Just finished my own stirplate, wanted to show what worked for me.
I decided not to use a potentiometer, and just have a single setting for my vortex. I used a 12 volt computer fan, just like everybody else. I used 2 7lb magnets from American Science and surplus. Picked up a black case and switch there. I ended up using an old lcd tv transformer and a 50 ohm 5 watt resistor I had laying around. To get the magnets away from the fan and up to the level of the outer box, I was fortunate enough to borrow the laser cutter at school and build some rings out of acrylic to mount the magnets into, it looked a lot nicer before the JB weld. JMilton1987 helped me out with the CAD files for the cutter. Also, the bar I'm using is a 2" bar.
I like the set up because it breaks down nicely and stores everything in the case.
thanks for the great directions. just finished making my stirplate by following your directions it works!! had to buy an old fan and magnet from the computer shop for 15bucks. after all parts still only 43bucks
Very nice! Glad to see people are still using this thread
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Most folks are buying stir bars I believe. They will work better then a screw... I wonder though if you could use just a 2" piece of 1/4" stainless rod..
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How I brew: Stir plate starters, Extract, Full boil in a Keggle, 10 gallon batches.
Brewing upgrades in progress: temp controlled ferment, stir plate re-work, building mash tun, milling station
Planned House Ales: an Amber, an IPA, a dark IPA, a Mango Ale, a blueberry oatmeal stout, a dry Irish stout, a honey wheat, Apfelwien
Well I got mine kicking. I had negligible success with power supplies left around the house. I seem to have lost some. So I had to go back a 12v and throw a resistor between the power and fan motor. It provides a little more juice than I wanted but the computer store down the street has a basket of used supplies for $10 but for some reason the 12v 500mA was $40 I asked about it and the guy at the desk was some dork that had no idea.
Anyhow I went with a two inch bar and have four magnets on each side to hold the bar. The magnets I got from harbor freight tools. All I have to do is solder everything up (only assembled with gator clips right now) and close up the box. I'll probably start using it tonight so I can get get a starter going for my Pliney clone from AHS that I'll brew on Monday.
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Most folks are buying stir bars I believe. They will work better then a screw... I wonder though if you could use just a 2" piece of 1/4" stainless rod..
You would want to use either 304 or 316 stainless, but the problem is that neither is magnetic.
You would want to use either 304 or 316 stainless, but the problem is that neither is magnetic.
SS won't work as it's not ferrous and cannot be magnetized AFAIK. I think there are some types of SS that are somewhat magnetic, but only weakly so. Stir bars have a magnet embedded withing a Teflon casing. The magnet inside the stir bar magnetically couples with the stir plate spinning magnets. Store bought stir bars are relatively inexpensive and available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. IMO, not worth the time and effort to make DIY stir bars. It's important to get a stir bar that matches the spacing on the stir plate magnets closely for optimum performance.
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