ilovebOObs
can i stick my male joint in there?
Vapinghole
Low-Temp Hempist / JedHI Master
ilovebOObs said:
Wow! I almost wet my pants. Great video--thanks for sharing. I want mine so I can not put it down too
I'm on the waiting list and wishing Alan the best as I know the pressure is on him, but it's good he's busy.
Alan - I'd come help you if I knew what I was doing.
OKcomputer
Kid A
I think I've spent enough time with my HI at this point to post an initial review that touches on more than just a point or two per post. I was going to wait until I got some glass so I could talk about how the HI works with water filtration, but I'm a glass noob so I'd have no point of reference, and I think iloveb00bs' video above tells you what you need to know in that area anyways
The only other vape I've used is the PD, so I will be comparing the PD to the HI at certain points in this review. I hope that's OK, and I'm assuming it is given that Purple Days is no longer in business.
Craftsmanship/Wood
My Bocote HI looked perfect out of the box - no sawdust left anywhere, zero blemishes, impressive lines and cuts in the power plug cutout and the bottom of the unit, and really nice finishing work throughout. As with everyone else, I was surprised by how small the HI is. My wife and I both find it significantly more comfortable to hold than the PD - I have large hands, while hers are small/medium.
The bocote wood itself is extremely beautiful and feels extremely hard and light in your hand. As mom noticed with her Yew HI, my unit gets quite hot to the touch when running at max temp. You can cool the exterior of the unit off by passing it back and forth between your hands, and this doesn't seem to affect the internal temp.
Unfortunately, the nature of the bocote wood in combination with the heat and likely the structure of the grain in my particular piece caused it to crack after about one week of use. The crack runs vertically along the unit, and now spans its entire length. Performance hasn't been affected by the crack, and the unit still feels completely solid to hold. This brings me to...
Customer Service
Before my HI cracked, I noticed that my VV PS wasn't getting my HI as hot as it had been during the first 2-3 days of use (as was noticed by a few other owners as well). After contacting Alan to tell him this (I believe I brought the issue up to him before any other owners), he immediately offered to send me a replacement. He actually ended up sending both a new VV and a non-VV, giving me plenty of options to test out.
When my HI cracked, Alan similarly offered me a replacement unit. I told him not to rush, and to get more HIs out to the people patiently waiting to get their units since mine is still perfectly functional for now. Alan was extremely fast and helpful in his responses to both of these issues.
Alan was similarly helpful before I received my HI. I sent him a TON of questions, mostly about tubes, and he was very helpful and answered everything thoroughly.
Performance
Here's where the big PD comparison comes in. Think of your herb as a pizza. You can cook a pizza in a conventional oven (the PD) for 20 minutes or a raging hot, coal-fired brick oven (the HI) for 5 minutes. That should give you some idea of the relative power difference.
I actually loved my PD, but the problem was a lack of airflow. It simply took too long and was too taxing to get the vapor I was looking for. The HI completely corrects this problem. With the all-glass roasting tube w/ SS tip (which is identical in function to a standard PD stem), airflow is somewhat better than with the PD. When using any type of turbo tube (where the end slips around the heat port rather than into it), the airflow is phenomenal.
I've already made a few posts indicating how the HI performs, but to reiterate: at my ideal temp (which is basically what's delivered with the non-VV), drawing quickly for a just a few seconds produces an absolutely enormous cloud. The sheer amount of vapor produced by the very first hit on a half-full turbo turbo actually makes me laugh sometimes. After getting comfortable with the HI, very little stirring of the herb is needed, though I still like to give it a stir after 3-4 hits in order to get 1-2 more.
Extraction is much more thorough than with my PD. The ABV from the HI will be dark brown - black if you want it to be.
In terms of learning curve: With technique, I could get decent clouds from the PD. My wife could too, but the lack of airflow made it very inconsistent for her. With the HI, we were both able to get big clouds immediately. She drew too slowly from the HI once (habit from using the PD) and got an extremely hot/dense hit, blackening the herb but not quite reaching combustion.
Power Supplies
I still can't definitively say that I've got the power supplies nailed down. For a few days, I thought my ideal temperature came from using a PD Jameco PS with the HI, but that's when I had it plugged into an extension cord that I was probably more confident about than I should have been. Had the Jameco been plugged directly into an outlet, it likely would've been too hot. Now I'm thinking my ideal temps might be produced by the non-VV supplied by Alan.
Remember, when I say "ideal temp," I mean jet-engine hot where you can brown a turbo tube bowl in one shot. Your ideal temp may easily be reached with the VV, as some other HI owners have mentioned.
I don't need a lung-buster every time either, so my ideal set-up might be something like leaving the HI plugged into a VV 24/7 for low-medium temp vaping, and plugging it into the non-VV for giant hits and vapor bonging. Of course, I'll come back and post more once I have the PS issue nailed down fully.
