# Ikea Fabrikor glass cabinet



## RyanD (Jul 18, 2006)

Has anyone converted an all-glass or mostly glass display cabinet into a vivarium? The furniture piece I saw in Ikea the other day was a Fabrikor cabinet. FABRIKÖR Glass-door cabinet - beige - IKEA

I've seen wooden or plywood cabinets converted and sealed but couldn't find much on mostly glass cabinet types. 

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/49432-converting-furniture-vivaria.html

One of the things holding me back is the coated steel- I'm a little afraid that it will begin to bubble up and rust without additional sealant.


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## mwallrath (Mar 8, 2013)

Interesting timing on this post. I just picked up something similar that I will attempt to build as a viv. Here is my post from yesterday
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/268729-unique-table-build.html


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## jon-r (Jul 15, 2011)

I once used an ikea glass cabinet for rough green snakes

DETOLF Glass-door cabinet, white - IKEA


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

a few years back I converted a cabinet from Ikea to house my chameleon. Made an expanding foam background, installed a mistking, the whole 9 yards

overall it held up well, but I would take extra time to silicone any non-sealed plywood/particle board or the misting will make it expand and eventually rot... there were a few locations that I didnt seal well enough and the expansion was visible. Had the setup for over a year before I moved and had to sell it


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## Boondoggle (Dec 9, 2007)

For that amount of money you could almost have a well made glass terrarium custom built with proper venting/dimensions/design and not have to make any modifications at all.


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## RyanD (Jul 18, 2006)

Awesome! What kind of sealant did you use? 

The Ikea cabinet I'm looking at is powder coated steel; my gut tells me that eventually the metal would rust and bubble up. Ideally the entire inside surface would be sealed with something.

I took some pictures (HTC One camera is horrible) of the inside and the door. The door would maybe be the hardest to seal. Also wasn't sure how to handle the little metal "tabs" that are holding the glass in place. From the assembly manual, it looks like when it is put together the tabs fold in, to hold the tempered glass in place. 

I've looked a little bit into spray sealants, like plasti dip. I wasn't able too much helpful and definitive information about spray sealant options for custom things like this.


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## RyanD (Jul 18, 2006)

Boondoggle said:


> For that amount of money you could almost have a well made glass terrarium custom built with proper venting/dimensions/design and not have to make any modifications at all.


Probably very true, however the wife wants something that is more aesthetically pleasing if it will be displayed in the living room. She was the one that suggested using this; and if she's on board with something frog related I need to jump on it sooner than later!


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## FrogTim (Oct 1, 2015)

Plasti Dip is great for smooth surfaces but nuts/bolts/hardware would be a challenge. Plasti Dip has a tendency to shrink as it dries and behave as a single 'sheet'. Any sharp or odd surface makes it tear. But, over smooth surfaces it is very durable. I use it on my fenders and gas tank on both my dirtbike and street motorcycle and it doesn't rub off (unless you crash). The trick is to do as many coats as possible and let it really build up. 

The only con would be that it doesn't form a very strong bond with smooth surfaces. Watch the youtube videos of how fast and easily you can pull it off car rims and fenders. I wouldn't suggest Plasti Dip for any heavy backgrounds.

I would suggest smoothing over any hardware or cracks/gaps with silicone or fiberglass prior to sealing regardless which method you choose.


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## RyanD (Jul 18, 2006)

I got one! I'm going through with build and have lots of thoughts and ideas.









I want to go with a backgroundless display, so more of an island of plant growth. Some negative space I think will look good for this, going for a clean crisp and simple look.

Similar ideas and inspirational tanks: 

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me.../34533-custom-40-gal-tree-stump-euro-viv.html from Tedthefrog ; the links to the images are broken it is floating around pinterest.







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Milesw at poisonfrog.Org 









Brass and beveled edge glass converted lamp:



viv_erin said:


> update



http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/301290-56-gal-ikea-detolf-hack-paludarium.html



Damon Ryan said:


>


I like Jim’s Styrofoam rock-work: 


fullmonti said:


>


http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/268729-unique-table-build.html

From Alfy111


From VicSkimmr


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## RyanD (Jul 18, 2006)

Working on securing the bottom of the cabinet. The original bottom is a thin metal that sets on the lip of the bottom frame. Much too flimsy for any support. So I am going to use plywood for the bottom. 



I had originally planned to sandwich the wood between the top and bottom pieces but that gives me essentially zero depth. So I'll lower it to be flush with the bottom lip of the rectangular frame. I bought screws that are twice as long, so there will be ~1 inch of exposed thread, but it will go through the existing holes in the frame and connect with the plywood. Orange = plywood. 


Turns fitting the plywood bottom will be tricky than I had thought with lots of sanding for the rounded corners and trimming around where the legs connect.


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