My new gecko rack!

[LeapinLizards]

Well it's been a long time coming, and finally is halfway done! This is my birthday/Christmas present this year. I think it turned out beautifully. We made it out of 3/4" Birch finished wood, and two 1x4s up the sides. I will be either staining or just sealing it with something non toxic...either bees wax finish, or something along those lines to be sure it is not giving off any sort of fumes, or VOCs. It stands 80.5" tall, and 46" wide, and has 40 adult/hatchling tubs, and 4 breeding tubs (tubs bought from The Container Store). I will be ordering all the heat tape, and the Herpstat Thermostat tomorrow from thebeanfarm.com, so the whole thing should be up and running in no time! I cannot tell you how excited I am...all in time for this next breeding season :main_yes:

 

[eric]

W0W! Looks amazing! Great Job!

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

What a GREAT rack system!!! You are really going to like those Iris tubs, too!

 

[PacHerp]

That so totally ROCKS!!! Huge congrats! That must have been a pretty good amount of work... it looks fantastic!

 

[LeapinLizards]

Thanks guys My father is a very good carpenter and artist...he does some amazing things with wood (you should see his birdhouses, and drawings!), so I just let him run with it, and I think it turned out great. I cannot wait to get them all set up!

Marcia, the Iris tubs are AMAZING...I would much rather go this route than other brands. These tubs are SO very easy to clean!

 

[LeapinLizards]

That so totally ROCKS!!! Huge congrats! That must have been a pretty good amount of work... it looks fantastic!

It took about 3 hours...not too bad at all! My dad cutting and measuring everything, and I was gluing and nailing it all together It went together rather easily.

 

[hondawingsfly]

looks nice, the cuts are all smooth and even, your dad must be a pro

 

[LeapinLizards]

looks nice, the cuts are all smooth and even, your dad must be a pro

In all honesty, this rack is maybe a teeny tiny percentage of his ability :main_yes: He really is the most amazing wood worker I've ever seen in my life, and I'm not just saying that because he's my father! He does old fashioned pictures out of wood pieces like puzzles, 8-10 feet tall huge birdhouses, his drawings and paintings are amazing. He is a true artist by all means.

 

[JBGecko]

What size tubs did you use?

I must say it looks very nice, gives alot of good ideas. Good job!:main_thumbsup:

 

[Halley]

That looks great Heather.

 

[LeapinLizards]

JBGecko - I'm using the Men's Shoe Box size from The Container Store, and their Boot Box size as well. I have 40 of the Men's Shoe Box, and 4 of the Boot Box.

Men's Shoe Box = ~ 14.55 quarts...I'll be using that for both adults and babies.
Boot Box = ~ 30.89...I'll be using these for breeding pairs, and for my old female that is spoiled rotten (she was my first gecko).

And thanks Nick, I am very happy with it!

 

[Ultrakd]

Great rack, man that is awsome. Hopefully we wont need any more racks, at least soon.

 

[LeapinLizards]

Thanks It was a blast to make! If it didn't weigh so dang much I would start making them and shipping them for people. My father INSISTED upon a nice, thick wood though...and I'll be the last to complain. At least it's ready for the new season. I don't expect to fill it up, but who knows!

 

[MSMD]

Very nice, Heather! That's definitely a nice present! :yes: You'll be amazed at how quickly you fill that! :main_laugh: You'll have lots of fun doing it, though! :yes:

 

[LeapinLizards]

Oh DEFINITELY! With my new additions that I'll be getting soon I'll have 9 adults come springtime, at least 7 of which will be breeding. Should be a fun learning experience in the least!!

 

[Halley]

I just have to ask now though.

What makes Iris tubs better than the rest? Is it the flat bottoms, the type of plastic, or both?

 

[LeapinLizards]

From what I've seen, they are superior. The bottoms are flat, making them quick and extremely easy to get thoroughly clean. I have a couple other tubs I've been using with the two hatchlings I had this year...I believe the brand was KIS or something like that. They are great tubs, but the bottoms have 4 little square indented spots (in each corner, for the feet on the bottom) that make cleaning them that much harder.

The plastic that the IRIS tubs are made out of seems extremely sturdy. It is clear, strong plastic. The pricing is actually great as well. The tubs I got come 20 to a box, for $3.40 each, IMO that's not bad for a 14 qt tub. 6 qt tubs you buy in stores are $1.99 each. The only bad thing about them is that if you do not have a Container Store near you, shipping can get a little expensive. I am lucky enough to have one about an hour away.

 

[jakemyster44]

that looks great! I hope to be making a smaller rack, somewhat like that, ver soon... doesnt it pay to have dads that are skilled with wood working? lol, I have several shelves made already...

 

[cj.thomas21]

Dang you got skills a building rack systems. It looks great.

 

[LeapinLizards]

Thanks Jake and CJ. It really pays to be anal retentive sometimes My father and I are just alike...when you're an artist, in any aspect of the word, detail is something you obsess over Lucky for me, my father happens to be a genius with wood, and has a great eye!

Besides this rack system, almost every piece of furniture in our house was built by my father...beds, shelves, coffee tables, etc. You think that rack is neat, you need to see some of his custom bird houses and other crafts! He's very hard to convince that what he does is amazing.