Custom CARBLESS VapCap Ti stems
- Thread starter stardustsailor
- Start date
natural farmer
Well-Known Member
Yeap, the inside of my Time Omni body is rough enough to catch the q-tips cotton and is a bitch to clean! Could I smooth it out myself or should I bring it over for a coffee and polish?Yes,quite normal.
Each custom mouthpiece needs about 90 minutes to be machined from a Ti rod piece,with my current equipment ( low power mini-lathe with no lubricant-cooling system ) .
I've to go slow to avoid overheating of the titanium piece,
which will lead to Ti surface galling and cutting tool failures.
Then it takes about 45 to 60 minutes to polish the mp inside and out .
So,every mp needs more than two hours to be finished.
I'm pretty sure DV has the equipment to fabricate mouthpieces at a fraction of time I need to make them.
But then ,polishing ...
Several techniques can be used to clean and smoothen the titanium substrate surface,
namely chemical, mechanical and thermal polishing.Chemical polishing requires HF-containing acid solutions and it does not provide as smooth a surface as the other methods;mechanical polishing can provide a very smooth and flat surface topography, but it is work-intensive and time consuming, furthermore, polishing media can become embedded in the surface.
Thermal polishing requires heat-treatment in a high vacuum and specimens must be very clean to start with.Compared to the other polishing processes, electropolishing is an effective method to clean, smoothen and polish, the titanium surface. It removes impurities from the metal surface and gives the surface a high luster.
https://www.electrochem.org/dl/ma/201/pdfs/0384.pdf
Still electropolishing uses kinda dangerous (explosive or Fluorine-containing ) electrolyte solutions ...
https://www.jim.or.jp/journal/e/pdf3/52/11/2061.pdf
...and it needs special equipment and skills ,of course.
The easy and affordable way is mechanical polishing .But is time-consuming.
For DV to polish each of the Ti piece they fabricate is rather counterproductive.
It is not an easy "issue" to solve efficiently-without a profound impact
at the production rate .
And while non-polished Ti parts can be an aesthetic issue for some ,
is not an operational one for anyone.
Cheers.
Mass producing stems is not something of my future plans.SDS, you need new equipment I guess?
So,I do not need any other equipment ,than the one I currently have.
Suits the needs of my art more than fine ,actually.
Yeap, the inside of my Time Omni body is rough enough to catch the q-tips cotton and is a bitch to clean! Could I smooth it out myself or should I bring it over for a coffee and polish?
I'm not sure about which OMNI stem you're referring to.
Still depending on your skills ,it can be relatively easy (and dirt cheap ) to polish the inside of
the stem by yourself.But you can always come by ,have a cup of coffee and i can do that for you .
The mp of the previous posts ,degreased and ready for anodizing .
Along with it's stem tube .
My anodizing bath set .
After anodizing .
And then after the last finishing touch !
Along with it's stem tube .
My anodizing bath set .
After anodizing .
And then after the last finishing touch !
natural farmer
Well-Known Member
Oh my!!!The mp of the previous posts ,degreased and ready for anodizing .
Along with it's stem tube .
My anodizing bath set .
After anodizing .
And then after the last finishing touch !
That's precious! 
Just let me put the final touches to my gardens this month and I will certainly drink that coffee with you and see those beauties you are creating up close and under the sun!
funkyhomer
Well-Known Member
The purple is beautiful! So well done, you’re making me want another one!
I should report that I've ordered some 3K* carbon fiber ( 3KCF ) tubes .
With them i'm planning to make some carbon fiber custom stems
( 16x of glossy 3KCF tubing and 16x of matte 3KCF tubing ,for starters ).
Of course they are going to be carbless, of XL length and with a custom Ti mouthpiece .
* http://www.carbon.ee/en/n/carbon-fiber-what-is-k
Cheers.
With them i'm planning to make some carbon fiber custom stems
( 16x of glossy 3KCF tubing and 16x of matte 3KCF tubing ,for starters ).
Of course they are going to be carbless, of XL length and with a custom Ti mouthpiece .
* http://www.carbon.ee/en/n/carbon-fiber-what-is-k
Cheers.
Stem Update
A small change .
I've been thinking and experimenting this morning about it .
