My Stirplate... Cheap and Easy Build...

[Brickout]

I thought that I would post what I bought today to build my stir plate.

I bought this fan (Comes With Fan Controler!!!)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200020

$7.99 - $1.59 (Discount Code BTEKAJA22) + Free Shipping = $6.40

So how'd this work out for you? Was the fan big enough?

 

[mredge73]

Works just fine with a 1" stirbar. Does not work with my 1.5" stirbar, fan not strong enough. There are much better fans out there but I couldn't pass on this deal.

 

[Flomaster]

Works just fine with a 1" stirbar. Does not work with my 1.5" stirbar, fan not strong enough. There are much better fans out there but I couldn't pass on this deal.

Fan not strong, or weak magnets, or magnet placement?

-=Jason=-
Sent from my HTC Incredible using Home Brew Talk

 

[Accidic]

I would bet on the latter if it doesn't turn at all. A friend of mine made a small unit (40mm fan) for a tiny stir bar (1/2") and it worked fine.

 

[Vespa]

I made this stir plate today. It worked great!

This is a great tutorial as I have ZERO electrical experience and I got it to work. I used the rocker switch 275-0712 (as I could not find the 275-018). It was labeled Ground, Load , Power (rather than Earth, Load, Supply). Also the sentence "Connect these two wires to the “Earth” male connector on your power supply." I discovered meant "power switch". After those mental translations, It was running perfectly.

Cheers!

 

[Nierika]

What drill bit size is necessary for the switch holes?

I have mix and match drill bits at home, but I gotta stop by ace to get my few remaining parts and wanna pick up the correct size drill bit so I can get this completed tonight.

I'm in the same boat as you. I found that a 1/2" bit works for the rocker switch and a 3/8" bit works for the potentiometer. If your not sure if a particular bit will work, just try some practice holes in the plastic bottom that came with the enclosure.

 

[emjay]

If the component has a nut to secure it to the panel, just place it over a bit and see if it fits snugly. Totally idiot-proof.

 

[theveganbrewer]

Thanks to the OP and all the other posts, I've got a 2L starter going now for my weekend brew. I spent $4.89 on the supplies and basically just used a bunch of junk I had lying around at home.

Purchased some N-42 Neodymium magnets from Ebay and used 4 for the big stirplate and will use 2 for a smaller one. Used the other 4 to secure my drip tray to my keezer.

I picked up a free CPU fan from Newegg (they almost always have a free after rebate fan deal going) and used an old 9V power charger I had. First used double-sided tape on a 1-1/2 inch SS washer attached to the CPU fan to center. Then attached the stir bar to the magnets and that mass to the SS washer. I nipped the end of a toothpick and centered it on the fan while spinning and epoxied it briefly while I lathered up the SS washer.

To make the case I just used the top of an old CD-DVD-R spindle case, cut the indented center hole out of the top, stuck it over the top of the fan and laid the flask on the CD spindle cover.

Got a huge vortex with a 1" stirbar in 2L. I did drop the bar a few times when only using 2 magnets, the 4 keeps it going in larger wort volumes. I find 2 magnets, one on each side, works with a 500ml starter.

No electical work other than cutting off the connector to the power supply and connecting it with the CPU power lines. No rocker, no switch. Plug it in and it goes, take it out of the socket and it stops.

 

[HenryVance3]

Well done sir!

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

I was asked to build a couple of more of these but I am out of magnets. What size do you guys order?

 

[theveganbrewer]

I was asked to build a couple of more of these but I am out of magnets. What size do you guys order?

I bought 10 Pc N42 1/2"x1/8" Strong NdFeB Neodymium Disk Magnets off ebay from CMS and used 4 to get a 1 inch stir bar going in a 2L flask. 2 magnets total worked on a 1L flask (one magnet per side). Good size magnets for other projects too.

 

[twd000]

I got a brand-new 12 Volt DC brushless fan from Radio Shack.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102823

I had it working for a few minutes, off a 12 VDC/500mA wall wart. Later in the course of hooking up the rest of my control circuit, I noticed that the fan no longer spins when voltage is applied. It "locks up" the rotor and won't free spin until you remove voltage. Is it possible to fry one of these things by applying voltage in reverse or something?

I have tried powering it directly with the 12 V supply, and a 4.5 V supply, and it just locks up and won't spin until I remove voltage.

 

[emjay]

I've never seen a fan get damaged by reversing the wires... I do it all the time.

Is it possible that you have the wires reversed right now? Or maybe there's a short?

 

[Flomaster]

I got a brand-new 12 Volt DC brushless fan from Radio Shack.

12VDC Brushless Fan : Computer Fans | RadioShack.com

I had it working for a few minutes, off a 12 VDC/500mA wall wart. Later in the course of hooking up the rest of my control circuit, I noticed that the fan no longer spins when voltage is applied. It "locks up" the rotor and won't free spin until you remove voltage. Is it possible to fry one of these things by applying voltage in reverse or something?

I have tried powering it directly with the 12 V supply, and a 4.5 V supply, and it just locks up and won't spin until I remove voltage.

In don't know the answer, but I went through 4 fans and several power supplies before I found a working combo.

