsightly, or not stackable. Or it was impossible to retain heat or humidity... and it's always been something I wanted to do, and I wasn't going to let living in an apartment stop me!
Most of the cages I've made have been 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 2 feet high, with a shelf. This is more than enough for a female; if you were trying to conserve space, you could go 2.5 feet wide, 1.5 feet deep and 1.5 feet high. (For males, I make a cage 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 1.5 feet high, and I split it in two.)
Step 1 - Choose your building material
If you're on a budget, you might opt for melamine. You can use it, but I advise against it. Enough coats of varathane can make it resistant to water, but sooner or later you may end up with warping / swelling. So, I suggest you use plywood - a hardwood plywood (avoid cedar and other soft woods, as the off gas toxic fumes). I use 3/4" birch plywood, so the cutlist below is for 3/4" plywood. If you use a different size (no less than 5/8", though), you will have to compensate for this.
With this size cage, I think you can do it all with one sheet of plywood (8' x 4'). If you need an extra piece, most stores have smaller pieces that you can buy for a low price to complete your project without buying a whole sheet.
Cutlist:
36" x 24" - two pieces (top and bottom)
22.5" x 24" - two pieces (sides)
34.5" x 22.5" - one piece (back)
34.5" x 4" - one piece (bottom trim / litter dam)
34.5" x 1.5" - one piece (top trim)
18.5" x 1.5" - two pieces (side trim)
Step 2 - Gather your materials (note prices are in CAD)
- The pieces of cut wood (as above) - $50-80 (my 3/4" birch plywood is $66 / sheet)
- A box of 150 wood nails, size 8 x 1 1/2 - $5
- A drill and a 1/8" drill bit
- Wood glue (optional) - $5
- Two circular vents - $4 (or any vents you please - I like these)
- Jigsaw to cut a hole for the vents
- One inch drill bit
- Sand Paper - $5
- 3 Long screws (3") - $3
- Saw and blade guide - $10
- Small can of water based stain, if you want - $8
- A 3.785 litre (1 gallon) can of Waterborne Varathane - $40 (you might be able to get away with a smaller can, but do yourself a favour and get the big one. You'll save money in the long run.)
- Paintbrush to apply the Varathane - $6-10
- Tube of GE I Silicone (plain 100% silicone, not the mildew resistant type) - $8
- Approximately 10 feet of glass door sliding track: 3' of "top", and 7 feet of "bottom". - $2-3/foot
- Glass (more info below) - $50-70
Step 3 - Measure and sort your pieces
When you start building, sort out your pieces and take one of the 3' x 2' pieces which will act as the bottom of your cage. Then, take one of your side pieces. As in the picture, the bottom will lie flat with the side on top of the bottom piece.
Step 4 - Drill, Glue and Screw
Because plywood is so dense, you will need to drill pilot holes. For hardwood and 8 x 1/2" screws, you will need a 1/8" drill bit.
Hold your pieces together so they are perfectly perpendicular and drill your first hole wherever - I start the top.
A word on wood glue: you can certainly use wood glue if you like in addition to the screws (you can also use glue and nails). However, I generally prefer to use only screws; if I need to, I can take the cages apart, and it saves on time and materials that are unnecessary given the use the cages will get.
If you are using glue: after drilling your first hole through the two pieces where you will insert the first screw, separate the pieces and put a bead of wood glue on the edge of the side piece.
Put the pieces back together, screw in the first screw, make the rest of your pilot holes and insert screws.
 
Step 5 - Repeat!
Using the same drill, (glue) and screw method above, add the other side of the cage. The back piece is next, and this will go between the two side pieces on top of the bottom piece. After you've attached the back to the sides, flip the cage onto one of the sides so you can attach the back piece.
When the back is attached, flip the cage back into its bottom and put a bead of glue around the edge of the top, and carefully place the top piece.
 
Start by drilling and screwing both corners. You may need to wiggle the sides a little bit so the corners meet flush with the sides. Continue drilling around the top.
 
Step 6 - Vent Holes
So now you have your basicbox. We'll be doing the trim later; I prefer finish the drilling and sawing before adding the trim, because it makes the cage a lot easier to clean out.
First, decide where you want your vent. I usually put one vent on each side, and one vent 10" from the top and the other vent 10" from the bottom (centered horizontally). Trace the shape of your vent.
Using your one inch drill bit (or any size big enough to get the jigsaw blade in - I use a 3/4" bit in the photo), drill a hole inside the circle, near the line you sketched.
 
Insert the jigsaw blade into the hole you drilled and saw towards the sketched line, following it around in a circle, thus making the perfect hole for your vent.
 
Do the same on the other side, but making your hole 10" from the top instead of 10" from the bottom.
Step 6 - Bottom Trim and Shelf
Now you have your box with vent holes. Clean out your cage of sawdust, and turn it onto one of the sides. Take your bottom trim piece, and put a bead of glue (if you wish) around the two sides and the bottom of the trim piece, and put it in the bottom of the cage. Drill your pilot holes and screw in place, then wipe away any glue that squished out.
I love putting shelves in my cages; it increases floor space and my snakes really do use them. You can make a plain rectangular shelf, but I since I have a jigsaw anyway, I like to make mine curvy using a scrap piece of wood. So, take your scrap piece and sketch out your rough shape. In this case, I had already used that piece for other shelves, so it was already a weird shape and I just trimmed the edge off.
After sawing, sand the edge of your shelf so there are splinters or sharp edges. In looking at these photos, I see a did a bit of a shoddy job sawing this shelf. Oops!
 
Step 7 - Installing the Shelf
I always had a hard time installing shelves until I started doing it this way. Find a box or a few thick books to support your shelf at the height you want it. Measure the height of the box / books. On the back of the cage, where you will screw in the shelf, measure this height from the bottom of the cage, adding 3/4" for the thickness of the bottom. For example, if your box is 12" high, measure 12.75" from the floor/bottom of the cage. Then add .375" to get it into the middle of the shelf.
Mark that height on the back of your cage. You will want to insert two screws in the back of the cage to hold up the shelf, so space out the two screws (i.e., if your shelf is 15" wide, put one screw at 5" from the side of the cage, and the next at 10" from the side). Drill your pilot holes, using a larger drill as required by the larger screws you are using, and screw in the screws. Do the same on the side of the cage with the last long screw to secure the shelf. And voila: you have yourself a shelf!
  
Step 8 - Finishing your trim
Get your first trim piece and your saw and blade guide. You want to cut a 45 degree angle off on one side, so the flat side will sit flush on the bottom trim, and the highest side will rest in the top corner. Drill and screw as usual. Cut your other side trim the same and put it on the side of the cage.
Lastly, cut both sides of your top trim at a 45 degree angle, so it looks like a (very long) trapezoid.
 
And your box is done!
Step 9 - Staining and sealing
If you want to stain your cage, now is the time. I did not stain this cage, but when I do stain, I stain the outside only. You certainly can strain the inside if you want to. In my experience, a cherry red is my favourite - it's deep but still picks up on the wood grain. Wood stained red is also a lot nicer than that shiny red melamine coating. Chocolate brown is nice too, but you won't see much wood grain.
Always use a water-based stain, never oil based. Using a soft rag or staining sponge, poor some stain onto the top of the cage and wipe it into the wood with the sponge/cloth. Spread it as far as you can and add some more. When doing vertical surfaces, put your sponge/cloth over the opening of the bottle and turn the bottle upside down carefully, so you don't get any on your floor (or carpet in my case). You may need to dab at the edges of the plywood to get the stain into the little crevaces. One coat should be enough; let it dry for 24 hours before sealing.
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