DIY Stir Plate kit

[tryn2brew]

From the site referenced on the OP link:

"If you find that the fan spins too fast and is throwing your stir bar, you could add a few resistors inline before the rheostat to help slow it down some more."

So the resistor may not be needed.

 

[mccumath]

Tryn2brew,

Thanks, i did not see that in the page.

 

[Brickout]

Here's some helpful links:

DYI: http://stirstarters.com/instructions.html
Flasks: https://www.cynmar.com/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=597

 

[mccumath]

Okay, so received the stuff in the mail from these guys:

The fan and wall wort work great, along with the bolts/hardware. The potentiometer they sent did not work, and the knob is missing a set screw. Naturally I broke the magnet trying to get it off (did not research this until after it broke...), so I went to harbor freight, got some stronger rare earth magnets, and they are attached to the fan now...

After a trip to Radio Shack, I had all the right parts.

So, they sent me a 12V wall wort, a 12V fan, and now everything is all wired up and working appropriately. However, I tried to spin the rest of the earth magnets that came in the set, and they seemed like they were having a hard time maintaining magnetic force with the magnets on the fan (the magnets on the fan are reversed polarity wise, figured that out already). I think the fan is spinning too fast, and the makeshift bar can't keep up. Therefore, the resistor that they shipped may come in handy.

What do you guys think? Resistor sound like something I need to wire in?

Let me know!
Ryan M.

 

[tryn2brew]

Ryan-
I'd give it a shot, since you have it in the kit. I have not made it that far in my build, since I'm using a wooden cigar box, and I'm still giving it a clear coat. I wired everything together and it seemed to work OK. I was actually impressed with all the stuff in my kit, but since they are using recycled stuff it will be different kit to kit I imagine. I did get a piece of closet dowel and cut a slice about a 1/4" thick (looks like a thin checker) to glue onto the fan before the magnet to isolate the motor from the effects of the magnet. I'm hoping that will help, but won't know for a while yet. Hope you get yours working.

Keep us posted on your progress.