Home Distiller

From this thread: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=49704

I'd love some input on how to create a sensor that will automatically actuate a cutter for my SPP machine. I have DC input SSRs, two potent 120VAC solenoids to provide the muscle.

Basic option 1: SPP coil contacts a leaf spring, completes 12VDC circuit. SSR actuates, solenoid closes, cut. SPP falls, opens circuit which resets. Would a MOSFET or transistor or maybe added capacitance help with potential hysteresis or chattering?

Option 2: Photodiode, phototransistor. Again, hysteresis or chattering makes me nervous.

Hall effect wont work with stainless. An inductive proximity sensor?

I KNOW there are smart guys out there who could make short work of this. I understand schematics and general basic electronics. Thanks!

• A counter that gives a pulse after the desired amount of revolutions is reach.
• If the winding speed is constant a simple timer will do the same.

I wouldn't try to measure anything at the business end of you machine. To much risk in clogging imho.

By the way, great machine you are building, I love it

How 'bout a timer? Make a 555 oscilator ckt and use a potentiometer for the resistors so it is easily adjustible.

Have you seen Dog's Master's solution?
The wheel with magnet is belt-driven off of the drill motor which holds the mandril. There is a magnet glued to the backside of the wheel that actuates a magnetic switch once per revolution. You could do it with a microswitch and a cam (or a screw sticking out of the wheel). Clank...clank...clank.

skow69 wrote:Have you seen Dog's Master's solution?
The wheel with magnet is belt-driven off of the drill motor which holds the mandril. There is a magnet glued to the backside of the wheel that actuates a magnetic switch once per revolution. You could do it with a microswitch and a cam (or a screw sticking out of the wheel). Clank...clank...clank.

Hey, that is clever as hell, would be easy. You could create a variable system by mounting different numbers of magnets on maybe 3 or 4 different radii, having a drive pulley with 3 or 4 sheaves. Move the belt between them, and also move the magnet so the hall is actuated in a variable number per rev of the big wheel. Kind of a vernier system.

Most of the SPP I've done is near 10 to 14 turns, so a little math would give the answer.

Skow, Edwin, I agree that a bit of Digital circuitry, or a timer, would be best and most accurate. What I'd ideally like to come up with is something anyone can make. But a mechanical wheel with a hall sensor is every bit as complex as a 555 circuit or similar.

Since this sort of thing is most likely run on a drill press, simply sticking a magnet on the drill chuck could also actuate a hall device, but there'd have to be supporting circuitry to execute a cut every X revolutions.

A gear to gear the magnet down? Lot to think about, I am 35 hours without sleep, plus a little liquor, my brain is not running well right now.