Newb with a Roll-X

[trevj]

I've been carting a Roll-X around for about 20 years, waiting for a decent opportunity to put it to use.

Got it super cheap ($125, IIRC) and it came with one egg grid and an auto turner. Even then, it was a deal!

Recently mentioned to a friend that I had the incubator and that I was looking for some fertile eggs to test run it, and the next day, 3 dozen eggs showed up. They have been in the incubator for 4 days now, and the turner is reliably turning them.

The temperature control is working well. I have a analog style thermometer and hygrometer in the incubator, and all seems well with the world.

Now, to the point.

What I did not get, was the proper water bottle. It requires the one that goes in from the top, rather than the new style that sits outside. No problem. Gonna make that. Been adding a bit of water twice a day, the humidity has been floating between 40 and 50 percent.

Can someone tell me about how deep off the bottom I need the end of the bottle spout to be? Or am I pretty much going to have to build it and adjust to fit?

I am reasonably competent with a metal lathe, figure to use some plastic tube and thread the outside a bit to put an adjustable nut on it.

Just trying to get an idea where the bottom of the tube should end up.

Thanks all!

Lots of great info here on the BYC site!

Cheers
T

 

[Bill 101]

The bottle for the Roll-x is a one piece unit (probably know that) The bottle is 2-1/8" in Dia x 7-1/4" long. Overall length, including tube is 12-3/4" The tube sets off-center by 1/4" & has the adjustment screw attached (toward the wide side) The tube length is 5-5/8" long. It is made so that as you adjust the bottle higher the tube comes off the bottom of the incubator allowing more water to enter the bator. It of course shuts off when the water level reaches the tube bottom. The tube outside Dia is 3/4" Inside is 1/2", so it's equal to 1/2? pipe

On my Roll-X it's 4-1/2 from the clear plastic dome base to the bottom of the incubator (inside). From the adjustment screw head to the bottom of the bottle tube is 4-1/2" so with the adjustment screw all the way in the tube bottom must sit on or very near the bottom

I think you would be able to make one very easily for 2-1/2" PVC if you can find it, or 2" which should be readily available. using end caps, PVC adhesive & 1/2" PVC. The adjustment screw would presents some problems. Drilling & tapping into the bottom end cap would be the easiest, but might leave leaks around the threads. Possibly bonding a block to the bottom & then drilling & threading it would be the best solution. the adjustment screw itself is an 6 or 8 -32 with a plastic thumb screw head

 

[trevj]

Well, today I finally finished my water bottle.

I turned a scrap of round, 1 1/4 inch delrin or nylon, to fit as a plug in the mouth of a 1 liter soda bottle.

The center of the plug was initially fitted to a press in fit on some 3/8 inch diameter aluminum tubing, which turned out to be too small to reliably 'bubble' when the water levels dropped low enough to need it.
I dug through my stuff and came up with a 6 or so inch scrap of 5/8" dia. Titanium tubing, with quite thin walls. Worked well, and was holding steady humidity levels, while being propped up on a bit more junk I had around, being a screw jack for adjusting a helicopter transmission (two plates with a wedge between them, operated by tightening a bolt to spread them).

I got in to town the day before yesterday, and picked over the likely candidates from the plumbing supply aisle at the hardware store. Found a white plastic pipe cap, threaded inside.

I chucked that into the lathe and cleared out teh end of it so it became a threaded bushing. The internal thread was tapered, so I matched the thread pitch, and recut the internal thread straight.

Then I pulled the bottle off the incubator and threaded the outside of it to match. Works well. Easy to turn, but tight enough to stay where it was set to. The outside of the former pipe cap was just under 1 3/4" in dia., and fits well on the ledge provided on the incubator.

Anyone got a good picture of the roller kit for the Roll-X? It looks a mite better idea than trying to accumulate all the different size egg grids a fella might want.
To judge from what I have seen, it uses just the rod running back and forth by the turner, and straight friction drive between that rod and the rollers. The O rings are nothing special, and the notches in the rods and in the side supports are pretty straightforward. I just gotta get a good look at one before I commit any funds towards the materials I'd need.

13 days in and looking pretty good so far!

Cheers
Trev

 

[Bill 101]

Holly Crap TREV, Wouldn't by any chance be a Machinist, would ya? I've often heard that a Machinist won't build a $10 part as long as a $50 one would the same.

Can't help on the roller assembly , mine has the grid.

 

[trevj]

Nah.

Played one at work for a while though.

Doesn't everyone have a metal lathe or two around?

I have about an hour of pleasant relaxation time in this, I guess. I like doing this stuff. If I just ordered the bottle, it'd be here some time after the hatch. being able to make stuff like this, priceless!


Cheers
Trev

 

[trevj]

A quick follow-up note.

Of 36 eggs, supplied by a friend from under their 'rooster included' flock, 14 eggs developed as fertile, the remainder showed no signs of development after they were cracked open.

Of the 14, one pipped, then died, one, I managed to kill by cracking it.

So. 12 new chicks, out of 14 fertile eggs. A bit of a mongrel lot, Rhode Island Red x Americuna or Aricuna. A couple have hairy legs!
A friend had a batch of Partridge Chanteclair (probably spelled wrong) hatch the same day and offered them to me. So add 8 more. 20 in the brooder, and doing well!

I did a rebuild on my incubator, something I should have looked at before I set the eggs in it. I replaced the ball bearings in the fan motor. Had some in hand of the correct size. It took two 608ZZ bearings. These are dead common and used in among other hings, roller blade wheels.

My homebuilt water bottle worked a treat. Really happy with it.

Next project is gonna be a roller set to replace the egg grid in my Roll-X.

Cheers
Trev

 

[Bill 101]

TREV ----

You might want to consider replacing the fan with a Muffin Fan. I think the fan it 4-3/4 X4-3/4, maybe 4-7/8 (Don't remember) but the bolt pattern is exactly that of the old style fan used in Roll-X's . they are a lot quieter & maintenance free.

You've experienced what I've been telling everyone right along, there easy to set, hole temperatures extremely well & if your humidity is correct , they will hatch EVERY fertile egg you put in them. Good luck on your roller project