Congratulations! I've restored 2 antique incubators and I love using them. I've got articles on my profile page describing what I did.
First, you should assume that the red paint is lead based and take precautions when messing with it. If you do decide to strip it, I would not re-paint it. Give it a couple of coats of Danish oil stain on the outside and it will be beautiful.
Heating coils, wafer thermostats, micro-switches are all available from GQF Manufacturing and Incubator Warehouse.
If the fan doesn't work well, try cleaning it with a vacuum and compressed air. There are couple of holes on it for oiling. If it does have to be replaced, pull it out and take it to an appliance repair parts shop to get a replacement. It is very similar to an old style kitchen hood vent fan.
Check the wiring. Depending on when it was made, the wire covering could have asbestos in it. Mine was in good shape so instead of replacing it I wrapped it with silicone tape to seal it.
The switches are hard to find locally. They are called a Despard switch and can be ordered online through
Amazon.
I use a large lasagna pan for a water pan. I cover part of it with foil to regulate the humidity.
Here's a link for a copy of the manual. Just remember that the manual uses actual wet-bulb temperature for humidity not relative humidity.
http://www.leggspeafowl.com/redwood-incubator-manual.html
Feel free to message me if you have questions. I'd be glad to offer any help I can.
