The HI

[Alan]

@3rdtimetrying - Thanks for posting the photo. Glad it arrived safely and you are getting the hang of it. Hope you are able to obtain a suitable voltage controller. So nice to know the voltage at all times.

@little maggie - Here is a photo of the different basket screens I make. LtR 12mm for Milaana/Zion/LSV stems, 10mm for glass/wood/bamboo/silicone tubes with a 10mm ID, 8.5mm for the 10mm glass mouthpiece tubes, and 6mm for the 5/16" ss roasting tubes. I now have some 6mm screens with the same mesh as the other screens so they don't get clogged up as fast.

@Seren - The photos look great. Thanks for posting them. Glad you are pleased with everything. Fitting wood and glass together can be a real challenge since glass varies so much in diameter. You will have plenty of different combinations to try. Many of the tubes will also work with the Milaana/Zion and Touch.

@dimildarko - Glad you like how it all turned out. Thanks for posting the photos. You also have several stems that will also work in the Milaana/Zion and Touch.

I just learned from @NickDlow that the VapCap tips will fit into my wood and bamboo stems with 5/16" ss tips, so it looks like all my old 5/16" tubes will work with the VapCap tips. Very cool.

 

[No-Wrinkle]

Holy shit Alan just sent me these yesterday and I'm speechless.

What kind of wood is that body made of?

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Just received a new HI in beautiful afzelia burl, along with a wong roasting tube and a vvps made of the same (hopefully pics sometime later).

I have a few other HIs but never got a vvps, so I'm a newbie to that. Just starting to use it a bit for fun, but I do have a few questions for the more experienced. First off, just wondering how long people think it takes for their HI to respond when they change voltages? Say your going from 11.5 to 12.0v - how long before you think the HI temp responds?

Also, whats the highest voltage you'll bring it to before it starts to taste bad, in your opinion?

 

[mestizo]

Hi @Alan,
I have purchased two HIs in the past and one of them was made out of Osange Orange, I know there are precautions to be taken when the wood is fresh because it could cause skin irritations, is that correct?
I have aquired some Chechen wood burl pen blanks that will make nice accessories, is there any care or precautions to be taken with dry wood since Chechen wood is known to be handle with care while fresh?
@Snappo, or @Ed's TnT can jump in the conversation if you guys have any info on the subject, I looked online but could not find any.
Thanks.

 

[Snappo]

Hi @Alan,
I have purchased two HIs in the past and one of them was made out of Osange Orange, I know there are precautions to be taken when the wood is fresh because it could cause skin irritations, is that correct?
I have aquired some Chechen wood burl pen blanks that will make nice accessories, is there any care or precautions to be taken with dry wood since Chechen wood is known to be handle with care while fresh?
@Snappo, or @Ed's TnT can jump in the conversation if you guys have any info on the subject, I looked online but could not find any.
Thanks.

If the wood has been air-dried for several years, or professionally kiln dried, there should be no problem whatsoever with skin irritation or any other allergenic reaction.

 

[Alan]

What kind of wood is that body made of?

The wood body is made from afzelia burl. Great to turn.

Just received a new HI in beautiful afzelia burl, along with a wong roasting tube and a vvps made of the same (hopefully pics sometime later).

I have a few other HIs but never got a vvps, so I'm a newbie to that. Just starting to use it a bit for fun, but I do have a few questions for the more experienced. First off, just wondering how long people think it takes for their HI to respond when they change voltages? Say your going from 11.5 to 12.0v - how long before you think the HI temp responds?

Also, whats the highest voltage you'll bring it to before it starts to taste bad, in your opinion?

Glad to hear it arrived safely. I would give the HI a minute or so to heat from 11.5 to 12.0.
If you can draw fast enough through the tube, the voltage can be quite a bit higher. When the air flow is not good, the taste can get bad too. I don't generally go above 12.5 with the HI.

Hi @Alan,
I have purchased two HIs in the past and one of them was made out of Osange Orange, I know there are precautions to be taken when the wood is fresh because it could cause skin irritations, is that correct?
I have aquired some Chechen wood burl pen blanks that will make nice accessories, is there any care or precautions to be taken with dry wood since Chechen wood is known to be handle with care while fresh?
@Snappo, or @Ed's TnT can jump in the conversation if you guys have any info on the subject, I looked online but could not find any.
Thanks.

There are some woods (like cocobolo) that I need to cover my arms since the dust can be irritating. That would be a good idea with chechen wood too. A respirator is also a good idea when turning or sanding. Hope the project goes well.

 

[P.A.M.]

Oops, I did it again. Broke my 2nd glass roasting tube in about as many weeks !

I will try to salvage my 2 tubes in hopes my HI doesn't miss me too long but will have to order a few more. And make myself a tube stand! First one rolled down , second flew off my pants having forgot it was there. I guess I was HI... both breaks happened at the hot / bowl end of the tube.

