I posted a video as requested of the stirplate in action.
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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
Hmmm...I just built up something fairly similar with an old PC fan/magnets and a 6 volt DC supply from the Shack. I paid about $20 for the power supply, and I'm really hoping it has the gusto to stir...
...if it doesn't, would replacing the fan be a viable option when compared to replacing the power supply and crapping that much cash down the drain? At this rate, it would almost have been better to just buy one.
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On a brewing hiatus. Will get back into the fray eventually, methinks...
It's hard to say honestly. The fan is most likely a 12 VDC pulling between .5 and 2 amps of current. A 6 VDC power supply SHOULD be able to get your vortex strong if you can play around with magnet size and the distance between your fan and your flask. With my 5 VDC power supply and the correct magnet orientation, I've had no issues getting my vortex down to the base of the flask.
__________________
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
It's hard to say honestly. The fan is most likely a 12 VDC pulling between .5 and 2 amps of current. A 6 VDC power supply SHOULD be able to get your vortex strong if you can play around with magnet size and the distance between your fan and your flask. With my 5 VDC power supply and the correct magnet orientation, I've had no issues getting my vortex down to the base of the flask.
Both distance and magnet size are limited to what I'm working with now, I'm afraid. I do have a set of four different size stir bars coming, so I'm hoping at least one of them turns well.
I did make a little stir nugget out of wire and this cheap, rubberized magnet material, and the fan spun it quite well. I just hope the fan has the torque (if that's the right word) to spin the bars.
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On a brewing hiatus. Will get back into the fray eventually, methinks...
If you haven't altered the power supply from radioshack, you could always return it for a 12 VDC wall wort
__________________
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
If you haven't altered the power supply from radioshack, you could always return it for a 12 VDC wall wort
Very much altered. If the 6 volt doesn't do it, I'll look around the house and see if I can find something in 9v or 12 volt. And if I can't find one I'll grind my teeth and buy another 'shack adapter.
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On a brewing hiatus. Will get back into the fray eventually, methinks...
Very much altered. If the 6 volt doesn't do it, I'll look around the house and see if I can find something in 9v or 12 volt. And if I can't find one I'll grind my teeth and buy another 'shack adapter.
Don't do it! I GUARANTEE you know someone with a whole drawer/box/basement full of old power supplies (wall warts) that have been collecting dust because they have no idea what they go to or what they did go to was lost or thrown away long ago. Ask around, you'll find one locally for free.
The best wall worts I've found are from old routers or modems. They are all between 9 VDC and 12 VDC and provide plenty of current for a fan. Some of mine were so powerful that I had to throw a resistor inline to slow down the fan more than my potentiometer could.
__________________
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
Hmm...the 6v Radioshack power supply works, but at max power the vortex only extends about 2 inches down, occasionally reaching down to touch the bottom for a second, then bouncing back up. Is this good enough?
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On a brewing hiatus. Will get back into the fray eventually, methinks...
I've been able to get mine to work reliably with the hard drive magnets at Low to medium speeds with a 1000 ml Flask.
However, I'd like a larger container and it won't work with my 1/2 gallon milk jug or a wine carafe that has slightly thicker glass.
I bought some round and rectangular magnets from Northern Tools and they are strong but the stir bar doesn't center. It will just grab the edge of the magnet and stay put until it starts turning and then spins off.
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