The Bud Toaster - (currently: Model 14, version 3)

Abysmal Vapor

Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
vapormonkey said:
OK, I read the first 10 pages but I can't read the whole thread so if you would please help.

So this is still an idea and these are not made yet and not for sale, is this correct?
Not yet,but soon we hope ;)!
 
Abysmal Vapor,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
vapormonkey said:
OK, I read the first 10 pages but I can't read the whole thread so if you would please help.

So this is still an idea and these are not made yet and not for sale, is this correct?

Yeah, sorry, so far this thread has just been a development diary. i was so blown away (still am) by how trivial it was to make a computer temperature controlled heater for my all glass Bud Toaster (i.e. no metal screen) that i just wanted to share -- two chips, a thermocouple, and a bit of PIC code. (and of course, i am genetically programmed to not do anything simple, so i added a chip to do voltage regulation so the input voltage can be anything from 6vdc to 20vdc.) And since i know how long it takes me to finish anything i thought the information might be of interest to others.

i may have finally come up with the right approach for the batteries. i keep saying this (for the last several months) but i've got a new approach for the battery pack that just might work AND be buildable 1000 times.

i'm getting so burned out by work this month (my busiest season) that i've got to take a day off and play with some 1/16" dia piano wire to bend a holder that the batteries can snap into. just could be the answer.

@Abysmal Vapor -- thanks for your continued interest
 
Hippie Dickie,

Gonzo

Slightly Stoopid
When will you be taking pre-orders? :lol: I've been reading this thread for the past few days and just finished. Anxiously anticipating the finished product.
 
Gonzo,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
ahhhhh, man, it's going to be a while, yet. one step at a time.

But i think i have finally figured out the battery sled -- just came to me about 2 hours ago.

And i've got a video i should post -- maybe tomorrow.

Also i measured consumption the load size - my typical load is 0.12 grams.
 
Hippie Dickie,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
VaporNinja said:
what's inside your altoid case in that video HippieDickie? :p

herb

so i collected abv for several weeks to get a measure of load size -- 50 loads was 6 grams, or 0.12g per session -- it is possible to use less and still have a satisfying session (depending on dank) but i find a very loosely packed vial (.12g) is spent (a dozen or so hits) when the BT shuts off after 7.5 minutes.

my Festivus present to myself this year is a ... completed design. This is the best Festivus ever! i plan to take time to complete the build over the next couple of days (some mahogany that matches the cube is due to arrive tomorrow), but i tell you, having this latest design floating around in the back of my head while i put in the grueling work hours over the last three weeks has been a real treat.
 
Hippie Dickie,
I used to have an account on this forum but i lost the password and the username as well so i became a lurker for a year or two. I have finally made one today because I just finished reading this awesome thread you created.

I just want to say that I fully support your invention. It's been a while since I thought about buying an device ever since my VaporGenie failed on me. It was great while it lasted but it became so unusable.

From your Model 14 v3 pictures, it seems like it fit entirely in the palm of your hand. This is just the device I am looking for.

Enjoy the holidays.
 
BlueBird492,
Hi Hippie Dickie!

I'm sure you don't remember me, but I used to hang around the vape threads on OG back when you first started this project. I have checked in as a lurker from time to time over the years, and I've gotten more and more excited about the Bud Toaster as time has gone on. I'm delighted you have a completed design. If and when you do start building and selling it, I'd love to get one.

If you've got a list going, please put me on it. I eagerly await your further posts.

Thanks very much,

FITA
 
FlowersInTheAttic,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
@BlueBird - thanks for your voice of support -- i do appreciate it. Yes, the Bud Toaster is easily held in one hand while also holding the tube on top.

@FITA - Hi! i sure do remember your handle. That's not the same avatar is it? OG seems like a million years ago. No list yet, but if and when i'll shoot you an email if you miss my new thread announcing the commercial product (after getting approval from vtac, of course). i think i've finally got a decent name picked out.

i got the mahogany sticks (1" x 1") i was waiting for so development is progressing.
 
Hippie Dickie,

Abysmal Vapor

Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
:) Good luck Hippie Dickie, Let the cube rule ! I think it is previously discussed but now i see few things are changed..
Can you estimate a price range of the unit (for example 200-300 $) ?
 
Abysmal Vapor,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
Abysmal Vapor said:
:) Good luck Hippie Dickie, Let the cube rule ! I think it is previously discussed but now i see few things are changed..
Can you estimate a price range of the unit (for example 200-300 $) ?

i'm thinking $400-$500 ... but shipping is free!
 
Hippie Dickie,

Beezleb

Well-Known Member
It is indeed been a pleasure watching your creation come to life.

Best of luck and good Karma too you!
 
