Magnetic lab stirrer-which do you use?

[Snicks]

You might find a good lab grade one on ebay. I got a nice vortex mixer dirt cheap from a store on there that does lab equipment.

Not sure why I didn't check on ebay. Found quite a few older units by major brand names. Put in an offer on one so we'll see if they bite.

/edit seller and I are going back and forth on price. Hopefully we can come to an agreement.

/edit so I won the ebay deal I wanted. Have an old school Lab-Line Magnestir 1270 on the way for a cool $40

 

[dc99]

Not sure why I didn't check on ebay. Found quite a few older units by major brand names. Put in an offer on one so we'll see if they bite.

/edit seller and I are going back and forth on price. Hopefully we can come to an agreement.

/edit so I won the ebay deal I wanted. Have an old school Lab-Line Magnestir 1270 on the way for a cool $40

Pretty awsome. Congrats

 

[Myk]

What size of flask are you trying to mix 500ml in?

I just got an assortment of bars and seeing how the different sizes do in my erlenmeyer flask cleaning them in soapy water and how eliquid moves in a 60ml bottle of 12% water 6% flavoring 82% VG, I bet a large or quad bar in my 2L flask would stir 500ml. I don't have any thick alternative liquids to test that on and I have no use for making 500ml at once.

The good thing about my crappy homemade one is I've got it set up to use CD cases to adjust it. If I'm throwing bars I move it closer to the magnet. If it's too strong and slowing it down I move it further away.

My 60ml bottle is spinning happily away. It's not sucking air and the cap is on so I'm not too worried about over oxidizing.
So 24hrs? 48hrs? I expect the liquid is a 4 week natural steep, at least 2 weeks.

 

[Snicks]

What size of flask are you trying to mix 500ml in?

600mL


So the unit I purchased on ebay came in and whoa is it powerful compared to that unit I purchased off amazon. The unit is quite large and is without a doubt quite powerful. I uploaded a video if you want to see it in action. Not looking for likes and such as I do not upload often but check it out!

 

[Letitia]

So the unit I purchased on ebay came in and whoa is it powerful compared to that unit I purchased off amazon. The unit is quite large and is without a doubt quite powerful. I uploaded a video if you want to see it in action. Not looking for likes and such as I do not upload often but check it out!

Looks like you could get 4 beakers on that. I need something like that.

 

[Snicks]

Looks like you could get 4 beakers on that. I need something like that.

Yeah I only have two beakers...I should toss a second on and see how it works. There is plenty of room thats for sure.

As soon as my wife saw this on the counter she was like, "What is that thing? and WHY is it in my kitchen?" She is making me hide it away because she thinks it is so ugly. Oh well...it might be ugly but it sure does work well.

 

[Letitia]

Yeah I only have two beakers...I should toss a second on and see how it works. There is plenty of room thats for sure.

As soon as my wife saw this on the counter she was like, "What is that thing? and WHY is it in my kitchen?" She is making me hide it away because she thinks it is so ugly. Oh well...it might be ugly but it sure does work well.

How long do you keep it on?

 

[Myk]

600mL


So the unit I purchased on ebay came in and whoa is it powerful compared to that unit I purchased off amazon. The unit is quite large and is without a doubt quite powerful. I uploaded a video if you want to see it in action. Not looking for likes and such as I do not upload often but check it out!

That's water or eliquid?

Looks like you could get 4 beakers on that. I need something like that.

Except only one magnet and the stir bars want to be centered in the magnetic field. That would be a sturdier base for my 2L flask than a CD drive box. But I don't think it would fit under my cabinet with an air lock on it, or the flask without an airlock.

 

[Letitia]

That's water or eliquid?



Except only one magnet and the stir bars want to be centered in the magnetic field. That would be a sturdier base for my 2L flask than a CD drive box. But I don't think it would fit under my cabinet with an air lock on it, or the flask without an airlock.

Airlock?

 

[Myk]

Airlock?

For beer/wine. I made mine for yeast starters. The stirring and oxygen makes the yeast growth go nuts.

 

[Snicks]

How long do you keep it on?

Not sure as of yet. I was running my old mixer for 30 minutes or longer. This one might only need 10 to 20 minutes. I will have to experiment with it.

That's water or eliquid?

It is water in that video. I was just making sure it worked. When I did the same with my cheap amazon mixer I also tested it with water and it doesn't mix even water a quarter as well as this machine.

The true test will be when I mix up 500mL of ejuice.

 

[Myk]

Not sure as of yet. I was running my old mixer for 30 minutes or longer. This one might only need 10 to 20 minutes. I will have to experiment with it.



It is water in that video. I was just making sure it worked. When I did the same with my cheap amazon mixer I also tested it with water and it doesn't mix even water a quarter as well as this machine.

The true test will be when I mix up 500mL of ejuice.

Curious how it does with eliquid. I still thank you'll need a wider base for a shallower amount of liquid above the bar. But I am judging by what I saw with high VG.

30 minutes??? You don't find real joy with a stir plate unless you're talking days

I ran my 60ml bottle for 48hrs. I'm not sure if it helped with speed steeping but I did load up most of a tank fresh off the stir plate and it wasn't horrible so maybe it did.

 

[Snicks]

Curious how it does with eliquid. I still thank you'll need a wider base for a shallower amount of liquid above the bar. But I am judging by what I saw with high VG.

30 minutes??? You don't find real joy with a stir plate unless you're talking days

I just use it for mixing and it works great for that. Everything gets mixed up nicely. Steeping is helped along via my ultra sonic cleaner which is used after the mixing plate. Then my juice is stored in a cabinet. Depending on the juice mix it will steep there for 1 week or up to 3 months before use. My desert flavors are the ones I steep for several months.

 

[Letitia]

Yeah I really just want one for large batch mixing, the hand mixers aren't strong enough for the high volume of vg. They struggle with a 240ml mix.

 

[Snicks]

Yeah I really just want one for large batch mixing, the hand mixers aren't strong enough for the high volume of vg. They struggle with a 240ml mix.

Agreed! That is what drove me to buy this mixer in the first place. As long as I can mix 500 to 600mL of ejuice I will be happy.

I'm not due to make juice for at least a month so i will test then. I have too much (if there is such a thing) ejuice steeping right now. There is a new mix I want to try so maybe I'll do some mixing soon.