Discontinued VRIPtech Heating Wand
- Thread starter stonemonkey55
- Start date
-
- Tags
- all glass airpath
andrewburgess
Well-Known Member
something like these http://search.digikey.com/scripts/D...ite=us&keywords=film+resistor+ceramic&x=0&y=0 but higher wattage?ShadowVape said:
and then encapsulated in glass?
if so, wow. make one with a clear case!
stinkmeaner
Well-Known Member
I will play nice, I apologize if some of my previous post sounded harsh, if you have read some of my posts on products, you will notice I am a bit of a Consumer Advocate. I like to keep companies on their toes, like when I showed that Kia Vape was really just a Chinese made product and they claim it was made in the USA, some nerve really.vtac said:I'm glad we've got some good conversation going as well as a new Vriptech rep on here.
Let's keep it friendly and informative!
I'm not following, why would you be excited about those? I think you are being excited for something you are unfamiliar with. They are not even heating elements, just resistors for electronic devices, they can produce heat but it is just a byproduct. A similar display is in the Log Vapes which works because the device is meant to be at one set temperature, I was not familiar with resistors being used in that manor before I read it here but I don't think it would fit this application.andrewburgess said:
A simple, inexpensive alternative to the cartridge heater in the VHW could be to use just plain Nichrome wire wrapped around the inner layer of glass, it wouldn't be exposed to the air path you can make the coil cover a large area rather than just being a small cartridge heater in the middle of thick layers of glass.
I am not an electrical engineer so I am not for certain it would be more reliable but it would surely cheaper and heat more uniformly than cartridge heaters, but the cover would probably need to be designed into two pieces or you would not be able to take it off. Any thoughts on this Shadow Vape?
Hey guys thanks for the participation and feedback again hopefully the clarifications where helpful. I wanted to make sure I was posting correctly by asking Mark to look at the responses and questions again first and offer some dictation (yes it will be long winded as Mark is a stickler for detail). Below is what we arrived at as far as continued clarification and response:
TO BE CLEAR VRIPTECH ALWAYS APOLOGIZES AND MAKES RIGHT ANY MANUFACTURER DEFECT BASED PROBLEMS A CUSTOMER MAY HAVEthanks for the advice but it goes without saying in our opinion. If a customer is claiming differently they either did not go through the proper channels (i.e. contact info@vriptech.com ~ if we dont know about it we cant help ~ if you tried when we where having email problems please try again and SORRY FOR THE HASSLENOT OUR INTENTION). Or they where denied because the product inspection (or sometimes by their own admission) indicated abuse and/or improper usage (this has only happened a few timesliterally the number of which could be counted on the fingers of one hand out of thousands of customersnot bad if we do say so ourselves, but then again, most of our customers understand that if they drop or bonk the glass and it breaks ITS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUEITS AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT ON THEM NOT VRIPTECH.AND MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS WOULD NOT HAVE THE NERVE OR ETHICS TO ASSERT OTHERWISE). VripTech is all for CONSUMER ADVOCACY, but asks that the ADVOCATE speak from experience and that the criteria in this case also include DELIVERED VAPOR QUALITY (assuming directions where followed) and COST factors.
After all, our products, which we call vaporization tools that can be assembled into modular systems using our own VWTs or third party water pipes, bubblers, etc (which offers tremendous relative cost value) are intended for the purpose of thermal extraction and delivery of broad spectrum aromatic vapors and the products of our competitors (many of which are friends in which we maintain more of a cooperative than competitive vibe) are vaporizers intended for the same, but which rarely compare in terms of breadth of spectrum extracted and delivered per inhalation, flavor, concentration, and temperature/humidity. But please dont take our word for itread the posts or even better compare side by side! In other words, consumer advocacy or any sort of comparison in this case shouldnt just be about how vaporizers work process wise or how they where engineered from the ground up or by utilizing off the shelf components (or both ways as in our and most cases ~ read: value-engineering), but about the delivered vapor quality, right? The difference between us and many of the others in the industry is that optimized delivered vapor quality is where we start. Its not just a goal to aim for its a requirement if our name is going on the product.and this requires glass (or quartz) as a material and a firm grasp of the laws of physics, water and/or ice in our humble, but well researched opinionno exceptions are made for higher profits, better butter-finger resistance, easier use or easier manufacturing. So if delivered vapor quality isnt factored into the consumer advocacy equation than we are at a philosophical biased disadvantage from the jump. And that wouldnt be fair for an open and intended to be equitable forum like FC.com now would it? All one has to do is read the VHW disclaimer on www.vriptech.com and they will see that we make no bones about it.our products are not for everyoneonly those looking for the highest quality vapor pulled through tubes or bubblers and willing to work with the realities of GLASS.
It should also be stated that virtually every vaporizer on the market today uses off the self components.VripTech is far from alone in this regard and, in fact, sees no reason to engineer from scratch new housings if an acceptably ergonomic one is available (would require $25-50K in tooling cost that would have to be transferred to the consumer adding significantly to the retail cost), new power control board(s), electrical components, or element(s) (all of which would greatly increase the finished cost) unless there is a problem with what is available or neededin which case, ground up engineering would be a last resort by value engineering principals and only make sense if there is no off the shelf components that exist to replace with greater satisfaction attained within the same spatial and functional reality. Our glass is as custom designed, engineered, and fabricated (blown and tooled) as it comes.it is a tremendous challenge to create what is really functional art in a production environment and we started doing it and keep doing for the love of the Vapor and a Cause we believe in.not for the EXTREMELY CHALLENGING BUSINESS MODEL that it is. Believe me, ShadowVape Vrip CSR when I say that there are a lot easier ways to make money!!! But Marks commitment is to turning the world onto the ultimate inhalations that he has been pursuing since well before vapor was en vogue, before there where competitors (well unless you consider Eagle Bill and the BC vaporizer competitors)and we all live for the LOVE and exuberance of our customers who had no idea vapor could be so good! And we get A LOT OF LOVE AND EXUBERANCE FROM OUR CUSTOMERS AT VRIPTECH.most of whom previously owned other vaporizers at this point and simply wanted something more than smoky or thin and/or dry vapor from a plastic (or silicone) hose or bag.
