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Cage question
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by sjr on August 25, 2007
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I am in the process of building a cage for two very large Eastern Diamondbacks. The cage will be made of plywood. I am going to be using as a sealer/primer a product called Kilz. I am then going to paint it. I was also considering using just polyureathine and no paint. Are these products ok to use?
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RE: Cage question
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by Rob_Carmichael on August 25, 2007
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I am always nervous when using a stain/sealant as some products can be very harmful to herps (documented cases of some dying as a result of the outgassing fumes). The only stuff that we've used with success is lining the inside cages with contact paper and then caulking the edges with aquarium sealant. The forest green color looks real sharp for a EDB. I'm sure there are many other better ways but this is what has worked well for us on a long term basis. Just do your research first before exposing your snake to any hidden hazards.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
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RE: Cage question
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by Cro on August 25, 2007
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Jay, I would skip the Kilz primer / sealer and use several coats of the Polyurethane, or Spar Varnish.
The first coat becomes the sealer, and the second and third coats become the surface. You will need to lightly sand or it between coats, or brush them with a ooo steel wool, as each coat will bring up tiny bumps or "wiskers" of wood that need to be shaved off before the next coat. This will give you a really smooth surface.
As Rob stated, any product that drys by evaporation has volitile solvents in it that are going to out-gas. What you need to do is wash the surface with soap and water after it is dry to remove a film that it will leave on the surface, and then take it ouside and let it dry in the sun for several days. Then wash it again and allow it to dry. This will drive off most of the excaping gases and allow it to dry very well.
I have used plywood cages sealed with Poly and Spar for 40 years, and have never had those materials cause any problems for the snakes. However, I have been very carefull to let the materials dry in the sun, and wash then several times before I used them for snakes.
Use you nose. If you can smell ANY smell on the surface, then the material is still out-gassing, and needs more time in the sun and more washing before you use it.
I have actually made 120 gallon aquariums out of 3/4 inch plywood and 1/4 inch plate glass for the fronts, with the plywood having 3 coats of Poly, and the seams sealed with 100% silicone rubber sealant. These tanks never leaked and were used to breed discus fish and angel fish for many years.
These are good products, and will not hurt your animals if you use them correctly, and allow them to completely dry before you put them in use.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Cage question
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by Cro on August 26, 2007
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Jay, the Thompsons Water Treatment would NOT work for cages at all !
It is an Oil Based sealer for decks and such, and never completely dries. What happens with it is the oil soaks into the wood and acts as a water repellent.
The Polys and Varnishes mentioned earlier form a solid plastic polymer sheet on top of the wood, as well as soaking down into the wood. The first coat grips the wood by soaking in, and the follow up coats produce the "plastic" covering for the wood. This produces a very tough one piece coating for the surface.
Hope this helps.
Best Regards JohnZ
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