Making an Incubator

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Originally Posted by Snake_Tooth

Do you have any pictures you could post? Not sure I understand the 1/2" screen part. I was thinking about getting either light diffuser or that plastic mesh that they have for needle point across the racks.

I was wondering about going with 3" vs 11" but read that you want approx 10 to 15 watts per cubic foot and this is 5.5 cubic ft, so somewhere between 55 and 82.5 watts of heat source. Seems like you would have to run three to four strips of 3" to meet that especially if you didn't want to run it all the way down on the bottom. What is it you don't like about the 11"?

I was also thinking about getting rid of the glass shelf altogether and using a combination of 64oz bottles and 20 oz bottles between the lowest point and the ledge at the glass shelf level. Then just mounting the first shelf where the first shelf was. Did you keep the coolant panel that was mounted on the back wall as a false wall to seperate the flexwatt from the main space? I appreciate any input.

It's funny how meticulous and cautious we all are but in the wild, they spit them out, lay on them, and "Viola", babies :)

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I had a very detailed reply which somehow disappeared so I will give you the short version because I couldn't possibly duplicate such a masterpiece. :P

The diffuser/mesh is for the inside of the egg tub. The 1/2" screen is sold as "hardware cloth" and goes over the zig zag shelves that came with the cooler.

You could fit three strips of 3" flexwatt but I doubt four. I kept mine on the back wall only. 11" doesn't put out enough heat, IMHO. You may need two fans at the top.

Putting a removable shelf at the bottom, covered in hardware cloth, would work fine. The glass felt like it was glued in so you may have to break it. I used small water bottles at the very bottom so I would have room for another fan at the front blowing up to circulate the air. I would not rely on the water bottles to support the bottom shelf. They may fall out along with the shelf and egg tubs.

I removed the coolant panel and everything else except the light. I rewired it so it would still work. Everything under the box was ripped out. Cut the lines outside in case it leaks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

I had a very detailed reply which somehow disappeared so I will give you the short version because I couldn't possibly duplicate such a masterpiece. :P

The diffuser/mesh is for the inside of the egg tub. The 1/2" screen is sold as "hardware cloth" and goes over the zig zag shelves that came with the cooler.

You could fit three strips of 3" flexwatt but I doubt four. I kept mine on the back wall only. 11" doesn't put out enough heat, IMHO. You may need two fans at the top.

Putting a removable shelf at the bottom, covered in hardware cloth, would work fine. The glass felt like it was glued in so you may have to break it. I used small water bottles at the very bottom so I would have room for another fan at the front blowing up to circulate the air. I would not rely on the water bottles to support the bottom shelf. They may fall out along with the shelf and egg tubs.

I removed the coolant panel and everything else except the light. I rewired it so it would still work. Everything under the box was ripped out. Cut the lines outside in case it leaks.

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Thanks a lot for the awesome advice. I will be sure to try that when i put the incubator together :)