I like that glass as no taste and also being able to see the vapor. Cleaning and reclaim is a breeze with glass. That said I have never tried any other tubes? I have a glass core heater . Maybe I need a thicker glass tube. Or glass tube with ss bowl ?!

What are your favorite roasting tube or stems, other HI Jedi's? (If anyone as a glass core heater too it be neat) Personal Pro's and con's on different options ? Durability / taste / cleaning / heat-coolness , other ? Some opinions would be helpful

 

[Diggy Smalls]

The glass core cannot work with the as tips, unless you find one that goes over the core instead of inside it.

I use glass sometimes, but I prefer the SS tips. I have to turn the temp down a little too use as tips though.

I really want to try a wooden bowl.

 

[little maggie]

Quick question and a comment: I recently got a woodscent log and it comes with temp control. Will it cause any damage if I use it with my HI and TT? I don't know tech well enough.

Second: my HI has a glass core and doesn't work with ss and I've broken glass stems as others have. My most successful stems which work for both are one with cork and wood that has glass but is protected by the cork. And my new wood one which works for both 14mm and 18mm vapes.

 

[rosedale]

Quick question and a comment: I recently got a woodscent log and it comes with temp control. Will it cause any damage if I use it with my HI and TT? I don't know tech well enough.

Second: my HI has a glass core and doesn't work with ss and I've broken glass stems as others have. My most successful stems which work for both are one with cork and wood that has glass but is protected by the cork. And my new wood one which works for both 14mm and 18mm vapes.

You can definitely use the WS dimmer for the UD and the HI as all of these work on a 12v DC power supply.

 

[little maggie]

I love the stem container. Everything is laid out so beautifully

What a gorgeous HI @3rdtimetrying ........ and you were super lucky getting your hands on one that quickly! I was on 'The List' 18 months before Alan got in touch.... but the wait was so, so worth it - the HIs and accessories Alan crafted for me are ridiculously beautiful....

The HIs are breathtakingly beautiful, and are made from: light spotted bamboo Hi-brid (glass core), sumac and walnut mini-HI (SS core), buckeye HI (SS core), dark spotted bamboo Hi-brid (glass core)

The ebony micro controller is surprisingly very pretty, and oh so smooth to the touch - I love it!

And the stems and WonGs are quite simply stunning too.

Thank you so much @Alan for crafting these classy additions to my collection....

.... and thank you @Snappo for helping me find such a beautiful piece of buckeye and the gorgeous stem woods: Bethlehem olive, golden white teak burl, Himalayan white spruce burl, and big leaf maple burl

......and diolch yn fawr to EDA - I absolutely love the buckeye WonG and stem

I'm enjoying not only the looks, but also the functionality of the HIs. Once I've had them a little while longer - I'll write more of a review..... until then, Happy Vaping fellow HI-lovers


​

 

[P.A.M.]

Thanks for the feedback on preferred stems all. I managed to cut off my broken ends and have them smooth /safe enough to fire up the Bamboo HI again. In my happy place again tube is a bit shorter but works for now .

Seren's Black Spotted Bamboo HI is so Matrix 'ly out of this world . Took Seren's photos to notice the similar effect in mine

Happy roasting everyone !

 

[panasonic]

Hey all, I'm trying to debate on the length of my HI.

Originally I was going to go for as short as possible (3.25"), any thoughts?

 

[FUCKCOMBUSTION88]

Hey guys quick question. I applied some beeswax to the outer part of the Heat Island the other day. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to apply it to the inside of the vaporizer or if I should turn the unit off before applying the wax. I kept it around 11.3 volts during the entire process which took about 10 minutes or so. I was using a little art brush I purchased from the dollar store. I didn't wet the brush first because I wasn't sure if I should have done so, so it was a bit stiff throughout the process as the wax was melted and some of the bristles stuck together. It was bit hard to spread a few times and it got kind of messy but I managed to smooth it out. If anyone could provide any further information for future reference whether or not I should have the unit off when applying the wax and if I should treat the inner wood as well that would be helpful. I want to keep the unit clean at all times but also protected with the wax and I thought there could be an easier way to apply it, perhaps I should have wet the brush first. One thing that has me concerned and is completely off topic regarding applying the beeswax is that I went to look inside the Heat Island and noticed what appears to be a small chunk of wood that chipped off leaving a little mark. I'm not sure if the wood was like this before and I didn't notice it or if it could just be a natural imperfection in the wood or if leaving the unit on continuously could have had an effect and possibly caused the vaporizer to dry out leaving the mark?

I've attached a photo through imgur as I'm not sure how to do that here via mobile, it's hard to see without a light shining inside the vaporizer but it's about halfway down. Also do you guys know of any products that can be used to safely clean the wood? I noticed that the inside of the wood is becoming a bit more light brown in color, almost appears as stains in some areas... The vaporizer in question is walnut so the color is a dark brown. Just wasn't sure if the wood on the inside could be fading due to the heat. I always thought it was dust on the inside that built up but I tried to wipe some of it and it won't come off. Appreciate the help everybody

Modnote: Edited to display image

 

[P.A.M.]

Looks to me like it's wood imperfection that could possibly have become more visable with use/time/heat. I think people apply wax by hand rubbing it in. Recall seeing a video of toasty top (other Alan log) on youtube or reading it on alan's website. Toasty-top.Com. . Maintenance page or something like that. Sounds like you are enjoying your log! I love the walnut.

vape on !

 

[hoyo77]

@Alan hey man, what you got new as far as stems are concerned???

 

[FUCKCOMBUSTION88]

Looks to me like it's wood imperfection that could possibly have become more visable with use/time/heat. I think people apply wax by hand rubbing it in. Recall seeing a video of toasty top (other Alan log) on youtube or reading it on alan's website. Toasty-top.Com. . Maintenance page or something like that. Sounds like you are enjoying your log! I love the walnut.

vape on !

Always brother! Fuck combustion!

 

[Diggy Smalls]

@FUCKCOMBUSTION88 Hey, man. Nice looking HI! So yeah, that is just a rough natural spot on the inside. Sometimes they are on the outside, too...it's artistic.
Ok, so wax...it sounds like you are painting on melted wax. Very interesting. I thought about that, but never tried it. The wax balls are really hard to work into the wood, I find. But if you melt the wax with a little mineral oil, it spreads on very easily when it cools. Makes it like a butter kind of.
No one waxes the inside of the log, I don't think. You can do it so far down, but then there isn't room to fit your fingers or a rag...if you look at pics of logs, you'll see they are polished toward the top on the inside, but there is a solid line where it stops...you can't in there...it's okay. The inside will dry out and it will look different than the outside of the HI, but that's okay. People aren't really looking down the inside of your vape very much. That's all I got to say about that.

 

[Alan]

@panasonic - Both lengths work equally well. The longer HI will be a little cooler to the touch on the bottom.

@FUCKCOMBUSTION88 - The highly figured walnut wood that I have is about 50 years old, so it is very dry. It really likes to soak up the beeswax. I have applied beeswax beads to the inside of the wood by holding the HI horizontal and letting the bead set at the bottom and melt into the hot wood. Slowly rotate or tilt the wood to get the beeswax bead to move around and melt into the wood as it does. You can use a bamboo skewer to move the bead around on the wood too. The marks inside of the wood are a result of the tools sometimes catching and tearing the grain. Especially when the grain goes all different directions. It is a lot more difficult to get the inside of the wood to look as good as the outside. I do spend a lot more time sanding inside of the wood now that I no longer use the outer sleeve to hold the core in place. The beeswax inside the wood body can cause some of the grains to raise a bit which gives it the uneven look. The radiant heat being absorbed by the wood body isn't enough to cause damage so it will last a very long time.

@hoyo77 - Good to see you. My most recent stems have been ones that will also fit the MistVape Touch. They are 14mm WonG tubes that have the same size hole drilled all the way through. The 10mm basket screens can be placed anywhere in them and they can also accept 10mm mouthpiece tubes. Have also been making some 18mm Milaana, Zion, Tubo stems with 12mm basket screens. I even make some 14mm x 18mm stems that can be used with many different vaporizers.
Found that using a cork connector works better for attaching glass tubes to wooden tubes.

I really need to start a thread just for my roasting tubes since there are so many different types and styles.

 

[Diggy Smalls]

As soon as I say "no one" does something, someone will come along and say they do. I stand corrected: some people don't wax the inside of their log.

And yes, you really do need a thread for your stems.

 

[dimildarko]

Speaking of stems...my HI arrived today with many stems. I'm not sure really what to say because I'm pretty stunned by all of this. Such an amazing collection of wood (guest appearance by keyboard palm rest). Alan does great work and I'm really happy I did this.

To those of you other owners out there, did you guys do a burn in and let the unit run dry for awhile before using?

 

[Diggy Smalls]

Oh my sweet gravy! Wow! First of all...that HI is freaking beautiful. Might be my favorite one yet. The swirls are stunning. I really love the three middle stems the most, but they all look great. I'm jealous!

My toasty island did not need a burn in, but I turned it on and left it on for a good hour the first time before I tried it. There was no scent or gassing that I could perceive. I was just being careful.

 

[Alan]

@dimildarko - Thanks for posting the photos. Glad everything arrived safely and you are happy. I run each HI for about 12 hours before declaring them operational. There should just be a light scent of warm beeswax and a slight scent of the wood depending upon the type. Happy roasting.

 

[dimildarko]

Any oils or anything to use on the mouth pieces to moisten them from being so dry? They don't get warm enough to treat with normal beeswax.

 

[jpdnkstr]

Any oils or anything to use on the mouth pieces to moisten them from being so dry? They don't get warm enough to treat with normal beeswax.

Carefully warm it in the oven on warm, I personally don't have a HI stem, but I believe this would work if you don't go over 225 degrees Fahrenheit.