A small change ,but with a rather pleasing resulting effect.
Can you spot the difference ?
(Nope,of course I do not mean the knurling ,as being the difference....
)
Click on the pic ,let the pic finish it's upload on a second window,right click ,
select "show image" ,left click for zooming in .That might help you .
A small change .
I've been thinking and experimenting this morning about it .
A small change ,but with a rather pleasing resulting effect.
Can you spot the difference ?
(Nope,of course I do not mean the knurling ,as being the difference....
)Click on the pic ,let the pic finish it's upload on a second window,right click ,
select "show image" ,left click for zooming in .That might help you .
The tip side of the stem ,from now on will be slightly countersunk .
The heat insulating o-ring *of the tip ,now can be "snugged" a bit "deeper"
inside the stem ,making for a more stable joint between stem & tip.
* the exterior one that can been seen ,seated between the stem and the tip
The heat insulating o-ring *of the tip ,now can be "snugged" a bit "deeper"
inside the stem ,making for a more stable joint between stem & tip.
* the exterior one that can been seen ,seated between the stem and the tip
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KeroZen
Chronic vapaholic
Wear respiratory protections when working with CF, the dust is as nasty if not more than glass. But do you intend to use the CF in contact with the vapor and/or the user lips? Woven sheets are full of glue and I'm unsure I would trust this material to be close to my vapor.
"Glue" is a vey general term.
For the fabrication of carbon fiber composites , epoxy resins are used.
In the final product these epoxy resins are cured .
Still,what you suggested is very important.
So I've begun a research about the safety of Carbon Fiber composites .
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0d73/89a7c40d5673813cda85cfa4173fffed3d71.pdf
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiHmI6Q5ebbAhXDAewKHZXrBloQFghYMAQ&url=http://web.mit.edu/rocketteam/www/usli/MSDS/Carbon%20Fiber%20(different%20supplier).docx&usg=AOvVaw3IjlaQQzxsZeXyNPhW6JiP
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935189800702
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20150012180.pdf
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a233924.pdf
https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1367640
https://www.aviationfirejournal.com/aviation/library/VOL6-Hazards.pdf
http://www.prfcomposites.com/store/image/data/PDF/Carbon Health and Safety Iss 2 0 October 2013.pdf
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...f?sequence=1&usg=AOvVaw3sz86GkgwrYAR6UTTnoCJx
From what i've studied -up till now-VapCap stems made out of Carbon fiber (directly placed in the air/vapour path ) seem not pose any health hazard.
Of course that mostly depends of what kind of epoxy resin was used.
Some are inert ,but some are toxic .
Also those stems have to be well machined (smooth surfaces )
and free of any machining dust .
Thank you for pointing that out .
I will continue my research about the safety of carbon fiber composites .
Safety comes first.
Cheers.
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After some thought ,i've changed my mind.
I won't be making any carbon fiber composite stems ,except if someone asks me to .
BUT ...
I will use that carbon fiber tubing for making some special mps !
'Cause right now I do not have the CF tubes ,i had to make a small experimental moutpiece,while using Titanium instead of carbon fiber composite.
Me thinks that you will figure out pretty easy
which part is actually going to be made out of carbon fiber .
After all ,a picture is worth a thousand words .
So ,here's few thousands of words :
I won't be making any carbon fiber composite stems ,except if someone asks me to .
BUT ...
I will use that carbon fiber tubing for making some special mps !
'Cause right now I do not have the CF tubes ,i had to make a small experimental moutpiece,while using Titanium instead of carbon fiber composite.
Me thinks that you will figure out pretty easy
which part is actually going to be made out of carbon fiber .
After all ,a picture is worth a thousand words .
So ,here's few thousands of words :
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Still I really want to make some really exquisite mouthpieces for the custom stems ...
Titanium is fine ...
Carbon Fiber is cool ...
But none of them gives that exquisite looks .
I've already contacted a friend who owns a jewellery shop .
- 14K or 18K yellow ,pink or green gold ( if the latter can be found ).
- Precious or semi-precious stone(s).
Cheers.
Yellow-White-Pink-Green Gold
Titanium is fine ...
Carbon Fiber is cool ...
