CAD Modeling Project: Incubators

[BantyChooks]

I got the front part of the door modeled, I think I'll call that good enough for today.

 

[Pedro-The-Potato]

Lately, I have been itching to do more incubation-related research and design. I have done a few in-depth articles on building incubators, but one aspect that remains missing from them is actual CAD models and detailed drawings such as would best facilitate reconstruction by someone else. During my weekends, I plan to slowly chip away at the rather time-consuming task of modeling all of my DIY incubators and placing the models into drawings. I am curious if anyone else has CAD experience or has done anything similar. I believe it would be a valuable contribution to BYC's article section and probably quite a bit of fun as well.
I have yet to start but I intend on documenting my progress here.

I'm trying to build a cheap, fully 3d printed incubator (initially for quail but the design is meant to be scalable, stackable and fully parametric, it's being a hell to make considering it's my first parametric and big CAD project).
The idea is to have only the frame 3d printed (so printing times are reasonable) and then the walls are filled with multiple hot-glued layers of cardboard(good insulator, cheap and widely available). Also, the motor, water pump and perhaps heating wire holder are "modules" attached to the side by "sliding" them inside the main frame, so the main frame is small enough to be printed as 1 piece on a standard 3d printer, at least for the 5 quail-egg size.

Btw using freeCAD 0.20 PartDesign to model, which isn't the best but is gradually getting more usable as updates go by.

I'm currently trying to hatch some quail in my old design(not parametric, screenshot below), but as I'm using the unnacurate DHT11 as a temperature sensor I don't know what to expect.

Feedback appreciated, and good luck with making the CAD models of your incubators.

 

[Kiki]

I'm trying to build a cheap, fully 3d printed incubator (initially for quail but the design is meant to be scalable, stackable and fully parametric, it's being a hell to make considering it's my first parametric and big CAD project).
The idea is to have only the frame 3d printed (so printing times are reasonable) and then the walls are filled with multiple hot-glued layers of cardboard(good insulator, cheap and widely available). Also, the motor, water pump and perhaps heating wire holder are "modules" attached to the side by "sliding" them inside the main frame, so the main frame is small enough to be printed as 1 piece on a standard 3d printer, at least for the 5 quail-egg size.

Btw using freeCAD 0.20 PartDesign to model, which isn't the best but is gradually getting more usable as updates go by.

I'm currently trying to hatch some quail in my old design(not parametric, screenshot below), but as I'm using the unnacurate DHT11 as a temperature sensor I don't know what to expect.

Feedback appreciated, and good luck with making the CAD models of your incubators.

Can you get an accurate thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature in your quail hatching experiment thing?

 

[Pedro-The-Potato]

Can you get an accurate thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature in your quail hatching experiment thing?

The DHT11 are not really importat as I'm looking for a more accurate alternative, perhaps some accurate thermistors (any other suggestions?).

As for my experiment,
I actually have 2 DHT11, one which is currently reading 39.2ºC and the other one 36.4ºC (I'm using the average of both to set temperature, so 37.8ºC). At the same time, I put a fever thermometer(thermistor-based) in the incubator which reads 37.5ºC. I guess if temperatures continue like this it should be alright.

 

[BantyChooks]

I'm trying to build a cheap, fully 3d printed incubator (initially for quail but the design is meant to be scalable, stackable and fully parametric, it's being a hell to make considering it's my first parametric and big CAD project).
The idea is to have only the frame 3d printed (so printing times are reasonable) and then the walls are filled with multiple hot-glued layers of cardboard(good insulator, cheap and widely available). Also, the motor, water pump and perhaps heating wire holder are "modules" attached to the side by "sliding" them inside the main frame, so the main frame is small enough to be printed as 1 piece on a standard 3d printer, at least for the 5 quail-egg size.

Btw using freeCAD 0.20 PartDesign to model, which isn't the best but is gradually getting more usable as updates go by.

I'm currently trying to hatch some quail in my old design(not parametric, screenshot below), but as I'm using the unnacurate DHT11 as a temperature sensor I don't know what to expect.

Feedback appreciated, and good luck with making the CAD models of your incubators.

How is this project going? I might be doing something similar soon.

 

[BantyChooks]

It's a bit of a hack job, especially the fasteners but it's cosmetically complete and the turner motion propagates when the connecting bar is moved. I'm trying to record an animation via Motion Study... Solidworks is giving me a headache.

 

[BantyChooks]

Two days later I figured out the (simple) steps it took to finish the motion study.

 

[BantyChooks]

Door 2.0 is finished. Apparently, in all the years Solidworks has existed nobody has needed a texture for insulation. Hence, burlap.
I did find a human skin texture along with orange juice, grass, and barbed wire.

 

[BantyChooks]

The rebuilt door is much better. I modeled some hinges as well... but drew the line at screws. That's what the Solidworks toolbox is for (or McMaster Carr if you're weird.)

 

[BantyChooks]

Collision detection tells me the door doesn't quite close fully by about half an inch. I will ignore it. I am going to ignore it.