hi all,

This is new to me, I am trying to build a small ampule spinner or hire some to do it if I cant. It doesn't seem to complicated. What do I need to buy and where can I get these items.

Here's a link to what I want to build.

 

It's just a geared motor by the look of it. What country are you in? Most electronics retailers, e.g. CPC, Maplin or model shops will sell a suitable geared motor.

 

Cute. I always did it by hand. Even a free-spinning platter would help a lot. Something with enough mass that, once you give it a push, it will keep spinning on it;s own. I'd scavenge the bearings and platter from an old hard drive and go from there. Or maybe get some roller-blade bearings.

The guts from an old VCR would also have a nice spinning motor.

 

Free-spinning, inertia-driven platters are used in microbiology laboratories for plating some specimens, such as urine, on agar.

However, a torch with flames on opposite sides also works well and the vial does not need to be rotated.

John

 

It's just a geared motor by the look of it. What country are you in? Most electronics retailers, e.g. CPC, Maplin or model shops will sell a suitable geared motor.

I'm in the U.S. so this is pretty simple right. I'm still not sure where to start but I'm starting to make sense out of it

 

Cute. I always did it by hand. Even a free-spinning platter would help a lot. Something with enough mass that, once you give it a push, it will keep spinning on it;s own. I'd scavenge the bearings and platter from an old hard drive and go from there. Or maybe get some roller-blade bearings.

The guts from an old VCR would also have a nice spinning motor.

Yeah it's nice, pretty cool little sealer idea.
I also do it with my hands now which takes longer, this would help a lot.

 

I'm in the U.S. so this is pretty simple right. I'm still not sure where to start but I'm starting to make sense out of it

Sorry, I'm not in the US so can't really recommend a supplier, but yes it's pretty simple, basically a motor plus turntable plus battery.

 

I just looked up a microbiology turntable like I mentioned above:



The Cole-Palmer price is outrageous, as you might expect.

Here's a YouTube showing how they work:

They are really quite easy to operate and probably simpler to build than a motor driven unit.

John

 

Are all the ampules you wish to seal the same size (particularly diameter)?

 

I just looked up a microbiology turntable like I mentioned above:

View attachment 75250

The Cole-Palmer price is outrageous, as you might expect.

Here's a YouTube showing how they work:

They are really quite easy to operate and probably simpler to build than a motor driven unit.

John

This could be an option. I see how that could work. But I would have put an attachment on the platter to hold the ampule.

 

Are all the ampules you wish to seal the same size (particularly diameter)?

Yes for now they are. There about 22.5 mm or 0.9 inches diameter.

 

This could be an option. I see how that could work. But I would have put an attachment on the platter to hold the ampule.

Anything you make will require something to stabilize the ampule. I suggest a holder with 4 wings and a spring connecting the tops. Those devices are extremely common on all varieties of flask shakers and rotators. Their advantage is that a small range of sizes will fit the same holder.



John

 

This motor looks like it would be easy to incorporate: All Electronics, Cat # DCM-428, 3 V DC, 70 RPM, $ 7.00.

 

Anything you make will require something to stabilize the ampule. I suggest a holder with 4 wings and a spring connecting the tops. Those devices are extremely common on all varieties of flask shakers and rotators. Their advantage is that a small range of sizes will fit the same holder.

View attachment 75254

John

This could work too. I looked up the turntable. They are pricey for just the table.

 

This motor looks like it would be easy to incorporate: All Electronics, Cat # DCM-428, 3 V DC, 70 RPM, $ 7.00.

This definitely looks like it could be used to build one like In the video I posted. Then I just need the other parts and instructions to do it. I would have prefered to order one but it doesn't seem to be hard to make one.

 

This could work too. I looked up the turntable. They are pricey for just the table.

You seem to be comparing a DIY powered table with a purchased laboratory one. Laboratory prices are inflated at least 50% because of the discount structures. A used one would be even cheaper; however, making one should not be hard. A small disk cut from a suitable steel round placed on a bearing would work.

Alternatively, almost any small motor that spins freely could be placed vertically. Then add a wood disk to the shaft for your ampule. The armature of the motor should have sufficient momentum to keep the platform spinning long enough.

John

 

Hola john

In actual use, is it one speed for all, a range to chose from or adjustable?

What could be the longest time one of these could be required to spin?

 

The commercial inertia turntables will rotate for more than enough time to seal an ampule. My use of them was for plating cultures. The advantage is that the speed is relatively slow and is easily controlled by the user as shown in the video. I have no idea what the longest free rotation time would be. A re-purposed motor with a wooden platform would probably rotate less than one with a heavier platform.

If the OP has access to a small lathe, he could make a very nice one in a short time. Getting a nice round cut from a larger piece might be difficult, depending on where one lives. In Cleveland, such pieces are easy to obtain. I have also used Speedy Metals (http://www.speedymetals.com/), which had some nice ones on sale several months ago. Rounds cut to various thicknesses are a common starting piece for lathe operations. For this device, I would probably start with a 3" to 4" diameter piece about 1/2" thick. A cheap radial ball bearing (electric motor grade) for a 1/2" to 5/8" shaft should suffice, because the loading is almost negligible for that bearing.

John

 

Could you post a picture of an empty ampule? What I envision is apparently different than some others, and I wonder if some of the proposed solutions could work.

I've started on some sketches, but would like to see an empty ampule before posting anything.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampoule

Ampoules often have a constriction in the neck, as shown, but not always. The constriction makes opening easier. Much of the work I did was with ampoules made by attaching a piece of 6-mm glass tubing to the open end of a test tube. Those ampoules were sealed under high vacuum, so rotation was not practical. I just used a single torch and learned to heat the circumference evenly. In the instances when the ampoule was not attached to a vacuum line, I just rotated it between my fingers.

John