Baffled by Sliding Doors

[RomanPort]

Howdy!

Recently, I've been working on a design for a custom Tegu enclosure in CAD software. My plan for the door is to have two sliding acrylic windows. The windows also serve as a door by sliding them open. Very similar design to your household windows, but rotated, if that helps.

I'm not entirely sure how I should implement this. I'd imagine it to be some kind of rail, but I don't know what kind of rail I should really be searching for. Wouldn't substrate entering the rail cause issues? What about the force of a big lizard against it? How would I lock something like that?

Here's what the enclosure currently looks like, without a top or the wall in question. It's not an adult enclosure, at least that's not the plan right now. The rail area is 65 inches long. The door will be sitting above the substrate "basement".

Thanks! Any criticism, links, and suggestions would be appreciated immensely.

 

[Yvonne G]

You have a double track, top and bottom, with one door in front of the other

 

[RomanPort]

You have a double track, top and bottom, with one door in front of the other

Yep, that was my plan. My apologies for my inability to explain my plan. Do you know what kinds of rail I should be buying to implement that?

 

[Ivyna J Spyder]

I've always used the basic plastic ones from Rockler like this

https://www.rockler.com/4-foot-plastic-sliding-door-track?sid=V9146?

You could also do aluminum

https://www.rockler.com/e-z-glide-tracks-aluminum?sid=V9197&promo=shopping

Substrate getting in the rail can cause issues, but nothing a brush or vacuum hose can't fix.

You'd want to include a lock of some kind so the tegu can't get a grip on the side and push it open.

 

[RomanPort]

I've always used the basic plastic ones from Rockler like this

https://www.rockler.com/4-foot-plastic-sliding-door-track?sid=V9146?

You could also do aluminum

https://www.rockler.com/e-z-glide-tracks-aluminum?sid=V9197&promo=shopping

Substrate getting in the rail can cause issues, but nothing a brush or vacuum hose can't fix.

You'd want to include a lock of some kind so the tegu can't get a grip on the side and push it open.

Thank you! That is incredibly helpful. I'll definitely keep those aluminum ones in mind. Can I ask how you're locking yours? It's not immediately clear to me how, sorry, haha.

Thank you so much.

 

[Ivyna J Spyder]

Somethin like this, like they use to lock display cases

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JK2664D/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[RomanPort]

Somethin like this, like they use to lock display cases

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JK2664D/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Thank you so much. I apologise, I've never built anything like this

 

[Slowsociopath]

My experience with sliders was they lasted less than 48 hours but to be fair our tegu hated to be caged,he would sleep in the cage as long as the doors were off.If you can convince them that the doors are ok it might work. mine recently died at 12 years old but was free range for 11 of those years

 

[Walter1]

My experience with sliders was they lasted less than 48 hours but to be fair our tegu hated to be caged,he would sleep in the cage as long as the doors were off.If you can convince them that the doors are ok it might work. mine recently died at 12 years old but was free range for 11 of those years

Sounds like it was a good life for your tegu.