Safe tortoise table

[Kathryn Shults]

Is there a safe way to stain and seal a tortoise table?

 

[domagoj]

Just use pond liner. I wouldn't trust any kind of paint or stain. Shower curtain should also work. On the parts your tort can't reach you can pretty much use what you want.

 

[deadheadvet]

Best to not use wood if it can be avoided. Can not be cleaned properly and the wood will eventually rot from urine , feces, and substrate. Depending on your construction capabilities, PVC trim boars work very well for the enclosure. If you prefer buying it with assembly required, Animal plastics make excellent enclosures for tortoises. There are pre cut screens on top for lighting and vents cut in for heat release. Excellent product. They now have a version where the glass doors will swing out instead of slide, that would be the type I would recommend.
http://www.apcages.com/home/

 

[ZEROPILOT]

For water sealing I use fiberglass resin applied with a paint brush. Not the fiberglass mat. Just the resin with hardener.
It's nasty stuff, but is 100% safe after it cures and is very hard, smooth and is easy to clean and discourages climbing.
It would make any wood (Or anything else) completely waterproof.

 

[Tom]

Is it an open table or a closed chamber?

This question comes up frequently and there just isn't a good answer. Paint products bought at any hardware store are just not made to be constantly wet, and I'm told by the paint company reps and hardware store managers, than anything they sell will not hold up to our methods of usage. Not even epoxy based stuff.

I used 3 coats of "Dry-Lok" on an enclosure and that has been holding up for over a year now. In the past I used some very expensive ($130 per gallon can…) non-toxic boat paint that was made to be submerged, and that seemed to work just fine after to weeks with a fan to air out the fumes before use. I've thought about the fiberglass resin thing that ZEROPILOT mentioned and I can't see any reason why that would not work, but I've never tried it myself. I think you'd need some sort of respirator to apply that stuff in a closed chamber and it wouldn't be easy.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Is it an open table or a closed chamber?

This question comes up frequently and there just isn't a good answer. Paint products bought at any hardware store are just not made to be constantly wet, and I'm told by the paint company reps and hardware store managers, than anything they sell will not hold up to our methods of usage. Not even epoxy based stuff.

I used 3 coats of "Dry-Lok" on an enclosure and that has been holding up for over a year now. In the past I used some very expensive ($130 per gallon can…) non-toxic boat paint that was made to be submerged, and that seemed to work just fine after to weeks with a fan to air out the fumes before use. I've thought about the fiberglass resin thing that ZEROPILOT mentioned and I can't see any reason why that would not work, but I've never tried it myself. I think you'd need some sort of respirator to apply that stuff in a closed chamber and it wouldn't be easy.

It stinks. Lots of fumes.
Make sure you have good ventilation and wear gloves and long sleeves. Messy stuff.
Once it cures, it's great. Then no smell, either.
I use it for lots of things because I get it very inexpensively from an auto paint and supply that is owned by a friend.

 

[Yvonne G]

GBTortoises used outdoor paint. I'll try to find his thread for you to read.

 

[Yvonne G]

Here it is:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/painting-the-enclosure.11121/#post-96233

He has pictures posted on the Forum someplace too. He has many indoor habitats.

 

[Yvonne G]

Gosh that was easy...I found his pictures:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/painting-inside-the-enclosure.41628/#post-401617

 

[Tom]

GBTortoises used outdoor paint. I'll try to find his thread for you to read.

That was for indoor, open tortoise tables, if I recall...

 

[nicole.graves]

Does anyone have experience using spar urethane sealant? I've seen many tortoise builds that say it is safe and works well.