*my home made auto egg turner never seen before anywhere pics!!!

[matlock585]

so I just checked out the first few pics you posted then fast forwarded to the end to post... so if I ask something you've already answered, please forgive me.

I'm a sheet metal guy who knows all about silver solder, and the cost of it. Are you a metal guy? How did you get it? Very well put together turner! I'm most impressed. My winter project is a cabinet incubator with a manual turner I've got lined up with a gear set salvaged from a broadcaster you pull behind a 4 wheeler. It will still be manual though. I had great results with my original home made bator, and I had to hand turn the eggs. I barely managed 3 turns a day because we are gone from 6 in the AM to 6 in the PM. My hatches were great! I hatched 15 of 19 set in 3 different hatches. My turner idea is really just a time saver for when I'm here to do it. I just love the precision with which you made yours. It looks like something I'd make. I really appreciate what I'm seeing there.
I never would have considered the rod like you used to form the main parts. Did you use the silver solder just due to the lead content of reg solder? I have stainless filler rods, and 50/50 solder at my fingertips... do you think if I formed the filler rod, soldered it with stainless ruby fluid and regular ol' 50/50 solder, then covered the soldered joints with melted plastic my risk of lead exposure would be minimized? Think I might try it, since I can't find any specs on the web for an egg tray, and I don't want to use egg cartons.
Again, I hope I didn't ask anything you've already answered, I'm just short on time these days!
Nice work Man!

Sam

 

[matlock585]

As far as the temp of the egg during incubation, Most of the bators I looked at while preparing how to make my first one let the eggs rest on a wire "floor". So I don't see the difference in letting them set in a wire cradle. Also, My home made had a very wide variance, 96 on the low side and 104 on the high, I averaged the two to argue as the internal temp of the egg, ( 100 degrees ), and I had great results.

 

[JD4570]

Beautiful work!

That is work of art. By the way I'm a certified welder and fabricator, and all I can say is that is beautiful. Love it.

 

[hdowden]

i just chicked my eggs and one of the marans has piped

but they arent the ones that are most important to me as they did come from our hens outside. my d'uccles, the shipped ones, are the ones i am waiting impatantly

for i hope all 9 hatch but i'm not gonna count my chicks till they all hatch out.

just had to post it here to this is my first ever incubation!!!

 

[h4ppy-chris]

Quote:
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hi sam
"Are you a metal guy? How did you get it?"

i had my own metal shop a few years ago, i bought the silver solder from ebay a link on the first post.
.
"Did you use the silver solder just due to the lead content of reg solder?"

i used silver solder because of its holding strength.
.
"do you think if I formed the filler rod, soldered it with stainless ruby fluid and regular ol' 50/50 solder, then covered the soldered joints with melted plastic my risk of lead exposure would be minimized?"

that should work try solder one join and test it for strength.

if you have a go and make one please show us the pics of it.

 

[jenlynn4]

very nice!!!! I use to solder at work. just wires though. I think I could definately do this if I had the materials...and ofcourse the TIME! Do you also have a bending tool to make such nice bends? Or did you use a block of wood or something to make your bends? JEN

PS didnt read every post so hope I am not asking something that has already been answered.

EDIT! just saw it says you used pliers but how did you get such perfect circles??? its just beautiful.

 

[h4ppy-chris]

Quote:
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hi Jen
hold the wire in the pliers then hold the wire to bend as close to the pliers as you can and you will get a tight bend thats all i did.
.
for the circles cut a length of wire 146mm long, hold wire in one hand and the pliers in the other. start doing very very small bends (dont hold the wire close to the pliers)
once you have formed a circle ish get the two ends to meet and solder them.
now place your circle over an egg you will see just how round it is, where you see light between the egg and the wire the bend at that point is too tight so put that point in your pliers and give it a little squeeze. place it back over your egg to test.
.
remember its only a bit of wire and not the end of the world

so play and have fun

 

[h4ppy-chris]

just been running it for a few days loaded up with eggs, it runs sweet as a nut

 

[wolftracks]

Thought I'd bring this back up and see how the hatch went.

 

[tigercreek]

Beautiful!! Only problem I see is that it only holds 10 eggs!! Whats up with that????

........stan