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Stupid Simple Stir Plate. ~$12
- Thread starter Gavin C
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I used those same magnets on my twin stir plates and love 'em to death.
I only used one pair end to end but I can run bars from 1" to 2" at full speed without chucking them...
Cheers!
I only used one pair end to end but I can run bars from 1" to 2" at full speed without chucking them...
Cheers!
OP
OP
Credit where it's due mate. It was you posting a link in another thread last year sometime that put me on to them. Great magnets. Thanks
Fan ordered. 
Where did you get the magnets?
OP
OP
I got them from amazon but they are no longer available there.
Ah, thanks, I couldn't find them there either, thought I was missing something.
I have 2 state of the art stir plates that really deserve larger, beefier magnets.
K&J Magnetics sells all kinds of magnets, but their pricing always seems crazy high.* I'll try eBay.
*It's their shipping that really kills the deal. 4 little 1 x 1/4 x 1/4" magnets are $8.56 and UPS shipping is $10.70!
OK, they do have a USPS option you can select, under "compare rates," underneath. With USPS the shipping dropped down to a "more reasonable" $5. Their assortment is 2nd to none, in all different sizes and shapes, with magnetization always through the thickness. Maybe I need a few more?
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Is this part# NSN0635? If so, Home Depot and rare-earth-magnets.com has them
OP
OP
Magcraft NSN0834 1-Inch by 1/4-Inch by 1/10-Inch Rare Earth Block Magnets, 12-Count
This is the part number and description
Thank guys, this will help steering others in the right direction as well.
I'll try HD too, no shipping...
OP
OP
No worries @islandlizard . It's a shame amazon no longer has them.
There are a bazillion stir-plate builds on here. I just added this crappy build because I saw someone struggling with a potentiometer for one in another thread. HBT needs another stir-plate build thread about as much as another "Is it infected?" thread.
These magnets really soup up the plate. I run it at full bore and the bar never gets thrown. Faster is better.
smAllGrain
Well-Known Member
Made mine awhile ago, same parts
Cheers
Cheers
Well, yes and no about Amazon. Recently their minimum for free shipping went up to $49 of goods, which makes it less lucrative. No Prime here, although I should consider piggybacking with the neighbors across the street. There are not many days a UPS or Fedex truck doesn't stop there dropping off blue ribbon packages...
Sure, the basics of all stir plates are the same, but I love seeing the new, creative, and often innovative concoctions people come up with. Like the 3-D printed box and magnet holder. I for one did not expect the amount of butchery you forced upon that box and the fan blades. It's a marvel! You could easily pass it on to the infection thread, as is.
If @badlee could have laid his hands on this fan 3 weeks ago it would have made his stir plate build a lot easier and likely cheaper. Who knew this existed? Who knew every homebrewer needs a portable USB fan?
Good to hear these magnets will resolve most speed and bean throwing issues we have. I can always hear that signature "click."
I was given 2 decommissioned lab grade shakers and that's what I've been using the past 2 years. No beans needed. But they are ferocious machines and need to live on the floor or the whole house shakes with them. So the stir plates have earned their existence too.
OP
OP
No Prime here, ...............
I for one did not expect the amount of butchery you forced upon that box and the fan blades. It's a marvel! You could easily pass it on to the infection thread, as is.
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No Prime! How do you survive?
Excluding those with opposable thumbs, my Dremel-work is, as you can see, second to none.
BeardedIdiot
Well-Known Member
I have an Amazon distribution center within 40 minutes of my house. With Prime, most things distributed by Amazon show up next day (free). And the Sunday delivery via mail carriers is straight dope. :rockin:
I figure I've saved my Prime membership fee 3 fold over the span of a year.
Gavin,
How did you do the power supply? A USB/AC adapter to the fan's USB cord? My smartphone has one so does the fan include one? If not, how do you connect it to the wall outlet?
What made you choose the 80mm over the 120mm? Will a larger fan let you have a greater vortex? The 120mm is only a couple of bucks more.
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OP
OP
The USB comes with it but not an adaptor. I just plug it into the wall via an adapter I have for my iPhone. (standard iPhone kit)
On the size, to be honest I didn't know there was more than 1 size. I just linked the one I bought from my amazon history.
This was not my idea. I stole it from another thread. Nothing new here I'm afraid. The fan size I suspect is unimportant. The beefy magnets are the key.
With a full 2 L flask and the fan running full pelt it is ridiculous. Almost looks like the liquid is boiling and still the bar does not get thrown. I usually make bigger than 2L so typically use my 5L flask. Again no fear of the bar being thrown at full blast.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Fan ordered.
Fan arrived yesterday, and I spent half an hour getting it ready.
