My very first heated rack

[0TG.]

Finally gave a go at this. I've got six new corns coming and needed a place to put them all. This is what I came up with.

*I don't claim to have developed this on my own, I've spent the last week going over the various DIY projects that you all have posted and it was starting to drive me nuts as I didn't know which one to pick. I finally decided to just start and figure things out as I went along, I work better like that.

This idea started out very small. Then when I got to Lowes to to pick up the materials, the idea grew. So instead of a small system that would be able to house six small corn snakes in six 6.5 quart rubbermaid storage containers, it's able to hold 16.

You could assemble a similar rack to this with VERY little cutting/ripping, as the lengths provided from the factory work out very nicely. Since I wanted to hold the shelves back about 1/4" from the front of the vertical sides (as seen here)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101B3380.jpg

...I had to trim a bit off here and there. I won't bother to go into specific dimensions for you because quite frankly, I don't really know them. I just kind of went with the flow and figured things out as I went along.

This is a work in progress but here's what I have done so far:

Materials used:

Four 3/4X16X48 white melamine shelving
Four 3/4X16X36 white melamine shelving
One 5/8X10X36 white shelving
One 1/4X4X8 birch plywood

Determine the length of the sides and make a rip about a quarter of an inch down the back edge of one of the sides. Be sure to have the blade set low enough that you don't cut off the entire edge:

Break off the rip with a putty knife and then use the knife to scrape off the rest of the fluff that doesn't break off:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3396.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3397.jpg

You will need to do this with both sides, and the top; it will give you an edge like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3360.jpg

...so that the 1/4" ply wood can sit on the back like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3362.jpg

This gives the unit a much nicer finish as you don't have to worry about seeing/painting/finishing or even dealing with the ugly, rough edges of the plywood.

Determine the length and width of the bottom piece and lay it down. Stand one of the sides up next to the bottom and place the storage bin on the bottom piece and use spacers to allow for heat expansion. Place one of the shelves on top of the storage bin to automatically determine where the shelf will be fastened. Screw the side into the bottom piece and then to the first shelf. I used 1 5/8 trim screws.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101B3370.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3398.jpg

Before you add the shelves, make sure that they are of proper size and they will line up with the back of the groove you cut on the sides.

Repeat this process with the other side. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3390.jpg

I drilled a 1 and a half inch hole on each side of each shelf before adding the next shelf. This is for the heating tape/wires etc. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3391.jpg

Continue this process with each shelf:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3392.jpg

Once you have all the shelves fastened, determine the length and width of your top piece. Since I didn't want to ruin the tops finish by screwing down into the vertical sides, I used dowel rods and glue.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3399.jpg

Use dowel center plugs to line up the holes on the vertical sides and the holes on the bottom of the top piece being careful to line up exactly where you want the top piece to lay.

Whoopsies, drilled too far!! :awcrap:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3404.jpg

A little putty will fix that right up. :nyah:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3416.jpg

Glue the dowels and top piece, fasten the top to the vertical sides and clamp:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3406.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3405.jpg

The groove on the top for the 1/4 plywood should line up nicely the the grove on the sides:

Cut the plywood to fit the back:

See now nicely it fits and that the rough edges of the plywood are covered by the nice, smooth finish of the melamine shelves.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake racks/Snake rack 1/101_3410.jpg

And that's what I've done so far. All that's left is to paint the 1/4 plywood, and to run the heat tape and a few other misc. things. Very cheap, very easy, and not very time consuming.

More to come...

Any suggestions? Criticisms?

 

[wax32]

Looks really nice. As someone looking to build a small rack here soon this post if very informative to me! One question...

See how the smaller tub doesn't hit the shelf above it? Are Rubbermaid tubs sealed well enough that a snake can't push out of it? I have looked at Sterilite tubs and they seem way too easy to open.

 

[0TG.]

To be honest they really are very easy to open, I wish they snapped together better. But it's no biggie, that's why God made slate.

I had originally planned on making it so that the small ones would just barely fit in between the two shelves but I have a few larger corns that I would love to get into those plastic tubs. Glass tanks are a royal pain in the butt. That's why I made it to fit the larger tubs.

 

[wax32]

Thanks.

I think I am going to try to make one like yours, but have three shelves for the bigger tubs and one for the smaller ones.

What size tubs are you using there so I can find them at wal-mart?

 

[wax32]

And... how many of the small ones fit across the three foot shelf?

 

[Flagg]

I've considered building my own rack, but seeing as I would have to buy the tools as well as all of the materials, in my case it's cheaper and easier to buy one pre-built.

I just ordered my 2nd Animal Plastics "Economy Plastics" rack, that holds 6 32 qt or 12 15 qt or any combo of the 2. $225 heated, shipped plus tubs.

I prefer a lidless rack, and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to make one precise enough for that, plus the wooden racks weigh too much.

I might end up trying a DIY rack for 41 qt tubs when my corns get a lot bigger.

 

[wax32]

That's a nice rack. So you just had to go to target and buy some sterilite tubs?

 

[Emanon]

Nice Rack!

 

[0TG.]

Wax--the small tubs are 6.5 quarts by rubbermaid and the larger one I believe is 32 quarts. Four of the smaller tubs fit across any given shelf making it possible for me to fit 16.

 

[0TG.]

I've considered building my own rack, but seeing as I would have to buy the tools as well as all of the materials, in my case it's cheaper and easier to buy one pre-built.

I just ordered my 2nd Animal Plastics "Economy Plastics" rack, that holds 6 32 qt or 12 15 qt or any combo of the 2. $225 heated, shipped plus tubs.

I prefer a lidless rack, and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to make one precise enough for that, plus the wooden racks weigh too much.

I might end up trying a DIY rack for 41 qt tubs when my corns get a lot bigger.

That is definitely very cool. I'm lucky I suppose, my dad and I are carpenters so we (actually he) has pretty much every tool known to man. :lol:

 

[0TG.]

Did some more work on it today:

I needed a piece to mount my electrical boxes to so I made this piece. I also think it gives it a nice look.

Center the electrical box in the center of the horizontal piece and trace with a pencil.

Drill a hole big enough to allow the blade of the jigsaw to fit.

Cut.

I drilled and screwed 2 1/4 inch screws on both sides and also used a right angle drill to screw up through the vertical piece into the top to close off any gaps.

And there you have it, everything is done except for the electrical stuff. I'm going to wait to put the back on as it will be easier to have access to the back to staple down all the wiring. I have two boxes because I want to be able to set up two rheostats, one for the bottom two rows and one for the top two, since cold air falls and will likely need to be set at a higher temp than the top two.

 

[wax32]

Awesome job. That angled drill is pretty cool too.

 

[0TG.]

Thanks. It's like 15 years old but it still does it's job.

I'm very excited.

 

[CornsnakesareCool]

were do you buy one???

 

[Jenstar]

I wish I had some talent with wood... But I don't, so I'm gonna order economy plastic racks as well...