MY 'BATOR! Updated PICS Pg 1 & 4 ~ PIC HEAVY!!

[cjeanean]

I'm planning to put a cover over it when the time comes....just so you know. Thanks for the concern!!!!

 

[Bleenstar]

A parts and price list would be much appreciated

You did a wonderful job building this incubator, I cant wait to see it in action. I am in process of building one myself and is experimenting with different types of insulating material. My cousin is a potter..er..lol and he has alot of extra red clay...I was thinking lol...maybe...just maybe I can play around with that..*shrug* Or I can buy massive amounts of sculpey clay lol. Anyways, good luck!!!

 

[cjeanean]

I mentioned earlier how much it came to ($65-$70)....the parts list is pretty simple....

Thermostat (water heater, must range down to at least 90 degrees)
Thermometers/hygrometer (I have 2 mercury thermometers and a thermometer hygrometer digital in there right now, I'm getting a digital thermometer with a probe that I can put in a water wiggler in the next 2 days, will update pics!)
PC fan
Lamp kit
Hardware cloth
AC adapter (u can't see that in the pics)
Surge protector (can't see that either!)
Water wiggler (don't have mine yet, had to buy it on ebay

)
Water dish
electrical tape

I've been gauging the temps for the past 2 hours, and after I added a gap between the thermostat and the cooler wall the temp fluctuates by ten degrees instead of 15-20. It hits 100.0/100.2 and the light kicks off, then it gets down to 89.4/89.6 and the light kicks back on. Going from 100.2 to 89.4 and back up to 100.2 takes a total of 10 minutes (It might take 15, I don't have the chart in front of me right now). With the two water dishes I have in there right now only the smaller of the two is filled and the humidity is staying at 48-60%. I need to decrease the surface area of the water to get it to the optimum 45-50%, then I'm gonna experiment with getting the humidity to 60-65% for hatch day....at least I think that's what the humidity is supposed to be. For some reason I can't seem to keep those numbers in my head!!! I've noticed that when the light kicks off the humidity climbs a few points, then when the light kicks back on it drops again. I wish the thermostat was a little more accurate! Maybe my bator should be more insulated, I don't know if temps are supposed to drop that quick...

 

[needmorechickens!]

Great job, cjeanean!!! and very good pics

I made one of those too. I have a smaller cooler and as the outside temp has started to get cooler, my 40 watt bulb isn't enough any more. I have some hatching right now, but I have had to heat the area with a space heater to keep my temps up....I am switching to a 60 watt bulb when these are done!

On the thermostat, when I turn the metal piece, the plastic piece turns too. It is easier to turn the metal piece though!
Best wishes for your first hatch!

~Rebecca

 

[MissPrissy]

I hope you have great hatches!

 

[UrbanMama]

I helped my daughter build one of these...I put a muffin tin in the bottom for humidity. Depth isn't the issue with humidity it's surface water. The muffin tin has been perfect 'cuz you just put water in another muffin cup.

Great job!

 

[dbcooper02]

Your temp fluctuation is probably because that water heater t-stat is designed to react to a surface temperature. I have read where others have mounted the t-stat on the back side of a metal electrical box which acts as a heat sink and greatly reduces the temp range.
db

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

So where did you purchase the PC Fan? You said it was $3 and no shipping? That sounds great.

 

[cjeanean]

Quote:
Here's the link to the thread I posted....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=99515

When I ordered it, which was a week ago, there was NO shipping, so hopefully you'll get the same luck. All you get is tax, so my total was $3.12....

 

[cjeanean]

Quote:
Do you think it would make a difference??? I'm gonna take this thermostat back and get a different one, cause it might just be a screwy one that I happened to pick up. If not I guess I can try a metal box.

MissPrissy, what do you suggest for the temp flux??? Oh, and my humidity won't fluctuate so much if the light stops. The humidity rises when the light goes out and drops when the light goes on....