[bwoodfield]

April 25th
Our poor little leopard gecko, Buffy is rapidly outgrowing her 10 gal tank that she currently calls home. After checking out many of the great viv's that other GU members have shared I figured that this would be a great project to do.

I recently acquired a old aquarium from a friend. He used to have a bearded dragon in it until about 4-5 years ago the power went out in his house during the winter and the temperature dropped to about 12 degrees in the house. The poor dragon got sick and died not long after. He decided that he didn't want to get another and the tank has been unused since then. During a recent move the tank was damaged and put outside where it's been for the last 2 years.



It's a 90 gal (19.25w X 22h X 48L) which is REALLY HUGE for one little leo, but as you can see in the picture the one side is quite damaged. The bottom of the tank is about in the same shape with a spider web of cracks radiating from the center where the tank was resting on top of a stone. My plan is to cut the tank down to a 45 gal (19.25h X 22w X 24L) with a sliding doors in the front.

Using various methods I was able to dismantle the tank in about 3 hrs. I found that the best method was a thin scraper and a Olfa case cutter slowly working my way along the joints. After removing the good end and the two sides I disposed of the many pieces of broken glass from the bottom and broken end. Using a glass cutter I cut the two 48" sides in half, then cut one of the pieces down again to create a new end (19.25 x 22). When cutting the back piece I had a bad cut with the glass and it left a 5" long by 1 inch piece that didn't break off. When I saw it I new it meant trouble but I had to try and remove it. I carefully scored over the glass again to ensure I had the entire line marked, taped and clamped both sides of the score line to give each piece as much strength as possible. I then carefully began tapping along the scored area while applying pressure to the small problem area. Tap, tap tap.. CRACK. The entire back piece split in 3. Needless to say there was a great deal of swearing and I now have to order a new piece for the back.

NOTE: If you have never handled or cut glass before I would suggest taking the pieces to a professional to cut them for you. Working with glass can be tricky, especially thick aquarium glass like this. If you don't cut the glass properly you can end up ruining a piece (like I did) or in severe situations have it violently shattering with shards flying all over (and yes I've seen that happen as well). Always where safety glasses and gloves when you handle and cut glass. The glass can be replaced, your eyes and fingers can't. I have past experience working with glass from working in a frame shop and I was still nervous about cutting this 1/4 inch thick glass. I've recently gotten 14 staples put in my arm from a mishap with glass, and I got away lucky at that. No tendon damage, and no major arteries hit.

So I've gotten all the piece cut (except the back.. grrrr ), cleaned all the old silicon off and gave them each a good cleaning. I'm going to go to Home Depot Tuesday to see if they have some E channel for the front doors, and get a hold of some glass places and find out how much a new back piece will cost.

April 28th
I ordered some 6mm glass from a local window and door place here in Winnipeg to replace my broken back piece and I was finally able to start construction of the new Viv.
I started by laying the bottom piece on my workbench then putting packing tape on to each of the edges to help hold it together while the silicone sets.



I added a bead to the bottom of the first side then carefully put it in place. I gave it a small wiggle from side to side to make sure the silicone spreads out nicely, and flip the pieces of tape up to hold it in place. I also used a heavy weight to keep the side vertical while I get the other pieces ready.



While I was moving pieces of glass around I knocked over the 2nd side and broke the corner. I can't afford to get another piece right now and I also don't want to wait so I used the silicone adhesive and put the corner back together.



Once the corner was set I continued and put the side piece on. I now am getting an idea of the size the tank is going to be.



I continued on and put on the top let the silicone set for an hour then taped off the inside edges of the tank. With the tape their it helps keep the edges nice and clean. Once the silicone is on, I simply peal the tape off before it sets and I have a nice clean edge. Using my gloved finger I ran it along the edge to evenly spread the silicone and give it a nice seal.




Here is the tank with the E track also installed. Now to let it site for a couple of days and let the silicone completely cure.

[bwoodfield]

April 30th

At first I was planning on using expanding foam (Great Stuff) to build the interior rock walls. I covered the entire inside with plastic wrap so I could take the foam out after it cured and then started spraying the foam around the corners in the shaped I wanted. After about 12 hrs I came back and found that the foam had spread only slightly and really didn't expand at all. With the plastic wrap underneath I was able to pop the foam out of place and take the entire thing out.

So taking a page from all the other viv builds I went to the hardware store and picked up some foam insulation. A 2' x 8' piece of foam and a tube of No-Nail cost me about $30, about the same as the two cans of spray foam. Thinking back now I should have gone this route in the first place. The foam board is simple to cut and put in place, and I can get the shapes I want with very little trouble. It also doesn't take 12-24 hrs to cure.

