Hinged KK Lid Tutorial (image heavy)

(Thanks to Mello for teaching me how to do this.)

Tools and Supplies:
-Power Drill
-1/4" Black Oxide Drill Bit (or other drill bit suited to plastic)
-Plastic Scorer + Ruler (if you can't get your plexiglass cut at the hardware store)
-Sandpaper (coarse grit and fine grit)
-Kritter Keeper or other acrylic enclosure (discard the lid)
-Plexiglass (roughly 1/4" thick)
-2 Acrylic Hinges and 1 Acrylic Hasp
-Scigrip #3 Plastic Solvent ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KzZDi-aXD4 here's an instructional video on how to use it )
-Glue Applicator Bottle (or an old paintbrush)
-Safety Glasses, Mask, Plastic gloves, Ear plugs

Instructions:
1) Cut the Lid Pieces: Cut the plexiglass to the size of the KK, then cut off a 2" segment.

2) Drill Airholes: Practice first on a spare piece of plexiglass if you have one. Leave the protective sheets on the plexiglass while drilling. Don't push too hard or go too fast, or the plastic may crack. Be sure to brush plastic shavings off the drill bit as they build up, otherwise they'll melt on and slow down the drill.

After drilling, take out the bit and run it through the holes to clear out any jagged shavings.


Note: I drilled 10 holes on each long side of the KK, 5 on each short side, and 15 on the lid. The number and placement will vary dependent on your ventilation needs.

3) Sand Edges: Remove the protective sheets from the plexiglass. Use the coarse grit to sand down the corners of the lid pieces, along with any jagged edges. Follow up with the fine grit.

Wash the KK and the plexiglass pieces and thoroughly dry.

4) Glue Lid: Put the two pieces of the lid on top of the KK and make sure they're aligned properly.

Glue ONLY the small piece on. Put the glue applicator up to the seam where the lid piece meets the lip of the KK, capillary action will suck it in.

Glue all the way around, and hold the small lid part down for a few seconds to ensure a strong bond.

Note: If you use a paintbrush the result will not be nearly as neat, and any dried paint in the brush may discolor the solvent.

5) Glue Hinges: Place the two hinges carefully, the solvent works almost instantly so there isn't much time to adjust the placement.

After gluing all four hinge flaps, hold them down for a few seconds.

6) Glue Hasp: Assemble both parts of the hasp and place it. Glue the top flap to the lid and hold it down for a few seconds. Carefully apply glue to the sides of the smaller piece. After 30 seconds the bond will be strong enough to open the latch, then glue can be applied to the rest of the small piece. Hold it down for a few seconds.


7) Dry: The hinges will be usable almost instantly, but leave the tank somewhere well ventilated for 48 hours to dry, just to be safe. Then wash it out and set it up for its new occupant!


Let me know if you guys have any questions or suggestions, and if anyone else builds some of these I'd love to see photos.

I made one of these and I'll post a picture soon once I get the inhabitants this week, but isn't your hasp bending at a very weird angle over the lip? Mine is slightly different than yours and it has a second stationary section (1.5 inches long) where the hasp is just laying flat and even.

Nice and meticulous. With acrylics it's all the attention to details and precision that makes the smart, sharp looking, attractive end product.

Liverwort said:

I made one of these and I'll post a picture soon once I get the inhabitants this week, but isn't your hasp bending at a very weird angle over the lip? Mine is slightly different than yours and it has a second stationary section (1.5 inches long) where the hasp is just laying flat and even.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the lid overshot the lip of the KK a bit (the guy at the hardware store said he couldn't cut the plexiglass to the exact sizes I wanted), so the hasp doesn't close at a perfect right angle. Luckily it closes and locks just fine anyway.
I look forward to seeing your finished enclosure!

Much appreciated post!!

Well, my package is being delayed and I don't want to disappoint the hand that fed me, so here it is

It's exactly like the instructions Cavedweller provided, except there's a second stationary strip of acrylic on the other side that is 1.5 inches wide. It allows the hasp to lay neat and even, although it looks less cool. Also the holes drilled are 3/8 inch and I bought spring-loaded hinges.






Thanks for the great info Cavedweller!

