Turtlepete
Well-Known Member
Hey everyone,
I've had some photos on my phone for a little while now of an enclosure I built a while back. I make 4x4, fully predator-proofed enclosures that I sell with my red foot tortoise hatchlings. They are 18" high with a hinged lid on top and wired in on the bottom.
I figured I'd put together a little guide with the pictures. It's incredibly simple to people who know how to do it, but I know it's very hard for others, so hopefully this guide will help someone out there. And if not, it only took me 5 minutes to put together . Haha
Materials needed:
Stack of decking boards cut into 4' pieces.
Lay out 3, make sure the ends are all lined up perfectly.
Screw a 2x4 on either side. Make sure to leave enough room on top so another 2x4, the one for the frame, can sit on top of them and be even with the top of the wall.
Repeat.
Take both, stand them up, and add another board to attach them on either side.
Screw them on, like-so.
Add two more boards until you have a box.
Add a 2x4 in the middle of the bottom. This is used to staple the wire to on the bottom of the cage.
Staple the wire on the bottom..
Add a rim of 2x2 to the top. Make sure it lines up perfectly with the upright 2x4's. This is used for the frame to sit on and relieve pressure. Not necessary, but makes it last longer.
I didn't take many pictures of building the lid, unfortunately. Here is the frame. Cut 4 pieces of 2x4, one for each wall (make sure you know which are which, as the walls could end up off by 1/2" and mess up the frame). Cut them at a 45' angle on all sides, and then used 2 3" screws to screw them together at the joints. Then add a center brace.
From there, add the wire, the handle, and hinges to the door. Attach the hinges to the board on the wall, and voi'la.
The finished product.
These are basically built to be put into place, filled in with a couple inches of substrate, add hides, plants, water bowls, and be good to go. They are completely escape and predator-proofed. With stronger wire and lock on the lid, they could be human-proofed as well. This enclosure would be suitable for any species of tortoise, up to maybe 5-6". So only useful for juvenilles/hatchlings. It would also work well for younger box turtles.
Hopefully this will help someone out there, and show just how easy it is to make a nice enclosure.
I've had some photos on my phone for a little while now of an enclosure I built a while back. I make 4x4, fully predator-proofed enclosures that I sell with my red foot tortoise hatchlings. They are 18" high with a hinged lid on top and wired in on the bottom.
I figured I'd put together a little guide with the pictures. It's incredibly simple to people who know how to do it, but I know it's very hard for others, so hopefully this guide will help someone out there. And if not, it only took me 5 minutes to put together . Haha
Materials needed:
- 6 8' PT decking boards (nicer then corral boards)
- One 8' PT 2x4
- Small box of 2 1/2" screws
- Small box of 3" screws
- Wire (any kind. I used plastic green wire from home depot. Comes in small rolls for about $25)
- 16' of PT 2x2
- 2 3" door hinges
- A handle for the door
- Metal wire staples (the kind put in with a hammer, NOT a staple-gun)
Stack of decking boards cut into 4' pieces.
Lay out 3, make sure the ends are all lined up perfectly.
Screw a 2x4 on either side. Make sure to leave enough room on top so another 2x4, the one for the frame, can sit on top of them and be even with the top of the wall.
Repeat.
Take both, stand them up, and add another board to attach them on either side.
Screw them on, like-so.
Add two more boards until you have a box.
Add a 2x4 in the middle of the bottom. This is used to staple the wire to on the bottom of the cage.
Staple the wire on the bottom..
Add a rim of 2x2 to the top. Make sure it lines up perfectly with the upright 2x4's. This is used for the frame to sit on and relieve pressure. Not necessary, but makes it last longer.
I didn't take many pictures of building the lid, unfortunately. Here is the frame. Cut 4 pieces of 2x4, one for each wall (make sure you know which are which, as the walls could end up off by 1/2" and mess up the frame). Cut them at a 45' angle on all sides, and then used 2 3" screws to screw them together at the joints. Then add a center brace.
From there, add the wire, the handle, and hinges to the door. Attach the hinges to the board on the wall, and voi'la.
The finished product.
These are basically built to be put into place, filled in with a couple inches of substrate, add hides, plants, water bowls, and be good to go. They are completely escape and predator-proofed. With stronger wire and lock on the lid, they could be human-proofed as well. This enclosure would be suitable for any species of tortoise, up to maybe 5-6". So only useful for juvenilles/hatchlings. It would also work well for younger box turtles.
Hopefully this will help someone out there, and show just how easy it is to make a nice enclosure.