Hi Kris, I think what you want is called a lab bench (or bench) power supply. These devices will allow you to set a voltage and a maximum current. For 12V and 3A you should be able to get one for ~$100 or so.
We resell some made by Volteq (use to be called Mastech.. everyone changes their name.)
Oh Dear, :-? We are back in the cycle seen so often in this and some othere "Technical" groups where some so called "Xperts" B-) want to display their very limited knowledge to the world. and completely ignore the ability of the questioner.
The OP wants to know about a simple school boy experiment and comes from a position of knowing very litle, if anything about electricity. Now you want to sell him a Bench Supply costing over $100 to start with. GET REAL! propose a solution that fits the situation please. :-? ;-)
Oh, if you keep V constant, I *will* vary if R varies (e.g. due to a change in the distance between the electrode and the work, or the properties of the surface, or the concentration of the electrolyte, or whatever). Similarly, if you keep I constant, V will vary if R varies.
What's needed is something which will respond to changes in R by varying V to keep I constant.
I suspect that the approach with batteries (constant V) boils down to trying to keep R reasonably constant so that I remains reasonably constant.
Nobody wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.invalid:
Actually, I want constant V but varying I - that's what I don't know how to do and it is the I-varying-widget whose name I don't know ;)
I *think* it's called a varistor, but I don't know. I probably ought to write to DigiKey and see whether they'll tell me; it's just such a nothing- burger question when they have large-scale customers to deal with ;)
Bob Engelhardt wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news4.newsguy.com:
Well, I want to adapt that setup so I can use a wall-wart. I have a 12 V one that puts out 3 Amps. I don;t have great molility any more, so I want to avoid batteries that need to be replaced.
Since the original plan does use batteries, though, my guess is that 3A is much higher than necessary, but the higher voltage is what gives the better results for both etching and anodizing, so I want to maintain the 12V, and vary the Amps to the minimum that will do the job.
OK, I'm confused now, because everything I've been reading emphasizes the voltage and ignores the current...
Maybe I should skip this idea completely and just try to use a diamond bit and my Dremel, if I can rig up a support for it (my hands aren't all that steady, that's why I was hoping that the NaCl+Vinegar etching would be do- able)...
Bob Engelhardt wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news4.newsguy.com:
Thanks, though that's actually the opposite of what I want. But it *is* an idea for where and how to search ((I'm not an E-Bay person, so I didn't think to look there)).
Robert Roland wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
YES, the resistance, what is the thing called that changes resistance? I'm pretty sure I've seen photos of ones where you just turn a knob *or* move a slider to vary the resistance, but what is it called...?
Or, to put it visually: (trying to attach an image...)
Robert Roland wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
YES! Resistance variation. "omnilobe" had mentioned a potentiometer and a rheostat, though I only saw those posts pop up today (ah, the mysteries of the "intertubes", Heh! ;) ), so I'm going to go look those up.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to post a drawing to show more clearly what I mean ;)
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