[DIYbio] Re: Making my own incubator

I cringe every time somebody tells me they are making their own incubator out of things like styrofoam, cardboard, etc.  Sure, it works and it's cheap, but when designing something like this, you have to ask yourself what will happen if a component fails or you have some bizarre software bug that will allow the heater to run non-stop.  It's possible this sort of design could catch on fire, easily setting afire anything nearby.  I would suggest people consider using a metal container of some sort wrapped in fiberglass insulation.  A small metal garbage can, for example, wrapped in the kind of fiberglass insulating blanket they sell for hot water heaters, will work pretty well.  Of course it's not as cheap as a cardboard box, etc. but if the software freaks out or a relay gets stuck, etc. and your heater-resistors run till they ignite something inside, then at least the fire is contained in a non-flammable container that might smother the fire in its own smoke.  Using a metal container, you must take precautions keeping it properly grounded so you don't electrocute yourself, but I think it's worth not risking a fire by going with that design.

My two cents worth.