Nice Cheap Arboreal Enclosures

P-Rice

Arachnosquire
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Jan 18, 2004
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So I've made a few of these enclosures and I really like them so far. They are pretty cheap...costing less than $15 if you order the plastic box online and about $20 if you buy it from a hobby store. All I do is buy the clear plastic car display case, take the top off and basically throw it away. Then I cut a piece of plexi glass for the top, cut that piece in half about the 4 inch mark, and glue the small piece to the case as a substrate holder. I then glue acrylic hinges and clasp to the door and glue the hinges to the case. It is pretty simple and takes me about 20-30 min. Oh I also sand down all the cut edges of the plexi before I glue it. Kinda takes the sharp edges off it.
 

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Redneck

Arachnoprince
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Not bad.. I think I am going to have to give these a try.. Thanks for sharing..
 

malevolentrobot

Arachnobaron
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Jan 21, 2010
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310
those look pretty sharp!

the more i think about it, the more i feel much more comfortable with something that doesn't have the top come off to house my irminia, so i may look into making one of those once it gets bigger. thanks for the idea!
 

orangeandbitey

Arachnopeon
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Jun 9, 2010
Messages
25
awesome! what do you attach the bottom piece of plexi with? as well as the hinges? Looks great man :)

Thanks for sharing
 

ikarus_black

Arachnopeon
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May 4, 2008
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18
I got the same display boxes at Michaels.... was a good sale 16 each, and i got like five!!!..... maybe i'll go and get more, if they still on sale!
 

P-Rice

Arachnosquire
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Jan 18, 2004
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I use Craftics #33. It is an acrylic cement, so you should be able to find it at a craft store or Lowes. If you buy the largest clear cases online, they run about $7 a piece or about $9 with shipping. It's a little cheaper than the hobby store.

I also use them to house terrestial t's in. Except I keep the top and drill holes in it. Mr. Internet (http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=32700) has a good thread about making the cages centipede escape proof, which is what I will do when some of my t's are big enough to push the top off. Of course they are stackable so really you only have to to do the top one if you are lazy like me...LoL
 

aluras

Arachnobaron
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Jun 23, 2008
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435
Awsome,,,,Thanks for sharing this info, Im going to make some...Im really stoked on this.:worship:
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
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Apr 11, 2007
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5,438
Those die-cast model display boxes are great! I've been using them for arboreals for a little while now but setting them up a little differently. You can avoid lots of the cutting and epoxying by just cutting the lid in 2 or 3 sections, gluing hooks to the side and using stout rubber bands or electrical tape to hold the doors on. It actually works quite well but you do need to replace the bands every few months because they dry out.

If you look in this pic you can see what I mean. The biggest challenge in repurposing these containers is the funky shape of the lid. It never occurred to me to remove it completely but that's the only way to get hinges and clasps to work.

 

orangeandbitey

Arachnopeon
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Jun 9, 2010
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Hi Moltar, could you maybe get a better picture of the Lid side? I like easy :) Good work man. Thank you both for sharing. I'm going to order some tonight!
 

Redneck

Arachnoprince
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So I got a couple of these containers from my local Hobby Lobby.. Hobby Lobby is another craft store like Michaels..

Here are some shots of what I did with mine..



I have vent. holes on each side..



Used a dremel tool to cut it.. Then hot glued some hinges to it..



I also had to cut a little bit of the lip off of the side so it would open up..



Overall.. I like these better than the 2.5 gallon with a plexi lid.. I will def. be getting more.. :D

*Edit* It didnt cost me more than $10 to build this.. Took me 5 minutes to get it all setup for the spider..
 

MichiganReptiles

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
407
What does it look like before the modifications? My 2.5 gallons aren't coming out very nice. :( I'm tempted to spend an obscene amount of money with tarantulahomes or tarantulacages just so I can have nice looking enclosures.
 

Redneck

Arachnoprince
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What does it look like before the modifications? My 2.5 gallons aren't coming out very nice. :( I'm tempted to spend an obscene amount of money with tarantulahomes or tarantulacages just so I can have nice looking enclosures.
I wouldnt drop that kind of money on an enclosure.. Not for a larger collection.. These work great.. Let me go snap a shot of the other container like this.. Its has not been modified yet..
 

Redneck

Arachnoprince
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Here are a few shots of the one.. I am not sure what I am going to put in here..

I am also thinking about buy a whole lot of these.. Rehoming all of my terrestrials in them.. They are perfectly clear & even stackable..

Arboreal...




Terrestrial...



Yeap.. Think I am going to get a bunch of them soon.. :D
 

Nicole

Arachnosquire
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Apr 30, 2004
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I used to have lots of these for terrestrials. Why did I never think to convert them to vertical?! :? {D
 

MichiganReptiles

Arachnobaron
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May 14, 2010
Messages
407
Here are a few shots of the one.. I am not sure what I am going to put in here..

I am also thinking about buy a whole lot of these.. Rehoming all of my terrestrials in them.. They are perfectly clear & even stackable..

Arboreal...




Terrestrial...



Yeap.. Think I am going to get a bunch of them soon.. :D
So it has a lid and then you modify the lid? You should do a step-by-step YouTube video for me :)
 

Redneck

Arachnoprince
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So it has a lid and then you modify the lid? You should do a step-by-step YouTube video for me :)
Yeah.. There is a lid that comes with it.. If you are using it for an arboreal.. Just cut it & place hinges & what not.. :) Its really easy..

Im not sure I could do a step by step.. LoL! I suck at videos like that... But there is already a video up explaining what I did to the container..

I can make another one if the video that is already done is not very helpful..
 
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