The elements we used originally and which are used by most manufacturers of vaporizers, soldering irons and a whole host of other consumer products that need heat for some reason or another are nichrome coils inside alumina ceramic castings, often called cartridge heaters. However, most of these do not also include a thermocouple built-in, but if youll notice some doincluding the ones we use. So if you look close youll see four leads instead of two coming from the elements on the VHWs; two leads are the actual nichrome coil the resistance of which is what generates the heat, and the other two leads are the thermocouple. The thermocouple is what gives the board the feedback to maintain the temperature constant relative to the setting on the temp dial (also called a potentiometer). This is why youll see the red light going on and off in cycles that shorten with use as the air is pulled across the glass taking the heat with it and lengthen as the unit is just sitting there on. This is different than simply having a cartridge heater that only includes the nichrome coil (two leads) and which in turn is controlled by a simple dimmer control (as on many if not most vaporizers) that will leave other factors (i.e. wind chill factor from air flow, nichrome degradation, power source variance, etc.) out of the equation. This is why it is indeed better to have a vaporizer that uses some sort of thermocouple and power control board as opposed to a simple dimmer for temp control. The VHW Ver. 1.0 and 2.0 suffered approximately a 5-7% element failure rate during the first 90 days and about a 10-12% rate over the first six months. Not great, but far from horrible and most of the failures where while being used without the recommended surge protector (we are running these things pretty wide open). On the vast majority of the failures it was the nichrome element that failed which is why it was our goal to get away from thisproblem is that nichrome is the heat technologies industry standard if you will. Cheap and effective (mostly).
We have tested using a nichrome coil by itself and it will indeed workproblem is the control factor (terrible from our experience) and the ergonomics of the glass design (would have to be enlarged and everyone wants smaller not bigger in this casesorry ladies).all with no guarantee it will work any longer or any better (think herbalizer). It would look cool though (again, think herbalizer)! Our new VHW Ver. 3.0 uses an integrate circuit instead of a nichrome coil. The wiki definition for an integrated circuit is:
In electronics, an integrated circuit (also known as IC, microcircuit, microchip, silicon chip, or chip) is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) that has been manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material.
This is different from a simple electronic circuit. Wed love to give more detail, but some of that is proprietary (not our IP but the suppliers IP) so suffice to say it works better and lasts longer and is not a nichrome coil! Also, it heats toward the tip instead of in the middle, which is one of the reasons the glass cover tooling has been changed (will work with both the new and old elements). Well post a picture of a Ver. 3.0 prototype ASAP and pricing will come soon as well!
TO BE CLEAR VRIPTECH ALWAYS APOLOGIZES AND MAKES RIGHT ANY MANUFACTURER DEFECT BASED PROBLEMS A CUSTOMER MAY HAVEthanks for the advice but it goes without saying in our opinion. If a customer is claiming differently they either did not go through the proper channels (i.e. contact info@vriptech.com ~ if we dont know about it we cant help ~ if you tried when we where having email problems please try again and SORRY FOR THE HASSLENOT OUR INTENTION). Or they where denied because the product inspection (or sometimes by their own admission) indicated abuse and/or improper usage (this has only happened a few timesliterally the number of which could be counted on the fingers of one hand out of thousands of customersnot bad if we do say so ourselves, but then again, most of our customers understand that if they drop or bonk the glass and it breaks ITS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUEITS AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT ON THEM NOT VRIPTECH.AND MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS WOULD NOT HAVE THE NERVE OR ETHICS TO ASSERT OTHERWISE). VripTech is all for CONSUMER ADVOCACY, but asks that the ADVOCATE speak from experience and that the criteria in this case also include DELIVERED VAPOR QUALITY (assuming directions where followed) and COST factors.
After all, our products, which we call vaporization tools that can be assembled into modular systems using our own VWTs or third party water pipes, bubblers, etc (which offers tremendous relative cost value) are intended for the purpose of thermal extraction and delivery of broad spectrum aromatic vapors and the products of our competitors (many of which are friends in which we maintain more of a cooperative than competitive vibe) are vaporizers intended for the same, but which rarely compare in terms of breadth of spectrum extracted and delivered per inhalation, flavor, concentration, and temperature/humidity. But please dont take our word for itread the posts or even better compare side by side! In other words, consumer advocacy or any sort of comparison in this case shouldnt just be about how vaporizers work process wise or how they where engineered from the ground up or by utilizing off the shelf components (or both ways as in our and most cases ~ read: value-engineering), but about the delivered vapor quality, right? The difference between us and many of the others in the industry is that optimized delivered vapor quality is where we start. Its not just a goal to aim for its a requirement if our name is going on the product.and this requires glass (or quartz) as a material and a firm grasp of the laws of physics, water and/or ice in our humble, but well researched opinionno exceptions are made for higher profits, better butter-finger resistance, easier use or easier manufacturing. So if delivered vapor quality isnt factored into the consumer advocacy equation than we are at a philosophical biased disadvantage from the jump. And that wouldnt be fair for an open and intended to be equitable forum like FC.com now would it? All one has to do is read the VHW disclaimer on www.vriptech.com and they will see that we make no bones about it.our products are not for everyoneonly those looking for the highest quality vapor pulled through tubes or bubblers and willing to work with the realities of GLASS.
It should also be stated that virtually every vaporizer on the market today uses off the self components.VripTech is far from alone in this regard and, in fact, sees no reason to engineer from scratch new housings if an acceptably ergonomic one is available (would require $25-50K in tooling cost that would have to be transferred to the consumer adding significantly to the retail cost), new power control board(s), electrical components, or element(s) (all of which would greatly increase the finished cost) unless there is a problem with what is available or neededin which case, ground up engineering would be a last resort by value engineering principals and only make sense if there is no off the shelf components that exist to replace with greater satisfaction attained within the same spatial and functional reality. Our glass is as custom designed, engineered, and fabricated (blown and tooled) as it comes.it is a tremendous challenge to create what is really functional art in a production environment and we started doing it and keep doing for the love of the Vapor and a Cause we believe in.not for the EXTREMELY CHALLENGING BUSINESS MODEL that it is. Believe me, ShadowVape Vrip CSR when I say that there are a lot easier ways to make money!!! But Marks commitment is to turning the world onto the ultimate inhalations that he has been pursuing since well before vapor was en vogue, before there where competitors (well unless you consider Eagle Bill and the BC vaporizer competitors)and we all live for the LOVE and exuberance of our customers who had no idea vapor could be so good! And we get A LOT OF LOVE AND EXUBERANCE FROM OUR CUSTOMERS AT VRIPTECH.most of whom previously owned other vaporizers at this point and simply wanted something more than smoky or thin and/or dry vapor from a plastic (or silicone) hose or bag.
The elements we used originally and which are used by most manufacturers of vaporizers, soldering irons and a whole host of other consumer products that need heat for some reason or another are nichrome coils inside alumina ceramic castings, often called cartridge heaters. However, most of these do not also include a thermocouple built-in, but if youll notice some doincluding the ones we use. So if you look close youll see four leads instead of two coming from the elements on the VHWs; two leads are the actual nichrome coil the resistance of which is what generates the heat, and the other two leads are the thermocouple. The thermocouple is what gives the board the feedback to maintain the temperature constant relative to the setting on the temp dial (also called a potentiometer). This is why youll see the red light going on and off in cycles that shorten with use as the air is pulled across the glass taking the heat with it and lengthen as the unit is just sitting there on. This is different than simply having a cartridge heater that only includes the nichrome coil (two leads) and which in turn is controlled by a simple dimmer control (as on many if not most vaporizers) that will leave other factors (i.e. wind chill factor from air flow, nichrome degradation, power source variance, etc.) out of the equation. This is why it is indeed better to have a vaporizer that uses some sort of thermocouple and power control board as opposed to a simple dimmer for temp control. The VHW Ver. 1.0 and 2.0 suffered approximately a 5-7% element failure rate during the first 90 days and about a 10-12% rate over the first six months. Not great, but far from horrible and most of the failures where while being used without the recommended surge protector (we are running these things pretty wide open). On the vast majority of the failures it was the nichrome element that failed which is why it was our goal to get away from thisproblem is that nichrome is the heat technologies industry standard if you will. Cheap and effective (mostly).
We have tested using a nichrome coil by itself and it will indeed workproblem is the control factor (terrible from our experience) and the ergonomics of the glass design (would have to be enlarged and everyone wants smaller not bigger in this casesorry ladies).all with no guarantee it will work any longer or any better (think herbalizer). It would look cool though (again, think herbalizer)! Our new VHW Ver. 3.0 uses an integrate circuit instead of a nichrome coil. The wiki definition for an integrated circuit is:
In electronics, an integrated circuit (also known as IC, microcircuit, microchip, silicon chip, or chip) is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) that has been manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material.
This is different from a simple electronic circuit. Wed love to give more detail, but some of that is proprietary (not our IP but the suppliers IP) so suffice to say it works better and lasts longer and is not a nichrome coil! Also, it heats toward the tip instead of in the middle, which is one of the reasons the glass cover tooling has been changed (will work with both the new and old elements). Well post a picture of a Ver. 3.0 prototype ASAP and pricing will come soon as well!
heartvapor
Well-Known Member
What is the cheapest site to purchase the Vriptech wand? Not sure if I want to buy it with the bong package, I don't know if that makes a difference as to which site is cheapest.
Are there any sites that offer FC discounts, and sell the Vriptech wand?
thanks
Are there any sites that offer FC discounts, and sell the Vriptech wand?
thanks
rastaman.fb
Well-Known Member
so if the VHW is a soldering iron and youve checked out all the parts, why not let us in on the way you could build the exact same product under 150$ 
stinkmeaner
Well-Known Member
There is no "If" about it, it "Is" a soldering iron. There are no parts, just a soldering iron, and a glass cover. The only reason they look slightly different is because the solder tip and the metal housing is removed. You could build yourself buy choosing the same wattage soldering iron and either purchasing their glass cover or having a glass blower duplicate one, if you choose to have one made it will take trial and error to get the airflow, temperature, vapor density correct....I will give Vriptech credit for that.rastaman.fb said:so if the VHW is a soldering iron and youve checked out all the parts, why not let us in on the way you could build the exact same product under 150$
People have been building these heat wands for a while, way before Vriptech introduced the VHW. On a forum called TokeCity, there is a guy who invented the glass covered soldering iron, his name there is "Ninja" and I have read his posts, I think he used a bong diffuser. After that a company called Cool Liquid came out with a product called the Hot Glass Vaporizer which was almost identical to the VHW. These were all before the VHW.
The overly long responses from the VHW company with very little substance seems designed to confuse and throw you off from the point, it seems to me that they think if they drag on the answer with a bunch of business plans, motto's, useless comparisons, and other jargon that the public will assume I am wrong and they are in fact legit. They even said that they tried a name brand Edysn iron I recommended and it would not work when the whole point of the soldering iron is for the heat source, so if you pick a similar soldering iron with the same watts and temperature range it will yield similar results, there is no way around it. But you cannot expect them to say "We tried the more expensive models and they worked but we can make more money with a cheaper one" Everyone is after money and the bigger market share in this economy so I guess I cannot blame them for sticking to their guns.
Anthony
Anthony
I'll vape to that.stinkmeaner said:There is no "If" about it, it "Is" a soldering iron. There are no parts, just a soldering iron, and a glass cover. The only reason they look slightly different is because the solder tip and the metal housing is removed. You could build yourself buy choosing the same wattage soldering iron and either purchasing their glass cover or having a glass blower duplicate one, if you choose to have one made it will take trial and error to get the airflow, temperature, vapor density correct....I will give Vriptech credit for that.rastaman.fb said:so if the VHW is a soldering iron and youve checked out all the parts, why not let us in on the way you could build the exact same product under 150$
People have been building these heat wands for a while, way before Vriptech introduced the VHW. On a forum called TokeCity, there is a guy who invented the glass covered soldering iron, his name there is "Ninja" and I have read his posts, I think he used a bong diffuser. After that a company called Cool Liquid came out with a product called the Hot Glass Vaporizer which was almost identical to the VHW. These were all before the VHW.
The overly long responses from the VHW company with very little substance seems designed to confuse and throw you off from the point, it seems to me that they think if they drag on the answer with a bunch of business plans, motto's, useless comparisons, and other jargon that the public will assume I am wrong and they are in fact legit. They even said that they tried a name brand Edysn iron I recommended and it would not work when the whole point of the soldering iron is for the heat source, so if you pick a similar soldering iron with the same watts and temperature range it will yield similar results, there is no way around it. But you cannot expect them to say "We tried the more expensive models and they worked but we can make more money with a cheaper one" Everyone is after money and the bigger market share in this economy so I guess I cannot blame them for sticking to their guns.
Love the power of the internet, it empowers people to be heard at the same level and tone as large corporations
Just wanted to quickly interject here as I was working with Vriptech when they approached Edysn to be the supplier of the heat source. I don't recall all the details but the net/net of the story is that in order for Edsyn to make something comparable to the sample the Vriptech provided them, the cost on that piece was several hundred bucks which would dramatically increase the price of the VHW.
Ninja's creation, then the Hot Glass, then the VHW are all evolutionary steps. I know for a fact that Mark at Vriptech indeed did work with the manufacturer to make tweaks to his specifications, I am not as technical as he is, so I cannot articulate what exactly was done but reading Shadowvape's posts, the things that he listed do fall in line with what I remember. Is it still a soldering iron? Sure. Does it create kick ass vapor? Definitely.
I can't really recall what this conversation is really about, is it that Vriptech uses a soldering iron as the heat source, or that the VHW is not a great vaporizer. At the end of the day, if a soldering iron with a glass cover produces a better vapor experience, does it really matter?
Having personally worked side by side with Mark at Vriptech as well as having help me with VapeXhale, I can honestly say that this guy is way more altruistic than I. I believe him to be one of the industries true good guys. If you feel that the Vriptech name should be dragged thru the mud because they use a soldering iron as their heater but ignore the fact the VHW performs like a champ, then I don't really know what to say. I just felt that this conversation is going in circles and I'm not too sure what either side is really trying to prove. To me, the most important thing is whether or not the VHW produces a positive vapor experience and having personally OWNED every single commercial vaporizer (waiting on my Vapir NO2) that people discuss on this forum, I can confidently say that the VHW had been my go to choice.
Ninja's creation, then the Hot Glass, then the VHW are all evolutionary steps. I know for a fact that Mark at Vriptech indeed did work with the manufacturer to make tweaks to his specifications, I am not as technical as he is, so I cannot articulate what exactly was done but reading Shadowvape's posts, the things that he listed do fall in line with what I remember. Is it still a soldering iron? Sure. Does it create kick ass vapor? Definitely.
I can't really recall what this conversation is really about, is it that Vriptech uses a soldering iron as the heat source, or that the VHW is not a great vaporizer. At the end of the day, if a soldering iron with a glass cover produces a better vapor experience, does it really matter?
Having personally worked side by side with Mark at Vriptech as well as having help me with VapeXhale, I can honestly say that this guy is way more altruistic than I. I believe him to be one of the industries true good guys. If you feel that the Vriptech name should be dragged thru the mud because they use a soldering iron as their heater but ignore the fact the VHW performs like a champ, then I don't really know what to say. I just felt that this conversation is going in circles and I'm not too sure what either side is really trying to prove. To me, the most important thing is whether or not the VHW produces a positive vapor experience and having personally OWNED every single commercial vaporizer (waiting on my Vapir NO2) that people discuss on this forum, I can confidently say that the VHW had been my go to choice.
stinkmeaner
Well-Known Member
They said the Edysn would not work at all in a couple posts up. I could understand if Edsyn is too expensive @ $170 but you don't go from Edsyn to something that doesn't even have a brand, there are in between. Another is Goot brand made in Japan, they have an adjustable 70watt 450 degree Celsius iron with a ceramic element that seems a contender.stonemonkey55 said:
I have used it and the vapor is strong, the problem is the reliability, if you look over the pages many members have had repeated element failures.stonemonkey55 said:
I personally think it matters when you are not upfront about it, they were upfront about the heat gun. The fact is that this soldering iron is at price of around $12-15 retail and sold for $80 if you minus the glass cover.stonemonkey55 said:
I know if you have a personal relationship with someone you don't want to hear anyone talk badly toward them, but please don't imply my complaints are intended to drag Vriptech through the ground, my original statement was about reliability and my analysis on why these problems exist. While I may not have owned every vaporizer like you, I do have my degree in an area that lends itself handy to manufacturing design, so I like to think that I can point out if something can be improved upon. This is the way products advance in terms of form and function, by feedback whether it be positive or negative.stonemonkey55 said:
This thread is turning away from my original intention so now that I have said my peace I will leave it at that, people can decide for themselves if they want to take my points into consideration.
lepstadder
Well-Known Member
stinkmeaner
We all know your point and any further reiteration of it is fruitless.
The Vrip is a great vaporizer
Is it a little overpriced, maybe, but I agree with SM55 and others that as of now their is no comparable alternative
Is it prone to failure, yes, but hopefully they are going to resolve that issue(and its relatively cheap to fix)
The only thing that gets me is this
We all know your point and any further reiteration of it is fruitless.
The Vrip is a great vaporizer
Is it a little overpriced, maybe, but I agree with SM55 and others that as of now their is no comparable alternative
Is it prone to failure, yes, but hopefully they are going to resolve that issue(and its relatively cheap to fix)
The only thing that gets me is this
This is recommended in their instructions as a safety issue concerning a hot cup or stand, but not referring to the longevity of the unit.
rastaman.fb
Well-Known Member
minnesnowta
Vaporist/Glass Head
How bout you go make a new thread in the general forum or ask fc. Then post all your failures of trying to build your own wand. Like durden said before, it may be possible but it's not going to be easy. I'm betting after you go through multiple irons you'll be close to the 180$ mark. If you can do it cheaper more power to you but I'm betting it's not going to be easy. 
rastaman.fb
Well-Known Member
the thing is, the only thing i was asking was where i could get my hands on a similar glass like the VHW one. (and i pointed out that if its not ok to post the pics i will take them off MYSELF)
Ninja from TC has a picture online where hes showing off his device which he says works perfectly.
so the only thing i need is that piece of glass and im ready to go.
and for the deleters, im still going to buy the VHW so dont fear for the 170$ you "may" be losing, because i dont think deleted post can hinder people to try things out themselves.
Ninja from TC has a picture online where hes showing off his device which he says works perfectly.
so the only thing i need is that piece of glass and im ready to go.
and for the deleters, im still going to buy the VHW so dont fear for the 170$ you "may" be losing, because i dont think deleted post can hinder people to try things out themselves.
Rasta man - You should check out the thread DIY Hakko with SSV cover or something to that extent, a lot of people have made several of these wands on this board. The reason your post was deleted had more to do with the fact that it was posted in the wrong section, the threads in the Vaporizer Discussion section are for discussing specific models as opposed to discussing ways to make similar type models. Just use the search section and you can find that thread I referred to, I would search "Hakko SSV" and you should find what you need.
Thanks StoneMonkey. appreciate the clarifications. This has been feeling kind of circular for us as well and given how transparent and cooperative Mark intends to operate and is know for operating it is really disappointing. Any Vrip customer asking detailed technical questions via email over the years that either Mark has answered or a Vrip CSR has answered has always been given the whole story including the always present how can I do it for cheapest questions. VripTech has given away what is literally now well into the six figures the number of Superior Vaporization Technique manuals as .pdf downloads that teach how a heat gun that we do not sell can be used with a water pipe we do not sell and one of our patented Vaporization Chamber Bowls to deliver vapor quality well put up against any for a fraction of the price of most vaporizers. We are not trying to hide anything or prevent people from creating their own vapor rigs and dont understand the point in asserting that we are! Quite the contrary, we would like the world to know about vapor in general and differing qualities of vapor specifically, and obviously about the technology and products we have patented and developed. Believe it or not, Vrip quietly facilitates a lot more vapor inhalations than one might perceive by outward appearances or advertising levels (read: no advertising). This includes those who buy pieces to use with their own "rigs."
It turns out, there is a very strong and rapidly growing segment of the culture that has always preferred inhaling vapor (or smoke for that matter) through glass tubes or bubblers and VripTechs IP and developed products are intended to capitalize as well as restrict direct competition (the American Way intended by the Founding Fathers---read Article I US Constitution re: Intellectual Property Rights). The funny thing is Mark even invites the competition and is fond of saying that the vaporizer business is now just scratching the surface of what is possible. Ive personally responded to inquiries from competitors where Mark has instructed me to convey detailed information that can help them make better products for no cost or reward outside of personal satisfaction for helping improve the vapor the world inhales. He has told me multiple times that imitators such as Got Vape and other vaporizer companies creating product hype in general (Volcano, Vapir) through big advertising spends and media pushes all have proven to improve VripTechs business. Mark just prefers a bit more of a grassroots and viral approach and quite frankly Im not sure how he would keep up with the level of demand that would be generated with advertising pushes. Business is already robust and these are hand blown very intricately tooled glass pieces that make up the core of the manufacturing side of the VripTech business. Ill say it again: VERY CHALLENGING MODEL. But for those of you that have experienced a VRIP you understand why he does it, although you might not understand why he hasnt sold out, started producing cast pieces overseas, etc.not sure I understand myself sometimes LOL! He likes it the way he has it and prefers to micro-manage the product development projects of which there are numerous more beyond VHW Ver. 3.0 that will be available soon. Stay posted. Eventually, I believe youll see Vrip licensed IP based products from other manufacturers, but to date Mark has declined all inquiries because of poor fit for who he sees as his core demo: the Connoisseurs.
Again, I dont know exactly what the failure rate of all of our competitors products are, but we have published what ours has been on the VHW Ver. 1.0 and 2.0 and while its not perfect its far from horrible. Well let our customers testimonials speak for the quality of the vapor and we believe the pricing represents beyond a great value relatively speaking. We have intentionally left the VHW at what was intended to be promotional pricing because of the hassle that a small minority of our customers had to deal with while we worked on Ver. 3.0. The promotional pricing is going to be raised to what was the intended MSRP of $199.99 for the Ver. 2.0 as the promotional pricing for introducing the Ver. 3.0 which does represent an increase in cost to VripTech both from the electronics and housing components (new element and slightly different housing plug and ground plate) and the glass (extra tooling and sand blasting steps). Man would it be nice and simple if we could just buy an off the shelf $15 soldering iron and have it work as good.we can do this with the heat guns (well not for $15), but not with the VHW.weve tried!!! And to state it again so it isnt lost in the circle, for FC.com users who have previously purchased the VHW 2.0 a Bro-Form discount price will be available for upgrades to the VHW 3.0. Also to clarify for one of the posts: the new VHW 3.0 glass cover will work legacy on the existing 1.0 or 2.0 heaters and, in fact, no longer requires the metal thermal exchange coil according to our current torture testing results.
Perhaps a consumer advocate thread discussing the merits of off the shelf components compared to fully fabricated components in a vaporizer design/engineering context would be a good idea if there are viewers that enjoy Stinkmeaners dialogues. Or maybe a how to thread for how to make cheaper versions of branded vaporizers??? Whatever is clever, but it would sure be nice to get this thread back to VHW related discourse that benefits the users and the company mutually as was intended when began. To continue what seems like an attack on an individual who was pushing vapor into the culture and marketplace over a decade ago because he went with a value engineered approach instead of a ground up approach seems sort of well not well intentioned and not really of great value. And if it is really about some customers having element or repeat element failures I think we have addressed how to handle this best: follow the instructions clearly, use a good surge protector, and if you have a failure contact info@vriptech.com. Not sure if Stinkmeaner knows Mark from somewhere else or has a bone to pick because of something unrelated??? If he does Im sure Mark would really appreciate the opportunity to address it man to manStinkmeaner feel free to email mark@vriptech.com if there is anything else that you feel needs to be said.
And if you believe there is a better value in vapor well simply agree to disagree, but if youd be so kind as to clue us in as to exactly what the better value is wed honestly like to check it ourselves. No offense to the Supreme or the Volcano (previously noted by Stinkmeaner in reference to the ultimate vaporizer)both innovative products that work well if vapor quality isnt the goal and Im sure both are definitely easier to use and will last longer without an element service, but both are also a long ways off from a Vrip in terms of extracted and delivered vapor quality. Its as simple as that. We wont go into the flavor of rubber diaphragms pushing air past aluminum blocks, metal extraction chambers, plastic bags or hoses (oops I mean silicon hoses) or the dryness factor. Ooooh, dry vapordo people really still inhale that stuff? Say it isnt so..
Also, to clarify what the problem was with the Edsyn as to why their unit did not work even after being modified for the application I asked Mark and he explained that it was a thermal exchange deficiency due to the actual heated surface area of an element that was really designed for micro-soldering (very focused instead of spread out heat). Edsyn engineers created a modified sleeve for their element (think thermal exchange coil concept) to help the cause, but it simply didnt get hot enough over a broad enough surface area. The temperature is important, but the surface area, airflow and spatial relationships is really the key to efficient thermal exchange and, in turn, great vapor.
Mark wanted me to thank Stinkmeaner for pointing out another great soldering tool that could in theory be modified into a great vapor wand or other vaporizer in the Goot. Its almost starting to feel like the positive community feedback weve grown used to on FC.com again! Mark also wanted me to point out LOUD AND CLEAR THAT HE IS 100% BEHIND ANYONE WANTING TO EXPERIMENT WITH SOLDERING IRONS, HEAT GUNS, LIGHT BULBS, LASERS, UV DIODES, NICHROME COILS, ETC. EITHER OFF THE SHELF OR FABRICATED OR HYBRID AS THIS IS THE TINKERING AND EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS THAT HAS LED TO BETTER VAPOR FOR ALL OF US TODAY! Its also how he has developed IP, products and grew a company to be able provide for his family (and this includes a greatly extended family of glass blowers and even a certain CSR!) and is afforded the opportunity to work on other great projects. All of which I can guarantee he is very grateful and thankful to the customers and culture that made it possible. He just doesnt believe that anyone will be able to create a better function or value than what we have to date with any soldering iron, or 100% fabricated heat tool for that matterbut if you can then game on and props at the same time. Just dont forget to tell us about it! AND IF YOU WANT TO USE SOME OF OUR PRODUCTS IN A PIECEMEAL APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO BUYING COMPLETE ASSEMBLED PIECES, I.E. YOU WANT TO USE OUR GLASS COVER AND VCBS WITH YOUR OWN SOLDERING IRON OR OWN HEAT GUN ALL GOOD!!! WE JUST CANT SUPPORT THE FINAL PRODUCT BEYOND USAGE AND TECHNIQUE RECOMMENDATIONS. PEACE AND BLUE VAPORS.
It turns out, there is a very strong and rapidly growing segment of the culture that has always preferred inhaling vapor (or smoke for that matter) through glass tubes or bubblers and VripTechs IP and developed products are intended to capitalize as well as restrict direct competition (the American Way intended by the Founding Fathers---read Article I US Constitution re: Intellectual Property Rights). The funny thing is Mark even invites the competition and is fond of saying that the vaporizer business is now just scratching the surface of what is possible. Ive personally responded to inquiries from competitors where Mark has instructed me to convey detailed information that can help them make better products for no cost or reward outside of personal satisfaction for helping improve the vapor the world inhales. He has told me multiple times that imitators such as Got Vape and other vaporizer companies creating product hype in general (Volcano, Vapir) through big advertising spends and media pushes all have proven to improve VripTechs business. Mark just prefers a bit more of a grassroots and viral approach and quite frankly Im not sure how he would keep up with the level of demand that would be generated with advertising pushes. Business is already robust and these are hand blown very intricately tooled glass pieces that make up the core of the manufacturing side of the VripTech business. Ill say it again: VERY CHALLENGING MODEL. But for those of you that have experienced a VRIP you understand why he does it, although you might not understand why he hasnt sold out, started producing cast pieces overseas, etc.not sure I understand myself sometimes LOL! He likes it the way he has it and prefers to micro-manage the product development projects of which there are numerous more beyond VHW Ver. 3.0 that will be available soon. Stay posted. Eventually, I believe youll see Vrip licensed IP based products from other manufacturers, but to date Mark has declined all inquiries because of poor fit for who he sees as his core demo: the Connoisseurs.