Finally, a crappy cell phone picture of my HI. At least it shows how it looks with a 3" all-glass turbo tube/SS tip in place.
The only other vape I've used is the PD, so I will be comparing the PD to the HI at certain points in this review. I hope that's OK, and I'm assuming it is given that Purple Days is no longer in business.
Craftsmanship/Wood
My Bocote HI looked perfect out of the box - no sawdust left anywhere, zero blemishes, impressive lines and cuts in the power plug cutout and the bottom of the unit, and really nice finishing work throughout. As with everyone else, I was surprised by how small the HI is. My wife and I both find it significantly more comfortable to hold than the PD - I have large hands, while hers are small/medium.
The bocote wood itself is extremely beautiful and feels extremely hard and light in your hand. As mom noticed with her Yew HI, my unit gets quite hot to the touch when running at max temp. You can cool the exterior of the unit off by passing it back and forth between your hands, and this doesn't seem to affect the internal temp.
Unfortunately, the nature of the bocote wood in combination with the heat and likely the structure of the grain in my particular piece caused it to crack after about one week of use. The crack runs vertically along the unit, and now spans its entire length. Performance hasn't been affected by the crack, and the unit still feels completely solid to hold. This brings me to...
Customer Service
Before my HI cracked, I noticed that my VV PS wasn't getting my HI as hot as it had been during the first 2-3 days of use (as was noticed by a few other owners as well). After contacting Alan to tell him this (I believe I brought the issue up to him before any other owners), he immediately offered to send me a replacement. He actually ended up sending both a new VV and a non-VV, giving me plenty of options to test out.
When my HI cracked, Alan similarly offered me a replacement unit. I told him not to rush, and to get more HIs out to the people patiently waiting to get their units since mine is still perfectly functional for now. Alan was extremely fast and helpful in his responses to both of these issues.
Alan was similarly helpful before I received my HI. I sent him a TON of questions, mostly about tubes, and he was very helpful and answered everything thoroughly.
Performance
Here's where the big PD comparison comes in. Think of your herb as a pizza. You can cook a pizza in a conventional oven (the PD) for 20 minutes or a raging hot, coal-fired brick oven (the HI) for 5 minutes. That should give you some idea of the relative power difference.
I actually loved my PD, but the problem was a lack of airflow. It simply took too long and was too taxing to get the vapor I was looking for. The HI completely corrects this problem. With the all-glass roasting tube w/ SS tip (which is identical in function to a standard PD stem), airflow is somewhat better than with the PD. When using any type of turbo tube (where the end slips around the heat port rather than into it), the airflow is phenomenal.
I've already made a few posts indicating how the HI performs, but to reiterate: at my ideal temp (which is basically what's delivered with the non-VV), drawing quickly for a just a few seconds produces an absolutely enormous cloud. The sheer amount of vapor produced by the very first hit on a half-full turbo turbo actually makes me laugh sometimes. After getting comfortable with the HI, very little stirring of the herb is needed, though I still like to give it a stir after 3-4 hits in order to get 1-2 more.
Extraction is much more thorough than with my PD. The ABV from the HI will be dark brown - black if you want it to be.
In terms of learning curve: With technique, I could get decent clouds from the PD. My wife could too, but the lack of airflow made it very inconsistent for her. With the HI, we were both able to get big clouds immediately. She drew too slowly from the HI once (habit from using the PD) and got an extremely hot/dense hit, blackening the herb but not quite reaching combustion.
Power Supplies
I still can't definitively say that I've got the power supplies nailed down. For a few days, I thought my ideal temperature came from using a PD Jameco PS with the HI, but that's when I had it plugged into an extension cord that I was probably more confident about than I should have been. Had the Jameco been plugged directly into an outlet, it likely would've been too hot. Now I'm thinking my ideal temps might be produced by the non-VV supplied by Alan.
Remember, when I say "ideal temp," I mean jet-engine hot where you can brown a turbo tube bowl in one shot. Your ideal temp may easily be reached with the VV, as some other HI owners have mentioned.
I don't need a lung-buster every time either, so my ideal set-up might be something like leaving the HI plugged into a VV 24/7 for low-medium temp vaping, and plugging it into the non-VV for giant hits and vapor bonging. Of course, I'll come back and post more once I have the PS issue nailed down fully.
Finally, a crappy cell phone picture of my HI. At least it shows how it looks with a 3" all-glass turbo tube/SS tip in place.
tuscan tins
Active Member
Jeppy said:Well, static,,,,how's she hittin? Thanks for the pics, by the way.
Very thick hits!
I'm probably going to practice my technique a bit more before I write a review, the pics were just a teaser
Great post OK!
Thanks placetime. It was fun to find a piece of wood like that. Yew never know what you will find.
