How to build a stir plate for less than ten quid

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sven945 said:
Thanks, mine has a solid circular plate, rather than the coiled element being visible. I might put it on a heavy bottomed frying pan, just to be on the safe side.

Do you submerge it into cold water straight after boiling too? Or let it cool a bit by itself first? I've had a quick look at the properties of Borosilicate, but I'm still paranoid about things like this! (Obviously nobody's going to give any guarantees, that's the nature of things like this).
Click to expand...

Yeah that's the same hob I have and it's fine, I put it straight on, one of these:


I do put it straight into cold water, although I'm terrified every single time :-?
 
strange-steve said:
Yeah that's the same hob I have and it's fine, I put it straight on, one of these:


I do put it straight into cold water, although I'm terrified every single time :-?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reassurance. I'll perhaps fill the sink with the flask in it, rather than plunging. It's thin glass though so it should be fine.
 
Amidared said:
:mrgreen:If you're a bit lazy like me another option is to simply buy a fan for a few quid, this cost me �£3 I think and then I just used an old magnet and the flask from a coffee cafetiere. It saves on time at least and costs next to nothing. It works on all three speeds and is stable.. Comes with rechargeable battery and a usb charging point. Does me fine :thumb:
Click to expand...

M8,
Could you send a link to the fan? If all else fails with my one hand..might be a better option..
Thx pal
 
BeerCat said:
Hi Steve. Have looked at Erlenmeyer 5l flasks and they are extremely expensive so wondering what i need to make a more powerful version to use with my demijohns. I presume a bigger fan and extra magnets?
Click to expand...

Using a 5L demijonh would definately be better. I've read that a problem with 2L flasks is that because the top bit is so narrow it leads to boil over when boiling the starter wort and similarly yeast blow off when fermenting. I use a 5L demijon (I just shake rather then use a stir plate) for my starters and this gives you enough head room for up to 3L starters
 
HALLOW M8
ive got the things i need (apart from stir bar,ciming in a few days)
bit the leads are confusing....and need help to fathom out what to do, in pics if possible please.
ive got a suitable box

fan will be fitted under the top lid

the fan has 3 wires, dont know about leccy stuff lol

the controller has a charger fitting, and two wire posts.

the charger.

as some know im not taking the P, but i suffer from learning difficulties and the simple task are made hard for me.
once im show it, the memory is planted, as my memory was lost ova years ago.
any help would be apreciated.
 
BeerCat said:
Hi Steve. Have looked at Erlenmeyer 5l flasks and they are extremely expensive so wondering what i need to make a more powerful version to use with my demijohns. I presume a bigger fan and extra magnets?
Click to expand...

I reckon it'd work fine as is with a demijohn, I don't have any empty atm to check, but I'm pretty confident.
 
strange-steve said:
I reckon it'd work fine as is with a demijohn, I don't have any empty atm to check, but I'm pretty confident.
Click to expand...

Thanks i will try and give it a test run. Cheapest 5l flask i found was around £50. I have built mine but not boxed it up yet. Was lots of fun and had me thinking what other buttons and lights i could add. I tried to hold the DJ on top of the fan and as you can imagine was not very easy and couldn't tell if it worked. Would a larger stir bar help and/or more magnets help? I could buy a bigger fan as just using a very old one i found lying around. Not even sure what the maximum power/amps is they take. I am asking in advance of ordering more parts as they took so long to arrive. When i did get them they were lost straight away as probably stuck to something that then got moved. Much stronger than i remember playing with at school. :doh:
 
@Manxnorton ok you have a 3 wire fan there, one for live, one for neutral and one for RPM monitoring. You only need the live and neutral, the monitor wire can be ignored, but because they aren't colour coded you don't know which is which. Probably the easiest way is to connect it up and take a guess at which wire's to use. If it's connected wrongly the fan won't work but it won't damage anything. So just swap the cables about till it works.
 
BeerCat said:
Thanks i will try and give it a test run. Cheapest 5l flask i found was around �£50. I have built mine but not boxed it up yet. Was lots of fun and had me thinking what other buttons and lights i could add. I tried to hold the DJ on top of the fan and as you can imagine was not very easy and couldn't tell if it worked. Would a larger stir bar help and/or more magnets help? I could buy a bigger fan as just using a very old one i found lying around. Not even sure what the maximum power/amps is they take. I am asking in advance of ordering more parts as they took so long to arrive. When i did get them they were lost straight away as probably stuck to something that then got moved. Much stronger than i remember playing with at school. :doh:
Click to expand...

Yeah they are eye wateringly expensive, I just went for a 2L flask and if I need anything bigger I use a 5L plastic water bottle without the stir plate, just shake it up.
Yeah maybe a larger fan and stirbar would give it more power, plus you could double up on the magnets.
 
strange-steve said:
@Manxnorton ok you have a 3 wire fan there, one for live, one for neutral and one for RPM monitoring. You only need the live and neutral, the monitor wire can be ignored, but because they aren't colour coded you don't know which is which. Probably the easiest way is to connect it up and take a guess at which wire's to use. If it's connected wrongly the fan won't work but it won't damage anything. So just swap the cables about till it works.
Click to expand...

