Making an incubator

[bench]

Hello, so I have plans to make an incubator but wanted to run my plans by people who have some idea or have done it there self.The incubator will be 18x18x24

So for the material it will be 5/8 melamine.Then inside will have either foil bubble insulation or pink polystyrene insulation. Then for heating will use flex watt across the back. I want to have a clear front but I am unsure of what to use I have some Plexiglas but not sure if heat will go through it,any one have suggestion?I am also unsure if i should use a small fan or not?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Taquiq]

You could get a small tub. Poke 0-1 hole on the top. Lay vermiculite on the ground, and under the tub you could put heat tape controlled by a thermostat. That is what I plan to do with my males, anyway.

Don't use a fan, it will dry out the eggs.

 

[jermh1]

I used a old thermoelectric wine cooler, for heat I reversed the wires on the circuit bord, makes it heat up instead of getting cold, had to get a seperate thermostat (ranco) and plug the whole thing into it. It has small fans inside that go on when its on, have not had a problem yet. I got it on buy dot com for $60.

with your set up I would use at least 1.5 in pink foam, the size seems a bit large, I would go slighlty bigger than what you need. I woldnt go huge planning on future projects just make another one in a year or two. my experience using plexi is it tends to warp and may pull away at the edges. you can do a small window in a door, which should not loose too much heat. also tape all your seams and edges with foil tape. I made one that was 4x10 ft for my plant set up which worked great. the thicker pink foam is cool stuff, you dont even need the plywood, if you have a square cut, you can calk and hold together with 3in course thread screws, so just a foam box.

I dont have that much experience with heat tape in incubators so I wont comment on that part.

 

[Angel]

I recieved mine from the breeder I bought my blizzards from its a min fridge converted i dont think he changed much internally other than the heat tape as the source for heat it worked for him he hatched one out the month after i bought it {had to wait on the last egg before he would give it to me =)}
He ran a digi themometer in it , I will be using it this year for the 1st tiime.

 

[bench]

Thanks everyone if I can find a reasonably priced wine fridge I will get one of them if not I will just make a wooden door on my original plan with a small window.

 

[ElapidSVT]

i made mine from a $10 foam ice chest.
works great!

i would avoid using materials like melamine due to the excessive weight.

good luck!
rob

 

[bench]

i made mine from a $10 foam ice chest.
works great!

i would avoid using materials like melamine due to the excessive weight.

good luck!
rob

I was going to use a foam cooler but it's not the same.I am making this incubator to be able to put my hovabator on top.Its never going to be moved so weight is not a concern.

 

[Ballistic_Balls]

Mini fridge or small upright freezers are perfect and if you gut it out there is not much weight. (Make sure whoever guts it knows what they are doing do to the fact that you cannot release refrigerant into the atmosphere and it will burn you if you cut the lines and it hits your skin.)
I have made one from both of these and they work great, but the main thing is to use a good thermostat I would say Do not use one of the T-stats that they sell at pet stores.

 

[Renster]

20 Gal Rub drill or cut 16 holes in the box, 4 on left and 4 on right just less than halfway, repeat about 3/4 of the way up(must leave atleast 4 inches of space from hole to top of rub)

Make sure the holes are atleast 3 inches apart to allow for tubs to be placed onto lower level of canes.

Polybox inserted in it(tight fit had to trim the poly a few times).

Once the poly fits cut/drill the same holes in it using the rub holes as a guide.

Check the rub lid fits easily, if not trim the poly.

Take 8 bamboo canes(Natural ones, some of the green ones let off a toxic dye) and put them through the holes, trim them so there is only about an inch spare sticking out of the box, Aquariums sealant or hot glue into place.

Once sealant dries, fill with about 3 - 4 inches of water,Put an aquarium heater in it.

Stat it for appropriate temp.

I added 2 of the Sticky back thermometers inside it each one was level with a set of canes.

Drill 6 - 8 holesin the lid aswell as one bigger hole in the top.

Cover big hole with Gauze.

Test Temps with lid on, should have about a 4C difference between the two thermometers, so long as the difference is no higher than 10C I wouldnt worry how much of a gradient there is.

The tubs I get my Livefood in are what I put the eggs in, they are a small container about 5 inches long 2 inches high 2 inches deep. These Tubs

Fill the tubs with vermiculite wrapped in Paper Towels, makes it more mouldable into divets for eggs to be seated.

Drill/Cut about 8 holes in the Livefood tub Lid.

NOTE: once eggs are in tub place a doubled over piece of paper towel over the eggs lightly to stop water droplets hitting eggs, Change the Towel Daily.

NOTE: When testing temps be sure to place a small thermometer in one of the tubs to see what temp the tubs will recieve.

Excuse any Typo's my Keyboard needs its batteries charged.