Are there any waterproof paints/coatings which I can use on Contiboard. I
want to make the inside of a vivarium proof against water spillage.
Thanks

On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 21:13:51 +0100, "Ned" wrote:

Are there any waterproof paints/coatings which I can use on Contiboard.

No, don't even think about using chipboard. Use a good grade of
exterior ply instead.

and the snakes
seem pretty happy with it as well.


How does one actually tell when snakes are happy? They don't seem to wag
their tails or smile.

Rob Graham

"robgraham" wrote in message
...
and the snakes
seem pretty happy with it as well.


How does one actually tell when snakes are happy? They don't seem to wag
their tails or smile.

Rob Graham



g
They bite you less often, are bright and attentive, they eat their dinner
and if you're lucky let you pick them up without wiggling too much.

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 21:13:51 +0100, "Ned" wrote:

Are there any waterproof paints/coatings which I can use on Contiboard.

No, don't even think about using chipboard. Use a good grade of
exterior ply instead.

Have you built one with ply Andy?
What finishing do you have to apply?

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 10:33:37 +0100, "Ned" wrote:

Have you built one with ply Andy?

I've only used solid timber for vivaria and acquaria stands, with a
little ply for making cabinet doors or tops. For the enclosure itself
I've used glass (or mirror), because it's easier to clean and quite
easy to assemble with (the right) silicone.

Terraria are easier to make than aquaria, because the weight of water
is enormous. Even a few big rocks is still lighter than a box entirely
full of water.

If you're making a desert terrarium, then you could make the base from
marine ply. Personally I wouldn't, because I'm still somewhat wary
about potential warping, and it's also a nuisance to join glass sides
to a wooden base. A terrarium still needs to be water resistant.
Cleaning is a wet process, even for a desert terrarium, and spills are
inevitable. If you ever have infection problems, turf the inhabitants
out, lift out the rocks, then carry the whole glass box outdoors and
hosepipe it.

Chipboard is just absolute rubbish within a few feet of water, no
matter what you do to it. If you insist, use Contiplas (melamine
faced) rather than Contiboard (wood veneer). Chipboard with weight on
it also sags over time. Damp chipboard in a similar state does it
while you watch.

What finishing do you have to apply?

Poly varnish is a good start. Avoid yacht & spar varnish, as many of
those of optimised for flexibility, not water resistance.

Best of the lot, and the only stuff I'd trust to seal the plywood
floor, would be Rustin's Plastic Coating, either floor or bar grade.
Stinks like a Komodo dragon's latrine when you apply it, but the fumes
clear up a lot faster than poly's too.

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:31:41 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 21:13:51 +0100, "Ned" wrote:

Are there any waterproof paints/coatings which I can use on Contiboard.

No, don't even think about using chipboard. Use a good grade of
exterior ply instead.


I think that this would be OK for some types of animal, but I wouldn't
want to use it for cases where there is disease risk since the
surfaces need to be regularly cleaned. I guess that a suitable
spirit based varnish would help with that problem though?


..andy

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Andy Hall wrote:

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:31:41 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:


On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 21:13:51 +0100, "Ned" wrote:


Are there any waterproof paints/coatings which I can use on Contiboard.

No, don't even think about using chipboard. Use a good grade of
exterior ply instead.



I think that this would be OK for some types of animal, but I wouldn't
want to use it for cases where there is disease risk since the
surfaces need to be regularly cleaned. I guess that a suitable
spirit based varnish would help with that problem though?




Oh - get a large sheet of galls fiber mat, a gallon of laminatiing
epoxy, and coat the ruddy thing with that.


.andy

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