I know that problem ilovebOObs. I have it myself. haha
Great new video. I can see why you don't want to put it down. Very nice setup.
Vapinghole - The waiting is even tougher with videos like that. Maybe I need an apprentice.
Thanks so much for the review OKcomputer. Glad your unit is still going strong. The harder woods do conduct heat better and will have a higher surface temperature. We will figure out something a little cooler to the touch for your replacement unit. Nice to have some power options.
Looking forward to hearing more staticsunn.
I know that problem ilovebOObs. I have it myself. haha
Great new video. I can see why you don't want to put it down. Very nice setup.
Vapinghole - The waiting is even tougher with videos like that. Maybe I need an apprentice.
Thanks so much for the review OKcomputer. Glad your unit is still going strong. The harder woods do conduct heat better and will have a higher surface temperature. We will figure out something a little cooler to the touch for your replacement unit. Nice to have some power options.
Looking forward to hearing more staticsunn.
Vapinghole
Low-Temp Hempist / JedHI Master
TV said:
Good things come to those who wait
Not to imply the wait isn't killing me...
Cheers, Alan! Looking forward to what you come up with for me!
EyeFonez
Herb Roaster
ilovebOObs said:
When I read this at first I was like
but then I was like haha!Vapinghole said:Wow! I almost wet my pants. Great video--thanks for sharing. I want mine so I can not put it down too
I'm on the waiting list and wishing Alan the best as I know the pressure is on him, but it's good he's busy.
Alan - I'd come help you if I knew what I was doing.
Lol got a good kick outta this as well. And that would be a lot of fun to turn wood and glass with Alan. If only... hah!
Alan - Have you thought about making any videos Like Tom had made showing the process of making the PD, only with the HI?
I remember when I first watched his videos it was very interesting. I know it wouldn't be anytime soon but if you ever got around to it I'm sure people would love to see how you work.
ilovebOObs
can i stick my male joint in there?
Alan, after alot of research 
i think i found the cause of my temp problem i was reporting to you about. i don't think the vv adapter is the problem but i think its actually the ss slide. without the slide i get endless cloudy hits, but with the ss slide in the glass tube , i get 1-2 good hits and then the HI would be to cool to use. if you and others can test it out, it would be great! hopefully this will help with people reporting weird temp drops.
also taking pre-orders of my tube holder haahhaha was bored but hey it works
i think i found the cause of my temp problem i was reporting to you about. i don't think the vv adapter is the problem but i think its actually the ss slide. without the slide i get endless cloudy hits, but with the ss slide in the glass tube , i get 1-2 good hits and then the HI would be to cool to use. if you and others can test it out, it would be great! hopefully this will help with people reporting weird temp drops.also taking pre-orders of my tube holder
haahhaha was bored but hey it works
Abysmal Vapor
Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
If i were you i would isolate the metal from the glass by covering the nails with some textile or band.. Otherwise some day when you are stoned out of your mind you will pull on bad angle and probably brake or make an ugly scratch + glass dust inside the tube..
momofthegoons
vapor accessory addict
^^^^
You would think so, but when using the fv, the HI runs significantly hotter.
No problem... I bought the economy size bag....
After much practice, I have come to the conclusion that my preferred method of using the HI is with the glass turbo tube hooked up to water, rather than direct draw. Cools the hit beautifully and I can get massive hits. I'm still working on not over scorching my herb. I've come to the conclusion that it's all about how much you put in the tube. You're better off with a couple smaller loads than one big one.
You would think so, but when using the fv, the HI runs significantly hotter.
No problem... I bought the economy size bag.... After much practice, I have come to the conclusion that my preferred method of using the HI is with the glass turbo tube hooked up to water, rather than direct draw. Cools the hit beautifully and I can get massive hits. I'm still working on not over scorching my herb. I've come to the conclusion that it's all about how much you put in the tube. You're better off with a couple smaller loads than one big one.
OKcomputer
Kid A
momofthegoons said:
Excellent point mom, and the opposite of this would be true for those who are having trouble getting their herb fully browned due to lower-than-desired temperature. I've found that at a given temp, it's easier to thoroughly brown a large bowl than it is a small one. With a big bowl, you just need one stir (maybe 2) at some point in the roasting session to get full extraction. A tiny bowl is more difficult to brown.
Orestes
Magus Septimus
Hey, how have people been using hard hash in their turbo tubes? I've grinding it down and mixing it with greens, or just doing little single-hit bowls.
Also, I think the power port has receded or something; my power plug is popping out with little provocation. I jammed a little bit of cardboard in there but is there a more proper fix? May just stick with paper rather than putting unnecessary stress on the threading tho.
Also, I think the power port has receded or something; my power plug is popping out with little provocation. I jammed a little bit of cardboard in there but is there a more proper fix? May just stick with paper rather than putting unnecessary stress on the threading tho.