Start of cut


I added a tunnel to the one side





Once the look was how I wanted it I disassembled the entire thing and glued it in a way so I can take it apart in large, easy to assemble pieces. Once dry I'm going to start carving the foam into a more rock-like look and adding the ramps.

May 3

Over the weekend I was able to finish up the carving and started the grouting. At first I was thinking about using a razor blade to carve the foam into a "rockish" pattern but just a small amount of carving took a really long time. Instead I pulled out my Dremel and put a grinding head on. In the photo's it's a sanding head but I found that using it caused my Dremel to heat up really quick, for the remainder of the carving I used a grinding stone instead. It provided a courser grit and faster carve time. I also grabbed my shop-vac and held it in the other hand to catch the constant foam dust that was being kicked out.




Final look after carving


Tunnel


Tunnel without the top on


Top Hide


Opening under tunnel for moist hide


Moist Hide


For the Grouting I'm using a sanded, polymer fortified grout.


Grouting



Dry after the first coat



May 5, 2011
Quick update. Got the second coat of grout on last night. Letting it dry before painting.




May 8th.
Whoo hoo busy weekend. I finally got the grout sealer on Saturday afternoon. Reading the instructions on it earlier this week and it states that you need to wait 48 hrs for new grout to cure before sealing.... . I hate waiting but I had to anyways. I used a kitchen and bath grade grout sealer because I wanted the assurance that it was water resistant, and figured that if it was ok to have around food, it must be ok to use in the tank. I put a good coat on all flat surfaces where there is a chance that it may come in contact with water, or Buffy might pee on, along with the entire are surrounding where the moist hide will go.




I left the sealer overnight to make sure it was completely dry. The container states 3 hrs, but I wanted to be sure. In the mean time I was also working on the stand. More about that later though. This morning I started painting the rock surface. I used Behr Interior & Exterior Premium Plus Ultra. Home depot has sample bottles for $5 each. A 1 qt sells for $25 so I was happy that I would be able to get my 3 colours that I wanted for less than 1 qt of regular price. The paint has the lowest VOC of any paint on the market, and it's safe to get wet.


I started with a dark grey-brown called "Dark Cavern", sounded appropriate for the look I wanted.


I then added a second coat called wood brown.


And finished off with a "early frost"


Here is a couple of shots of the entire thing painted.



I also cut down the acrylic for the doors and drilled in the vent holes.



Finally in the home stretch of the build.

May 16th

Finally got the finishing touches completed on the viv. The stand was put into the living room and the tank brought up from the basement. I've used 3 inch slate tile on the bottom of the tank for substrate. They fit across the tank perfectly and only had to cut small pieces for the back.


Once the tile was cut and put into place I fit all the foam rock in again to ensure everything fit correctly.


Because the tiles are not perfectly flat were some slightly open spots on the bottom of the foam so I used some really thin tiles to "plug" the holed to avoid any crickets from crawling under. I also added small stones in to the spaces at the corners of the tiles.

Here is the entire set-up with the tank on the stand.




For a light box I copied fallenanglefire's design with a double white and red CFL bulbs. I did make one change, I used a 3-way switch instead of two standard switches.

White


Red


When I first strung the UTH cable there was about 3-4 ft left that I didn't attach to the bottom of the tank. After leaving the tank for a few days I found that it would only reach about 90-91F with it usually around 85-88 so I ripped it all off and re-attached it using the remaining tape. After about 3 hrs the tank had reached 90f (up from 75 when re-attaching) so I'm leaving the tank again for a few days to see what the temperature is holding at. Once I'm sure it's stable I will be moving Buffy to her new home.

DONE!

[LzzrdBoy]

I Love this! Great job so far. Looks like you and I are right on track with completing ours around the same time. I am eagerly awaiting the finished project photos so make sure you share when you're able.

NICE!

[bwoodfield]

Originally Posted by LzzrdBoy

I Love this! Great job so far. Looks like you and I are right on track with completing ours around the same time. I am eagerly awaiting the finished project photos so make sure you share when you're able.

NICE!

Thanks!!

I'm really enjoying building this. I was hoping to get more work done on it this week but work has taken priority. Being a software developer and on-call tends to put a damper on having a life.

I have a long way to go yet. I've gotten the first coat of grout on 1/2 of the pieces so far. The other half is one big piece and I'm hoping it will go quicker.

Once the interior of the tank is complete I still need to build the stand. I'm going to be modeling it after some end tables we have at home.



I'm also planning on building a frame around the entire tank, similar to a normal tank edging, but covering all the edges. The glass has some war-wounds from being outside and from when I was taking it apart and the edging will help hide them.

