Mini-fridge - DARTHBATOR

[havi]

That is too cute!

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

Quote:
no they don't. energy saving bulbs put out a lot less too. you want old fashioned full-fat bulbs for a bator.

 

[vkp23]

Quote:
no they don't. energy saving bulbs put out a lot less too. you want old fashioned full-fat bulbs for a bator.

OK cool. I think I have found what will work for this idea.

 

[walkswithdog]

LEDs work for interior lighting but not heat.

Some people have used outdoor light ropes and outdoor christmas lights LOL to actually GREAT effect. Always use outdoor rated lights when you can in a humid environment. Many puck lights are outdoor rated because of the humidity in the kitchen.

I'm using flexwatt heat tape in one bator but it's much smaller than DARTHbator.

Tinker with simple things - later tinker with whatever floats your boat. Some people use curling iron insides. The choices are actually endless.

Now the strict purists say buy the heating element MADE for bators and the thermostats made for bators, and for simplicity's sake - you can absolutely recreate the wheel as it has already been done and voila it works.

<shrug> What fun is there in that? The cost can be prohibitive if you don't have several $20's to throw at the construction. And you actually CAN make a perfectly working bator for a lot less than the cost of those things.

Yeah, you might have to (gasp) tinker, and learn, and fiddle, and moan a bit. But you actually figure out what works and WHY, and how to fix it. Experience that is, to my mind, invaluable.

I'm hoping to work on my fourth and fifth bators over the summer, and to rework Darth some just because I can... I gave the first one to a friend. I won't give away the wine cooler bator because it is an AWESOME size for a small hospital incubator, for when broodies go wrong or a hatchling needs help.

Darth is good for incubating beside the computer. And the new antique redwood one is ........ appealing as heck and coming indoors once I finish refinishing it. (huge grin)

It holds 600 eggs I'm told, a fact that nearly got me killed. LOL. But I only plan on using three trays at a time.

Chuckle.

I'd rather fiddle with learning things than do it as it has been done before. And if you can keep within a tight budget and make a working bator I think that's the ultimate in good common sense.

 

[vkp23]

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Hey I'm all for being "different"

LOL! My bator I have right now is made out of a sterilite container with holes cut in the top for shop lights to sit on. The far end has a piture frame's glass over it so I can get to my little battery operated fan should I need to turn it on if it gets too hot, and my little tupper where containers with cotton balls and paper towel in them for water. The light right over the eggs is a 40 wat and the light in the middle is a 60 wat. I know a lot of people would freak at the fact it's not insulated but I built my eggs a cotton ball nest and so far, my ducks are on day 17 and doing great! My turkens are on day 15 and are going strong even the one I dropped my candling flash light on and patched up with wax and med tape!!! LOL! Talk about a CHEAP bator! I can post a pic if your interested. LOL

 

[walkswithdog]

Of course you should post pics, it's always interesting and people need to know this isn't voodoo, or rocket science.

 

[vkp23]

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I have to go to PHysical thereapy right now bit I will post when I get home. How do you take the frdge workings out without leaking freon all over?

 

[walkswithdog]

Ahhh, now you see the advantage of the smaller fridges/wine coolers they're still working off condensers not freon coils.

That said the whole darn assembly should come free with the right screw removal, without leaking all over the place.

Just pull the whole darn thing, fans and all - whatever's attached and move it over a tarp or something and then figure out the rest of the undo... should be able to salvage a fan or fans depending on the model. Usually you have to use something to close off some of the back again, depending on what you can reuse and what you cannot.

Since the small ones have condensers, there's some area to close off and reseal after you've removed and tossed them. I covered mine with part of the inside of the door that I removed for the window and some silicone.

High grade pure silicone is nice because of it's super high heat and humidity tolerance. And if you mess up - it also pulls off in a lump after it's dry - dead useful trait that.

 

[vkp23]

Here is my "Poor mans incubator" or well woman in this case LOL!

 

[vkp23]

I may have my husband convinced to turn our mini fridge into a bator! The fridge doesn't work right anyway. I bought the light and plexy glass (spell check) That should be all I need. Now just gotta get him to help. With my bad back and all, I'm not sure I can do it on my own. He's still a little if-y about it. He's worried we wont be able to take the fridge workings out with out problems. Really all I need now is a cool name for a white fridge bator.