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OK, Ive ordered some steel to weld together a new tank for my pair of bearded dragons. The tank is going to be 6ftx 3ftx 2.5ft tall. MY quesion is Ive got a sheet of 16 guage for the bottom and I am curious as to whether it will give off any toxic fumes if I were to stick a heater pad to it. The heater pad should heat it up to around 80 degrees or more I think. I am curious to any fumes at all because these animals will be a lot more prone to getting sick from them. Which i dont want because I am goign to start breeding them and selling them. Thanks for the help

Derek

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I used to own a few big pythons and a nice sized boa, I used plywood for the flooring of their cage. The cage I made was 14 foot long, 3 feet wide and about.... 4 foot tall. I hear what your sayin' about the reptiles being super sensitive to stuff, I really dont know the answer to your galvanized question, but I understand your concerns. Do you have to make this cage from metal..... have you thought about using plywood\wood to build it?

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Ive thought about it. I was going to use melamyne (sp?) becasue good stuff is very water resitant and easy to clean but its expensive as shit and heavy. I am good friends with a fairly big breeder considering he does it in his house, He sells his stuff all over Canada, He has usually around 1000 differnet reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids in his house at any given time. He told me he likes the melamyne a lot because its easy. But I want somethign that is fairly light for its size. Im not worried about the steel causing any fumes by itself, Im pretty sure that wont be a problem Im just unsure about when there is a heater pad stuck to it. Ive never owned a snake, msotly because im 17 and my mom wont let me have one. I also own a veiled chameleon and a panther chameleon and after i get the beardy into their new tank im going to hopefully pick up a breeding pair of alligator skinks, which if i can breed will be good money (wholesale is at the very cheapest is around 150$ Cdn. each) Thanks again

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I'd use either wood, or the metal with plexi-glass. Do a frame out of the metal or wood, and make the main panels out of the plexi-glass. It's easier to clean that way and you won't have to worry so much about fumes from the metal. The plexi-glass shouldn't warp or crack under the heat of just the heating pad. My friend has a full shelf unit he built in shop consisting of 5 cages, all using wood and plexi-glass.

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The zink in the galvanizing process is only toxic if you heat the zink to it's boiling point. I don't think you will heat the metal enough to worry about. Try doing a search on zink and I'm sure you'll find out tons more info.

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Ga,vanized will be fine. Work with it all the time. You really ned to throw the shit to it to get any sort of fumigation off of it.. I would suggest some stainless. We get it in by the sheet. I see your only in Toronto. If you want to make the 1.5 hour trip to Buffalo here, I could probably shear ya off some pieces of stainless for next to nothin....... My wife sells shit for Samuel. Get it all the time. i', working on landing a nice piece of stainless, 1/2"X2'X14' for my new workbench!!! :o I am just gonna have to get a small crane in my garage to get it in there....

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working on landing a nice piece of stainless, 1/2"X2'X14' for my new workbench!!!  I am just gonna have to get a small crane in my garage to get it in there....

 

 

 

 

youll need a crane to lift the bags of money required to pay for that!

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youll need a crane to lift the bags of money required to pay for that!

 

Not even close. How's FREE sound?????? I usually get anything I ask for for nothin. If it's on a rack in the building, I can have it 9 times out of 10. The only steel I have paid for in the last 3 years has been my Chromoly tubing for the trucks. Other than that, it's FREE!!!!!!! How jealous are ya now???????? :o:PB):ph34r: I'm gonna have to lock the shop from now on!!!!

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Not even close. How's FREE sound?????? I usually get anything I ask for for nothin. If it's on a rack in the building, I can have it 9 times out of 10. The only steel I have paid for in the last 3 years has been my Chromoly tubing for the trucks. Other than that, it's FREE!!!!!!! How jealous are ya now????????

 

 

 

Jealous, no, I hate you!!

 

 

 

by the way whats your address and when will you be away from home next?

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  • 2 weeks later...

UPDATE:

 

I landed some 304 Stainless on Friday evening. Equivalent to about $1,000. For FREE!!! Instead of 1/2" tick, I went 3/8". A little more manageable, and less weight. Just as sturdy too. I have 4 pcs. 23.5" x 96". I could have had 144" long pieces, but I opted for the 96" and then kept the 48" pieces which I will be using for mobile tool cart/bench. 10" backdrop at the back of the bench, so tools can't find their way falling. loaded it all up on the trailer with a crane, and then unloaded it all by hand. by myself, which sucked. Oh well, got it all in the shop. Now I just have to whip up some frames, and presto!!! Workbenches!!!!! :D I can't wait. I was in there, like a kid in a candy store. Or, a fabricator in a steel distributors building, with free reign......... :blink::unsure:

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Not even close. How's FREE sound?????? I usually get anything I ask for for nothin. If it's on a rack in the building, I can have it 9 times out of 10. The only steel I have paid for in the last 3 years has been my Chromoly tubing for the trucks. Other than that, it's FREE!!!!!!! How jealous are ya now????????

 

 

 

Jealous, no, I hate you!!

 

 

 

by the way whats your address and when will you be away from home next?

Can I have some stainless too???

See it doesn't work for me. /me kicks rock. <_<

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