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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
Registered: 03/08/05
Posts: 356
Last seen: 14 years, 9 days
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Build Your Own Magnetic Stirrer
#5865949 - 07/16/06 03:46 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Here's my take on the 'sir mix a lot' threads (the upload limit and pic size limits are giving me fits today)
I also have videos (.avi) when my upload limit is refreshed.
on with the show:
Inspired by splifner180 & blacklabrat
it is made to stir to circulate and aerate made by loving hands
Making a magnetic stirrer from a hard drive and a fan. We'll need: Hard drive (and tool to open it) computer fan AC adapter and wire nuts or electrical tape small sturdy box zip ties
Dead hard drives are free at most any computer store. Take 2 or 3- just in case :P. Fans are free or cheap. A new, clean one will run $5-$8.
An AC adapter runs about 99 cents at any thrift store. Or $10+ at Radio Shack for a new one.
Wire the adapter to the fan. I did black wire on adapter to black wire on fan. Black and white wire on adapter to red wire on the fan. <--! from the original thread: “...any "wall wort" a/c adapter whose voltage matches your fan (almost always 12 volts) will work. if you don't have one, universal ones are cheap, and sometimes have a switch to adjust voltage. (less than 12v = fan will still spin, but slower = a variable speed control version!) cut off tip, strip wires, twist together with wires from the fan. its ok to be off by a little, eg a 11.5v or 12.4v or such adapter is gonna do just fine with a 12v fan. don't go beyond 12.5v or so or risk burning out the fan, and anything much less than 11v is gonna result in a slow spinning fan. if it doesnt spin or spins backwords, match the wires up the other way around. radio shack also has 120vac fans that will work on current straight from the wall: in which case get a cheapo extension cord, cut off female end, strip and twist up wires in similar fashion. (use of wire nuts and/or lots of electrical tape is a good idea, 120vac can be dangerous if your wires are exposed! the voltage from a DC adapter like a cell charger will NOT harm you, but if the wires touch eachother you end up with a dead adapter)... if wiring the AC variety without an adapter you can't get the wires "backwards" as it will work either way. ...”
your homemade labware secret hidden illicit forbidden knowledge
Then take the magnets outs of the HD. - note: you will probably need a special bit or driver for the HD screws. Headlight tools may work in a pinch. Remove the screws around the edges on the top of the drive. There may be hidden screws under the label, so if the top doesn't lift off and seems to be hung up- look for a screw under the label. Use your fingertip to find it by feel.
The Magnets are sorta 'V' shaped. The easiest way to find them is to use the tip of the screwdriver. The magnets will let you know when you touch them! They're at the base of the arm that's sticking out over the big disk. The red marker in the picture points to where the magnets used to be.
I had to knock them loose from a 'baseplate' that had a couple drops of epoxy. Hammer and screwdriver did the trick- but be gentle and don't bend the magnets.
Dang magnets kept sticking to everything!! It was like a frickin' Road Runner cartoon. So keep the magnets away from sensitive items.
So now lay the fan in place and mark and drill the holes.
I found that I had to use the 2 magnets stacked on top of each other. They were so attracted to each other that it took a knife blade to get between them to get them apart!
tornado filled dreams shroomy days and blue-lit nights new heights new frontiers
Try the fan/magnet set up before making it permanent. Slight changes in the position of the magnets will affect the vibration level a lot. For the trial runs, just set the fan on top of the container/base you're going to use, set the magnets where you want them and turn on the fan. If it's not well balanced, you'll know it when you turn it on. Keep trying until the fan runs smoothly with the magnets in place. It doesn't have to be 100% perfectly balanced- just 90-95%. The ties will help quiet it down. I didn't use super glue to hold the magnets in place because A) they stick REALLY WELL, B) I didn't have any super glue C it would have meant waiting for it to dry. :P
I found a heavy duty food container at Wal Mart to use as my base. Damn thing even has a rubber gasket in the lid! I didn't use the lid as I ran it open on the bottom so that the fan motor would have a little air circulation.
I used zip-ties to attach my fan to it's container.
To get the zip-ties to fit through the mounting holes on the fan, I had to push/pry the brass inserts out.
I used ¼ inch nuts for my spacers.
It takes planning and coordination to get the fan mounted to the base.
The 8 inch ties I had on hand didn't reach far enough, so I had to use 2 ties per side. A 12 inch zip-ties should be long enough to use just one.
A little dab of silicone will seal the holes to protect against liquids and spills.
spinner spins faster dimple on surface grows deep made it on my own
This version seems to be sensitive about having the vessel and the spinner being centered very well. A ¼ of an inch can make all the difference.
I tested 3 different spinner bars. 1) 7/8 inch segment of metal coat hanger. 2) 1 and ¼ inch Sheetrock screw 3) 1 inch coated regular lab spinner bar. All performed well, but the screw really shredded the test material in a half pint jar.
I spent $5 for the lab spinner bar, and $3 on the container. The zip-ties were $4 for 100. The adapter was 99 cents, and I already had the fan and hard drive on hand. I would suggest a stainless steel screw or a regular lab spinner bar if you're worried about corrosion. I wouldn't use bare metal if it's going to sit in a liquid for over 5 days or so. The screw was best in small vessels, but didn't work in the qt jars.
in circles it spins whirlpool draws in your mind's eye pondering the deep
Edited by No_Life_G33k (07/23/06 04:19 PM)
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fastfred
Old Hand
Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 6,899
Loc: Dark side of the moon
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Nice writeup! 5 shrooms for you!