But none of them gives that exquisite looks .
I've already contacted a friend who owns a jewellery shop .
- 14K or 18K yellow ,pink or green gold ( if the latter can be found ).
- Precious or semi-precious stone(s).
Cheers.
Yellow-White-Pink-Green Gold
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Skunkport
Well-Known Member
Hmm, to be honest gold doesn't appeal to me, I'm really not much into bling, although I'm not sure what the colored gold might look like and it's possible I might like that.
What about stone or crystals? There's some really beautiful ones out there at very low prices, I've seen so much cheap tacky crap in gift shops made out of awesome materials that would be much much better off as a vapcap body.
Edit:- Just remembered these as another suggestion, glass vapour path enclosed in metal:
What about stone or crystals? There's some really beautiful ones out there at very low prices, I've seen so much cheap tacky crap in gift shops made out of awesome materials that would be much much better off as a vapcap body.
Edit:- Just remembered these as another suggestion, glass vapour path enclosed in metal:
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We've something in common .Hmm, to be honest gold doesn't appeal to me, I'm really not much into bling, although I'm not sure what the colored gold might look like and it's possible I might like that.
What about stone or crystals? There's some really beautiful ones out there at very low prices, I've seen so much cheap tacky crap in gift shops made out of awesome materials that would be much much better off as a vapcap body.
Edit:- Just remembered these as another suggestion, glass vapour path enclosed in metal:
Gold and precious stones do not appeal to me ,either.
Still there are ladies and gentelemen that have quite different aesthetic taste than ours.
If I'll manage to make some exquisite mouthpieces ,they are exclusively going to be made
to appeal to their taste.People who like precious metals and stones.
And I honestly do not think that price is an issue for them (at least not the same way that it is for the rest of us ).These -few- stems are not going to be made with "low cost" as first priority.
Cheers.
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Jill NYC
Portable Hoarder
I remember watching a documentary a few years back (I am pretty sure it was called “Big History”),in which they discuss why humans have long had a fascination/love for gold and other blingy things.
In the documentary it proposes that it stems from surviving during the early nomad years. Our brain was keen on spotting any sparkly reflections in the distance, which might be a water source.
So, basically, liking blingy things is just a left over gene from the early days of human life survival.
Just thought I’d throw that out there for fun!
Our starting point ,but also our final destination .
Many blingy things above our heads ,one of them so -so close .
Maybe it's source was our unstoppable passion for the unknown ,from the early nomad years.
Our brain was keen on spotting any trembling tiny sparks up in the sky,
which had shown the way to be taken .
Ah,the stars.
And they still do.
Showing the way .
Beneath them their dust has long ago covered the vast unknown,
a dust that is still searching for a way to be taken .
And it won't stop until it will reach to the stars ,once again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That Saturday-night -White Widow -VapCap -fest ,was not such a bad idea ,after all...
Cheers.
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Diggy Smalls
Notorious
I could see the little rings for the mouthpiece being sold as extras with different textures and anodizing. For real.
I don't recall seeing your knurling anodized...I'll bet it looks wicked cool.
That purple is gorgeous...I can't decide if the green or purple is the best. Those color shifting ones were wicked, too. Like different layers of anodizing? Anyway, I love seeing how your work progresses.
I don't recall seeing your knurling anodized...I'll bet it looks wicked cool.
That purple is gorgeous...I can't decide if the green or purple is the best. Those color shifting ones were wicked, too. Like different layers of anodizing? Anyway, I love seeing how your work progresses.
Hogni
Honi soit qui mal y pense
Nice idea which would have a lot of fans I guess. It's a higher sophisticated grade of legoing. Just lego your mp as you like it and change design of the whole device with ease. Could imagine for myself to give that mp with anodized rings as a little colour accent a try although I'm not so much in colours of anodized ti.
SDS, I'm pretty sure this mp will become a best seller.
SDS, I'm pretty sure this mp will become a best seller.
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For the time being I'm preparing the first stem with a ring-mp .
It will be tree bark textured and anodized
and will be supplied with three different Titanium rings ( 1x textured &anodized ,1x plain polished & 1x plain anodized) .
By tomorrow the stem will show up at the classifieds ,at some point.
Cheers.
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