I used little button magnets I had stuck on a metal cabinet. My stir bar is 1".
I have a 2-liter flask, and filled it about 1.5 liters full. It works. Who'da thunk it? It's smaller than I thought it might be, and it doesn't come with the wall-wart to plug in the USB plug, but I have a few of those lying around.
I don't have a cabinet built yet but the process is proved. Very nice, and it cost me....about $12.50. Plus a cigar box.
Stillraining
Well-Known Member
-islandlizard said:
No Prime! How do you survive?
Excluding those with opposable thumbs, my Dremel-work is, as you can see, second to none.
Finley!...something in the beer world I'm better at then Gavin
Primes not a good deal here..still takes 3 to 4 business days on most things. Tried it and canceled, like Netflix better as well.
Fan arrived yesterday, and I spent half an hour getting it ready.
I used little button magnets I had stuck on a metal cabinet. My stir bar is 1".
I have a 2-liter flask, and filled it about 1.5 liters full. It works. Who'da thunk it? It's smaller than I thought it might be, and it doesn't come with the wall-wart to plug in the USB plug, but I have a few of those lying around.
I don't have a cabinet built yet but the process is proved. Very nice, and it cost me....about $12.50. Plus a cigar box.
View attachment 342400
I went ahead and ordered my parts for one. Got everything but the magnets off Amazon. Island Lizard pointed me to this thread after answering some questions about new/used stir plates, so I'm gonna give it a go. Wish me luck.
EDIT: for those who are using a washer, are you gluing the magnets to the washer and the washer to the fan, or just the washer to the fan? Wouldn't it be better to forgo the washer? Seems less weight on the fan and a stronger pull on the stir bar from the magnets might mean a better vortex and less chance of the stir bar being thrown.
I think the steel washer route makes it easier to end up with a balanced device.
I positioned a steel fender washer on the fan, put a healthy dollop of CA glue in the middle, and let that cure. Then I fine tuned the magnet positions until I got everything evidently balanced, then CA glued them in place for good.
Frankly the N40 bar magnets I used were never going to move on their own so the glue was more to keep them in place through dumb-thumbed user events...
Cheers!
I positioned a steel fender washer on the fan, put a healthy dollop of CA glue in the middle, and let that cure. Then I fine tuned the magnet positions until I got everything evidently balanced, then CA glued them in place for good.
Frankly the N40 bar magnets I used were never going to move on their own so the glue was more to keep them in place through dumb-thumbed user events...
Cheers!
I just glued the washer to the fan; the magnets, being magnetic, stick to the washer, which is steel.
BTW, it was very clear why having the adjustable speed is desirable. At the faster speeds the magnets threw the stir bar. At slower speeds, nice vortex.
I wonder if a lot of that has to do with the magnets positioning and their strength. Look at the magnets in Daytripper's pic. Those look like the same ones from the Chinese seller on eBay (where I got mine). Seems the longer magnets allow faster speeds and/or a longer stir bar to be used for bigger starters.
That's just a guess on my part. I have no experience except for the small StirStarter I use now. I took it apart to find a small 80mm fan with two button magnets on a pvc riser. It does a great job with 2L and smaller, but not so well above that.
With the exception of the magnets (less than $5 for 10pcs), the rest of my stuff should come in tomorrow or Wednesday. I ordered the fan and an unfinished wooden keep box for the enclosure. I even bought a couple of carboy haulers for my BMBs and all of that was less than $55. I'm hoping the box is big enough to hold a 5L flask, which will be my next purchase.
What size washer are you guys using? I may pick one up from work tomorrow.
OP
OP
You really won't need anything longer than a 1" stir-bar. That is ample for a 5L starter if you ever need one that large.
The long magnets I use generate a very strong magnetic field and also one (I'm guessing here) in comparrison to disc magnets, with a much larger area where the field is relatively strong.
This means that a bit of a wobble in the bar as it spins will not be enough to throw it. These are some crazy-good magnets.
I don't know. I also don't know how mine would work with a longer stir bar. All I know is these work and I didn't have to pay for them.
It is, IIRC, a 5/8" washer. It's a common size, and the outside diameter is 1".
I used hot glue to affix mine.
Finished it tonite. Took me about, oh, 75 minutes only because I was trying to make it look halfway decent.
I used a plastic project box that I had lying around--you can get them from Radio Shack or similar for $9 or less. https://www.radioshack.com/search?q=project+boxes
Can't believe I did a Stir Plate for about $13 with the fan and what I had lying around.
I used a plastic project box that I had lying around--you can get them from Radio Shack or similar for $9 or less. https://www.radioshack.com/search?q=project+boxes
Can't believe I did a Stir Plate for about $13 with the fan and what I had lying around.
