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Scroll down the page for instructions on cages, stacks, stacking, etc.. Please read all instructions before assembling cages, these must go together in a specific order...
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Pro-Line Modular Single cage assembly.
These cages are built to be easy to assemble. In order to do it this way we have taken the extra steps in the build process to make it easy for you. The cages use interlocking dovetail joints. The cages interlocking joinery is stronger than a cage with 20 times the amount of screws.
Please READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS before building your cage.
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| To start off this is what your finished cage should look like. |
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| Right is a video to give you the basics of cage assembly. I'm sorry I don't have a fancy looking place to shoot video in, we just shot it in the back of the shop. I am not a video guru so bear with the poor quality video. It really only takes minute to assemble a cage.
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| Step by step how to assemble instructions |
Step by step instructions right on your PC with pics throughout to make it that much easier. We are not including paper instructions as it is a waste of paper.
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| Lay your panels out, so you have them ready to assemble. Set out your screws, have a Phillips head screw driver handy, (screw gun if you have one).
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| Left is an end panel the there are sliding dovetail channels top, bottom, and back, the front is the open ended rabbet joint with screw holes. All of the panels will slide into the dovetail joints. A dovetail joint is a very strong joint one panel has a male ended dovetail and the other a female dovetail when slid together the parts interlock.
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| Starting with the window and litter dam slide the litter dam onto the floor panel from one end. Make sure the floor is right side up. There is a channel at the back edge with screw holes down in it you should see pointing up if it is right.
Do the same with the top door frame and the ceiling panel. The top rear of the ceiling panel will have pre-drilled screw holes in it. The top side will have a counter sunk area for the head of the screw, these should point up when finished. The top door frame should point down from the ceiling panel.
Set the ceiling panel with top door frame to the side for now.
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| What you have so far should look like the pic at top left.
Next take the end panels, (left and right) line up your sliding dovetail track, and slide each end panel onto the floor from the back. See picture lower left.
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| With the left and right end panels in place the end panels and litter dam should look like this on both sides.
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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Above left looking across the back you see the channel that the back panel will slide into from the top down.
Above right sliding the back panel into the channel from the top down. The top of the back has slotted vents left and right so you know that is the top. Slide the back panel down so it seats into the channel at the back of the floor.
Flip the cage up on it's back at this point and add the screws that go through the floor up into the back panel.
Flip the cage back upright and add the screws that lock the litter dam into place.
Using a screwdriver all of the screws should easily go into the pre-drilled holes.
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| You should have all but the top on at this point.
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| Click picture to enlarge view |
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| Take the ceiling with top face plate that you attached previously and line up the ends with the top track. Slide it into place pushing evenly so it won't bind. If it does bind don't worry just straighten it up and continue pushing it to the back. You may have to put your hand in from the front door opening and push the top up to clear the back panel.
Some of these parts fit tight! take it slow if this is your first build.. After you make one the rest will be super easy.
Make sure your screw holes are aligned and drive your screws for the upper face plate from either end and the top back.
Thats it done! Put the cage in it's place in your reptile room where it will be and let the caulking cure overnight. When the caulking is clear it is dry and you can add your heat, substrate, and reptile.
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If you have ordered a large cage or a cage with a taller windows there will be 2 side turn button latches attached to small panels that go in upright on both the left and right side of the window. These are there to add structure and stop a window from bowing under the pressure of and animal pushing from the inside. These attach with provided screws after a typical assembly as seen right.
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Use Siliconized acrylic caulk to seal your cage. A small $3 squeeze tube like the one pictured to the right will go a long way for several cages. Make a small bead around the seams of the bottom and corners. Using a generously damp rag wipe the caulking away. The action of wipeing it away will push the tiny amount you need into the seams. Your not looking to leave a bead of caulking at all. A bead of caulking will peel off as nothing will adhear to HDPE plastic, you just want to fill the thin seam so it will work as a gasket. This type of caulking will clean up with water while it is wet. Once cured the caulking will not clean up with water.
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| UPDATE:
We have changed the way the cages stack slightly as of 2-9-2011 The way the cages used to stack will still stack with the new stacking system just as it did before. This is an easier/ better way to stack the cages.
There are 2 strips that fasten to the top of the cage, these are included with the cages. One cage will slide right over another with the same footprint. The cages will stop when they are in position.
Add the 1 inch black center screw as pictured below in the previous method of stacking. From the ceiling of the cage below this screw will bite into the floor of the cage above unifying the top and bottom cage.. this also adds strength to both cages as they are not free floating over each other, but are locked together.
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This process has been updated as seen above
Stacking cages is easy. Put the alignment keys in the dovetail channels the back top corners of your bottom cage. Line the cage to be stacked on top of the bottom cage up over the cage below. Lift the rear of the cage over the alignment keys. Make sure they are lined up at this point. The rear corners of the cage should be pinned together at this point.
There is a pre drilled hole top center over the door on the ceiling. The cages come with a 1 inch black screw that will go through the ceiling and bite into the floor of the cage above. This will keep the cages aligned, and will make the cages stay snugly together giving you a clean look from the front.