That looks great! Your gluing job is much neater than mine hahaha. What's going in it?

It's most likely going to be the enclosure for a green banana roach colony, but I've been looking for velvet worms recently... Sadly, I think that's a huge longshot! Thanks for the compliment! I used a 25 gauge needle applicator.

Wouldn't roach nymphs be able to fit through the airholes? Or can the nymphs not climb? Oh man velvet worms have been on my wishlist for a long time, what cool animals. Wish they were available in the hobby...

Where did you get your applicator? Did you order it online? The hardware store I went to didn't have any.

I'm putting 'Bug Boundary' from CapeCodRoaches on the top two inches of the enclosure's periphery so I think it'll manage. If you are serious about wanting velvet worms, you can PM me. I'm trying to work an import out, and Ripa's in it too. I agree with you, it's amazing that they have their own phylum too.

I got the applicator from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Gaunt-Industr...pebp=1436850703983&perid=15CQA1YNNCF0SJS27450). I was wrong, it's actually 23 gauge. I don't really recommend it for this acrylic cement because it still dripped after I stopped depressing the bottle. I bet 25 or 27 wouldn't drip.

Cavedweller said:

(Thanks to Mello for teaching me how to do this.)

Tools and Supplies:
-Power Drill
-1/4" Black Oxide Drill Bit (or other drill bit suited to plastic)
-Plastic Scorer + Ruler (if you can't get your plexiglass cut at the hardware store)
-Sandpaper (coarse grit and fine grit)
-Kritter Keeper or other acrylic enclosure (discard the lid)
-Plexiglass (roughly 1/4" thick)
-2 Acrylic Hinges and 1 Acrylic Hasp
-Scigrip #3 Plastic Solvent (

here's an instructional video on how to use it )
-Glue Applicator Bottle (or an old paintbrush)
-Safety Glasses, Mask, Plastic gloves, Ear plugs

Instructions:
1) Cut the Lid Pieces: Cut the plexiglass to the size of the KK, then cut off a 2" segment.

2) Drill Airholes: Practice first on a spare piece of plexiglass if you have one. Leave the protective sheets on the plexiglass while drilling. Don't push too hard or go too fast, or the plastic may crack. Be sure to brush plastic shavings off the drill bit as they build up, otherwise they'll melt on and slow down the drill.

After drilling, take out the bit and run it through the holes to clear out any jagged shavings.

Note: I drilled 10 holes on each long side of the KK, 5 on each short side, and 15 on the lid. The number and placement will vary dependent on your ventilation needs.

3) Sand Edges: Remove the protective sheets from the plexiglass. Use the coarse grit to sand down the corners of the lid pieces, along with any jagged edges. Follow up with the fine grit.

Wash the KK and the plexiglass pieces and thoroughly dry.

4) Glue Lid: Put the two pieces of the lid on top of the KK and make sure they're aligned properly.

Glue ONLY the small piece on. Put the glue applicator up to the seam where the lid piece meets the lip of the KK, capillary action will suck it in.

Glue all the way around, and hold the small lid part down for a few seconds to ensure a strong bond.

Note: If you use a paintbrush the result will not be nearly as neat, and any dried paint in the brush may discolor the solvent.

5) Glue Hinges: Place the two hinges carefully, the solvent works almost instantly so there isn't much time to adjust the placement.

After gluing all four hinge flaps, hold them down for a few seconds.

6) Glue Hasp: Assemble both parts of the hasp and place it. Glue the top flap to the lid and hold it down for a few seconds. Carefully apply glue to the sides of the smaller piece. After 30 seconds the bond will be strong enough to open the latch, then glue can be applied to the rest of the small piece. Hold it down for a few seconds.

7) Dry: The hinges will be usable almost instantly, but leave the tank somewhere well ventilated for 48 hours to dry, just to be safe. Then wash it out and set it up for its new occupant!

Let me know if you guys have any questions or suggestions, and if anyone else builds some of these I'd love to see photos.

Click to expand...

Hi, I know it's been awhile, but could you possibly post the images again?

Even if it's only a couple of the finished product, that would be nice.

I agree, I'd like to see the same as well. This time around I'll save the info as a PDF or Word file.