I would get it together like your thinking then get a thermometer and humidity monitor that you can put inside and have the read out outside and see if it is maintaining temps and humidity. Using it as a hatcher may get quite messy though. I think that is the basic design concept of most reptile egg incubators (only higher tech) and some people hatch chickens in them.I was wondering if this would work . I have an idea for an incubator if I put a heating blanketing the bottom of a storage tub, and put a blanket over that and a little bowl of water will it hatch eggs.