-FF
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
Registered: 03/08/05
Posts: 356
Last seen: 14 years, 9 days
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: fastfred]
#5877131 - 07/19/06 10:18 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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OK.... rest of the pics are in now.
They're high res- click the 'tornando' pic to see it up close and personal.
The verses are haikus if anyone cares. :P
Thanx Fred!
( how do i upload the .avi videos?? they're 4-6 megs each, and there are 3 or 4 of 'em.)
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
Registered: 03/08/05
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whatsamatter???? y'all don't like haiku's???
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Yamidude
Stranger
Registered: 06/15/06
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good job and nice write up..
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
Registered: 03/08/05
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Last seen: 14 years, 9 days
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: Yamidude]
#5891519 - 07/23/06 05:17 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Yamidude said: good job and nice write up..
Thanks ...just trying to be an asset.
It's worked well on the agar preperations..we'll see how it does with liquid culture.
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Yamidude
Stranger
Registered: 06/15/06
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Last seen: 15 years, 7 months
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werd, sooner or later i need to build me one of these. Im just doing the whole marble/piece of glass thing for now.
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: Yamidude]
#5901820 - 07/26/06 12:31 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Nothing wrong with simple.....
simplicity taken to an extreme, become elegance.
I'm just an OC gadget freak
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Solidcell
tolerance++;
Registered: 01/20/06
Posts: 754
Loc: Memphis & 53rd
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Nice write up bro. And the best part is that it can be even simpler and vary so widely in preperation. I only finished making mine 3 days ago, and the construction was very different, and I get the same results. A great DIY project. For a stir rod I used an inch long nail the thickness of the thickest of guitar strings with the head cut off. And the best part, it was free. Really, who doesn't have an old scrap computer and an adapter that doesn't belong to anything anymore lying in their garage?
5 shrooms for the guide, bud.
-------------------- Psychedelic Jar Project "It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." -Voltaire "Everything that I accepted as being true up to now I acquired from the senses or through the senses. However, I have occasionally found that they deceive me, and it is prudent never to trust those who have deceived us, even if only once." -Descartes
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
Registered: 03/08/05
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: Solidcell]
#5915334 - 07/30/06 03:37 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Thanks Solid.... the only problem is that once you build one of them......you want four more!!!!
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Blutjager
Inhuman
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 9,220
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I want to make one but I make like 10 lc's at once so I better start looking for parts
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: Blutjager]
#5937727 - 08/06/06 05:16 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Did anyone want to see videos??
I'm not sure how or where to upload the avi's....
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Yamidude
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i made one like yours last night and it didn't work out for me. The plastic container would not allow the jar to get close enough to the magnets without touching the magnest. I ended up just using some thin adehesive padding on each corner and a piece of glass. Hey I tried. Took me a while to find a stirrer that worked well. I used a lightweight cotter pin..
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: Yamidude]
#5937857 - 08/06/06 06:01 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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It may be that the magnets is too far from the underside of the top.
I made another one -with pads on the corner of the fan!!- and it didn't work as well.
Did you use the same container and the cable ties???
Some fan blades are recessed from the 'top' of the fan,and so they have a bigger gap sort of 'built in'.
Did you use an HD magnet??
I think the cheaper fans work better. By $9 fan in the other project isn't as well suited as the cheaper fans.....go figure.
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Yamidude
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i bought a fan off ebay for 4 bucks, brand new. I tried it with the ziplock container and zip ties. didn't work out for me. I'll take pics a little later of my final stirrer.
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!
Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 193,665
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Quote:
No_Life_G33k said: I'm not sure how or where to upload the avi's....
http://youtube.com
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sdnnet3
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Registered: 02/15/06
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: Prisoner#1]
#5943019 - 08/08/06 01:29 AM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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This is an interesting post. i'm a total DIY nut... kind of makes me want to design a simple and cheap stirrer with variable speed settings. though i would imagine if you just solder in a variable resistor or a POT (Potentiometer) it'd do the trick just fine. that way it could be run on a non vortex setting for most of the day...
i've become inspired
-------------------- Cocaine is God's way of telling you that you're making too much money. ---------------------------------------------------- Everything i say, type, expess, comment upon, or in any other form of communication is nothing but the imagined work of my created fiction. nothing stated by me is truthfull in any matter.
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: sdnnet3]
#5959394 - 08/13/06 02:25 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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By all means, copy anything you want.... my advice is to keep it simple KISS - the overengineered version didn't work as well, and the cost approaches what you'd pay for a used one on ebay.
But after you get to use a magnetic stirrer- you'll never want to use anything else!!
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Yamidude
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ehh im not really all that crazy about mine honestly. Maybe im just old fashioned.
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No_Life_G33k
Now with 10%less noobness
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Re: DIY Magnetic Stirrer [Re: Yamidude]
#5960084 - 08/13/06 06:14 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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BTW i had stacked two HD magnets on mine for stronger magnetic field.
I really like it for LC and agar work.
Have you seen the ones that hold like 8 jars at a time???
editited fir spelin
Edited by No_Life_G33k (08/13/06 06:32 PM)
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