# Amac Style Box Enclosures



## Trenor

Here are some quick photos of some Amac boxes that I use or plan to use for enclosures. @Mauri



Mauri said:


> Well thread on what...? But yeah would like to see some pics I did see a few...not sure I am to keen on the amac boxes I'd prefer a door for arboreals.
> 
> Anyways finished my first big enclosure (for the largest arbs) and I put a pic of it over in the terrariums/enc thread. Gonna be sitting around for awhile unless I see a cheap juvenile at the BTS. I just had a burning desire for some DIY.


I use them primarily for slings but once they go to juvenile I switch over to doors on my enclosures. They work for arboreals and terrestrials.

This is a terrestrial setup for slings:






This is a arboreal setup and how it opens. A flat surface keeps the box sealed while I cange water and do clean up/put out food:





The corkbark and anchor points are glues to the side:










I wouldn't use these for pokies myself but it works good for most arboreal IMO.

Here is one box I haven't setup yet but picked up for a terrestrial setup when my _B. albopilosum molts another time or two:_

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## louise f

Nice setups

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## YagerManJennsen

Youres look way more professional then mine. I use the tall sterilite tubs from Walmart for arboreals.

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## Trenor

louise f said:


> Nice setups


Thanks, I took photos of the best looking ones. 



YagerManJennsen said:


> Youres look way more professional then mine. I use the tall sterilite tubs from Walmart for arboreals.


I use those as well. It depends on the tarantula and it's size. But I do like these a lot, they look great in the game room. Presentation (but not at the expense of the T) goes a long way in how non-tarantula people respond to your tarantulas.

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## Magenta

Do you use superglue for the the cork bark and leaves? Thanks


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## Abyss

Magenta said:


> Do you use superglue for the the cork bark and leaves? Thanks


Never
Always use hot glue gun.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## lunarae

Hot glue is great for acrylic, not so much for glass if your enclosure is glass as after a while with temp changes and humidity changes hot glue will unadhere to glass. Something I learned from experience with my glass set ups (I used the exact same set up as here until she got to big and upgraded her to a 2.5 glass tank). The hide I had set up for my A. versicolor fell right off the side of the wall with her in it after months of her being in there soon as it started to get a lot warmer here. She didn't get injured but she wasn't happy either. In fact before I realized it was the hot glue specifically I glued it back and it happened again. Third time I used silicone to adhere it to the side and it works great, but she refuses to use the hide now. Not that I can blame her, and had to provide other anchoring points. Now she just doesn't seem to really make a web at all (She made one, had it up for a day, then by the next day she had tore it down for some reason) and sits out in the open though she has plenty of hiding spots if she was interested in using them. Regardless though, Hot glue is great for acrylic, but not for glass, something to be aware of for the future for anyone who decides to use glass when upgrading enclosures.

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## Trenor

Abyss said:


> Never
> Always use hot glue gun.


Yeah, as Abyss said I use hot glue. I took the fake leaves and glued a ball of moss on the steam then stuck it directly to the wall of the enclosure to make fake tree anchor points for webbing. I glued the corkbark to the back keeping the vents to the side for best viewing. I even glue the corkbark to the wall in my terrestrial enclosures so no matter how big a burrow they make it can drop down. One guys made a huge burrow and covered up the corkbark and leaves so it just looked like a dirt hole. 

The only downside to the terrestrial enclosure is it's hard to find a water disk small enough for it. So I put drop on the leaves and keep the soil lightly moist. I might steal the Monopoly house idea that Lunarae posted on here. Those would fit and cut down on daily water drop maintenance.

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## Trenor

lunarae said:


> Now she just doesn't seem to really make a web at all (She made one, had it up for a day, then by the next day she had tore it down for some reason) and sits out in the open though she has plenty of hiding spots if she was interested in using them.


My A. amazonica made a big web funnel system and stayed in it till after the molt (about three weeks). Then once it kicked the molt out it tore down a big chunk of the funnel and has been out in the open more. I am waiting now to see if the webs go back up.


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## lunarae

Trenor said:


> My A. amazonica made a big web funnel system and stayed in it till after the molt (about three weeks). Then once it kicked the molt out it tore down a big chunk of the funnel and has been out in the open more. I am waiting now to see if the webs go back up.


Yeah that's just it. She made the web AFTER she molted, then took it down the very next day (thankfully that hide fell AFTER she had molted. >.<) and yeah. I dunno. She's weird. She's a dork to say the least for some of the things she's done in the past. lol. I've stopped trying to predict what to expect from her and her behavior XD.