Sorry to hear about the power socket Orestes. The blue mahoe wood is very soft and does not hold threads well in that grain orientation as I found. Some very thin paper wrapped around the threads should give it a nice tight fit again. I thought about building up the threads on the wood, but don't want to use any glue. Wood, stainless steel, and beeswax is all I use. We will figure something out.
I just made a small addition to my turbo tube. I cut the bottom 1 inch from a 10mm glass tube and stuck it into the open end of the turbo tube. The screen is now sandwiched between two 10mm glass tubes and the roasting chamber is all glass. The end of the glass tube is rounded and fits up to the HI center tube but does not slide in as they are the same size. Sort of a spherical joint. I am able to get very even roasting.
EyeFonez - I haven't done too many videos. Maybe someday. I do need to make a video of the Vapor Lung. Very cool watching it fill as the bottle is optically clear.
ilovebOObs - You may be on to something there. The metal tip does draw heat away from the core. In the turbo tube, the materials are less thermally conductive. The heat can go to vaporizing the herb rather than heating the metal. Very nice tube stand.
mom - I have found the same thing with the fill level. There seems to be an ideal fill level for the best roasting. It also seems to change depending upon the herb being used and how finely it is ground. The glass tip addition to the turbo tube seems to have made the fill level less of an issue.
I just made a small addition to my turbo tube. I cut the bottom 1 inch from a 10mm glass tube and stuck it into the open end of the turbo tube. The screen is now sandwiched between two 10mm glass tubes and the roasting chamber is all glass. The end of the glass tube is rounded and fits up to the HI center tube but does not slide in as they are the same size. Sort of a spherical joint. I am able to get very even roasting.
EyeFonez - I haven't done too many videos. Maybe someday. I do need to make a video of the Vapor Lung. Very cool watching it fill as the bottle is optically clear.
ilovebOObs - You may be on to something there. The metal tip does draw heat away from the core. In the turbo tube, the materials are less thermally conductive. The heat can go to vaporizing the herb rather than heating the metal. Very nice tube stand.
mom - I have found the same thing with the fill level. There seems to be an ideal fill level for the best roasting. It also seems to change depending upon the herb being used and how finely it is ground. The glass tip addition to the turbo tube seems to have made the fill level less of an issue.
ilovebOObs
can i stick my male joint in there?
i also measure the non vv adapter and vv adapter voltages again. i still get a constant 12.18v for the non-vv adapter and 12.41v max voltage on the vv adapter, so i find it strange a few people here reporting the non-vv running much hotter.
yeah i think i hit the nail on the head with the temp problem. tested a few more times last night and every time it was the same thing. i just happened to notice this while i was trying to make a video showing off all the tubes i have.
And I agree with everyone on the loads. The smaller one is more efficient, for 1/3 of the bowl is a perfect size.
yeah i think i hit the nail on the head with the temp problem. tested a few more times last night and every time it was the same thing. i just happened to notice this while i was trying to make a video showing off all the tubes i have.
And I agree with everyone on the loads. The smaller one is more efficient, for 1/3 of the bowl is a perfect size.
Vapinghole
Low-Temp Hempist / JedHI Master
ilovebOObs said:
That's awesome.
ilovebOObs
can i stick my male joint in there?
Abysmal Vapor said:If i were you i would isolate the metal from the glass by covering the nails with some textile or band.. Otherwise some day when you are stoned out of your mind you will pull on bad angle and probably brake or make an ugly scratch + glass dust inside the tube..
ok since i'm stone outta my mind like everyday, hahahah took your advice and replaced the nails with the finest wood i can find, which was a pair of take out bamboo chopsticks hahahahah looks pretty good, may actually find some nice wood and make a proper one. but here is v2 tube stand
momofthegoons
vapor accessory addict
EyeFonez you're right! Oh dear God boobs.... Alan is starting to rub off on you! You're starting to modify your work.... Is it time for an intervention yet?
ilovebOObs
can i stick my male joint in there?
hi my name is bOObs and i got a lot of problems 
Vapinghole
Low-Temp Hempist / JedHI Master
bOObs - I'm here if you need me. I'll even be so kind as to lighten your load. No need to thank me...it's what good FC members do for their brothers and sisters.
No need to thank me...it's what good FC members do for their brothers and sisters.
momofthegoons
vapor accessory addict
Shit... you got to him before I did....
So pretty and sparkly.....
So pretty and sparkly.....
ilovebOObs
can i stick my male joint in there?
hahahah yeah glass has that effect on me too. i wish i can share vapinghole but i can't, it a part of the sickness.
Vapinghole
Low-Temp Hempist / JedHI Master
Understood, my man!
That sure is a pretty picture, though!
Edit - And bOObs, your last post was #700!
That sure is a pretty picture, though!
Edit - And bOObs, your last post was #700!