Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I built this new incubator because I out grew a smaller version.
It is 67" tall and 52" wide. It has a false back, top and bottom which channels the warm air thru out the incubator and keeps the top and bottom shelfs within 1 degree of each other.
I had a lot of fun designing and building it, BUT those 49"x97" sheets of melamine kicked my butt.
Hopefully I will almost fill it this season.

Becky
WFReptiles

Oh, to be that talented. Looks great, good luck fillin' 'er up.

.

Hi Becky,

That's a great looking incubator!
What did you use for a heat source and thermostat? Did you include any fans?

Thanks,
Glenn Smith

Thank you - I have three 4" box fans that draw the air from the incubator down into the false bottom, and over three 100 watt light bulbs. Then the warm air circulates up the channel in the false back of the unit and into the false top where I have placed 3 vents that help dispurse the heat back into the incubator.

Becky

Sorry Glenn I forgot- I have the lights plugged into a helix thermostat that is set at 89*. Then the Helix is plugged into an A-life thermostat that is set at 92*. The fans are plugged directly into the outlet and run 24/7.
I didn't feel like messing with setting up a wafer thermostat as a back up thermostat, so I figured since the A life is not a porportional thermostat the helix would get full power just like when using a wafer. Much easier to set up.

Becky

Very nice. This is the last season I can use what I have. I am going to start plans for a new incubator in a few months. I like your design. I like being able to look in without opening the incubator.

Very nice!
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Jay A. Martin

Hi Becky,

This is really the type of incubator I was thinking about building. Initially, I was thinking about using a small upright freezer (5 cubic ft). That really isn't that much space and I really like the glass or plexiglass doors. Are yours glass and do they seem to hold the incubator temp. steady? I was wondering if I would have to have a layer of glass on the inside and outside of the doors to form a pocket of air between them to insulate the doors better. I figured this since glass is not as good an insulator as the wood/melamine. Also, were the fans already set up with ac plugs?

Thanks again,
Glenn Smith

I really had planned on having sliding glas doors on this unit, but the glass was just too expensive. The plexi glass cost 13.99 a piece, and was easy to cut to the size I needed. Two layers might not be a bad idea. I can feel the warmth from the incubator when I touch the doors, but it doesn't seem to be too bad.
The fans I purchased at Radio shack and did the wiring myself.
Becky

Hi Becky,

Are the fans ac or dc? I checked them out at my local Radio Shack and they have a 32 cu.ft/min ac fan ($19.99), and the rest are dc. I have never really wired anything and don't see it as being very complex, but wondered if they can be wired in series. Thank you for all your help!

Glenn