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## Abyss

Trenor said:


> My A. amazonica made a big web funnel system and stayed in it till after the molt (about three weeks). Then once it kicked the molt out it tore down a big chunk of the funnel and has been out in the open more. I am waiting now to see if the webs go back up.


My $ says it will haha

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## Trenor

lunarae said:


> Yeah that's just it. She made the web AFTER she molted, then took it down the very next day (thankfully that hide fell AFTER she had molted. >.<) and yeah. I dunno. She's weird. She's a dork to say the least for some of the things she's done in the past. lol. I've stopped trying to predict what to expect from her and her behavior XD.


Your girl is an adult right?


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## lunarae

Trenor said:


> Your girl is an adult right?


oh no. it's 2.5" and we don't even know for sure if it's a girl I just refer to it as such.


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## Trenor

lunarae said:


> oh no. it's 2.5" and we don't even know for sure if it's a girl I just refer to it as such.


Ah, well a little wishful thinking never hurts.


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## lunarae

Nope. XD We'll love it regardless of gender, but it's gonna be weird if it turns out to be male and it's name is Sarah, then again maybe that's why it's so ornery in the first place.

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## lunarae

Oh and here is a pic of me using the monopoly house in the very same terrestrial enclosures you have @Trenor  just so you see the space it takes up. I got the idea from someone else on a really old post in the forums among my research so can't take full credit for originality lol. But I think they work awesome. If you want it a little bigger upgrade to a hotel XD. But this is the set up I have for our LP sling that actually molted yesterday. I love the way I set this one up and the way it looks so yeah....I might be finding excuses to share the picture. I'm proud of this little enclosure, can't help myself.

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## Tenevanica

I use amac boxes all the time actually! They are my go to sling enclosures. I just love them so much!


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## Magenta

Abyss said:


> Never
> Always use hot glue gun.




What's the issue with superglue?

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## Trenor

Magenta said:


> What's the issue with superglue?


I don't want the superglue chemicals and fumes in the enclosure. It's not needed and hot glue works so well. Also with hot glue you can sometime pop off an item if it's placed wrong and still clean up the amac so it looks good.

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## Trenor

lunarae said:


> Oh and here is a pic of me using the monopoly house in the very same terrestrial enclosures you have @Trenor just so you see the space it takes up. I got the idea from someone else on a really old post in the forums among my research so can't take full credit for originality lol. But I think they work awesome. If you want it a little bigger upgrade to a hotel XD.


Yeah, that would work for me nicely. Now I just need to find a monopoly game. 



lunarae said:


> But this is the set up I have for our LP sling that actually molted yesterday. I love the way I set this one up and the way it looks so yeah....I might be finding excuses to share the picture. I'm proud of this little enclosure, can't help myself.


I can't say I've ever fabricated excuses in order to post photos.  I really like the look of your enclosures. They are impressive. I'm still not at the live plant level. I can grow tarantulas and I can grow plants. I'm just not sure I can grow them at the same time in the same enclosure.


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## Magenta

Trenor said:


> I don't want the superglue chemicals and fumes in the enclosure. It's not needed and hot glue works so well. Also with hot glue you can sometime pop off an item if it's placed wrong and still clean up the amac so it looks good.




Good to know. Thank you!


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## lunarae

Trenor said:


> I don't want the superglue chemicals and fumes in the enclosure. It's not needed and hot glue works so well. Also with hot glue you can sometime pop off an item if it's placed wrong and still clean up the amac so it looks good.


Technically hot glue also has fumes to which you need to air out the enclosure. They just go away quicker. I would think people could get away with super glue as long as they give it a couple of days to air out. Any adhesive you use should have a little air out period. How long depends on what you use. 

As for plants and Ts. It's just a matter of finding a plant that will do well in the level of moisture you have set up for the T and light requirements for said plant. It's why people tend to use pothos cause they will live in just about any condition it seems.


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## Abyss

Magenta said:


> What's the issue with superglue?


@Trenor already gave my answer haha but thats the exact reason. Not to me tion the residue superglue leaves behind. 

Another advantage to hot glue is while solid, its not permanant meaning there is no damage when you re-decorate

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## Vezon

I have been using that 100% silicone caulk recently, and it works wonders. The fumes aren't anywhere near as bad as epoxy or other super glues. It sticks well to glass, wood, plastic, and the air out time until the smell is gone is only like a week or so. It is also relatively cheap at $6 per tube (goes a long way). By far better than hot glue in like 90% of situations.

