It is common to see a lot of tortoise tables in homes, as they are often used as centerpieces or as accent pieces. Many people may not know how to make one on their own, and that’s why we’re here! Let us show you the steps below!
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How to make Tortoise table?
You need a plan that will suit what you have or can afford to build/buy – there isn’t a universal “perfect set-up“. And if it doesn’t work perfectly right away, then you’ll simply need to tweak it little by little until it does. The tortoise table doesn’t have to be perfect from day one. You may even find after a year or two that your initial construction needs serious improvement!
And while these pictures depict the use of a room as a tortoise table, this same concept can be used to build one from scratch. In fact, I’ve discussed this topic with many people who have been interested in creating their own room for years upon years! They wanted a space that was separate from the rest of their house and contained an entire set-up including:
A place for the actual tortoises to live (in this case, a large enclosure)
A “sleep area” for the humans to stay overnight if needed
Additional food storage area(s)
An equipment room where HVAC, UVB lighting and appliances would be placed
And even more! You’ll notice that several of these items are only briefly mentioned here. But I’m trying to keep this article as general as possible without boring you with too much information, lol!
You need more than just the tortoise table. While it’s a big part of the equation, there are several other things that must also be included in your initial set-up.
This will include everything from substrate and decor to lighting, heating & cooling devices…and of course – your tortoises!
The only thing I’m going to mention here is water dishes because they’re the most essential part of any enclosure for land-based animals. But do not overlook any other necessities when designing your space.
How To Make Tortoise Table?
I don’t recommend specific brands/items, but rather focus on that works best when building or converting an area into a tortoise room.
You can use any substrate that you’d like, as long as it’s easy to clean and there isn’t any risk of impaction. The one most commonly used is cypress mulch (aka: “the bedding” or “the soil”), which consists of shredded wood chips ranging from 2-8 inches in length depending on the manufacturer you purchase it from. It holds humidity extremely well, doesn’t hold onto odors…and our tortoises love to dig around in it!
You also need some type of decor/elevation within the enclosure itself – anything will work (logs, rocks & bricks). I prefer things that are either made out of a natural product or painted with non-toxic paint. You’ll only need small rocks for smaller tortoises, but larger ones can be added to any enclosure if you’d like.
I recommend that you have any type of “sleep area” in your tortoise room – even if it’s just a couch and/or an air mattress.
Do not underestimate how much work it is to keep a tortoise! They require constant supervision, so it would be ideal to have a comfortable space where you can sleep when needed . In fact, I’ve been known to crash on the floor next to my own exhibit when necessary because I didn’t want my animals getting stressed out from being away from me for too long.
There also needs to be space where food and equipment can easily be stored when not in use (or when you’re not using them). When we moved indoors for the winter, we actually used an 8-foot table in our large living area for this very purpose. All of our tortoises were kept in one room with a “sleep area”, and the table was strictly used for food storage and as another work surface when building or making repairs on enclosures. Again, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just something that works!
The only requirement here is that you need some type of heating & cooling device(s) if you live anywhere that gets colder than 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If that’s your situation, then you should plan on either using a ceramic heat emitter to keep the enclosure warm during colder months or invest in some type of “cooler” if extreme heat is an issue for you.
How to make a tortoise table from a bookcase?
The idea was to make the tortoise table 1m high, this would require me to remove one of the shelves from a bookcase so that there is enough space for the tortoise to walk inside. I was thinking of putting plants inside too…
Landing on something soft will prevent most injuries if your tortoise climbs onto higher surfaces. The following method will also allow you to leave your door open and watch him wander in and out as he pleases. A word of warning though, don’t leave it open for too long or you may have a lawn ornament!
Open up a very large box (or several small ones), put some newspaper/old towels down and try placing a little food just the opening. If he doesn’t go in and investigate, try and tempt him with some food and watch him walk into the box, if he doesn’t then try placing a little more food just inside so that there’s something worth investigating. Once he’s inside you can block off the open end with paper or cardboard to trap him inside. Next move your tortoise table furniture so that it is next to the box/s (you may need help from someone) place your tortoise on top of his new house and simply lift up one side of the box and slide it under the tortoise, upside down!
How To Make Tortoise Table? (cre: wikihow)
Now we’ve got our tortoise home safe and sound we can begin building our table:
These instructions will work for any bookcase just adjust accordingly!
We already have a door for our tortoise table, now we need legs or a stand. We can make these from the back of the bookcase because it’s nice and sturdy and you’re going to be making a hole in it anyway – this is where I came unstuck when I tried to drill into the glass!
If you don’t want to damage your furniture then go out and buy some wood that will support your table. Remember, if your tortoise bumps his head he won’t be happy so please take this in consideration before you start cutting up your house…
Once you’ve built a frame for inside the bookcase which is 1 meter by 50cm high, mark out where each shelf has been cut out with a pencil/pen. Then simply drill or cut away the marked areas, don’t worry about making them perfect just so long as it will support the wood on top.
Before you start building your tortoise table inside your bookcase, make sure that your door can still close properly. You may need to adjust how much wood is sticking out the back depending on what size/shape door you have (I couldn’t get a 1m high frame in mine but this turned out to be better because I could fit all my decoration around the frame like tables and chairs for example).
Once you’ve finished drilling/cutting away remove all loose pieces of wood from inside the bookcase cavity. Then fill with soil right up to where each shelf used to sit (or just below it) – again, don’t worry about being perfect just ensure that the frame is covered.
How To Make Tortoise Table? (cre: tortaddiction)
We’re almost there!
Now simply turn over your tortoise table bookcase and slot your frame into place. You may need help from someone to do this because you’ll be lifting quite a bit of weight (if you’ve used strong wood).
The next step is hammering nails/staples through the top of the frame and into your backboard (the piece of wood on the inside). If you want to make sure it’s all nice and sturdy, nail each side too or perhaps even glue it together if you know how?
Once this is done, cover with contact adhesive mesh making sure they are tacked down at the bottom and leave to dry. If you have a few nooks and crannies as I do then fill these with soil as well (cleanout at the end of the season).
Close up your tortoise table bookcase, make sure the door can close properly and you’re done!
If there are already shelves inside your bookcase it might be worth measuring them up and cutting some to size to fit back into place or use as shelf supports. Just fill with whatever you want, for example, potting compost, stones/gravel, toys, etc…and don’t forget to use food-grade soil only.
I ended up filling my front part with potting compost because I wanted something nice and decorative but if your tortoises are really little you might want to use a stone/gravel mixture instead so they can’t accidentally consume any soil.
Conclusion
The tortoise table is a common project for beginning woodworkers. It does not require many power tools, but it does need some attention to detail in order to make the joints and surfaces as smooth as possible.
If you want to give this DIY furniture project a try, we recommend first reading through all of our instructions before starting on your own! You can also watch videos that show how each step should be completed if you would like more help getting started with the process.
Once again, we recommend taking time at every stage so that everything fits together nicely and looks professional once complete. We hope these tips will help you enjoy building your new tortoise table!
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