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Assembling a Pro-stack is really about the same as assembling a cage. In fact many of the parts are interchangeable between the two. Read the directions for building a single cage before these.
As pictured right, get all of your parts organized. To start I have both sides, I have figured out which is the front of the sides, back of sides, top, bottom, and left, right. There are marks at the bottom toward the rear so it's pretty easy to figure this part out.
Each level is numbered, start with level one at the bottom. I have taken the level one litter dam with window attached and slid it on the level one floor making sure the channel at the back of the first floor, ( look for arrows on the back of the floor arrows point up) is facing up the same direction the window is facing up in the upright position.
The level one bottom and litter dam need to be slid into the bottom dovetail track, it may be easier to do this one side at a time on the first level.
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| Pictured Left:
I have started the back of level one into the dovetail channels with the stack still on it's back as pictured above right. Once I have the back started into both sides I pivot the stack upright, so it is easier to push the back down to the floor of level one. The back should seat into the dado channel of the floor. You may have to press firmly as these parts fit snug.
Tip the stack back onto the floor as it was in the above picture and put in the screws from the bottom to secure the back to the floor of level one.
There are also pre drilled holes for the silver 3/4 inch screws to go in at the front edge of each levels litter dam, fill these holes with screws provided as you finish each level.
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| There is a small panel for the bottom back that installs from the bottom. After your first floor and back are in, and the back bottom has been fastened together with the provided screws, slide the bottom plate in from the bottom in the dovetail tracks. (look for arrows that should be pointing to the top of the stack) There should be a gap between the floor of level one and the small back plate. This space will leave room for your under tank heats cord ( if you are using under tank heat) The back plate should line up flush with the bottom of the stacks sides. There are a few screws to fasten this bottom back piece in from the left and right sides.
There are 4 steel 90 degree friction fit caster brackets, these come in a bag with machine screws, and lock nuts. Bolt on all 4 corner brackets in position. The lock nuts should point inside under the stack. Do not put the caster wheels in at this point. Wait until the stack is finished then add the caster wheels.
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After you have the floor, face, and back of level one in place the rest of the levels are pretty much repetition. If you are using under tank heat with our heat panel covers you should put your heat pad on the heat panel cover, a few pieces of foil tape available at most any hardware store will help the heat mat to stay in place on the heat panel cover while your working with it. Leave level 1's heat off at this point, you can put that on after the stack is assembled.
Make sure your wires come out the end toward the back corner. So it can exit the back of the unit out of the vent slot.
After your heat mats are a taped to your panel covers screw the first panel to the underside of the floor of level 2 with the provided screws, and in the pre-drilled holes. There are spacers provided that must go between the panel cover and the ceiling of level 1 (floor of level 2) the screw will go through the panel cover and through the spacer. See picture on the right.
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| Pictured left is a piece of heat tape that was laying around the shop just to show you where the heat mat will be in between the ceiling and the panel cover.
When you have attached the heat under the floor of level 2 slide the level into the dovetail tracks on the sides from the front, just like you did with the level one floor panel. Before pushing it all the way to the back get your cords plug over the back, and put the cord in the vent slot. The cord for the heat will exit the vent slot and the plug will hang off of the back of the unit. The dado channel at the back of the second levels floor has pre drilled screw holes in it fill the holes with the screws provided to fasten the back of the floor to the back wall below. As you continue up the stack these screws will be covered by each back panel.
Repeat this on each level until you reach the ceiling, the ceiling won't have a heat panel cover as this is under tank heat.
If you are using radiant heat panels, you don't need to attach the heat covers at all. Just use self tapping screws that are long enough to go through the RHP but not so long as to go through the floor above.
After you have a few levels in you won't need to tip the stack on it's back you may add floor levels into the unit from the front while it is in an upright position as seen in the thumbnail picture mid left.
When the stack is complete attach your caster wheels by pushing them in from the bottom, you will have to tip the stack onto it's back to do this. Be careful tipping the stack back up into the upright position. With the wheels on it, it could roll at this point. help from a friend might be a good idea at this point.
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Caulking:
Add provided caulking around bottom seams in a small bead. With a damp rag wipe the caulking away leaving just a tiny amount to seal the seam. When I say tiny amount you really only need a very small amount of caulking to seal your cages.. Don't over do it, and if you do over do it a bit just wipe it off with a damp rag. Go up the front and rear corners an inch or 2, and wipe it away as described above. There will be more caulking provided than you need, save this so if you ever get a leak you can just go back and seal it with a touch of caulking.
Let caulking in the stack cure for a day or so, curing time will vary per heat and humidity. Leave the windows of the cages open so it will cure faster and air out.
Enjoy.
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Tip:
When your cage stack is complete and you have all of your cords coming out the back I use cable clamps and 1/4 inch long self tapping screws (available at most any hardware store) to fasten the cords to the back of the stack. I run all of the cords to the top of the stack to plug into my thermostat(s).. This will keep the cords out of the way if you have to move the stack, and puts the thermostat in an easy access spot to adjust. I have one or 2 cords depending on how many thermostats I am using for the stack running from the top of the stack to the outlet, and they are up off of the floor so they don't get in the way of rolling the stack.
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