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## lunarae

Vezon said:


> I have been using that 100% silicone caulk recently, and it works wonders. The fumes aren't anywhere near as bad as epoxy or other super glues. It sticks well to glass, wood, plastic, and the air out time until the smell is gone is only like a week or so. It is also relatively cheap at $6 per tube (goes a long way).


And it can be removed as well if one needs to redecorate. I've made the same switch for ours since my hot glue malfunction. If I have to adhere something I'll use silicone, it's a lot easier to remove as well imo when it comes to glass and such if the need arises.


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## Trenor

Vezon said:


> I have been using that 100% silicone caulk recently, and it works wonders. The fumes aren't anywhere near as bad as epoxy or other super glues. It sticks well to glass, wood, plastic, and the air out time until the smell is gone is only like a week or so. It is also relatively cheap at $6 per tube (goes a long way). By far better than hot glue in like 90% of situations.


I have a tube of that a home but I haven't done a new enclosure since picking it up. It was needed for my nephews crested gecko project. I'll give it a shot since you both talked it up so good.


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## lunarae

Trenor said:


> I have a tube of that a home but I haven't done a new enclosure since picking it up. It was needed for my nephews crested gecko project. I'll give it a shot since you both talked it up so good.


the only downside of silicone is the long period you gotta let it air out, but outside of that it works really well imo.

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## Vezon

I wouldn't even really call it long, a few days at most. You can sit it outside on the porch or in front of a fan or something to sort of speed up the process too.

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## lunarae

well for someone like me. Long=more then over night >.> XD I get so impatient lol

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## Trenor

lunarae said:


> the only downside of silicone is the long period you gotta let it air out, but outside of that it works really well imo.


Ah, so maybe the next one as I should be getting some new Ts in on Tuesday. I'll make up two one with hot glue and the other with silicone to make sure I am ready when they get here. I am one who hates waiting till the last min to fix enclosures. When you do there is always a snag. I want them to come out of the box and into their new home. I am stoked about the new ts though!


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## Trenor

Wow, I forgot about this thread till I got an alert on it. Since I'm here I'll just drop a few more recent photos of some amac boxes I've done for avic enclosures.

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## Trenor

Vezon said:


> I have been using that 100% silicone caulk recently, and it works wonders. The fumes aren't anywhere near as bad as epoxy or other super glues. It sticks well to glass, wood, plastic, and the air out time until the smell is gone is only like a week or so. It is also relatively cheap at $6 per tube (goes a long way). By far better than hot glue in like 90% of situations.





lunarae said:


> the only downside of silicone is the long period you gotta let it air out, but outside of that it works really well imo.


An update on the silicone front - I've used it on several of the new enclosures and I like it. On the shoe box enclosures I had trouble with the rounded surface making a strong bond with the acrylic/plastic bonding glue but the silicone worked great. I used it on everything on the last few including the hinges. It's worked great.


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## aphono

Very nice!!  Can I ask how do you make the cuts for the round vent or drill holes like in the newest pictures? And how do you drill the holes in such a nice pattern?


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## Trenor

aphono said:


> Very nice!!  Can I ask how do you make the cuts for the round vent or drill holes like in the newest pictures? And how do you drill the holes in such a nice pattern?


To make the round hole you use a hole saw bit the size you need.

For these enclosures to get holes in a straight line I used a piece of electrical tape (painter's tape would work best) along the top edge of the enclosure. I drill a line holes on the bottom edge of the tape. Then I covered the tape with a second piece that overlapped the bottom edge by about 1/4 the width of the tape. I drilled the next set of holes in a line along the bottom of the second piece of tape. Repeat until you have as many lines as you want using the tape to keep you straight. Peel of the tape and you have a nice multi-line set of vents.

Some people measure and mark with a grease pen drill and then wipe it off. I think this is easier though. Using the tape as a straight edge you can make all kinds of patterns if you are so inclined.


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## Vezon

Yeah. That silicone is great. I love the fact that it can be used to hold anything from moss to cork bark to plastic. It is also relatively cheap.

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## MetalMan2004

Trenor said:


> I wouldn't use these for pokies myself but it works good for most arboreal IMO.


My question then is what do you use for pokie slings?  I use an AMAC for my versicolor and it works great, but my versicolor doesn't really care when I take the top off to clean up and feed it.  I take it pokies won't be quite as easy.


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## Trenor

MetalMan2004 said:


> My question then is what do you use for pokie slings?  I use an AMAC for my versicolor and it works great, but my versicolor doesn't really care when I take the top off to clean up and feed it.  I take it pokies won't be quite as easy.


