My first rack attempt

[Izzy]

Hi gents,

So after asking you guys for some rack builders in the Jhb/Pta aria it became apparent that I would have to tackle this project myself, so into the darkness i went. I decided to build a small rack system to suit my current demand, with the mind that i can expand as i go later. So after reading through the current topics i came across a drawing of a 5 tub system that Kakibos made and it immediately jumped at me. Sufficed to say his plan was simple to read and ever so easy to build big thanks to you Kakibos!

I have decided to make 4 grooves in each shelf to lay heat cable in and just there lays my problem. As far a i can see heat wire comes in pre packed lents, so do you simply start laying the wire at one end and join it when you run out or do you buy 5 cables and wire each shelf separately. I am no electrical expert so i am not sure if option 1 will still give the "heat" as stated on the packaging and as for option 2 all that excess wiring that will be laying behind the cage seems like a fire waiting to happen. Is it possible that someone can supply me perhaps with a photo of how the wiring looks like in the back of their rack system? as for the build i will post pics as soon as i am done with it.

Thanks in advance

[reptilefeeders]

Hello Izzy

As far as I know you cannot connect the heating wire together to make one length. You would have use one wire to fill up how many shelves you can and then use a new wire for the next shelves and then run all the connectors to your thermostat

[Kakibos]

Glad I could assist Izzy.
reptilefeeders is right. I found that if you connect two or three cables together you loose a lot off heat,
don't know why! So rather do what reptilefeeders said and use multiple cables.
Post some pics when your finished.

[brentraf]

Hey Izzy

About joining the cable I'm pretty sure that will boost the risk of fires. Rather try to find a long length for each shelf that way you are just getting that extra bit of security for your snakes.

[it_bit_me]

2 Cables run this entire setup. You can't run them in series

2 Rows on shelf 1 & 2
3 Rows on shelf 3 & 4
Look at the colour of the cable .It gives the perfect heat.




You might not understand this

It looks like this

[it_bit_me]

The cables are both 20W. The yellow is 4.6m ,blue is 6.6m
The heat would be beter with 5cm between the gooves.

[Tarka]

Thanks it_bit_me! Now even I understand how to use heat cable. Simple really.

[Chameleon Company]

It_bit_me, I must say that is some of the best effort I have seen on a post, pour yourself a Bell's! Very nice!

[it_bit_me]

Thanks, make that a double.

[Izzy]

Hi gents. Sorry i've been out of commision on this thread. It had slipped my mind that i made it. Many thanks this is precisely the response i was hoping for. As murphy's law would want it, i kinda went my own route and it turned out to be exactly the same as described here. I will post pics asap.

[Izzy]

Right, here we go then, from start to finish. If the image sizes are dodgy i apologize in advance.

[Izzy]

And the rest....

I would like the thank Kakibos for the easy to follow plan and it_bit_me for the help with the wire layout, hopefully this will help someone else in the future as well. I have been running this rack for about a month now and can report that is works great, yes it not as pro as a freedom breeder rack but at around R1500 it sure does the job and beats the price hands down! So if you not planning on keeping a horde of BP this should get you off in the right direction at least till the bug bites hard.....

Thank you all for your input and advice once again it really helped!

[Kakibos]

Looks good Izzy, nicely done!

[it_bit_me]

It's nice seeing the stages of the build, I just completed my massive beauty of an cage and I'm kicking myself for not taking progress pics.

The piece of wood you use to get the height for the next shelf is very cool. Without it the build is kinda useless.

[Izzy]

Thx gents you are too kind This was just for starters, i am sure i will out grow this cage quickly, but for a first go it gave me a fair idea of what is required, as for the piece of wood well i learnt a new trick in the interim on youtube, people seem to build the rack upside down and use CD's for spacers which gives a nice gap between the shelf and the tube! Please post more rack pics as it give me and i'm sure others a good idea of what it takes to make one. Now if we can only get someone to post plans of a freedom breeder type rack system....