What's an inexpensive, lightweight wood to use for a display rack?

[Khrysty]

The "rack" I'm building is a little different than a shoebox/sweaterbox rack that we usually build here. It looks more like the RhinoRhaxx display cases, where there are individual housing units with plexiglass doors on each one, etc. I'm wondering what sort of wood would be best to use for this? I'd like it to be fairly lightweight, and as inexpensive as possible without skimping on quality. Any ideas?

 

[bench]

The best wood would be melamine but its definitely not light weight.If you could find PVC or ABS at a good price it would be worth making it out of plastic.This way it would be good quality, lighter then melamine and be better in the long run.Thats just my opinion though.

 

[Khrysty]

Do you think the plastic would melt or let off any fumes when heated?

 

[Khrysty]

..anybody?

 

[Tony C]

If it's hot enough to melt the plastic your geckos are already cooked.

 

[Pure]

I realize I may be a day late and a dollar short for this thread, but wanted to give you my input.

Melamine would actually be "light enough" for your application and IMO may be the most practical choice. If you want wood though. Home Depot carries a very inexpensive plywood type of wood. It's less than 1/4 inches thick making it pretty light weight. It's sold in precut sheets of varying sizes. I think the largest is only 24 by 48 inches, for just a few dollars. If you do or did choose wood, I wouldn't paint it. About the only water proof paint I can think of would be polyurethane. Poly is a great caging paint but I would avoid it for bottoms of a leo rack. Heat + poly paint is very dangerous. It can and will emit VOCs and if for some reason you should ever have the misfortune of it catching fire, it will produce cyanide gass. This is just not worth the risk. The good news is, with leos being a relatively "dry" animal, I would be comfortable with bare wood that has been sanded accordingly (for safety) and covered with paper substrate.

 

[Khrysty]

I realize I may be a day late and a dollar short for this thread, but wanted to give you my input.

Melamine would actually be "light enough" for your application and IMO may be the most practical choice. If you want wood though. Home Depot carries a very inexpensive plywood type of wood. It's less than 1/4 inches thick making it pretty light weight. It's sold in precut sheets of varying sizes. I think the largest is only 24 by 48 inches, for just a few dollars. If you do or did choose wood, I wouldn't paint it. About the only water proof paint I can think of would be polyurethane. Poly is a great caging paint but I would avoid it for bottoms of a leo rack. Heat + poly paint is very dangerous. It can and will emit VOCs and if for some reason you should ever have the misfortune of it catching fire, it will produce cyanide gass. This is just not worth the risk. The good news is, with leos being a relatively "dry" animal, I would be comfortable with bare wood that has been sanded accordingly (for safety) and covered with paper substrate.

Thanks, I'll look into Home Depot when I go to buy supplies. Do you know the name of the wood, by chance? We're constructing the rack during my spring break (which is actually February-March for some odd reason) so we haven't bought anything yet. The outside will be painted, the inside will be sanded down. The floor "substrate" will either be paper or shelf liner.

Here's a basic sketch of what it'll look like. First, each unit is detachable (making it easy to disassemble, reassemble, etc. when I move):

Secondly, this is what the entire thing will look like when put together:

 

[Misstasha]

ooo very cool im d oing something very similar but not as nice lol I'm jus putting four tanks on a book shelf built doors for the back of them, flipped my tanks on their side and and heat the side/bottom of the tank... What is normally the top of the tank is now the back/door... I cant wait til its complete Love how yoours is tho - That will be the next one I make hehe