They main reason I wouldn't use them for pokies is that while most arboreal Ts go up when you open the enclosure they tend to run down. Also, almost all of my pokie slings have burrowed/dirt curtained themselves a hide/home. The bottom opening wouldn't be good in that respect. For pokies slings I use a vial if they are really small and move them to a 32 oz deli when they outgrow the vial. I've not found a rigid clear plastic container that works as well as a deli for them.


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## Trenor

Vezon said:


> Yeah. That silicone is great. I love the fact that it can be used to hold anything from moss to cork bark to plastic. It is also relatively cheap.


I do still like using hot glue for plants to cork and other things (it's fast setting and if it gets on cork in the wrong place I can still peel it off), but I have been using it in enclosure construction a lot more lately. It's especially good when gluing two non flat surfaces where there can be gaps in places.


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## D Sherlod

I really like the look of those set ups. I will have to see if I can order them in Canada


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## Trenor

D Sherlod said:


> I really like the look of those set ups. I will have to see if I can order them in Canada


Here is a link to the once I use for arborals bigger than an inch. Not sure how amazon does for you up there but any store that sales a similar box will work. The last few I got from the contain store. I rarely buy kits anymore. I just drill my make my own.


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## aphono

Trenor said:


> To make the round hole you use a hole saw bit the size you need.
> 
> For these enclosures to get holes in a straight line I used a piece of electrical tape (painter's tape would work best) along the top edge of the enclosure. I drill a line holes on the bottom edge of the tape. Then I covered the tape with a second piece that overlapped the bottom edge by about 1/4 the width of the tape. I drilled the next set of holes in a line along the bottom of the second piece of tape. Repeat until you have as many lines as you want using the tape to keep you straight. Peel of the tape and you have a nice multi-line set of vents.
> 
> Some people measure and mark with a grease pen drill and then wipe it off. I think this is easier though. Using the tape as a straight edge you can make all kinds of patterns if you are so inclined.


Very helpful. I am not handy so I really appreciated that, thank you.  What size drill bit for the holes?


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## Trenor

aphono said:


> Very helpful. I am not handy so I really appreciated that, thank you.  What size drill bit for the holes?


No problem, I'm glad it was helpful. The holes should be small enough that the carapace of the sling you want to put in the enclosure can't fit through. I usually go way smaller and just add more holes in till I get the ventilation I need.


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## Magenta

@Trenor, you inspired me. I used an Amac box for my A. metallica I cut the top off of a Gatorade bottle and also cut a hole in the side of the Amac box and hot glued the bottle piece in place. It's really easy to fill water dishes, drop in prey, etc.


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## Trenor

Magenta said:


> @Trenor, you inspired me. I used an Amac box for my A. metallica I cut the top off of a Gatorade bottle and also cut a hole in the side of the Amac box and hot glued the bottle piece in place. It's really easy to fill water dishes, drop in prey, etc.


Cool, post up a photo of the mod. Sounds interesting.


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## MetalMan2004

Magenta said:


> @Trenor, you inspired me. I used an Amac box for my A. metallica I cut the top off of a Gatorade bottle and also cut a hole in the side of the Amac box and hot glued the bottle piece in place. It's really easy to fill water dishes, drop in prey, etc.


Photo please!

My versicolor molted today and its time to rehouse once it hardens up.  I have an AMAC box ready to go but may have to add this to it first.


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## Magenta

These boxes are great, they're so clear. It's nice to actually be able to see the Ts  I have a few boxes hanging around just in case I see a deal I can't pass up. 

Let me know what you think. I'm always looking to make improvments where I can
http://imgur.com/i7J3LIR


ETA: Soldering the air holes turned out kind of sloppy. 


@Trenor, Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack your thread.


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## user 666

Magenta said:


> These boxes are great, they're so clear. It's nice to actually be able to see the Ts  I have a few boxes hanging around just in case I see a deal I can't pass up.
> 
> Let me know what you think. I'm always looking to make improvments where I can
> http://imgur.com/i7J3LIR


Oooh, you are using the gatorade lid as a secondary door. I missed that detail before. Nice!


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## MetalMan2004

Magenta said:


> These boxes are great, they're so clear. It's nice to actually be able to see the Ts  I have a few boxes hanging around just in case I see a deal I can't pass up.
> 
> Let me know what you think. I'm always looking to make improvments where I can
> http://imgur.com/i7J3LIR


Thats a fantastic idea!  If you can feed and water through a separate hole that solves the issue Trenor explained of pokies running down when the enclosure is opened.  Just son't forget to put the cap back on!


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## user 666

MetalMan2004 said:


> Thats a fantastic idea!  If you can feed and water through a separate hole that solves the issue Trenor explained of pokies running down when the enclosure is opened.  Just son't forget to put the cap back on!


