Six 49”x17”x ¾” shelves
Four 6 & 3/8” x 10” spacers
Two 36 ½”x17” sides
One 36 ½”x48 back
One box of 1.5”-1.75” #6 screws
31’ of trim, if you choose to use it.

1) You will need two 4x8-foot pieces of the wood you intend to use. White melamine has always worked best for me but, if you choose, plywood will work and looks nice stained. You will also need the backing for the racks. I’ve found ¼” white pegboard to work best, but even four or five pieces of 1” x 2” would work fine. If you choose pegboard, cut it to 36 ½” x 48” , this allows for a 2” space along one side which I’ve found to work well for both moving the racks and running cords* to the cages.

2) The rough dimension should be 49” wide although if it’s 48” you’re still okay as there’s some room for error on the width.. Cut these two pieces into ten 49”x17” sections, 6 of these being used for the shelves and two for the sides. There will be roughly 10” of excess from each 4x8. This will be used for spacers later.

3) The sides should then be cut down to 36.5”x17” pieces.

4) I always start on a flat surface and begin by making a |_| shape with the bottom and two side boards. The ¾” seems to be enough for the boards to stand up on their own while making adjustments.

5) I fasten the two sides to the bottom board while they’re laying down using two #6 1.5”-1.75” zinc screws on each side. I would highly recommend purchasing a #6 counter sinking bit if you don’t already have one. I would also use a square (another cheap item if you don’t have it) to be sure you’re screwing together 90 degree angles as a slight imperfection here will stand out as you move along.

6) With the two sides and bottom board screwed together you can stand the rack up. Do so gingerly as the rack doesn’t have a lot of support at this point and too much weight on the sides would crack the bottom board.

7) At this point, you need to cut four 6 and 3/8”x 10 or so inch scraps. Cut all four at the same time, if possibe, as you want them all to be the exactly same size. These will be used as spacers to set the shelf height. This is the correct height if you are going to use Target Sterilite boxes. You will be able to fit three sizes of their box (different widths) at this height. If not modify to fit your box needs.

8) Here is where those spacers come in handy. Set one on each side and two in the middle of that bottom board. Next set another shelf on top of those. It would be a good idea at this point to dry fit one of your boxes to be sure you’re happy with the fit, if not cut more spacers until you think the fit is just right. It would be a good idea to try at least three boxes as they’re always a little different and adjust according to the highest box.

9) If you’re happy with the fit it’s time to screw the shelves in. This is where the index card comes in very handy! Line the card along the side so the short end is square to the front of the rack. Eye up from the front that the top of the card and the top of the shelf you’re screwing in is even. If so, use a pencil to draw a dot in the hole on the index card. Use this as the hole for your screw as it will hit dead center on the shelf. Repeat for back screw, then use the same directions for the opposite side. Each shelf will be held by two screws on each side. I’ve always found two screws to be enough, although adding another to the middle would do no harm.

10) At this point repeat steps 8 and 9 until you have the top shelf screwed in place.

11) Now it’s time to attach the back. I use a brad nailer to fasten the back on, but 1” drywall screws or 1” nails would work fine as well. The back adds much support to the rack so go to town on the nails or screws.

12) The front may be trimmed in anything you find appealing.. I’ve used, pine and walnut as well as half round.. You can also purchase the white trim made for melamine which is easily applied with a hot iron.

If you’re making any other racks such as a baby rack, just adjust the measurements to fit those needs. These tips (such as the index card idea) were things I came up with after building many racks. I hope you find them helpful and I would enjoy a picture of the rack when you’re finished. I can post it on the site and give you credit for your craftsmanship.

*Due to health concerns Melamine should not be used with heat tape. See impactreptiles.com for more information.

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