I've build my incubator based on the Biohack Academy design. I didn't deviate too much from the prototype Peter made, so I've used the same materials and an Arduino clone I had bought a month before.

For the outer box of the incubator I used the laser cutter available at the FabLab and some MDF sheets from the wood store close by. The store is very close to the lab, like 2 minutes walking distance. Nevertheless, one still passes by a couple of windows with red courtains, a soft reminder that we're entering the Red Light District. There's something awkward about it which makes it funny for me. Especially on the way back, when I was carrying the 4 or 5 MDF sheets each one meter long. Yes, I'm a biohacker at the outer skirts of the Red Light District in Amsterdam! This is definatly not the same city center as the one in Den Bosch. But let's get back to the incubator...

Laser cutter

At first I thought that I had to open the SchetchUp design (Incubator Design section) and export the faces with the SVG plugin. One does have to do that when deviating from Peter's design. But I didn't, so I used the SVG laser cut files directly in Adobe Illustrator, I pasted the incubator shapes on top of the empty template that matches the layout and dimensions of the laser cutter. I didn't pay too much attention to optimizing for space, so in the end I used one more MDF sheet then the number suggested in the matterials page.

Looking back, there are things I could have done better here. For example, before using the laser cutter at the FabLab, I could have opened the svg files in Inkscape, a free alternative to Illustrator, and arrange the shapes in a way thet minimizes the wasted material. I don't know if I would have gained an MDF sheet though, so buying one extra is a good idea anyway. It's a precaution for when things go wrong, like the laser cutter not cutting towards the end of a sheet, in which case you still have to cut a couple of pieces, but are out of material.

That evening, when i arrived home, I immediatly started to assemble the MDF pieces. This part feels like childplay, I was basically putting together the pieces of a 3D puzzle and securing them with some bolts and nuts (mostly 10mm).

The last part of the incubator box was putting in the celulose walls for isolation.

Inkscape

I'll take the opportunity to mention Inkscape once more, because I'm very happy I've learnt to use its basic functionalities. It's a vector drawing tool and it's free! Besides the svg files for the BHA, I've used it for bluring background images, making images black and white and at work for creating images for a presentation and even a 3-page "comic book"-like illustration to highlight the main features of a project I've done. Great find!