In the pictures you can see the "E" track that I installed. I have the plexi-glass already for it. I just need to cut it down to fit. Because the top and sides are solid I'm going to be drilling holes along the top and bottom of the doors to allow for ventilation

[LzzrdBoy]

Originally Posted by bwoodfield

Thanks!!

I'm really enjoying building this. I was hoping to get more work done on it this week but work has taken priority. Being a software developer and on-call tends to put a damper on having a life.

Wow...talk about ironic. I'm also a s/w developer and on-call systems and 400 admin. Very funny we're both in the same industry and are working on the same crap at home as well. Love the idea for the stand. I ended up taking a different route last night. I've been back and forth with the idea of rearranging our game room and as I stood there thinking about it last night, a giant heat lamp appeared above my head. The hutch we currently keep the projection tv on for gaming is the perfect size for showcasing Neo's setup. So, I cleared the rearrange with the Wife and began to disconnect the 127 wires running around the room. When all was done, the entire video/audio setup was relocated to the side of the room instead of the end where the hutch is. For now, Neo's 10 gallon is sitting there but when the Viv is completed it will look fantastic.

Here's a pic of the room I took before we bought the house 3 years ago. The hutch is the small white cabinet looking thing between the two closet doors. The kewl thing about this is Neo will have all the sun in the day time as it sits right beneath the window.


Point is, I don't have to make a stand now and that's goodness as I suck when it comes to working with wood. I do however look forward to seeing how yours turns out. There's nothing like the clean look of a custom built anything. Good luck and keep us informed.

[krazykoleen]

I'm new to this forum but found your post you are doing an awesome job on this!!! Your geckos are gonna really love there new home! I can't wait to see the final pics.

[bwoodfield]

Small update today, shots after the second coat of grout. Letting everything dry now before I give it a light sanding and start to paint.

[LzzrdBoy]

Originally Posted by bwoodfield

Small update today, shots after the second coat of grout. Letting everything dry now before I give it a light sanding and start to paint.

Looks good! I like the idea of using the grinding stone instead of sanding by hand or carving. I may have to try that when I add the two additional side panels I'm working on. Thanks for sharing.

[bwoodfield]

I figured I would also add in a small bit about the stand I'm building for the tank. I missed taking pictures while I was building the main part of the stand itself, but it's a fairly simple design if anyone wants it. I still have the front door and back to complete and put on and a few spots of stain to touch up before putting on the polyurethane. Being a duffus I cut the door and assembled it before putting the stand together, something that I know better than doing. Of course the door ended up being about 1/16th of an inch too big so there is no way that I can use it. I'll have to either rip it apart (considering I use industrial adhesive and my air nailer, good luck with that) or re-cut the entire thing which I'm out of wood at the moment. It's only a door so it could probably wait. The backing is going to be simple 1/8th hardwood board. Once I have the polyurethane on I'll tack on the back.



While building it I had a bit of a funky idea to do a carved front decorative board. I found a line drawing of a gecko on the internet, slightly modified it in Photoshop and then printed a copy and a mirrored copy.



I then took a black oil pastel and covered the back of the image to act like a carbon paper.


Then I taped the image down to the board and took a pencil, drawing over the entire drawing.


I duplicated it for the other side and got my dremel out with the router head and carefully went over the images of the geckos.


Now that I have the initial carved in shape I can take a light engravers bit at work at the image some more to make it stand out better.

May 11th

Once the images on the board were good to go I stained the board with coffee. Yes, coffee.

To make coffee wood stain I mix 1 part dark roast coffee (the darker the better) with 4 parts boiling water then let it steep and cool overnight. The outcome is a heavy dark coffee, much like an espresso. I then strain out the coffee grounds and my wood stain is ready to go. Unlike regular stain though it's environmentally friendly, non-poisonous (at least to people), and other than a "stale coffee" smell no fumes. I have no fear of getting it on my hands when working with it. The only thing is you have to put on multiple coats. For the stand and decorative board I only used two coats but I have other projects that I've used 4-5 coats and they turned out great. The more you add, the darker it gets. Just make sure you let it dry somewhat between coats else your wood will become saturated and possibly warp.

Here is the wood just after the first coat of coffee.


And after it dried


As previously mentioned I did 2 coats of stain and then once the board was dry I was able to put the polyurethane on the stand and board. Once the that was complete, I attached the board to the stand, added the feet (nylon sliders) and brought it upstairs to it's new home.


Just a few more touch-ups in the aquarium itself then it will be read to be put in place.

[panthergecko]

cool. looks great