Construction At Home: So Close And Proud of It. (Turtle Tank Pt. 2)

Yesterday I was telling you guys about our DIY turtle tank production and let me tell you, I'm so freaking done with this. Luckily though, we have ONE last thing to do before putting in the substrate and decorating the tank for our lucky little Yoda tomorrow. 

Today we started off with a fresh slate. My padawan went to school for a few hours, which meant uninterrupted construction could take place. 

The frame was finally finished, the slide out front was [mostly] constructed (see more of that tomorrow), everything was sprayed with a waterproofing material, caulking is drying, and finally moved to it's [semi] permanent position. 

I say "semi", because knowing me I'll want to rearrange it later on and whenever we get our tiny house (yes it's happening people...someday) things will [obviously] be changing. 

Yesterday's  quest to get things completed today didn't go quite as planned, but I am super happy with the progress. 

First up was to complete the back portion of the tank, where it would be half plexiglass and half "chicken wire" (not really sure what it is, but it came free with the stuff we got from our pet store).

Let me start off by saying that plexiglass is probably thee most annoying material to work with (so far that I've found). It's delicate, it's flimsy, it's tough, it's frustrating, and it's so damn finicky! Well, at least this piece was. 

After scoring the plexiglass (a million freaking times) to size and sanding down the "broken" edges, I had to drill a new hole in a few spots to help screw it securely to the frame. Well what was quickly learned, is that if you don't have a steady and patient hand (or the right drill bit) you will be left with a crack through your piece of plexi. Yay. Luckily there was just enough plexi glass from our big score that I was able to try again. This time with success. 

Once that was completed, I got to work on the chicken wire stuff. 

Ps, HIGHLY recommend that when working with plexi glass and/or chicken wire stuff, USE GLOVES. Trust me, it's not fun to get poked or cut by either material. 

I had to cut it to size with the half plexi glass I had cut, to create a "breeze" in one area of the tank. I've been worried about it getting too hot, which is why I created a small area of just "mesh". Plus Yoda's tank will be by a window, so he will get the light AND air he needs. Just not too much to where he's cold or toasting. Also, he "runs" around the house so I'm pretty sure this tank will be for when we aren't home and bedtime. 

With that completed and the other plexi glass pieces cut (along with a few wooden sides and some screws put it), the caulking was completed and left to dry. Everything was also sprayed (to be waterproof) and now all we do is wait. 

I was able to move the tank to it's "permanent" location and FINALLY clean up the house. 

You have NO idea how good it felt to look at my clean living room/dining room/kitchen and know that it was completely unobstructed and tidy. It felt almost as good as eating a piece of cake while binge watching a Netflix series you love. Almost. 

With everything taken care of and only one thing to do (finish constructing the slide in/slide out piece), I'm ready to go to sleep with a clear peace of mind. 

Nothing really daunting or messy about finishing up the project tomorrow. Everything is organized and picked up around the house, dinner was made, showers were given, and kisses goodnight are completed. It's time for this momma to relax, watch something on Netflix, snack something delicious, and doze into sleepy town. 

Oh sweet slumber how I'm fully prepared for you. 

So I may not have completed the tank to the finish line, but tomorrow [I pray to God] will be the big finale. I'm not upset about it, because as the real Yoda always says, "Patience young padawan". 

Happy Wednesday Jedi's and may the force be with you all!