Building the Cherubi TiTi Ball Vape - a builder's log

Cherubi

European Ball Vape Builder
Hello everyone.

I'm a European medical user. I've been using for about 20 years now. First time I vaped was 18 years ago. I eventually bought that unit, which was a prototype from a Dutch company, and some time later it was confiscated when police raided my home.

Fast forward some 9 years and I've just purchased a Vaporite tabletop unit. After unboxing I realize it is not doing what I would like it to be doing, so I take a hammer to it. 24 hrs later I have a fresh housing with the insides of a Vaporite, which made the unit perform without much need for stirring, no matter the amount of herb put into the chamber. I called it the High House, cause it was kinda shaped like a high house, and high it got me for sure. Another 7 or 8 years later and my son shoves it off the table leading to yet another rethinking and rebuild, this time it is reborn in it's current from, the Cheebah Cheese. A triangular wooden block painted yellow with some holes in it, vaguely resembling a block of swiss cheese, with still the same inner workings of the original Vaporite unit.

But these days, even before that fatal shove, I have my eyes and mind firmly set on another beast: The infamous Ball Vape.

And so after many weeks of thinking, many calculations and even more possible material sourcing and material properties comparing, and also several sleepless nights, and a few bucks too many spent here and there, I now have a -hopefully- well thought out unit to assemble and show the lot of you; should it not work you can all point and laugh and I'll be eating my hat over here.

Anyway...

I intend to make it a very nice looking unit, though nothing like what is on the market. Imagine something more bohemian, as that's more my style. It will consist out of Titanium grades 1 and 2, 6mm synthetic rubies, some electrical components, and sustainably sourced cherry wood, leather and wool. It will include a cherry wood bowl, and heater handle, and the air path will consist out of Titanium and Rubies, and there's a minor bit of cherry wood in the beginning of the air path too. Some ceramic as well. Draw resistance is expected to be next to non-existent, though a flat polished agate stone is connected to the Cherubi, serving to manually alter the draw resistance to one's desire.

Pictures will follow as the build progresses, but there's one caveat.

The wood. I'm really looking and looking but it seems I've actually thrown most or all of my cherry wood in the wood stove, big whoopsie on my part. Not to worry, it's an invasive species here and I can simply cut off some new pieces, but sadly that does mean that there is a considerable lag to be expected on those timewindows.

Also, I'm hoping to find some other European users on this forum to connect with, so always feel free to shoot me a PM!

To be continued!
 

Cherubi

European Ball Vape Builder
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Working on the Ti parts. I know, I know, my workplace is a mess.
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Some bowls end up broken... And this is how some of the raw cherry wood looks.
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Finished cherry injector bowl for my Cheebah Cheese vape. The cherry wood had a crack in it, I was able to remove the parts that were badly affected but the crack went all the way into the bowl. I appreciate these small imperfections as a beautiful part of natural materials.
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I like to leave a bit of a rustic element here and there so this bowl has a nice wide rim that still has the bark of the cherry wood attached, a place that always remains cool enough to touch. The rest of the bowl is thin enough as to not become a heatsink.

Bowl included for a visual on the cherry wood.
 
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Cherubi

European Ball Vape Builder
Today I harvested the fresh cherry wood that will become the future vape holder (so basically the log part) and bowl.

Really proverbially punching myself for burning up all my dry cherry. Looking around a bit thinking if I might buy some local cherry and other firewoods to source new cherry from that's closer to drying. All the local cherry is invasive exotics anyway so it's all almost equally sustainable anyway, and we'll be needing the firewood next winter anyway so it's really a logical choice to make considering the waiting time on finishing the Cherubi if I do it with the wood I cut today...
 
Cherubi,

Cherubi

European Ball Vape Builder
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My again very messy shed with the prepped wood drying. The ones with a hole in it are fast-drying and will be used to try out a faster processing method for the wood. Good chance it won't actually work but I'll never know unless I try, and there's plenty of wood to try a few that way.

A few pieces will also be used for a rather blasphemous purpose here: I'll be making a few blunt tubes, because secretly I'm very much guilty of combusting a good hemp blunt now and then. Call me crazy but to me a hemp blunt is right about as satisfying as it gets.

The green logs are Laurel Cherry, the dark brown logs are American Black Cherry, all have been harvested from local European plots where they are considered invasive exotic species that overcrowd the native species. There's never any clear-cutting of land or species involved and the fauna and flora are well-respected in all their aspects. Leaving the forest cleaner than I found it is one of the things I strive for, so before and after harvesting I take some time to clear the harvest site of the various bits of trash that usually litter the scenery. Using biodegradable chain oil and electric machinery and processing small volumes make it possible to keep vehicles and pollution out of the forest.
 
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