inventor
Harmless
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Registered: 20-6-2015
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Worlds best overhead stirring method.
List of materials:
1.) Cheap black & decker 1/2" corded variable speed drill with chuck key
2.) Magnetic tip stir bar retriever with molded ring
3.) 4-Natural nylon (or Teflon ) medium length cable zip ties.
Poke the magnetic tip of the stir bar retriever through your condenser or stir shaft bearing and chuck it into the drill. The ring side of the stir
bar retriever has the 3 cable ties attached and pointing down into your reaction vessel. The zip ties will conform to any contour of your vessel.
Natural nylon will only soften a bit (will not leach) into refluxing methanol. Teflon zip ties are only sold in packs of 100 for $285 and of course
the Teflon is superior to nylon.
Make sure to tighten a zip tie around the trigger of the drill to the desired stirring speed. Mount the drill on a flat surface over the reaction
vessel at the correct height.
Not to sound arrogant , but there's no better way to stir. From here on in , this is the greatest stirring method. Some of you may have already
figured this out so I don't lay claim to this as being my idea.
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zed
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Ummm. Many of us have to deal with flammable organic solvents. Make that an air drill, powered by compressed air, and a remote compressor, and you
have a better solution.
Also note that at low speeds, stirring viscous materials, ordinary electric drills may not be able to supply adequate torque.
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inventor
Harmless
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That's a great improvement, the air drill. Although, the comment on the drill not having enough torque...? Have you ever used a 6 amp drill like the
one I suggested? It can be used to stir gravel cement in a 5 gallon bucket without fail. You would simply use thicker cable ties to overcome higher
viscosity as well.
Also, come to think of it... instead of an air drill and compressor ( which would be a much more expensive rig than the $45 dollar drill) I think
you would be better off just attaching a flexible duct to a vent box or just working under a fume hood which you should be doing regardless. The fume
hood (or vent box with articulated flexible duct inlet) would reduce the concentration of flammable vapors to negligible levels that wouldn't ignite
from the brushes of the drill motor. The ventilation effectively dilutes the chances of ignition.
Not that your way wouldn't work because it certainly would. You also mentioned something about stirring at low speeds being a problem for viscous
materials. Just tighten the zip tie around the trigger for high speed. I never mentioned anything about low speed, only a desired speed.
[Edited on 21-6-2015 by inventor]
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Dr.Bob
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I have seen people try using a drill, and while they can work, most go way too fast, and are also not designed to run for hours. And as noted, they
make a lot of sparks. But it would work OK for some reactions, and the zip tie idea is interesting. There are certainly many ways to mix
reactions, I have seen many simple rotating items used to rotate reaction containers. Rock polishers, paint mixers, anything that rotates a simple
metal surface can also be used in some manners. But if you can find a low speed motor (geared low or designed for low speeds) that will work better.
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inventor
Harmless
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It can very easily run for 9 hours (perhaps way more) at low speed. Try it and you will see. I couldn't imagine a more reliable stirring method. There
has to be a few on this forum who happen to have an 18" stir bar retriever, a few zip ties and a corded 1/2" chuck drill to check this for themselves.
Just use reliable ventilation and theres no need to worry about explosive concentrations of vapors.
This method was not innovated for lack of money. All other stirring methods (all) were tested against this method in particular. This method never
failed for a nanosecond. I guarantee if you try it that you will never go back. The only drawback is the noise of the drill if that is a concern for
you. I have been sitting on this method for 4 years. It is not possible to stir something more completely than with the flexible cable ties that
conform to the contours of the reaction vessel. It's not too fast because it is a variable speed drill. Set the speed wherever you choose.
The drill was at least 5 years old when I started using it and it is now about 10 years old and still runs the same way it did since day 1. At the
very least, the simplicity of the design should tempt an actual test from somebody here...eventually.
That is all I have to add to this community. Hopefully this helps somebody. Final post.
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