Got everything in last night except for the magnets. I found a metal spacer at work that's right at the same diameter as the fan's hub and as thick as the washer suggested. Got my box stained too and plan on putting another stain before I do a couple coats of poly. Got a few questions.
1) How crucial is it for the washer to be center on the fan hub? Can I just forgo the washer and mark where the magnet would be center on the fan hub and go from there? My reasoning seems to be the washer takes away some of the magnet's attracting power from the stir bar.
2) Will Gorilla Glue or Super Glue be as good as the hot glue? I mean it's going to be a permanent bond anyways.
3) Does a hole have to be drilled above the magnet?
4) Does the control knob come off, or am I going to have to drill the hole big enough for the knob to pass through?
1) How crucial is it for the washer to be center on the fan hub? Can I just forgo the washer and mark where the magnet would be center on the fan hub and go from there? My reasoning seems to be the washer takes away some of the magnet's attracting power from the stir bar.
2) Will Gorilla Glue or Super Glue be as good as the hot glue? I mean it's going to be a permanent bond anyways.
3) Does a hole have to be drilled above the magnet?
4) Does the control knob come off, or am I going to have to drill the hole big enough for the knob to pass through?
1) Somewhat depends on the fan. I had a fan that cogged like the dickens when those bars magnets shown in my pic were directly on the plastic hub. The fender washer smoothed that right out, so in my case it was necessary.
2) Sure.
3) Depends on your magnets and your case. My stir plates don't have any holes above the fans, the flux passes through the ~1/8" thick plastic case lids with plenty of oomph to swing up to a 2" bar.
4) I'm sure the knob comes off easily enough. Check for a set screw first...
Cheers!
2) Sure.
3) Depends on your magnets and your case. My stir plates don't have any holes above the fans, the flux passes through the ~1/8" thick plastic case lids with plenty of oomph to swing up to a 2" bar.
4) I'm sure the knob comes off easily enough. Check for a set screw first...
Cheers!
OP
OP
1. Very important it's centered as if it's not you will get a vibration. The washer will not diminish the magnetic field's intensity. Non-issue.
2. I used a slow setting cement. Position the washer with cement and center it as it spins like a potter would center clay. gentle touch will center it perfectly. The magnets just sit on the washer. Glue them if you want.
3. No. It depends
4. Don't know. Don't think it comes off.
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Thanks guys. I'll try to post up some pics as I go.
Pretty much got everything done but still waiting on the magnets. I can't remember the seller (have to log in to find out), but for those who bought their magnets from the same Chinese seller, was there a long wait time for delivery?
Good thing is, it was a 10pc order for about $5. So if I ever have/want to do another stir plate I'll have enough magnets for 5 more.
Good thing is, it was a 10pc order for about $5. So if I ever have/want to do another stir plate I'll have enough magnets for 5 more.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
I struggled through my stir plate build a few years ago. Here's what I leaned:
The real trick to being successful is getting the stir bar to spin about its own axis on the GEOMETRIC center of the vessel. That means aligning the magnets so the MAGNETIC center of the stir-bar-attached-to magnets is on the geometric center of the fan. Also, as stated above, the rare earth magnets generally used for the stir plate are quite strong. The magnetic field generated will lock the fan rotor.
I used 2 wood disks cut with a hole saw from a piece of 1/2" finish wood. Cut them exactly the same size as the fan rotor so air can circulate to keep the fan cool and the center mass of the wood aligned with the geometric center of the fan to minimize vibration and wobble.
Glued the wood disks together and place them on the fan hub. Place the rare earth magnet(s?) on the wood disk and place the stir bar on the magnet.
Slowly spin the fan blade and look from above. The center line of the stir bar should stay in the same spot. If not, move the RARE EARTH MAGNET and try again until it does. Trace the outline of the magnet, remove from the fan and glue it in place that is free from metallic objects.
The first time I did my stir plate, I glued the wood disk to the fan first and then the magnet to the wood while secured to the fan. The magnetic field that still remained, coupled with the lubrication of the wet glue caused the magnet to migrate. When the magnet is bonded to the wood, glue the wood to the center of the fan and spin by hand again to ensure alignment is retained.
The real trick to being successful is getting the stir bar to spin about its own axis on the GEOMETRIC center of the vessel. That means aligning the magnets so the MAGNETIC center of the stir-bar-attached-to magnets is on the geometric center of the fan. Also, as stated above, the rare earth magnets generally used for the stir plate are quite strong. The magnetic field generated will lock the fan rotor.
