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s3n8 · 02-22-2008, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirsloop

lol... cdrom stirplate? I think it would have been easier to put a lower voltage supply on the fan, but to each his own. If it works then more power to you!

Well, Its icy outside and its like 20 minutes to Radio shack. Blah blah blah... I still wanna brew this weekend, but don't wanna venture out. I think I will build a more permanent solution in the future, but this is gonna have to do for this batch. Its stirring away as I write

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**Homercidal** · 02-24-2008, 07:50 PM

Any suggestions on where to find a stir stick around town? or, anyone got one for sale for less than the $25 minimum order I saw online? Mine is ready to try out (less than elegant, but I think it will work well.)

**Homercidal** · 02-24-2008, 08:41 PM

Well, I tried it without speed control, and the 6V supply seemd to be OK. Need to actually get a stir stick to know for sure. I also tried with a rheostat, but it didn't seem to make hardly any speed difference. Hmm...

I think at this point, the most important thing to think about is making some sort fo stir stick to test with. Oh, and also how to configure some funky LED lights to light up the Starter! BD

**Homercidal** · 02-25-2008, 05:01 PM

Got my Stir plate pictures. Used an old printer selector box, ripped the guts out, and stuck a case fan in there. I ended up using a rheostat, and a power switch. Still doesn't go slow enough for my taste, but I could modify a bit to slow it down easy enough.

I used a punch to sink the screw holes a bit, so the screws sit flush with the surface. This also serves to lower the fan a bit, so the magnets are near flush as well.

I didnt' have a real stir stick, so I cut of a piece of steel laying around. It would work better if I had a ring in the middle to pivot on. Still creates a vortex.

Gammon N Beer · 03-10-2008, 11:27 PM

I need some advice on magnets.

I went to my local Radio Shack. They have one size of a RAre Earth and it is really small. They do though have a good stock of larrger magnets. Does the type or shape on magnets matter at all?

How does one select an appropriate magnet?

TerapinChef · 03-11-2008, 03:31 AM

Yet another question from an (electrical) idiot....

I have two choices of power supplies, and would like to do this as cheap as possible. I have the fan, I have the hard drive to tear apart. I have one plug with an output stated as 5.9V====375mA and one that says 12VDC 300 mA. Which one is better, and if I use the 5.9V will I need a speed controller? I was going to buy the project box from RS but was hoping not to buy anything else there...the fewer parts I need to buy, the more likely SWMBO is to let me do it

s3n8 · 03-11-2008, 11:26 AM

There are quite a few variables to consider, which makes your question nearly impossible to answer without asking a whole bunch of questions in return.

Best advice is to tell you to tear into that hard drive, mount a magnet to the fan, try out the 5.9v PS connected to the fan. Put the fan/magnet in a vice with a piece of plastic over it and see if you can stir anything.

Adjust design as necessary. The parts at Radio Shack cost like $10. I used an enclosure from an old computer power supply, which had a rocker switch, so you only need the components to build the circuit, and a circuit board.

**Chriso** · 03-11-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gammon N Beer

I need some advice on magnets. I went to my local Radio Shack. They have one size of a RAre Earth and it is really small. They do though have a good stock of larrger magnets. Does the type or shape on magnets matter at all? How does one select an appropriate magnet?

JoAnn's Fabric. They sell an 8 pk of ceramic 3/4" round disk magnets that are FAR more powerful than they look. I'd use 2 on each pole, and then you have 4 left over for the fridge. Cost me less than $4, easier than ordering rare earth mags online.

The tiny R.S. neodymium 1/16" or 1/8" or whatever magnets suck. Ignore them, they're expensive and weak.

Veng · 03-22-2008, 02:37 AM

Hi, I have been building a stirrer based on the instructables web site.
scrapped a 350 w power supply for an enclosure and decided that maybe
the cooling fan would be all rpm and no torque. Substituted a motor from a
rechargable vac and built an overelaborate bracket for it. My problem is baffling,
the ptfe stir bar I bought on eslay spun on the WRONG axis! (like a log rolling down a hill) substituted a piece of allen wrench cut down and it works better. now to encapsulate the bar??? wonder if maybe my magnets were too close togather for the stir bar? lots of things to try. thanks for a great topic!

waterkc · 03-22-2008, 03:43 PM

Try using one magnet, I ran into a similar issue and that fixed it. I know have a 1 inch sitr and a single magnet. With 2 Plates it's awesome.