In have since moved on to using a USB fan with speed control included

-=Jason=-
Sent from my HTC Incredible using Home Brew Talk

 

[twd000]

I've never seen a fan get damaged by reversing the wires... I do it all the time.

Is it possible that you have the wires reversed right now? Or maybe there's a short?

Well I don;t have the wires soldered - I'm just twisting them together. So I have tried both ways. One way nothing happens, the other way the fan "jumps" then locks up. There no way for a short in the external wiring - just a single red and black wire, and they're not touching each other. I'm wondering if there is a transistor or diode internally that I fried, that could cause a short?

It doesn't beep on the continuity check on my multimeter. I get 135 ohms, from red to black across the fan leads?

 

[emjay]

In don't know the answer, but I went through 4 fans and several power supplies before I found a working combo.

WTF?

Do you even look at the power ratings of the fans and the powerful supplies? If you provide a decent voltage, and the adapter is able to meet the fan's minimum amperage requirements (both operating AND startup), there's no reason it shouldn't work, unless you have defective components.

Assuming they're not defective, there really shouldn't be any guessing or trial-and-error involved in finding two components that work together. None whatsoever.

 

[emjay]

Well I don;t have the wires soldered - I'm just twisting them together. So I have tried both ways. One way nothing happens, the other way the fan "jumps" then locks up. There no way for a short in the external wiring - just a single red and black wire, and they're not touching each other. I'm wondering if there is a transistor or diode internally that I fried, that could cause a short?

Ah. It actually sounds like the adapters have simply been underpowered, then. In terms of amps, that is.

 

[twd000]

Ah. It actually sounds like the adapters have simply been underpowered, then. In terms of amps, that is.

The plug says 500 mA @ 12 VDC, and the fan lists a max of 0.32 A (320 mA) so it should be more than enough, no?

 

[emjay]

The plug says 500 mA @ 12 VDC, and the fan lists a max of 0.32 A (320 mA) so it should be more than enough, no?

Depends... the startup requirement may be higher, but you usually have to find that from the manufacturer's site.

 

[twd000]

Depends... the startup requirement may be higher, but you usually have to find that from the manufacturer's site.

But I ought to be able to spin it w/ my finger to get it started, right? It;s the opposite; like the magnets are locked in position preventing it from spinning

 

[emjay]

That is correct.

Very strange...

 

[twd000]

Ah, right.

Do you happen to know the make and model of the fan?

And did you buy it new, or pull it out of a PC?

yeah it's this one

4" Cooling Fan : Computer Fans | RadioShack.com

bought it new, and like I said I had it work a couple times but now it won't spin up

 

[Accidic]

If you have your neo mags on it that can hose you. Try without the mags. If it works remount with more shielding (aka more washers, they can be sandwich glued together).

 

[emjay]

Honestly, I have no experience with RS fans. But for around that price, you could have gotten a killer, high-quality, premium name-brand fan (from the right stores, of course).

Does it just have the black and red wires?

 

[twd000]

If you have your neo mags on it that can hose you. Try without the mags. If it works remount with more shielding (aka more washers, they can be sandwich glued together).

no magnets on it yet. Literally just touching the bare red and black leads to the exposed leads from the power supply

 

[Flomaster]

WTF?

Do you even look at the power ratings of the fans and the powerful supplies? If you provide a decent voltage, and the adapter is able to meet the fan's minimum amperage requirements (both operating AND startup), there's no reason it shouldn't work, unless you have defective components.

Assuming they're not defective, there really shouldn't be any guessing or trial-and-error involved in finding two components that work together. None whatsoever.

I had a box of old computer gear I had retired and some extra wall worts lying around. from 6v, 9v, 12v. seems all fans would start to spin, or jerk a little but never spin. I tried several combinations using the parts I had on hand only to find out non would work. so yes it's possible I had bad fan, and or power supplies. I wasn't about to buy new gear so I opted for the USB fan and speed controller route for $8.99

-=Jason=-

 

[emjay]

If you have the equipment, try putting a PC fan or Molex connector on it, and see if it will work on your PC.

If it still doesn't work (or you're simply unable to) try returning it.

 

[Accidic]

Alternatively if it works when you plug it up to your cpu normally you might consider swapping the polarity of your wall wart. Alternatively if you have a meter (any cheap one works) you can check the voltage. Make sure it's dc out. I've seen some with bum components that out ac even tho rated for dc. If the rectifier/diode blows it's usually an open but if shorted it might seem to work but really not.

 

[twd000]

I can't (easily) plug it into my CPU to test - it came right out of the box with bare leads, no Molex connector. Multimeter tells me I have 15 Volts DC coming out of the wall wart. So a DC brushless fan does have a rectifier/diode that can blow? I am reading 135 k-ohm across the fan leads - not open circuit.

 

[Accidic]

Not usually on the fan but I have seen several that would not work unless the correct combination of +/- were used. The wall wart does have diodes though most likely. They are generally step down transformers with 1/2 - 4 diodes set to filter/clip the AC. If you've got 15V DC coming form the wart I see no reason why it wouldn't turn it. Switch the polarity is the best suggestion I could make at this point. There is a very VERY slim chance it could be issue with the transformer coil which you can quickly discount by plugging a 9V battery up to the fan if you have one. I'm assuming it's a 12V fan and not a 5V one correct?