Slowly but Surely

[Oldbattleaxe]

Slowly but surely the long box project is coming along. I'm trying to finish the bottom box first, it's for the redfoots, and I'm sealing the bottom with flex-seal, and up the inside 6". Unfortunately, flex-seal, which I was so excited to try, makes me physically ill. I'm gonna put in one more coat, but I've got to wait until the rain from the gulf has passed, so it might be a day or two.

My hubby is calling around getting glass prices. For those of you who have done this before, is 1/4" tempered the way to go one can I get away with 3/16"? What thickness works for you?
Sophie's box, will be the middle one, I still need to put in a substrate barrier, and I'm not sure how I'm going to waterproof it because I'm sure as shootin' not using flex-seal!
Slagathor's box will be on the top, and I've barely started it.
I'm working in the house most of the time because it too dang hot. It was 102 at 4:00pm just the other day, and by 9:00am its to hot to be out.
I had a few pieces of plywood left over from this project, and I used them to put this together this morning.
I will have to buy hinges, and a couple of 1x2s for the screened lid. So from 5 sheets of plywood, I got the parts for 3 long boxes and a 4x4 mini-yard with one piece of 2x2 plywood left over. As always, advice begged and groveled for, and much appreciated.

 

[daniellenc]

Looks amazing!!

 

[AmberD]

Those are fantastic! We are eventually going to build something similar. I am also curious about the tempered glass.
If you don't mind me asking, what about the flex-seal makes you ill? Is it the fumes? I was thinking of using it as well.
Thanks!

 

[Oldbattleaxe]

Yeah, the fumes. It doesn't smell to bad but the fumes are murder.

 

[teresaf]

The fumes are pretty strong. But it really is kind of worth it. Perhaps you can get someone else to do it for you? Make sure there's time to cure really well before you put a tortoise closed up in it.

If you go to Lowe's or hardware store of some sort they have different thicknesses of plexiglass that you can ask them to cut for you. They're lighter weight so it be easier to open and close. And low cost.

No oil based paint. Oil based paint would coat the interior very well however it would take a month or more for the smell to go away enough to put your tortoise in it.

 

[Oldbattleaxe]

Well, I got the second coat done and had a little left over so I used it on the bottom seams and a little of the floor of box two. Instead of buying another thirty dollar can, I opted to try the 12.99 spray-can flex seal, and bought it in black so I could tell how much coverage I got. It barely covered what was left. Also it clogged easily, and sputtered quite a bit. It was still far easyer to work with though. The 30 dollar brush on can still covered a lot more area, with multiple coats.

 

[Oldbattleaxe]

You know that part of the flex seal commercial where they repair a cracked pot and then cover it up with paint?
That part cracks me up.

 

[teresaf]

I like that look. Now I know how to get it on demand! Cooooool.

 

[Oldbattleaxe]

Getting the wiring done.
4 coats of paint in, and I still can't cover the flex seal. Fixing to give up on that part. Here's all the parts gathered and ready for box two.
I'll keep updating as I go, but once again I hafta ask those who've done this before what glass thickness they used. Gonna try to buy the glass tomorrow or the day after. Thanks in advance, guys! Decided against plexiglass, because the torts are likely to scratch it up.

 

[Oldbattleaxe]

Getting there, little by little. The 8 coats of paint that we used to cover the flex seal had to be pulled up, because it was already peeling.
I've decided to custom build a nice foresty background, but it'll have to be later, after I've finished the third box and built a few more runs outside.

We don't have the glass yet, but the boxes are nearly done otherwise. Still need to build the backgrounds and do the planting.