Converting an old incubator

[Guitartists]

That is freakin awesome!

I soooooo want one now... LOL

If I had something that looked cool like that DH wouldn't hate it sitting around the house! lol I must admit my homemade cooler bator... for as well as it works, is NOT the prettiest bator on the block

LOL

 

[millebantam]

I have been using one of those Petiatric element setups in one of my homebuilt bator for months now. You will really like it.
Quote:

 

[USMCSGT]

That is a very good find you have there. I am getting ready to build one myself and came across this thread. I have some wood that I brought back from Cuba that is really nice, now I know what to do with it. It is really dense and water doesn't hurt it. I know this because it has been sitting out side for 10 years.

 

[USMCSGT]

Sorry

 

[AngieChick]

Oh, that's really neat! I can't wait to see eggs in it.

 

[JJMR794]

ONCE YOU GET THE CARPENTRY WORK DONE ON IT( LEGS FIXED, ANY RESTORATION WORK ON THE EXTERIOR FINISH..) WHY NOT JUST REWORK IT AS A FORCED AIR ELECTRIC? JUST GET A TABLETOP (STYROFOAM HOVABATOR) SOMEWHERE AND CANABALIZE IT--- WIRE THE PARTS INTO YOUR CABINET? THERE'S ALWAYS PLENTY OF THE TABLETOPS AVAILABLE ON EBAY OR EGG BID BOTH NEW AND USED.... ALSO WHAT ARE THE INSIDE DEMENTIONS? THE ELECTRIC TURNERS ARE HANDY TOO.........

I WOULD SIMPLY REMOVE THE OLD PIPE INTERIOR AND THEN MOUNT THE HEATING ELEMENT ON THE INSIDE OF THE TOP, A SMALL HOLE DRILLED THRU THE SIDE WALL FOR YOUR THERMOSTAT STEM AND ANOTHER FOR THE INDICATOR LIGHT. ANOTHER 1/4 INCH HOLE THRU THE BACK AND MOUNT YOUR FAN OVER THE HOLE ON THE INSIDE TO KEEP THE AIR CIRCULATING. LASTLY A HOLE NEAR THE BACK/ BOTTOM FOR YOUR POWER CORD----- MAKE ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS INSIDE WITH GOOD QUALITY WIRENUTS OR ELECTRICAL CRIMPS AND FIRE IT UP!

IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE A THING OF NOSTALGIC BEAUTY!

 

[CARS]

OK gang, I am trying to get some humidity in this thing. It wont get over 30%, 90% of the time. (huh?)

Well maybe the wood is that dried out and is still absorbing everything I can throw at it?

Here is my take on an automatic humidity control system:

There was a hole from the copper tube on the side so I just centered the humistat over it and screwed it to the side.

The white pyramid looking thing is a air pump for a aquarium. I connected the pump to the air hose and then to a air stone in a cup:

TaDa!!! Bubbles or as I like to think of it, moisture laden air

One would think that the humidity would be high right? Well it climbed almost immediately (well, 5 minutes) to 40 something percent and then dropped down to the 20's. Hmmm

And here is a pic of the "operation":

Any ideas or comments?? (No, I wont give it to you)

 

[ozzie]

Looks great! Humidity is dependent on surface area of water exposed to air (I think) which is why people tend to prefer using larger flat pans. Have you got something like a tray/box to contain the chicks when hatching time comes? You'll need that because once they pop out they stumble around everywhere and you need to consider what don't want them to get into eg wires, tipping over cups etc.

Other than that, it's a beauty!

ozzie

 

[CARS]

What I don't understand is that right now the humidity reads 28% but the little house icon shows High humidity

Can these cheap things be consistent to each other but that far off? When I turn the knob on the humistat, it clicks off at about 45%. So it is reading 45% and the gauges are about 20% low. Hmmm

A friend of mine is dropping off a "double lung" air pump so I can add a second air stone/cup 'O water. I added a soup bowl full of water today, that didn't seem to do anything.

Can the wood be absorbing it all? It was in a dry barn for the last 100+ years???

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Put the air pump in the incubator so its pumping hot air not cold. I also think the humidistat needs to be in there as well. An maby a deeper cup. Those foggers work better than the air pump but may be to much for that size bator.