Hello, fellow Hatch-A-Holics!
Threw together a quick stand for my incubator and thought I would share it here. I wanted to get my GQF Sportsman Cabinet Incubator up off the floor so I don't have to lay on my stomach to reach the second (back) tray on the bottom turner shelf. I'm getting too old to lay on the hard tile floor of my laundry room, and had taken to calling one of my boys to do it for me. Letting a teenage boy handle a tray of up to 46 hatching eggs is a scary proposal, so I needed a solution. I decided to make the top of the window at about eye level for me. I am about 6' tall so you might want to make yours shorter. I also wanted to be able to store the styrofoam incubators that I use as hatchers underneath the bator when they are not in use. Those two requirements determined the specifications of my stand.
Tools
Radial arm saw (or any wood cutting saw to cut the boards)
Skill saw (to rip the plywood to size)
Electric drill (with countersink bit and screw bit, but a screw driver would work)
Tape Measure
Speed square (triangle to check "square")
*A helper to hold boards while you screw them together helps, tremendously!
Materials
5 - 2" x 3" x 8' pine (about $10)
1 - 1/4" x 2' 'x 4' plywood (about $12)
1 - Lb box of 3' general purpose screws (about $6)
8 - 3/4" wood screws (about $2)
Total (about) $30 from Lowe's
Scrap
1 - 2" x 3" x 77" I could have used it for more braces, but didn't feel it was necessary. It will make a good roost.
1 - 2" x 30" scrap of plywood that I will use to front nest boxes
1 - 18" x 24" scrap of plywood that will get used for something, I'm sure. It sure looked like a sign or plaque sitting over there in the corner. It just needs painting....... hummm
Instructions
First, I cut four 30" legs, one from each board. This would be the height of my stand. You might want to adjust that measurement to match your desired height.
Next, I cut four 25" pieces to run front to back, two on top and two on the bottom.
Then, I cut seven cross pieces to run side to side and to tie the sides together. I made them 19" because that is the size I needed to be able to slide the hatchers underneath from the front. I only cut one of those 19" pieces from a whole 8' board, so if you had a scrap piece or only put one on the bottom, the 5th board would not be necessary.
I assembled all the pieces as shown, and cut the plywood to fit the top. Eventually, it will get sanded and painted, but right now, I have eggs in the bator and need this stand right away. It will be alright to leave rough for a few months.
It took only about 45 minutes to complete and I was using it within an hour. This is pretty fast and your time may be longer if you have to collect your materials, gather your tools, are working only with hand tools, and ESPECIALLY if you are working alone. I am blessed, we have a workshop with lots of cool tools. DH says it's his workshop, but, hey...... the radial arm saw was a Christmas gift to ME a few years back and many of his tools were gifts from me! I don't mind him thinking it is his shop, that means I get his help whenever I start building something. He wants to keep an eye on me to make sure I don't mess it up!
I only took a few pics, I was too busy building!
The chief inspector giving it the 'once-over." You'll be happy to know, that after a thorough inspection, the dog approved.
If I did it again, I would likely raise the bottom "shelf" up off the floor a couple of inches so I could run the dust mop under there with out moving the contents of the shelf. As it is, I will occasionally have to use the Dust Buster in the spaces between the braces to clean the floor.
Threw together a quick stand for my incubator and thought I would share it here. I wanted to get my GQF Sportsman Cabinet Incubator up off the floor so I don't have to lay on my stomach to reach the second (back) tray on the bottom turner shelf. I'm getting too old to lay on the hard tile floor of my laundry room, and had taken to calling one of my boys to do it for me. Letting a teenage boy handle a tray of up to 46 hatching eggs is a scary proposal, so I needed a solution. I decided to make the top of the window at about eye level for me. I am about 6' tall so you might want to make yours shorter. I also wanted to be able to store the styrofoam incubators that I use as hatchers underneath the bator when they are not in use. Those two requirements determined the specifications of my stand.
Tools
Radial arm saw (or any wood cutting saw to cut the boards)
Skill saw (to rip the plywood to size)
Electric drill (with countersink bit and screw bit, but a screw driver would work)
Tape Measure
Speed square (triangle to check "square")
*A helper to hold boards while you screw them together helps, tremendously!
Materials
5 - 2" x 3" x 8' pine (about $10)
1 - 1/4" x 2' 'x 4' plywood (about $12)
1 - Lb box of 3' general purpose screws (about $6)
8 - 3/4" wood screws (about $2)
Total (about) $30 from Lowe's
Scrap
1 - 2" x 3" x 77" I could have used it for more braces, but didn't feel it was necessary. It will make a good roost.
1 - 2" x 30" scrap of plywood that I will use to front nest boxes
1 - 18" x 24" scrap of plywood that will get used for something, I'm sure. It sure looked like a sign or plaque sitting over there in the corner. It just needs painting....... hummm
Instructions
First, I cut four 30" legs, one from each board. This would be the height of my stand. You might want to adjust that measurement to match your desired height.
Next, I cut four 25" pieces to run front to back, two on top and two on the bottom.
Then, I cut seven cross pieces to run side to side and to tie the sides together. I made them 19" because that is the size I needed to be able to slide the hatchers underneath from the front. I only cut one of those 19" pieces from a whole 8' board, so if you had a scrap piece or only put one on the bottom, the 5th board would not be necessary.
I assembled all the pieces as shown, and cut the plywood to fit the top. Eventually, it will get sanded and painted, but right now, I have eggs in the bator and need this stand right away. It will be alright to leave rough for a few months.
It took only about 45 minutes to complete and I was using it within an hour. This is pretty fast and your time may be longer if you have to collect your materials, gather your tools, are working only with hand tools, and ESPECIALLY if you are working alone. I am blessed, we have a workshop with lots of cool tools. DH says it's his workshop, but, hey...... the radial arm saw was a Christmas gift to ME a few years back and many of his tools were gifts from me! I don't mind him thinking it is his shop, that means I get his help whenever I start building something. He wants to keep an eye on me to make sure I don't mess it up!
I only took a few pics, I was too busy building!
The chief inspector giving it the 'once-over." You'll be happy to know, that after a thorough inspection, the dog approved.
If I did it again, I would likely raise the bottom "shelf" up off the floor a couple of inches so I could run the dust mop under there with out moving the contents of the shelf. As it is, I will occasionally have to use the Dust Buster in the spaces between the braces to clean the floor.
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