Occasionally, the stir bar I use on my stirplate will rattle slightly, especially at higher speeds. I also noticed that some stir bars have a tendency to do this and others do not. I'm using a 48mm bar. (2" x 5/16")
So, I've been looking at some alternatives. There are quite a few different stir bar configurations. One design is shaped like a barbell and it's supposed to be more stable and quieter. The problem is that they are too expensive.
Thought I would try an experiment to approximate the barbell shape. I put two O-rings on the stir bar positioned symetrically about 2/3rds out from the center. Works like a charm!
The O-rings I used are the same size used on keg dip tubes, but any 1/4" ID O-ring should work. I've have not tried any other size, so there could be an even better choice on these.
Here's a pic of the stir bar w/-Orings installed:
So, I've been looking at some alternatives. There are quite a few different stir bar configurations. One design is shaped like a barbell and it's supposed to be more stable and quieter. The problem is that they are too expensive.
Thought I would try an experiment to approximate the barbell shape. I put two O-rings on the stir bar positioned symetrically about 2/3rds out from the center. Works like a charm!
The O-rings I used are the same size used on keg dip tubes, but any 1/4" ID O-ring should work. I've have not tried any other size, so there could be an even better choice on these.
Here's a pic of the stir bar w/-Orings installed: