Ed's TnT Wooden Vapor Tubes & Vapor Stems

[Ed's TnT]

@jambandphan03 Thanks for stopping by, you know I appreciate your comments!

@1_gr8_underdog Glad you like the pieces, do keep me posted bro, I am really grateful for your all your efforts and feedback! I look forward to your posts!

@CarolKing Now thats what I have been waiting to hear! I am so glad the stems performed well for you! Your post is the best news I have heard! I meant for you to place the screen in the rubber grommet area under the stem above the heater like the pic I posted above, if it works for you the way you have it then do what works for you. I hope you will spread the word for me. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing more from you again soon!

 

[Caligula]

Oh sweet jeebus... so these are a thing now?

 

[BirdFLU]

I have been eyeing these up, would the WonG only work with 14mm?

 

[Ed's TnT]

Good morning, had a great night yesterday, the steaks were awesome, the Mexican beer just added to the night, my boys loved the the rib-eyes, my 10 year old couldnt quit eating, that boy can put away some red meat! Got a couple hours rest and started another day at midnight. Been working on a bunch of Ascent stems going to Europe. My guy from there is sending me a few really popular glass accessories for his best selling vape. I showed him the pics of the adapters I made and he is really excited to see what I can come up with for an alternative to the glass he offers. I am excited to get them and try something new. One of my dealers got a new species he is offering, I ordered a bunch of Granadillo and he sent me a sample of paela, its an exotic wood species native to Mexico, its a dense species. Its color is rich with yellow/orange tones with a random eye here and there. Its so nice he knew to send me a sample, I called him immediately and order several board feet. This will be a great species to offer in vapor stems of one kind or another. Am about to get a nap, giving it hell is catching up with me!

@Caligula Nano stems are not quite available yet, I just did these couple as a special request for a customer that has been asking me for a while to do something for him. I gotta be honest with you, I am still having separation concerns, not saying that its gonna happen with the Nano stems but with all the hassle I had with replacing Solo stems and apologizing to customers for the problem, I dont wanna go down that road again. I am really glad to hear the updates from @1_gr8_underdog he has the first Nano stem I made and has been beta testing it for a week or so now. He is having great results with it and hasnt had the least little bit of separation between the wood and the bushing. I wanna give him a little more time and also hear back from the guy that I made the above pieces for. If I continue to hear good news from 1_gr8_underdog and the guy getting these pieces I just made then I will begin full steam ahead on making them in the future and look forward to getting you one also! Pls hang in there with me, I am anxious to make these happen for you all as soon as I can!

@BirdFLU I assume you are asking about the Nano wong I made a page back, that particular piece is with a 14mm taper. I wouldnt think it would fit anything other than a 14mm female joint, I have asked to make a Solo wong with an 18mm tapered mouthpiece. Will get these couple of custom pieces done next week and post pics as I make them. If you are interested in a Nano stem, like I wrote above, pls hang in there with me. Anything thats worth it takes time! Pls check back here in this thread or even send me an email for an update. Thank for you interest also in my work.

I wish you all a a great day!

 

[1_gr8_underdog]

Just turned on the Nano I am going to give it a hard stress test, usage test, visual inspection.
Cold fit between the stem to sleeve at 74°F is tight and true as the day it came.
Warm fit at level 5 after 10 minutes: tight and true. Good vacuum, no air leaking between stem and sleeve.
No noticible changes from room temp.
*(Fit after cooled to room temperature. Tight no changes. No air leaking
Warm fit at level 6.5 after 10 minutues: Testing has ended here. Pm sent to Ed.

I will report back after each test. Each will be edited in after test is completed. All stress tests will be performed with no load and no draw. Allowing the stem to cool completely after each 10 minutes of constant heat. I will wear the same leather glove throughout the test so I can do my very best to repeat the same grip and pressure used.

 

[Vitolo]

Nano stems are not quite available yet, I just did these couple as a special request for a customer that has been asking me for a while to do something for him. I gotta be honest with you, I am still having separation concerns, not saying that its gonna happen with the Nano stems but with all the hassle I had with replacing Solo stems and apologizing to customers for the problem, I dont wanna go down that road again.....

The Solo stems;
Don't forget... I had, and still use the first two!
They were not bad, just did not stay together perfectly during the cooling from extreme heat.
I solved it by fitting paper in between... and then I do not try to remove from Solo until completely cool.
I still use them this way!

Now... Ed came up finally with an ingenious solution. It was a pin through the metal, and the wooden body, that was polished smooth from the exterior.

This may be the way to go on this journey.
But....
please remember that the metal of the solo stem fit INTO the solo oven!
It was there inside and able to be restricted upon departure from it's "nest"
In the case of the E- Nano, the metal does not get inserted into a snug spot, when the stem meets heater..... not the same situation.
Separation may not be an issue at all.
Ed's "pin solution" may be a key to approaching this.

 

[1_gr8_underdog]

The Solo stems;
Don't forget... I had, and still use the first two!
They were not bad, just did not stay together perfectly during the cooling from extreme heat.
I solved it by fitting paper in between... and then I do not try to remove from Solo until completely cool.
I still use them this way.


Now... Ed came up finally with an ingenious solution. It was a pin through the metal, and the wooden body, that was polished smooth from the exterior.

This may be the way to go on this journey.
But....
please remember that the metal of the solo stem fit INTO the solo oven!
It was there inside and able to be restricted upon departure from it's "nest"
In the case of the E- Nano, the metal does not get inserted into a snug spot, when the stem meets heater..... not the same situation.
Separation may not be an issue at all.
Ed's "pin solution" may be a key to approaching this.

Agreed @Vitolo @Ed's TnT I have experanced seperation and think the pin will be necessary for continued use. Pm sent.
Thanks Vitolo for the paper trick works well.

 

[thedanks]

Hey Ed, I got the solo stem from puffitup. Awesome! What are the chances of getting a solo wong? Are you just doing the 14mm?

 

[Ed's TnT]

Hello and good morning, been hard at it again since midnight, got alot done but still not enough!
I got a feeling its gonna be a good day, I hope you all feel it too!

@1_gr8_underdog That is not at all what I wanted to hear but figured it was gonna happen, that sucks too! I am glad I didnt make and sell a bunch and have to deal with all the issues of frustrated customers, that aint cool! I have given it alot of thought and @Vitolo I appreciate your input always, I think you two are right, I am gonna try the SS pin method to hold the two pieces together. I will have to get a smaller size SS rod, I think being a smaller bushing and smaller wood also would need the smaller pin. There is more room in the Solo stems for the larger SS pin I install in it. I appreciate all your efforts @1_gr8_underdog and am sorry to hear this happened to you. Give Vito's paper trick a try, it has worked well for him and am sure it will work for you also. This is just a small setback, I will make these work soon. It was gonna be a little while before I was able to really make some of them anyway. I hope you all will hang in there with me!

@thedanks Glad you got a stem from PIU and are enjoying it! There is a chance you can get a Solo wong with an 18mm taper if you like. I have made one, all I had to go on was the measurements of my micrometer, it wouldnt seat well for the customer and am gonna have to make him another one. I have an 18mm male to male on the way so I can get a good look at the taper and turn the wong to the right size. Probably gonna be a week or so before I have a chance to make his. If you wanna get one email me and lets talk more about it, maybe while I am turning his I can get you one done also. Thanks for your interest in my work and I look to hear from you soon.

 

[Vitolo]

Paper trick Details:
Use brown paper, cut from a shopping bag for best results.. it is thick, and easily manipulated.
I left no music on this brief Video, so you could hear the top "click" in place.

 

[KidFated.]

If anyone can post some pics of Eds MFLB stems (not the ones on his site) that would be amazing im trying to decide on a species for a new stem.

Also @Ed's TnT could you do another UD stem but SS tip?

 

[Ed's TnT]

@KidFated. Sure I could do ya one with SS, its gonna cost ya a little more and may not have a removable insert like the brass. SS is a hellova lot harder than brass and will not give like the brass. I am sure you have noticed that the insert as well as the sleeve are bent a little out of round, this is what keeps them stuck together. I dont believe you can get this to happen with SS. I can sure try anything for ya Kid, just holla and lets give it a shot!

 

[KidFated.]

Once i get paid im gunna give you a call! I think i may go with cocobolo for the UD. What does Ed suggest goes with a cherry launch box?

 

[Ed's TnT]

Once i get paid im gunna give you a call! I think i may go with cocobolo for the UD. What does Ed suggest goes with a cherry launch box?

Thats cool my man, just give me a ring when you are ready! As far as a match goes, I am not necessarily partial to a match myself, alot of times I dig a contrast, like maybe a blackwood stem or one of a totally opposite color to make the two POP! Its all what I am feeling at the time if that makes sense. A match is up to you bro, I will do whatever you like!

@Vitolo Thanks for posting that video above, I hope that method isnt used to fix any of my pieces in the future. That is something I have tried awful hard to eliminate!

 

[Vitolo]

If anyone can post some pics of Eds MFLB stems (not the ones on his site) that would be amazing ...

 

[Ed's TnT]

@KidFated. You asked for em and @Vitolo provides!

Very nice assortment Vito!

 

[KidFated.]

I wanna buy all of them..

 

[Vitolo]

I had gotten a bunch of stems to share with the local community. This was a contest to analyze the stems.. and tell how many wooden stems were in picture.
Then... because I had such a beautiful choice of Koa and Tiger Maple.. I challenged folks to distinguish these!
The tiger looked in some cases like other stems..in one case a tiger looked almost like Koa!! And some koa was so irridescent it defied nature!!
The koa approached cocobolo coloration in cases.

and the answers were:

 

[1_gr8_underdog]

@Vitolo thanks for the video. The paper is working great. My stem is holding tight. I think that Ed makes the best stems. These are going to be great stems once over this small hurdle. I have every confidence in Ed and his masterful skills at turning out these beauties. I really appreciated the help getting it in back working order so quickly Uncle Vito. You got it covered for mflb's I have a walnut and maple for the mflb. They have held up very nicely over the past few years.

 

[CarolKing]

I have been using the Eds Ascent wooden stem exclusively with my unit since I bought it. It gives a nice taste to the vapor.

 

[°k]

Hi @Ed's TnT , I've heard of your ascent stems thanks to @CarolKing (who's been doing good PR on the Ascent thread) and I'm pretty interested; I got a few questions though:

- it seems you recommend putting the screen up where it's normally that pyramidal part of the stem that fits, won't it be a problem if not using spacers as the material could get lifted when drawing? any chance you could make a pyramidal part in wood?

- regarding the cleaning: I've searched this thread and it's mentioned on the 2nd page it can be soaked in iso, anyone can give some input after a longer time of use please?

- these 2 stems look very well toured but I was wondering if it'd be possible for you to make the part for the mouth more roundish/oval (even if it sticks out a little bit)

- you've mentioned a contact in Europe, is this a retailer? If so any chance the stems are available? Or do you ship internationally for free as well?

- can you get a glass blower associate and make a micro bubbler (wood/glass) for the Ascent or more custom accessories that'd nicely match my stealth one?

PS: ok I know I lost all credibility with that last question but I'm genuinely interested by these ascent stems!

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

Hi @Ed's TnT , I've heard of your ascent stems thanks to @CarolKing (who's been doing good PR on the Ascent thread) and I'm pretty interested; I got a few questions though:

- it seems you recommend putting the screen up where it's normally that pyramidal part of the stem that fits, won't it be a problem if not using spacers as the material could get lifted when drawing? any chance you could make a pyramidal part in wood?

- regarding the cleaning: I've searched this thread and it's mentioned on the 2nd page it can be soaked in iso, anyone can give some input after a longer time of use please?

- these 2 stems look very well toured but I was wondering if it'd be possible for you to make the part for the mouth more roundish/oval (even if it sticks out a little bit)

- you've mentioned a contact in Europe, is this a retailer? If so any chance the stems are available? Or do you ship internationally for free as well?

- can you get a glass blower associate and make a micro bubbler (wood/glass) for the Ascent or more custom accessories that'd nicely match my stealth one?

PS: ok I know I lost all credibility with that last question but I'm genuinely interested by these ascent stems!

I don't use ISO for cleaning my MFLB stem, just push a pipe cleaner through a few times. I'm not sure that I'd want to do it with ISO since it is wood, and wood will absorb liquids.

 

[°k]

I don't use ISO for cleaning my MFLB stem, just push a pipe cleaner through a few times. I'm not sure that I'd want to do it with ISO since it is wood, and wood will absorb liquids.

I know my glass stems can get rather gooey, will a simple pipe cleaner brush really work?

 

[BirdFLU]

Yea I don't think I would soak it, maybe just soak the brush but not leave the wood soaked in iso for a long period of time. I would think a simple brush would work fine. Something like this...

http://aqualabtechnologies.com/glass-accessories/cleaning-brushes.html

 

[Snappo]

I don't use ISO for cleaning my MFLB stem, just push a pipe cleaner through a few times. I'm not sure that I'd want to do it with ISO since it is wood, and wood will absorb liquids.

Here's something that I've been meaning to mention but always forget: the inside of the stems are not smooth-finished like the exterior, so they can really frizz a Q-tip when giving an inside swipe for cleaning. My solution proved perfect: I rolled up a piece of very fine grit sand paper so that it fit snug into the stem. Then I gave it a nice sanding with an in-&-out and round-&-round motion until it was nice and smooth. Now the interior resists getting impregnated with resin, and cleans beautifully with a Q-tip, no frizz. This method should also prove very beneficial for the new Wongs/Gongs that will be visited by moisture from your water tools, as the smooth non-porous interior will not absorb any moisture OR resin. Try it...it's easy!