avibayer - waiting for flask and stirbar -
while many types of magnets exist for the underside with the fan, I don't think you'll be able to test it without a stirbar - that plastic casing is somewhat essential in getting things to spin. As far as the spacing - two meanings exist - 1) look at post 287 - spaced apart, and 2) height off the fan motor. Some of the stronger magnets interfere with the motor spinning (it's essentially a type of electromagnet in itself), so raising the magnet away from the hub of the motor often helps. Good luck, I think you'll probably be pleased when your stirbar arrives.
I'm building my second one. The first worked out so well, that I'm building one for a friend. I got lots of HDD magnets and a few old printer selection boxes that are obsolete now that network print servers come in every printer sold.
I find the HDD magnets work very well, and even though I can pull a vortex down to nearly the bottom with a 1" stirbar, I never run it that fast. I just turn it on low and let the thing keep the yeast mixed up.
The results have been just as good as cranking it.
So think I've got mine wired up right, however it doesn't seem like the fan has much variability at all through the rheostat. The only way I can tell is to tape the magnet to the fan and listen to frequency of the vibrations it causes in the case. It seems a bit faster with the rheostat dialed all the up vs all the way down, but it's not much at all.
I saw elsewhere in the thread that some people were using a resistor. Would doing so help my problem? Any particular rating (or whatever you call it) to use?
Unfortunately I don't have my stir bar so I can't see how well this current setup will work.
stir bar came, and after playing with the magnets for an hour, i was able to get a vortex down to the bottom. my yeast were super happy. I used a washer with a hole in the middle that was so big, the HD magnets wouldn't rest across the middle. So i glued a piece of metal across the gap, put the two HD magnets on it, and it did the trick.
the only issue i have, is i have to make sure the stir bar is in the middle of the flask to get it to spin properly, and with murky starters that can be tricky. but its kinda fun too. finding the sweet spot.
thanks for an awesome thread, helping non-engineers like me build a stir plate on the cheap.
cheers
Well, I'm back from a long tournament Bass fishing season. I'm glad to see my thread has continued to stay on the first page... 30 pages!?!?
__________________
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.
--Tom Waits
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.
--Frank Zappa
In case anyone cares, 64-3134 is not the right part numbers for quick disconnects that fit that rocker switch. So you don't have to make another trip like I did, get 64-4040's. You need 1/4" disconnects for the rocker switch.
In other news, I have a 120mm pc fan in mine, which I cut all the blades off with a dremel, and it doesn't seem like it spins fast enough to make a vortex to the bottom. Do I need to use both of the HD magnets? I can't tell if I can't get a vortex to the bottom because the fan speed isn't fast enough, or I don't have enough magnet force.
In case anyone cares, 64-3134 is not the right part numbers for quick disconnects that fit that rocker switch. So you don't have to make another trip like I did, get 64-4040's. You need 1/4" disconnects for the rocker switch.
Unless they have changed the design of the rocker switch, the 3/16 disconnects should work. I built 3 stirplates for club members following my own "how to thread" to make sure I didn't miss anything or mess up the instructions. I'll take a run down to the SHACK today and take a look at what they are stocking. 3/16" vs. 1/4" disconnects shouldn't make much of a difference, however I will verify and edit the thread for now.
Thanks for the input!
__________________
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.
--Tom Waits
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.
--Frank Zappa
Unless they have changed the design of the rocker switch, the 3/16 disconnects should work. I built 3 stirplates for club members following my own "how to thread" to make sure I didn't miss anything or mess up the instructions. I'll take a run down to the SHACK today and take a look at what they are stocking. 3/16" vs. 1/4" disconnects shouldn't make much of a difference, however I will verify and edit the thread for now.
Thanks for the input!
Well...I can most assuredly tell you the part number of the quick disconnects wouldn't even come close to fitting the part number for that rocker switch.
When I went back later that evening, the part number I picked up was snug, but a perfect fit. Not sure if I got an older switch with the same part number before they went to a smaller size or what...but just wanted people to know to double check at the very least. There may be multiple sizes of the rocker switch part number, with different sized male ends. LOL
Linear Mode