Thx Steve...took 3 hrs of faffing on!
Managed to use my duff hand as a grip type of thing! But not much use to get the wires set up right!
Doesn't help there not colour coded..
One in the left one...middle in the second one..n so on!! :-(
Both via the speed controller with power adapter fitted...
Must be doing something wrong!!!
Now you've explained the crack! I'll cracked and suss it!!!
There's only so many wire connect to get it right lol
Not giving up!!!
 
Getttttttt innnn!!
Sod law!!!
Two minutes I saw your message...upstairs and tried again....
One wire...second one! We have lift off!!!!
A quick vid...chuffed now working out the assembly!! Need bolts and glue...tomorow :-)
Thx pal
Ova the moon.
 
Manxnorton said:
Getttttttt innnn!!
Sod law!!!
Two minutes I saw your message...upstairs and tried again....
One wire...second one! We have lift off!!!!
A quick vid...chuffed now working out the assembly!! Need bolts and glue...tomorow :-)
Thx pal
Ova the moon.
Click to expand...

Good work buddy :thumb:
 
dps51 said:
someone need to start making these and sale them
I would buy one
Click to expand...

I would as a hobby but don't want to sell then...too much hassle, if breaks etc..
M8 are you able bodied, can follow steves thread, get the components?
If I can go it with learning difficulties, one arm n mobility issues you can certain do your own.
I'm not taking the p or condescending if that's the words I mean.
I've got a nuff to do another...just to get practiced in...knowing me I like spares lol.
If you got the time go for it!!
I would like to say it's easy! On paper and the how to do it! But with a bit help (thx Steve) even me can make a working one :-)
Now just want the rest of the kit to come and I'll be up n running...
 
Manxnorton said:
I would as a hobby but don't want to sell then...too much hassle, if breaks etc..
Click to expand...

This is so true. When I was young I would go create anything as a company thinking all you had to do was make and sell. It's the after costs that kill ya. I run only a service company now and even that has Mount Everest headaches. And then being in Japan, times that by a hundred. Japanese are so picky and so demanding that it wears you down. I had a 3 hour chew out fest from 3 customers. They yelled at me over and over again for 3 hours. Why you ask. One of my staff members handed one of them a pen but tip first. Fun. Japanese just have built up stress due to how low ability there husbands have at doing anything in the house. The stress at not being open about who they are, have to follow what everyone does. This stress gets explosive. I've seen guys at convenance stores yell at the poor high school kid behind the register for 30 minutes and then start throwing counter items at him. And in Japan that's ok. The company can not react or the public will ban that shop.
 
JapanBrew said:
This is so true. When I was young I would go create anything as a company thinking all you had to do was make and sell. It's the after costs that kill ya. I run only a service company now and even that has Mount Everest headaches. And then being in Japan, times that by a hundred. Japanese are so picky and so demanding that it wears you down. I had a 3 hour chew out fest from 3 customers. They yelled at me over and over again for 3 hours. Why you ask. One of my staff members handed one of them a pen but tip first. Fun. Japanese just have built up stress due to how low ability there husbands have at doing anything in the house. The stress at not being open about who they are, have to follow what everyone does. This stress gets explosive. I've seen guys at convenance stores yell at the poor high school kid behind the register for 30 minutes and then start throwing counter items at him. And in Japan that's ok. The company can not react or the public will ban that shop.
Click to expand...

Pweeew!
I just read through and for all I can't say what word I want to say they come out ' bloody strange bunch!'
Reckon the stress is enormous!
It can happen to anyone...it's a time bomb!
I was driving to Norfolk for my custom knife business, at the same time buying and doing up motorbikes..transport the all ova..our lass was at Notts..my bairn up at Northumberland..my other bike garage up at Scotland and my bike club..
Bad diet..lack of sleep! Transporting the knifes..selling the knives..stress of trying to get my s**t together came in my birthday! 1500 mile round trip to Scotland for my final patch for my club..I got to my mams chashed out...the rest is history!! Two strokes and got found 11 hours later..
Don't regret a thing! But burning a candle at both ends...n all that ****!
Stress! Lol stress is not remembering the bins go out Thursday mornings..and witch bin!!
HB'ing to me is my escape..theropy..
We've all got a story to tell..some worse than others...and tbh at times I envy yous all for your busy jobs etc other time! F that!!!
Hope this hobby has an escape for yous and enjoy it!!
Sermon ova...lol
:-)
 
Hi
Looking at a project box for the MkII PROJECT.
Looking at the various sizes of them on Evilbay and getting 'Bri syndrome' which size for my 2l erni-flask and small 12v fan..
Could you help me choosing the right box...?
Sorry I suffer from knobbalightis! When I come to online shopping as lot of yous know
Thx
Bri
 

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