SpeedStir - Stir Bar JUMPS!!!!

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y_not

y_not

0
Jul 24, 2012
1,084
Redmond, OR
I finally got my speed stir. YAAAYYYRR!!!
So jazzed, I like geeky toys. :D

Ran through all my tests, everything was groovy until I got to TA, then the teflon coated magnetic stir bar started jumping up the sides, rattling like crazy for about 3-5seconds, then settling down, more or less. Then it'd do it again. Over and over, nearly stoping the vortex action as it did this, obviously.

So I tested it in a pyrex glass cup, to see if the electromagnet was working correctly, or if it was stopping. Works peachy! Seems to have enough magnetic pull to stir at least several inches of water in the Pyrex cup.
I did this earlier, just to do it and I could have sworn from before that I could drop in the bar while running, with about an inch of water in the pyrex and it'd catch the magnet and start to spin, but now it just spazzes and stalls. If I stop it, then restart, it's fine. Odd.

When I finished the TA test, the last of the 3 stir tests in the TF100, I dumped it, cleaned the cylinder with a generous ammount of dish washing liquid soap to degrease it, as for some reason it felt like it had lithium grease on it. I then ran it for 2 cycles in that solution, then wiped down the outside with it and rinsed it all out, then ran it on a rinse cycle.
I noticed while in the sopa solution, which is much thicker, it did the "mexican jumping bean" thing less, in the rinse water it was back to its old tricks.

Also, from the start, 1st use, it has rattle for a bit upon start up, settling down to a quiet vibrate and then eventually a smooth run. Sometimes I had to slightly move the cylinder or the unit, then it's be quiet.

Is it suppoed to do this? Or do I have a bum unit?
 
dmanb2b said:
replace the batteries...sometimes they are stale direct from taylor
Click to expand...

I almost did that, but I saw they were Duracells and expire in 2019, so I figured they'd be golden. But I was going to try that, forgot to mention that I planned on changing them.

So I just changed them, tested the ones it came with at 1.48v, not good for a higher draw device.
The Rayovacs I put in, which they make the Energizer brand are 1.64v and expire in 2018.

It does work a lot better, but still does jump, just less. Maybe 1 jump or 2 per cycle, vs. before it was at least a 1/2 dozen jumps per cycle. Also the jumps are less violent.

It did wear a ring in the provided Taylor cylinder on the 1st use. Could that be why, that ring is causing it? Or is that normal?
 
Mine happened on the 1st test. :(
Now that I think about it I wonder if it's because I added the DPD powder while mixing, maybe I should have mixed it by hand 1st. Even then it would have still stirred up the unmixed grains at the bottom.

I just scraped on the ribs at the tip of the bar /w my nail, ran it again and it doesn't jump anymore. But it's still a little touchy, like when I add drops it sometimes spazzes.

I'm gonna call Taylor on Mon.
 
The stir bar may not be as strong magnetically as it should be. I had one like that once and when I replaced it, it stirred fine. I was a little surprised that the strength of the magnet made a difference but it did.
 
Bama, I'll ask Taylor about that, I already suspected that it's the bar.
For what it costs, it should work right and as of now, it's pretty much shot.

JohnT, yeah, I'm using the Taylor calibrated cylinder that came with it, the one with the convex bottom.
Tried the TF cylinder, it's way worse. Totally inconsistent vortex, just like the Taylor cylinder, but worse, almost 90% of the time the vortex is half the depth, so slower RPM.

One more question, should I be able to put the DPD powder in there and turn it on without it beating up the sides of the cylinder? Or is that just a normal expectation?
It kinda sounds like a rocks in a rock polisher or pebbles caught in a vacuum hose.
 

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duraleigh said:
I just scraped on the ribs at the tip of the bar
Click to expand...
Your magnetic bar has ribs? All that I have ever seen come with the speed stir are smooth all around.
Click to expand...

My description might have been a little misleading, they aren't ribs like you'd find on say, the bottom of a sperm whale. Sorry can't think of anything else atm. LOL
It's more like 1 single rib, like a an extra strength Tylenol pill.

Just like this picture:
bar.600.jpg
 
I finally got a chance to talk to Taylor, spoke /w Gayle.
*It's that time zone thing, never had a chance to call them in the morning.

She's sending me a whole new unit, she said based on my description it's the electro magnet, not the stir bar. She said that sometimes they don't line up when it runs, I'm assuming the magnetic poles.

So they're shipping one out to me, no charge or anything.
It'll take about 10 days as it has to go through various channels.

I think I'll take apart the old one & see if I can fix the PCB, as I'm pretty sure they don't want it back.

So YAYY!!
 
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