Wood Base Instructions

[maxgirlie]

I'm now considering just nailing boards together and making my own base for my baby enclosure (will add a greenhouse tent). Can anyone point me to an existing thread that might walk me through this? Probably a dumb question but I literally have no woodworking experience at all. I'm hoping I can just buy the right dimensions of wood so no sawing would be required. Thank you!

 

[Daffodil]

I'm now considering just nailing boards together and making my own base for my baby enclosure (will add a greenhouse tent). Can anyone point me to an existing thread that might walk me through this? Probably a dumb question but I literally have no woodworking experience at all. I'm hoping I can just buy the right dimensions of wood so no sawing would be required. Thank you!

If you build your own, please take photos as you go and, if you have the time, write up how you did it! I’d love to build my own now, but I have zero woodworking and construction skills, too.

 

[Daffodil]

Are you going to use regular wood or pvc?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

One thing that comes to mind is looking up how to build raised garden beds with bottoms or even raised garden beds with legs. You might need to adjust the dimensions, but the structural advice applies. Use untreated wood and avoid cedar. Line the inside with a pondliner.

 

[maxgirlie]

Are you going to use regular wood or pvc?

Regular wood.

 

[maxgirlie]

One thing that comes to mind is looking up how to build raised garden beds with bottoms or even raised garden beds with legs. You might need to adjust the dimensions, but the structural advice applies. Use untreated wood and avoid cedar. Line the inside with a pondliner.

I was just asking AI, haha. So it DOES need a bottom. I was wondering about that.. because we have to use a pond liner anyway and it's filled with substrate, so I wasn't sure. Is that just so it doesn't potentially dig a hole in the liner?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I was just asking AI, haha. So it DOES need a bottom. I was wondering about that.. because we have to use a pond liner anyway and it's filled with substrate, so I wasn't sure. Is that just so it doesn't potentially dig a hole in the liner?

Yeah, and the bottom will help with the substrate weight, and the pond liner will last longer.

 

[maxgirlie]

Yeah, and the bottom will help with the substrate weight, and the pond liner will last longer.

Does the bottom usually need reinforced, do you know?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Here are some instructions with photos. This one is made to last soil, so it should bear the weight of the wet substrate too. You want to line the bottom and the inside walls with pond liner.

You want to make a bigger box of course:

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed with Legs - Angela Marie Made

Learn how to build a raised garden bed with legs! This cedar DIY raised garden bed is easy to build, looks great, and is elevated for easy planting!

angelamariemade.com

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Have you looked into shelving units? You can find ones with deep enough sides sometimes, just needs removable shelves and laying flat

 

[Tom]

I'm now considering just nailing boards together and making my own base for my baby enclosure (will add a greenhouse tent). Can anyone point me to an existing thread that might walk me through this? Probably a dumb question but I literally have no woodworking experience at all. I'm hoping I can just buy the right dimensions of wood so no sawing would be required. Thank you!

Wood is not a good way to go. It will rot even with a liner, and there is nothing you can buy at the store that will protect it. Its best to use a material that is impervious to water.

Here is one example:

New Stack of Animal Plastics CLosed Chambers

AKA: Tom's baby emporium. @GStars asked for a pic on my new baby raising enclosures the other day. I only had a partial, but I took a fuller one today. Each cage is 96x30 and divided in the middle into two 48x30 cages for starting babies. The colored tape on each upper right corner shows the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Wood is not a good way to go. It will rot even with a liner, and there is nothing you can buy at the store that will protect it. Its best to use a material that is impervious to water.

Here is one example:

New Stack of Animal Plastics CLosed Chambers

AKA: Tom's baby emporium. @GStars asked for a pic on my new baby raising enclosures the other day. I only had a partial, but I took a fuller one today. Each cage is 96x30 and divided in the middle into two 48x30 cages for starting babies. The colored tape on each upper right corner shows the...

tortoiseforum.org

I’ve seen a few members with wooden bases lined well last quite some time, probably not forever, but a good long while, talking years, though I would agree water proof is even better

 

[maxgirlie]

Wood is not a good way to go. It will rot even with a liner, and there is nothing you can buy at the store that will protect it. Its best to use a material that is impervious to water.

Here is one example:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/new-stack-of-animal-plastics-closed-chambers.165626/[/UL

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I’ve seen a few members with wooden bases lined well last quite some time, probably not forever, but a good long while, talking years, though I would agree water proof is even better

I'll prob go back to the galvanized metal idea and just buy a pre-made raised bed. Any idea the best way to add a bottom to one of those? Any other considerations?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

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I'll prob go back to the galvanized metal idea and just buy a pre-made raised bed. Any idea the best way to add a bottom to one of those? Any other considerations?

Sounds good, it’ll definitely do the job, I’d personally just get a solid base board that’s the same size(preferably slightly bigger so it sits nicer) perhaps a melamine board, then rest the frame on that, so long as it’s lined well, you won’t have to worry about moisture from the substrate getting through, it’ll be more the condensation dripping down from the cover, but again, if you can line so it’s going all over the sides, then pin the lining in place with the topper, you should be good to gohopefully all that made some kind of sense

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Sounds good, it’ll definitely do the job, I’d personally just get a solid base board that’s the same size(preferably slightly bigger so it sits nicer) perhaps a melamine board, then rest the frame on that, so long as it’s lined well, you won’t have to worry about moisture from the substrate getting through, it’ll be more the condensation dripping down from the cover, but again, if you can line so it’s going all over the sides, then pin the lining in place with the topper, you should be good to gohopefully all that made some kind of sense

Then if you wanted to raise it off the floor slightly, you could perhaps put a bunch of cinder blocks underneath or something

 

[seanbaker1]

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I'll prob go back to the galvanized metal idea and just buy a pre-made raised bed. Any idea the best way to add a bottom to one of those? Any other considerations?

I used a 4x8 grow tray with a 4x8 greenhouse on top. Works great. There are lots of used grow trays around here, I found one for $40. I think they are often used for marijuana, so tons around here. Not sure about Florida.

 

[maxgirlie]

I used a 4x8 grow tray with a 4x8 greenhouse on top. Works great. There are lots of used grow trays around here, I found one for $40. I think they are often used for marijuana, so tons around here. Not sure about Florida.

How tall are the sides of yours? The ones I'm seeing don't seem very tall.

 

[maxgirlie]

Sounds good, it’ll definitely do the job, I’d personally just get a solid base board that’s the same size(preferably slightly bigger so it sits nicer) perhaps a melamine board, then rest the frame on that, so long as it’s lined well, you won’t have to worry about moisture from the substrate getting through, it’ll be more the condensation dripping down from the cover, but again, if you can line so it’s going all over the sides, then pin the lining in place with the topper, you should be good to gohopefully all that made some kind of sense

Could this possibly work?

 

[maxgirlie]

Sounds good, it’ll definitely do the job, I’d personally just get a solid base board that’s the same size(preferably slightly bigger so it sits nicer) perhaps a melamine board, then rest the frame on that, so long as it’s lined well, you won’t have to worry about moisture from the substrate getting through, it’ll be more the condensation dripping down from the cover, but again, if you can line so it’s going all over the sides, then pin the lining in place with the topper, you should be good to gohopefully all that made some kind of sense

Or even this?

 

[seanbaker1]

How tall are the sides of yours? The ones I'm seeing don't seem very tall.

They are not very deep, 6 to 8 inches i think. You can put some thin plywood or pvc sheet around the edges, depending on how large your tort is.