hair straightener heating element?

[Jmpeters]

Getting ready to start a new incubator. And I was wondering if anyone has tried to use the ceramic heating elements out of a hair straightener for a heating element?

 

[mstricer]

Those get really hot. My straighter heats to 410*. It probably will get too hot

 

[Jmpeters]

Even with a thermostat?

 

[saellis]

For safety sake and a good hatch you should probably invest in a real incubator.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Or use a light bulb like the old incubators had.

 

[Jmpeters]

I want to hatch out my duck eggs and I only get 1 a day. So I want to make a 2 compartment incubator so I can put an egg a day into it then move to the next compartment when its ready for lockdown. And make the lockdown compartment with a full view window with a little door to put in eggs and remove ducklings with as little humidity loss as possible. I like tinkering with stuff and im looking for winter projects. And was curious if anyone has tried it. Think ill just try putting one in an old cooler and see how it does for a bit b4 I put it in the cabinet bator im building.

 

[MrsBachbach]

If you use a cooler, don't forget to supply air holes.

 

[mstricer]

I want to hatch out my duck eggs and I only get 1 a day. So I want to make a 2 compartment incubator so I can put an egg a day into it then move to the next compartment when its ready for lockdown. And make the lockdown compartment with a full view window with a little door to put in eggs and remove ducklings with as little humidity loss as possible. I like tinkering with stuff and im looking for winter projects. And was curious if anyone has tried it. Think ill just try putting one in an old cooler and see how it does for a bit b4 I put it in the cabinet bator im building.

If you are using your own eggs you can collect up to 10 days then set. I still get 100% hatch on my own eggs.

 

[buckbye]

Considering what I've paid for a decent straightener ($50-$200), I'd just buy an incubator. (The smaller, "travel" ones used for styling bangs would be much cheaper though.) The fact that they get *really* hot would worry me. Mine have typically gone up to 450F, and I've got years of burn scars to prove it, YEOW!!!! Some of them are designed to eventually power off for safety reasons. And when they die, they die. Usually suddenly.

 

[Daedalus62]

Hi Jmpeters,

If you like to tinker...

I had good results with the heating element from a cheap aquarium heater... It doesn't get as hot as the hair straightener element and it's much much cheaper.... I got mine for about 3 euros (4 dollars) from the dime(?) store.

I bought a 50W one (depending on the size of your bator, you have lower and/or higher wattage's available), dismantled it and took out the heating element.

Depending on your setup... You can either use it as is (nichrome wire coil in is ceramic support), or use just the nichrome wire coil and mount it in your bator as you like...

Oh... And, if needed, there's also a thermostat inside there... Not as precise as an electronic thermostat (for example), but it keeps the temperature range OK.

Hope this helps... From a tinkerer to another

Regards