I used 2 wood disks cut with a hole saw from a piece of 1/2" finish wood. Cut them exactly the same size as the fan rotor so air can circulate to keep the fan cool and the center mass of the wood aligned with the geometric center of the fan to minimize vibration and wobble.
Glued the wood disks together and place them on the fan hub. Place the rare earth magnet(s?) on the wood disk and place the stir bar on the magnet.
Slowly spin the fan blade and look from above. The center line of the stir bar should stay in the same spot. If not, move the RARE EARTH MAGNET and try again until it does. Trace the outline of the magnet, remove from the fan and glue it in place that is free from metallic objects.
The first time I did my stir plate, I glued the wood disk to the fan first and then the magnet to the wood while secured to the fan. The magnetic field that still remained, coupled with the lubrication of the wet glue caused the magnet to migrate. When the magnet is bonded to the wood, glue the wood to the center of the fan and spin by hand again to ensure alignment is retained.
I'm such an idiot. I have several of those beer cap magnets for putting caps on a fridge. I grabbed two of those to do a test run, and they work great!
Check out the vortex at full throttle.
Here's a couple of more pics inside and out.
Nothing fancy and the pics just show a trial run. I still have to screw down the fan to the box and tweak the magnet placement a bit more. Just a simple craft box that I stained and polyed. I mounted my knob to the side. Having it come through the box wasn't going to work as the knob is not long enough, so I just flattened the faceplate and drilled a couple of holes to hold it in place. I like the box as it is roomy inside and will let me keep my extra stir bars, stoppers, etc in one place. Everything's from Amazon, even the compass sticker on the box. I thought it gave it a nice little touch.
I'm not going to stay with the magnets shown in the photo. They're pretty weak compared to the keeper magnets I have that keep my stir bar from being dunked into the fermenter when pitching the yeast. The Chinese magnets were a bust as they could never get past US customs, so the seller is just going to reimburse me. I found a 3" bar magnet that looks similar on Amazon so I ordered it. As good as the beer cap magnets done, I'm sure this one be more than good enough.
Very happy and can't wait to put it through it's maiden voyage.
Big thanks to Gavin C and Island Lizard.
Check out the vortex at full throttle.
Here's a couple of more pics inside and out.
Nothing fancy and the pics just show a trial run. I still have to screw down the fan to the box and tweak the magnet placement a bit more. Just a simple craft box that I stained and polyed. I mounted my knob to the side. Having it come through the box wasn't going to work as the knob is not long enough, so I just flattened the faceplate and drilled a couple of holes to hold it in place. I like the box as it is roomy inside and will let me keep my extra stir bars, stoppers, etc in one place. Everything's from Amazon, even the compass sticker on the box. I thought it gave it a nice little touch.
I'm not going to stay with the magnets shown in the photo. They're pretty weak compared to the keeper magnets I have that keep my stir bar from being dunked into the fermenter when pitching the yeast. The Chinese magnets were a bust as they could never get past US customs, so the seller is just going to reimburse me. I found a 3" bar magnet that looks similar on Amazon so I ordered it. As good as the beer cap magnets done, I'm sure this one be more than good enough.
Very happy and can't wait to put it through it's maiden voyage.
Big thanks to Gavin C and Island Lizard.
OP
OP
Looks great @Yesfan .
Duncan83865
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I bought the fan but have yet to assemble the stir plate. Just curious-I'm assuming it's normal for this one that with the knob turned all the way down, the fan still spins (at least that's how mine is)? Does that cause any issues with getting the stir bar started or does it cause any issues with small starters where you wouldn't normally need as much rotation? Thanks!
The fan still spins with mine if it's plugged in and the knob is at the lowest setting. I can't get the stirbar to set when like this, so I just move the flask around until the bar is "grabbed", center the flask, then plug it in and adjust the speed. I usually turn the speed to up to full throttle or as fast as I can get it without the bar being thrown.
This is with my current plate and not my DIY plate. I've got the new plate put together, but have to reglue the washer to the fan as the magnet I have pulled it off when I tried to center it on the fan.
was it this one? looking at it today...
http://www.amazon.com/CMS-Magnetics%C2%AE-Strong-Neodymium-Magnet/dp/B0181LX5Q0/
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Sorry for the late reply.
Yes, that's the one I have. I don't know if you already bought yours or not, but I found the magnet didn't work as I had hope. The way it's magnetized (through the center, not end to end), the stirbar wants to almost stand on end. I cut it in half to where I could reverse one piece to make it work. Now the stir bar sits in the center between the two magnets.
If I had to do over, I would have found a smaller length magnet and used two of them. Cutting mine in half wasn't hard, but parts of the chrome have flaked off. Not a big deal since you don't really see it, but might be if you're a bit OCD (like me).
Hope this helps.
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