A lot of my mid-sized enclosures (4x4x5 AMAC boxes) have at least one ventilation hole sized for a syringe. (I'd take a photo but it is too dark.)


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## poopymcgee132

Trenor said:


> Here are some quick photos of some Amac boxes that I use or plan to use for enclosures. @Mauri
> 
> 
> 
> I use them primarily for slings but once they go to juvenile I switch over to doors on my enclosures. They work for arboreals and terrestrials.
> 
> This is a terrestrial setup for slings:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is a arboreal setup and how it opens. A flat surface keeps the box sealed while I cange water and do clean up/put out food:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The corkbark and anchor points are glues to the side:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I wouldn't use these for pokies myself but it works good for most arboreal IMO.
> 
> Here is one box I haven't setup yet but picked up for a terrestrial setup when my _B. albopilosum molts another time or two:_


Can you do a tutorial on the setup and possibly any bigger ones


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## Trenor

poopymcgee132 said:


> Can you do a tutorial on the setup and possibly any bigger ones


Wow, that is from a while back. I do not have assembly photos since I dislike stopping once I start work on a project like this.

As far as materials go:

I picked up a lot of fake plants and vine leaves from the local craft store. I looked for sets that could be disassembled easily and leaves in a size range that would work for most enclosures.

Hot glue is my adhesive of choice and I have used it with great success over the years. It works with cork bark, fake leaves and hard plastic. I have heard that when attached to glass it can come loose after a time. I have not used it on glass, so I do not know.

I got most of my containers on amazon though if I remember right the cube thin top ones can from a different site.

Plastic hinges and hasps are used when needed.

Hides and backing plates are mainly cork bark.

I use a topsoil and cocoa fiber mix for my substrate.

Water dishes are 2-4oz deli cups for big enclosures and screw on bottle caps for the smaller ones.


The building process for a top opening enclosure is: If needed I build the hide which is a half round cork piece with fake plants hot glued to it. The hide gets partially buried then extra leaves and such get glued around the enclosure for webbing points. Add water dish in there somewhere you have room and done.


The building process for a bottom opening enclosure is: I measure and cut a cork backing piece that covers the back wall. I glue the fake leaves to it till it is cluttered. I then glue plants to the other three inside walls before gluing the backing plate in. Protip: Putting hot glue on the plant piece then sticking it up in the enclosure is far easier than getting the glue gun up in there. I add some substrate in the bottom for a bit of moisture retention and a water dish that leaves room for the food to be placed in.

Here are some photos you can use for ideas. I will be upgrading a few of my Ts into some gallon containers in the next week or so. I can drop a photo or two of those once they are done if you are interested.





















Shoe boxes: I used a table saw to cut the lids into 3 piewces then glued hinges and hasps as shown.















The left most one below is a bought one. I made five of the other ones for the same amount as the bought one cost me.






It's easy once you have done a few. If you have questions let me know. Good luck.

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## Ferrachi

Very nice enclosures !! How long does it take approximately to make one with hinges like that ?


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## Trenor

Ferrachi said:


> Very nice enclosures !! How long does it take approximately to make one with hinges like that ?


I did those as a batch of 8 or 10. Cutting them on the saw, gluing the hinges/hasps  and sealing the bottom with silicone took two-three hours. Not counting the dry time of the silicone (6 hours if i recall right to cure) Cutting the cork and gluing up as a batch too about the same. It's faster in bunches when everything is cut laid out and just has to be assembled. They were pretty easy to make and have worked really well. You could do all 8-10 in a day without much effort.

I'm about to transfer some tarantulas out into newer setup and refurbish these after cleaning them up.I don't rehouse my tarantulas very often but sometimes they need a housing clean up. Some of their current enclosures are the same from 4-5 years ago.


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## Ferrachi

Trenor said:


> I did those as a batch of 8 or 10. Cutting them on the saw, gluing the hinges/hasps  and sealing the bottom with silicone took two-three hours. Not counting the dry time of the silicone drying time (6 hours if i recall right to cure) Cutting the cork and gluing up as a batch too about the same. It's faster in bunches when everything is cut laid out and just has to be assembled. They were pretty easy to make and have worked really well. You could do all 8-10 in a day without much effort.
> 
> I'm about to transfer some tarantulas out into newer setup and refurbish these after cleaning them up.I don't rehouse my tarantulas very often but sometimes they need a housing clean up. Some of their current enclosures are the same from 4-5 years ago.


Really nicely made... would love to see the newer setups when you're done !


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