How I built my BP's hood:

[froggsong]

Athen asked me to write out how I built the hood for my BP tank, and I thought it would be best to post it under "construction". I didn't really make out any plans, just did some math on paper to make sure I was measuring everything right.

The MDF I used is the thickest they offer, I wanted to make sure it was heavy enough the snake couldn't get out, and then my husband decided on the lock. (this is a 20 gallon long tank, so you'll have to adjust the measurements based on the size of your tank. You'll probably need a bigger sheet of MDF too, if your tank is larger.)

So, here's the supplies:

One 2'x4'x3/4" piece MDF
Two 1"x2" board (I think, and thin board wide enough to catch the tank frame will work)
One pack of small corner braces
Two heavy duty handles (you can probably use any handle you want, and two isn't necessary but it is helpful to grab the inside handle to pull it closed)
Two hinges (I got the kind where one side is triangular and the other side is rectangular)
One locking hasp (or any method of securing the lid shut that you feel comfortable with)
Screen of some sort for the vents (should be able to withstand the heat from a heat lamp, if you use one. I used a ten gallon screen lid that I already had, that way I could set the clamp lamp right on it and not worry about melting)
Screws (to screw the corners together, to screw the thin boards for the lip to the inside of the MDF, and for the hinges. You may need three different sizes, but you should be able to get away with just two.)
One pack of stick on weather stripping (to go around the part the lid sits on to cushion it should you ever drop it while opening or closing it. It also seals any small gaps there might be)
A staple gun
A drill
A saw (ugh, I only have a jigsaw, so I had to use that, that's why I have a small gap on the right side of the lid, I couldn't cut it perfectly straight.)
If you use a metal screen like I did that is already assembled, you'll need something that can cut metal to cut it in half

I'm going to go ahead and post the steps, I'll edit later to add pics to each step after I take some.

1- Measure the length of the frame on top of the tank. Write that down and add the thickness of your MDF to it twice to get the measurement for the long pieces across the front.

2- Measure the width of the tank frame and write that down. This piece will go inside the front pieces, so that measurement is all you need.

NOTE: I made all my side pieces 5 inches wide because that was what I had left on the long side of the MDF after measuring out the top)

3a- The dimensions of the lid should be: length = length of board in step 1, width= length of board in step 2 PLUS the thickness of your MDF twice.

3b- Decide the dimensions of your vents in the lid (mine was dependent on the size of the screen lid I was using), then write that down.

4- Mark your piece of MDF with the measurements you need, being sure to lay it out so you don't have to make too many cuts. Measure twice, lol... You don't want to cut it wrong! Don't forget to mark out the vents as well!

5- Cut the MDF and set it aside. Don't forget to cut the vent holes. IF you are planning to paint the hood, do so now. IMO the best way to paint would be to paint the inside white (reflects light and heat) and the outside black (absorbs heat, that way you don't loose heat through the hood).

6- For the board that goes inside to make the lip, you want the longer pieces to be on the shorter MDF piece for added stability. So, measure and cut two boards the same length as the piece in step 2.

7- Measure and cut two boards that are the length of the MDF in step one MINUS the thickness of the MDF twice and the MINUS the thickness of the board in step 6 twice. (Does that make sense to anyone but me?)

8a- Measure and cut two boards the same length as the opening to the vent hole.

8b- Measure and cut two boards the same length as the boards in step 8a PLUS the thickness of the board twice. (IF the hole is square, if not, adjust length appropriately)

9a- Where you place the boards for the inside lip depends on how high off the tank you want the hood to sit (read: added height). I did mine 1.5", but it didn't end up exactly the way I wanted it because the tank frame caught on the corner braces instead of the lip. I was fine with that though because it is SO tight, and it just gives the snake a little place to slither around the top of the tank.
So, measure 1.5" (or whatever you decide) up from the bottom of the MDF boards and mark a line all the way across for a guideline to place the boards for the lip.

9b- Attach the boards for the lips to all of your outside pieces of MDF. (be careful when you place the ones on the long board that they are centered correctly!)

10- If you are using a prefab screen lid for your vent screen, cut it to the measurement you need. You want it wide enough that the boards you will use to attach it to the bottom will overlap to the edges of the screen, but not be visible through the opening from the top. If using a screen lid, it is fine to leave the sides on, it helps with stability. If you aren't using a prefab lid, cut some screen to size, adding the width of your boards to all sides.

11a- Staple screen in place (it will go on the inside of the lid)

11b- Attach boards over screen.

NOTE: There is a way that will work perfectly fine for attaching all the pieces together without having to use the corner braces. I'll go over that first, because I think it will be easier in the long run, then I'll cover how I did it. EDIT: You know what, I think this way is much better, so I am going to just leave out the way that I did it, in favor of the better way.

12a- Set the side pieces of the hood on top of the tank with the lip resting on the frame. Either get someone to help you hold them while you screw the front pieces into the side pieces, or find some way to secure it.

12b- Screw the front pieces into the side pieces. This should be a very tight fit, and you wont have to worry about how to jam it on like I did, lol. If you want added stability, use one pack of corner braces inside the top part above the lip.

13- Install hinges (it may be easier to screw then to the lid FIRST, and the the walls of the hood... I did it the other way, and I wish I had done the opposite way.) The lid should now be attached to the walls of the hood.

14- Now it's time to install the weather stripping. You want a piece as long as the front wall, 2 pieces as long as the length of the side walls (the length of the side piece of MDF), and three pieces for the back. For the back pieces, measure the space between the hinges and cut a piece of stripping that long, then measure the space between the hinge and the outside and cut a piece that long. Attach all the weather stripping.

15- Attach handles to outside and inside (if you decided to go with an inside handle).

16- Install hasp (locking mechanism)

17 Step back and admire your handy work, lol.

I don't THINK I left anything out, but i may have. I will post the pics as soon as I take some, then add them in for each step. If you need any clarification, just ask!

[froggsong]

Here are the pics I have so far, but they aren't step by step pics:

View from the top:


View from the end (you can also see how the hood sits on top of the tank):


Here it is from the front: