The HI

ioright

Cloud Connoisseur
Open and look at the bottom of your HI from the bottom. Is the heating element (resistor) soldered directly to the power receptacle or does it go to two stabilizing screws on the underside of the HI before going to the power receptacle?

If it is the two screws you should contact Alan about getting that upgraded. When one of the screws stripped and became loose, the wire connection became loose in my HI and the heat level plummeted.

Thanks for the response HoneyAir. As far as I can tell, I have the latter of the two options you have posted - what are the benefits of this new design? Sorry, I haven't been up-to-date in this thread for some time.

I have tested with another wall wart that outputs 12v at 2A, and the HI still did not get hot enough for my liking. I do notice that the outside of the device seems hotter at some times in the day than others, could the lack of regulated power be my problem - my wall warts are usually connected to a surge protector.

Thanks for the help!
 
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Papa Woody

"The vapor is strong with this one"-Obi Onda Woody
I'll never understand why it takes Alan so long to make these things.. ;)

Hopefully he won't have you waiting too much longer.....

Because you can't rush perfection.
The quality of Alan's work is simply spectacular. I use my HISaber a lot and it never fails to blow my head off while giving off that nice warm feeling while you hold it in your hands. It is a beautiful piece of art .
It truly is my preciousss and I find myself becoming very protective of my HISaber when any of my friends use it.
To those who are waiting...Your HI will come and when it does, you will begin a relationship that will be extremely rewarding.

"Choose good wood, my friends, choose good wood..."

- Obi Onda Woody
 
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hoptimum

Well-Known Member
Because you can't rush perfection.
The quality of Alan's work is simply spectacular. I use my HISaber a lot and it never fails to blow my head off while giving off that nice warm feeling while you hold it in your hands. It is a beautiful piece of art .
It truly is my preciousss and I find myself becoming very protective of my HISaber when any of my friends use it.
To those who are waiting...Your HI will come and when it does, you will begin a relationship that will be extremely rewarding.

Choose good wood, my friends, choose good wood...

- Obi Onda Woody

Indeed, superb craftsmanship cannot be rushed. Very few other vaporizers are handcrafted by the company owner. And no other vaporizer I've tried performs better. Whatever the wait, its well worth it.
 

HoneyAir

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the response HoneyAir. As far as I can tell, I have the latter of the two options you have posted - what are the benefits of this new design? Sorry, I haven't been up-to-date in this thread for some time.

With the new design the bottom screws are removed, the resistor is soldered directly to the power receptacle (best to use lead free solder), and the top screws are replaced with longer ones to more securely hold the tube in place. I choose to repair the HI myself and Alan sent me the two screws to replace on the top with.

If you notice any of the bottom screws are loose already, that would be the cause of your problem with heat. There needs to be solid contact between the wires to reach the full heat potential.
 

Alan

Master JedHI
Manufacturer
@JJ420 – Thanks for posting the photo. Looks like the Purple Heart wood is holding up will with the new design. So nice to have the VK to dial down the temp a bit. Your ss heater cover is attached to the wood with a perforated aluminum plate like I use for the glass heater covers. It is also the same plate I use for the GTV. I now connect a ss washer to the ss heater cover so it is much more rigid.


@Snappo – I have seen more vapor production when I take the voltage up to 13.5 to 14 volts, but it still doesn't compare to the vapor production of the stainless steel heater cover. The glass heater cover is really more for flavor.


@chrislangley4253 – Glad to hear you got the hammered screens to work. It helps to push the screen down with it as flat as possible. I get it started flat and then use the HI ss heater cover to push it down to the bottom of the hole. It is pretty much the same concept as installing screens in the dimpled tips. I use a 1/4” dowel for the ss dimple tip tubes. Sorry to hear about your GonG tube. Looks like you are making the best of it. Almost the size of a U Tube which would also work great in your Sherlock. Hope the WCT and replacement heating element arrived safely. Should make a big difference in temperature. You may be glad to have the VK. Love the steam roller concept. What a blast.


@Stu – Good to hear you are still rocking your HI. Thanks for posting the video. I almost always use the HI without a VVPS, but then I am a manual transmission type of guy. I like to have the highest temperature immediately available and then just mix room air to reduce down to the temperature I want. I do use the VK when I am away from an outlet.


@slowandsteady – Thanks for posting the photo. That is a very nice looking VK. Glad to hear you have the control you desire now. Just need a battery pack and you are all set.


@Dr. Plutonious – Sorry to hear about your poor GonG tube. Holding the tube more horizontal reduces the chances of back drool. Sounds like you could use a Wine Cork Tube now. The cork offers a fair amount of protection for the glass. The Turbo Tubes do a great job of roasting and they provide a place to install a fiber filter if you like. Glad you like the well rounded aspects of the HI. I continue to look for ways to round things.


@ioright – Sorry to hear about your VXC and wall wart demise. It is possible that a loose plug can lead to lower temperatures as it intermintently makes contact. It might be best to send me an email so we can trouble shoot it and get you back in the clouds.


@Buildozer – I am too much of a perfectionist and constantly trying to make improvements. Each unit is hand made including all the individual piece parts. No computer is used to machine the wood and metal parts. Only my eye and hand guides the tool. I hand drill and tap the power socket into the side rather than gluing it in which would be faster but eventually result in it coming loose. The biggest reason is that I just make too damn many things and creating more new things to make every day. Life and emails take up the rest of the hours in the day.


@EveryDayAmnesiac – Thanks for the kind words for the HI. The wait is definitely tough, but the final product will be better than if I had made it at the time one gets on the list since I am always trying to make it better. I am being cautious about getting too many units made with a potential design issue. I want them to be something that will last a lifetime.


@Papa Woody – Glad you are still enjoying your HISaber. Nature is the real artist. I am just the craftsman with the priviledge of revealing it for all to enjoy. Such a comforting feeling to hold a warm HI when your hands are very cold.


@hoptimum – Happy you feel the wait was worth it. I may be done redesigning for a while as all the issues have been resolved now. Hopefully that means I will have more time to just make them now. The handmade / custom nature of the work will always take longer than straight production work though.


@HoneyAir – Glad to hear you were able to get your HI repaired yourself. They really are pretty simple now. Getting those screw holes drilled at the bottom of the deep hole so they are correctly spaced is the real challenge.


@Snappo – Thanks for providing a source of very pretty wood. Having wood already sized for the 14mm and 18mm WonG tubes would save me some sawing time, plus you have more of a selection.


Was listening to one of my favorite Boston songs the other day.


I understand about indecision
But I don't care if I get behind
People livin' in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind

Peaceful mind to all
 

EveryDayAmnesiac

Well-Known Member
Decided to stake my claim on this piece of buckeye burl from Snappo...

MkkoU4x.jpg


I think it just might make a gorgeous Heat Island...

But it kinda looks like a painting from Hell... :uhoh:
 

EveryDayAmnesiac

Well-Known Member
i got an email from from Alan about wood...getting excited. Can someone help me out and tell me the best stems for the Hi. I am not really into using glass, prefer the stems.

Do you mean you're not into hitting through water, or not into using glass as a stem? Sorry, but I've been using my HI Saber all morning and afternoon... :lol:

+1 for wooden roasting stems. I have six of them and two more due soon.

If you're okay with glass stems, the WCT's or just plain all-glass roasting tubes work well. Great flavor and easy to clean. The WCT's have the added benefit of being far less breakable.

I'm sensitive to SS and silicone, so I've not used any of them. Tons of HI owners swear by them though.

Here's a pic of my wooden roasting stems, to whet your appetite.

IjTgLUs.jpg


Wenge, Zebrawood, Purpleheart, Bocote, Cocobolo, Osage Orange, with WCT's at each end.

The Zebrawood should have been turned more so that one could see more of its... zebra-ness. I have found the wooden stems to be just as mesmerizing as my HI itself...
 

hoyo77

Well-Known Member
Do you mean you're not into hitting through water, or not into using glass as a stem? Sorry, but I've been using my HI Saber all morning and afternoon... :lol:

+1 for wooden roasting stems. I have six of them and two more due soon.

If you're okay with glass stems, the WCT's or just plain all-glass roasting tubes work well. Great flavor and easy to clean. The WCT's have the added benefit of being far less breakable.

I'm sensitive to SS and silicone, so I've not used any of them. Tons of HI owners swear by them though.

Here's a pic of my wooden roasting stems, to whet your appetite.

IjTgLUs.jpg


Wenge, Zebrawood, Purpleheart, Bocote, Cocobolo, Osage Orange, with WCT's at each end.

The Zebrawood should have been turned more so that one could see more of its... zebra-ness. I have found the wooden stems to be just as mesmerizing as my HI itself...
I am not into bongs as we used to say back in the day. however I do like j-hooks. but yeah the stems that he sells which ones are good. I like is wooden stems and that glass turbo thing caught my eye too..
 
hoyo77,

hoyo77

Well-Known Member
hmmm I was going to get a custom enano, I did not think I would get an email inquiring about what wood I would prefer for my Hi. I won this on ebay. I will use it for a custom Hi and will have plenty left for another log or 2. Amboyna Burl
12x3x3 inches can make a few log vapes and stems from this hunk of wood.

 

Snappo

Caveat Emptor - "A Billion People Can Be Wrong!"
Accessory Maker
hmmm I was going to get a custom enano, I did not think I would get an email inquiring about what wood I would prefer for my Hi. I won this on ebay. I will use it for a custom Hi and will have plenty left for another log or 2. Amboyna Burl
12x3x3 inches can make a few log vapes and stems from this hunk of wood.

Can't wait to see your new HI!
 
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hoyo77

Well-Known Member
Can't wait to see your new HI!
yeah me too..won that for a custom enano then I get an email from Alan. I figure I cannot go wrong with a Hi and I can get the enano later. VAS at its finest!!!

Do you mean you're not into hitting through water, or not into using glass as a stem? Sorry, but I've been using my HI Saber all morning and afternoon... :lol:

+1 for wooden roasting stems. I have six of them and two more due soon.

If you're okay with glass stems, the WCT's or just plain all-glass roasting tubes work well. Great flavor and easy to clean. The WCT's have the added benefit of being far less breakable.

I'm sensitive to SS and silicone, so I've not used any of them. Tons of HI owners swear by them though.

Here's a pic of my wooden roasting stems, to whet your appetite.

IjTgLUs.jpg


Wenge, Zebrawood, Purpleheart, Bocote, Cocobolo, Osage Orange, with WCT's at each end.

The Zebrawood should have been turned more so that one could see more of its... zebra-ness. I have found the wooden stems to be just as mesmerizing as my HI itself...
nice collection...what is a WCT?? I am definitely getting his glass turbo tube..heard good things about that.
 
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hoyo77

Well-Known Member
Can someone talk to me about the new cores..i think the latest is a hybrid and it compares to the SS core. Does the hybrid core produce clouds like the SS core and is there any difference in flavor.
Some days I like clouds, some days I like flavor, but everyday I like to get HI.....yall can quote me on that one....lololol
 
hoyo77,

chimpybits

Well-Known Member
Can someone talk to me about the new cores..i think the latest is a hybrid and it compares to the SS core. Does the hybrid core produce clouds like the SS core and is there any difference in flavor.
Some days I like clouds, some days I like flavor, but everyday I like to get HI.....yall can quote me on that one....lololol
There are 3 core option: SS, hybrid (glass with SS sleeve), and glass. The glass core produces less dense vapor. The draw and roast is a little slower with the glass core. The ss produces the densest vapor and the fastest roast and may take the ABV a bit darker.

According toe Alan, the HIbrid apparently gets the ABV about the same darkness as with the ss core. The taste is close to as good as the all glass core but can get much faster extraction.
 

hoyo77

Well-Known Member
There are 3 core option: SS, hybrid (glass with SS sleeve), and glass. The glass core produces less dense vapor. The draw and roast is a little slower with the glass core. The ss produces the densest vapor and the fastest roast and may take the ABV a bit darker.

According toe Alan, the HIbrid apparently gets the ABV about the same darkness as with the ss core. The taste is close to as good as the all glass core but can get much faster extraction.
What about density on the hybrid?
 
hoyo77,

Snappo

Caveat Emptor - "A Billion People Can Be Wrong!"
Accessory Maker
There are 3 core option: SS, hybrid (glass with SS sleeve), and glass. The glass core produces less dense vapor. The draw and roast is a little slower with the glass core. The ss produces the densest vapor and the fastest roast and may take the ABV a bit darker.

According toe Alan, the HIbrid apparently gets the ABV about the same darkness as with the ss core. The taste is close to as good as the all glass core but can get much faster extraction.
Thank you @chimpybits for helping us know and understand our choices! Much appreciated!
 
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chimpybits

Well-Known Member
What about density on the hybrid?
The temperature / performance of the hybrid is somewhere between the ss core and the glass core.
@chimpybits - Thanks for the post. That was my initial comparisons of the two cores. I am finding that the dark color of the heating element is doing too good of a job at emitting heat radiation through the glass and into the adjacent wood. Denser exotic woods can hold more heat and become uncomfortable to hold. Lighter woods can't hold enough heat. I need to change the color of the heating element so that it won't emit the heat radiation at such a high rate. Mirror silver would be the ultimate color to emit the least amount of heat radiation.
So I drilled out a 1/4" ss tube so it would slide right over the heating element to provide a radiant heat shield. The heating element wire holds it in place so it can't ever move. I installed it into a glass core in a Lignum Vitae wood body. It is the most dense wood that I have. The ss sleeve works very well to reduce the radiant heat transfer to the wood body. The ss sleeve also adds some thermal mass to the heating element. Since it is in direct contact, the transfer is very fast. So fast that it is producing vapor in 2 minutes with the fixed (12) volt power supply. The temperature / performance is somewhere between the ss core and the glass core. The air flow is a little less than either the glass or the ss core. I have not been able to get combustion with the HIbrid glass/ss core no matter how dirty the screen or low the air flow at 12 volts. The wood gets warm but is always comfortable to hold. The Lignum Vitae wood feels so good too. The taste is close to as good as the all glass core but can get much faster extraction. I am very happy with its performance.
 
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