oldclucks cabinet incubator build.

[aka Rachel]

Thanks for sharing your build! I'm about to order the 225w incu kit for a large chest bator, similar to yours in size but a heavier wood. I'm currently heating it with dual light bulbs and water heater thermostat...what a pain in the behind. I said I would never use a water heater thermostat again...and I did...and I'm kicking myself. It will hold a certain temp for a few days, then go up a few degrees and hold there, then drop etc. So monday I will put in my order!

I lined my bator with what looks like a similar product to yours, its foil lined bubble wrap...fit much better in the car Holds the heat in great altho I might need to staple it in place, the foil tape I used is loosening with the heat.

I have been thinking about the sensor placement with the incu kit too. I will have my trusty aquarium thermometer in water filled baggie sitting with the eggs, and I think I will try to get the sensor in the approximate center of the bator. I do feel the fan on the incu kit will be sufficient to move the air to eliminate hot/cold spots.

I had a brinsea mini and liked the fan/heater combo so I have great hopes for the incu kit design!

 

[chickletteSarge]

Thanks for sharing your build! I'm about to order the 225w incu kit for a large chest bator, similar to yours in size but a heavier wood. I'm currently heating it with dual light bulbs and water heater thermostat...what a pain in the behind. I said I would never use a water heater thermostat again...and I did...and I'm kicking myself. It will hold a certain temp for a few days, then go up a few degrees and hold there, then drop etc. So monday I will put in my order!

I lined my bator with what looks like a similar product to yours, its foil lined bubble wrap...fit much better in the car Holds the heat in great altho I might need to staple it in place, the foil tape I used is loosening with the heat.

I have been thinking about the sensor placement with the incu kit too. I will have my trusty aquarium thermometer in water filled baggie sitting with the eggs, and I think I will try to get the sensor in the approximate center of the bator. I do feel the fan on the incu kit will be sufficient to move the air to eliminate hot/cold spots.

I had a brinsea mini and liked the fan/heater combo so I have great hopes for the incu kit design!

where did you find the incu kit?id like to look into this...

 

[cmom]

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/48-watt-incukit-dc.html

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/100w-incu-kit.html

 

[aka Rachel]

And lets not forget this one..
http://incubatorwarehouse.com/225-watt-cabinet-incukit.html

Gotta love the digi controls!

 

[buddy phoenix]

pretty cool. like the designs i will have to try this.

 

[flgardengirl]

Thanks for your posts cmom

 

[flgardengirl]

And lets not forget this one..
http://incubatorwarehouse.com/225-watt-cabinet-incukit.html

Gotta love the digi controls!

This is the one I got. My wine cooler is not really deep though and I only have 2 inches that I could possibly make a false back on it due to my egg turners hogging so much room. So I am just going to have to mount it either on top facing down or on the back wall.
I watched the video that goes along with that particular model of heater/fan/thermostat setup and it says it draws air from the bottom of the fan and it is distributed out the sides. So I am thinking I should probably put it at the top of the incubator. I have another fan I could use as well in another spot to help circulate air (maybe at the bottom??)

 

[oldcluck]

Thanks CMOM. With the two 1/2 inch holes at top and bottom and the tray half-2/3rds filled with water my humidity stays between 35 and 40 % So I think I will leave them as is. A bucket on top would be handy as mine takes about a liter of water every other day.

AKA Rachel, I purchased a second fan after reading something on incubator warehouses website about it being necessary on larger cabinets. My temps read the same everywhere in the incubator I have tested them. The foil lined bubble wrap you mentioned is called reflectix. I was going to use that but I liked this duct insulation I used as it has adhesive built in and was just press on to apply. I think either would work.

flgardengirl, If you don't have room to put in a false back you could use a 2-3 inch pvc pipe for ducting. Have a fan pull air from the bottom of the incubator through the pipe to the top of the incubator. The pipe could even be run along the outside back of the bator although if you did that you would want to wrap some insulation around it. There are a few builds like that on this website.

 

[cmom]

My sportsman doesn't have a false back. I know my incubator isn't homemade, but it works great.

Here is the fan and heater coil. The upper holes are behind the fan.



This is the bottom of the cabinet where the hatching tray is. I took out the hatching tray
as it blocks the holes so you could see they are in the very bottom back of the cabinet.

 

[cmom]

Thanks CMOM. With the two 1/2 inch holes at top and bottom and the tray half-2/3rds filled with water my humidity stays between 35 and 40 % So I think I will leave them as is. A bucket on top would be handy as mine takes about a liter of water every other day.

AKA Rachel, I purchased a second fan after reading something on incubator warehouses website about it being necessary on larger cabinets. My temps read the same everywhere in the incubator I have tested them. The foil lined bubble wrap you mentioned is called reflectix. I was going to use that but I liked this duct insulation I used as it has adhesive built in and was just press on to apply. I think either would work.

flgardengirl, If you don't have room to put in a false back you could use a 2-3 inch pvc pipe for ducting. Have a fan pull air from the bottom of the incubator through the pipe to the top of the incubator. The pipe could even be run along the outside back of the bator although if you did that you would want to wrap some insulation around it. There are a few builds like that on this website.

As long as your humidity and temperature stay pretty steady you should have a great hatch.