Again, I dont know exactly what the failure rate of all of our competitors products are, but we have published what ours has been on the VHW Ver. 1.0 and 2.0 and while its not perfect its far from horrible. Well let our customers testimonials speak for the quality of the vapor and we believe the pricing represents beyond a great value relatively speaking. We have intentionally left the VHW at what was intended to be promotional pricing because of the hassle that a small minority of our customers had to deal with while we worked on Ver. 3.0. The promotional pricing is going to be raised to what was the intended MSRP of $199.99 for the Ver. 2.0 as the promotional pricing for introducing the Ver. 3.0 which does represent an increase in cost to VripTech both from the electronics and housing components (new element and slightly different housing plug and ground plate) and the glass (extra tooling and sand blasting steps). Man would it be nice and simple if we could just buy an off the shelf $15 soldering iron and have it work as good.we can do this with the heat guns (well not for $15), but not with the VHW.weve tried!!! And to state it again so it isnt lost in the circle, for FC.com users who have previously purchased the VHW 2.0 a Bro-Form discount price will be available for upgrades to the VHW 3.0. Also to clarify for one of the posts: the new VHW 3.0 glass cover will work legacy on the existing 1.0 or 2.0 heaters and, in fact, no longer requires the metal thermal exchange coil according to our current torture testing results.
Perhaps a consumer advocate thread discussing the merits of off the shelf components compared to fully fabricated components in a vaporizer design/engineering context would be a good idea if there are viewers that enjoy Stinkmeaners dialogues. Or maybe a how to thread for how to make cheaper versions of branded vaporizers??? Whatever is clever, but it would sure be nice to get this thread back to VHW related discourse that benefits the users and the company mutually as was intended when began. To continue what seems like an attack on an individual who was pushing vapor into the culture and marketplace over a decade ago because he went with a value engineered approach instead of a ground up approach seems sort of well not well intentioned and not really of great value. And if it is really about some customers having element or repeat element failures I think we have addressed how to handle this best: follow the instructions clearly, use a good surge protector, and if you have a failure contact info@vriptech.com. Not sure if Stinkmeaner knows Mark from somewhere else or has a bone to pick because of something unrelated??? If he does Im sure Mark would really appreciate the opportunity to address it man to manStinkmeaner feel free to email mark@vriptech.com if there is anything else that you feel needs to be said.
And if you believe there is a better value in vapor well simply agree to disagree, but if youd be so kind as to clue us in as to exactly what the better value is wed honestly like to check it ourselves. No offense to the Supreme or the Volcano (previously noted by Stinkmeaner in reference to the ultimate vaporizer)both innovative products that work well if vapor quality isnt the goal and Im sure both are definitely easier to use and will last longer without an element service, but both are also a long ways off from a Vrip in terms of extracted and delivered vapor quality. Its as simple as that. We wont go into the flavor of rubber diaphragms pushing air past aluminum blocks, metal extraction chambers, plastic bags or hoses (oops I mean silicon hoses) or the dryness factor. Ooooh, dry vapordo people really still inhale that stuff? Say it isnt so..
Also, to clarify what the problem was with the Edsyn as to why their unit did not work even after being modified for the application I asked Mark and he explained that it was a thermal exchange deficiency due to the actual heated surface area of an element that was really designed for micro-soldering (very focused instead of spread out heat). Edsyn engineers created a modified sleeve for their element (think thermal exchange coil concept) to help the cause, but it simply didnt get hot enough over a broad enough surface area. The temperature is important, but the surface area, airflow and spatial relationships is really the key to efficient thermal exchange and, in turn, great vapor.
Mark wanted me to thank Stinkmeaner for pointing out another great soldering tool that could in theory be modified into a great vapor wand or other vaporizer in the Goot. Its almost starting to feel like the positive community feedback weve grown used to on FC.com again! Mark also wanted me to point out LOUD AND CLEAR THAT HE IS 100% BEHIND ANYONE WANTING TO EXPERIMENT WITH SOLDERING IRONS, HEAT GUNS, LIGHT BULBS, LASERS, UV DIODES, NICHROME COILS, ETC. EITHER OFF THE SHELF OR FABRICATED OR HYBRID AS THIS IS THE TINKERING AND EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS THAT HAS LED TO BETTER VAPOR FOR ALL OF US TODAY! Its also how he has developed IP, products and grew a company to be able provide for his family (and this includes a greatly extended family of glass blowers and even a certain CSR!) and is afforded the opportunity to work on other great projects. All of which I can guarantee he is very grateful and thankful to the customers and culture that made it possible. He just doesnt believe that anyone will be able to create a better function or value than what we have to date with any soldering iron, or 100% fabricated heat tool for that matterbut if you can then game on and props at the same time. Just dont forget to tell us about it! AND IF YOU WANT TO USE SOME OF OUR PRODUCTS IN A PIECEMEAL APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO BUYING COMPLETE ASSEMBLED PIECES, I.E. YOU WANT TO USE OUR GLASS COVER AND VCBS WITH YOUR OWN SOLDERING IRON OR OWN HEAT GUN ALL GOOD!!! WE JUST CANT SUPPORT THE FINAL PRODUCT BEYOND USAGE AND TECHNIQUE RECOMMENDATIONS. PEACE AND BLUE VAPORS.
stinkmeaner
Well-Known Member
I am glad you are looking into the Goot, a couple fellows at the company I work with use their soldering stations with good results. The Goot only goes up to 842 degrees Fahrenheit.
Edysn does make a soldering iron that has a temperature rating of 1,200 degree Fahrenheit, not sure if you saw it. It is $212.00 which is on the high side but so was the Steinel Heat gun, that is why I also mentioned the Goot because it's high quality and reasonably priced.http://www.edsyn.com/index.php?Mode=piw&pn=CL1080-H12
One thing you might have already thought of but in case you didn't is that cartridge heaters like to be enclosed rather than in open air, what I have been told is that they have to work much harder if the heater is not touching the target material, in essence if the element has full contact with the glass it can run several degrees cooler than the open air design with the same result in temperature....this would also guarantee faster response times.
I had a few ideas I was brainstorming, keep in mind I am not a glass blower/lampworker so these are just theories but I have seen some amazing glass work and I think someone could pull it off.
First: you would take a 1" diameter Glass Rod, drill a hold down the middle for the heating element to fit snug.
Next: take 3/8" glass tubing and weld/fuse it in a spiral pattern around the glass rod, this would be end to end.
Final: you would now want weld a GONG fitting to the end of the spiral tube, this would connect to the bowl.
Glass sizes are examples, would need to be adjusted accordingly- length has would have to be determined by temperature holding preformance
The idea behind this would be for the air to pick up much more heat by entering at the top of the hollow spiral and travel down to the GONG fitting then bowl. Spiral = more surface area. Due to its design this should allow it to be easily insulated with a protective cover for safety and durability without sacrificing air path quality "still 100% Glass on Glass".
This probably needs to be CAD to get a better feel of the outcome.
Edysn does make a soldering iron that has a temperature rating of 1,200 degree Fahrenheit, not sure if you saw it. It is $212.00 which is on the high side but so was the Steinel Heat gun, that is why I also mentioned the Goot because it's high quality and reasonably priced.http://www.edsyn.com/index.php?Mode=piw&pn=CL1080-H12
One thing you might have already thought of but in case you didn't is that cartridge heaters like to be enclosed rather than in open air, what I have been told is that they have to work much harder if the heater is not touching the target material, in essence if the element has full contact with the glass it can run several degrees cooler than the open air design with the same result in temperature....this would also guarantee faster response times.
I had a few ideas I was brainstorming, keep in mind I am not a glass blower/lampworker so these are just theories but I have seen some amazing glass work and I think someone could pull it off.
First: you would take a 1" diameter Glass Rod, drill a hold down the middle for the heating element to fit snug.
Next: take 3/8" glass tubing and weld/fuse it in a spiral pattern around the glass rod, this would be end to end.
Final: you would now want weld a GONG fitting to the end of the spiral tube, this would connect to the bowl.
Glass sizes are examples, would need to be adjusted accordingly- length has would have to be determined by temperature holding preformance
The idea behind this would be for the air to pick up much more heat by entering at the top of the hollow spiral and travel down to the GONG fitting then bowl. Spiral = more surface area. Due to its design this should allow it to be easily insulated with a protective cover for safety and durability without sacrificing air path quality "still 100% Glass on Glass".
This probably needs to be CAD to get a better feel of the outcome.
lepstadder
Well-Known Member
Just got my wands back!!!
Everyone over at Vrip was great, they have excellent customer service and they all seemed more than happy to help.
Even despite the troubles that I had, a few in hindsight even possibly self inflicted(prolonged periods of on inverted on time) they got me taken care of in a reasonable period of time.
Believe me its no cake walk living without a wand after being assimilated to its awesome vapor producing device.
Thanks Shadowvape, Mark and Vrip for changing the way we look and medicating
Everyone over at Vrip was great, they have excellent customer service and they all seemed more than happy to help.
Even despite the troubles that I had, a few in hindsight even possibly self inflicted(prolonged periods of on inverted on time) they got me taken care of in a reasonable period of time.
Believe me its no cake walk living without a wand after being assimilated to its awesome vapor producing device.
Thanks Shadowvape, Mark and Vrip for changing the way we look and medicating
minnesnowta
Vaporist/Glass Head
Daaaamn frosted glass on the inside. I like how that looks. Just let me know when to send my version 1.0 in to get updated . I got a fully functioning v2.0 still to hold me over.
. I got a fully functioning v2.0 still to hold me over.
I'm getting mine today!
stinkmeaner
Well-Known Member
The new design looks like it should cause far more turbulence in the air much increasing consistency in temperature.
lepstadder
Well-Known Member
Well I got the opportunity to use the 3.0 for about a week and loved it. (my glass cracked, waiting on replacement, Vrip took good care of that!)
In the meantime I am going back to the 2.0 so I am getting a back to back comparison
I love the way the 3.0 looks, that frosted glass gives it great contrast
Also def seams to heat up quicker.
I didnt notice a HUGE difference while taking a hit, but i dont think they were going for much of that, either way it Vrips every time, like the name implies
its a truly satisfying experience using a Vrip.
So relaxing and clean.
In the meantime I am going back to the 2.0 so I am getting a back to back comparison
I love the way the 3.0 looks, that frosted glass gives it great contrast
Also def seams to heat up quicker.
I didnt notice a HUGE difference while taking a hit, but i dont think they were going for much of that, either way it Vrips every time, like the name implies
its a truly satisfying experience using a Vrip.
So relaxing and clean.