Beezleb,

Canna Hound

Vapor test pilot/glass freak
Hippie Dickie said:
Abysmal Vapor said:
:) Good luck Hippie Dickie, Let the cube rule ! I think it is previously discussed but now i see few things are changed..
Can you estimate a price range of the unit (for example 200-300 $) ?

i'm thinking $400-$500 ... but shipping is free!

Wow!!!
Every time I check back in here, "wow" is all I can say. Strong Work!!!

I can truly appreciate your design and craftsmanship; I even more appreciate the open source nature of the Bud Toaster. While I have nearly taken the plunge several times, I just don't have enough time to build my very own Bud Toaster; or at least build it to my standards...

To hear you are producing units for sale is a dream come true; although I do believe your time is worth more than $500. I was guessing close to a thousand dollars for a hand-crafted unit as cutting edge as the Toaster.

Please add my name to the pre-order list. Hell, I would be willing to pay in advance regardless of lead times. If it takes a year, so be it; I would love to own a piece of your work H.D.

Thanks for the great tutorial and wisdom you have passed along throughout this thread.
H
 
Canna Hound,

Abysmal Vapor

Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
:) I guess i am starting my Bud Toaster fund ... It will take a while before i collect that kind of money :lol: so better start early :).
 
Abysmal Vapor,
Hippie Dickie said:
@FITA - Hi! i sure do remember your handle. That's not the same avatar is it? OG seems like a million years ago. No list yet, but if and when i'll shoot you an email if you miss my new thread announcing the commercial product (after getting approval from vtac, of course). i think i've finally got a decent name picked out.

i got the mahogany sticks (1" x 1") i was waiting for so development is progressing.

This avatar was one of several I used. I'm new here... who or what is vtac?

And do you mind sharing the name with us? If I recall correctly, you were calling it the "Black Leather Vape" for a while.

Nice to talk to you again.
 
FlowersInTheAttic,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
@FITA - vtac is the FC website owner.

re: the new name - - i keep thinking i'm close to getting the battery pack design nailed down, but as of last count i think i have gone thru about eleventy-hundred variations of what i thought was the final piece. And now it's the new year and i got to go back to work. drat! All just steps on the path to vapor perfection.

Anyway, any day now, i will get it right and reveal all!

So, still a ways to go before any thought of preorders and such.
 
Hippie Dickie,

yayvape

Member
Hey Hippy
Thanks for sharing your work here, its been a good read. I'm impressed by your commitment to replying even to the most mundane questions ;-)

Looking through it all, seems the hardest parts to acquire for the DIYer would be the glassware and PCB's, since you buy both in quantities greater than you use.. have you ever thought of selling some spares to people wanting to build their own?
Not like a complete kit or anything, and of course no implied warranty or function.

Judging from your reply to people asking for kits, I fear the answer will be no :p So I'll go on to ask:
Trying to source glassware.. I've scanned through the thread but still have a couple of blanks..

Inner chamber: "shell vial" ID 12mm, length 35mm
Heating chamber: cut down test tube, ID ??, length: ?? (cut to about 35mm I'd assume), wall thickness: 1.2mm
Draw tube: same test tube as heating chamber??

I guess there should be a 1mm or so gap between inner and outer chambers? I'm tempted just to go to a local lab supply place and see what they have.

I already have a glass cutter and dremel (no diamond drill bit), you used 0.75mm holes right? will a decent carbide PCB drill bit make it through the 20 or so required holes?

It'd be awesome if you could combine some of this info about hardware and hardware sources (part numbers even?) into the first post as you have the schematic and software, make it easier for DIYers (assuming thats something you want to do)

Cheers
 
yayvape,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
@ yayvape: thank-you for your comments.

There are 3 pieces of glassware:

(1) the oven tube is 15 mm diameter by 38 mm long. Yes, this is cut from a standard test tube that's originally 150mm (6") long. That's why i source this from India, so the waste can be recycled at the factory.

(2) the bud vial. This is a flat bottom vial 12 mm diameter by 35mm long.

(3) the stem is a standard 12 mm diameter by 100 mm long rimless culture test tube.

These are all outside diameters -- European/Asian standards -- however the vial is American.

A stem with a large hole (say, 0.25") in the side instead of 6 in the bottom is used for concentrates, hash, oil, etc.

All the glassware is borosilicate N-51 glass. If you buy American glassware the diameters are 16mm and 13mm for (1) and (3). And the thickness is usually less than 1 mm -- although they won't explicitly tell me that. It's proprietary information, don't you know.

since you buy both (glassware, PCBs) in quantities greater than you use
well, that's not true -- i'm only buying enough to do the prototypes and beta units. And when i go into production all parts i purchase will be used.

A local lab supply could be a source for glassware.

I guess there should be a 1mm or so gap between inner and outer chambers?

the gap is 0.5mm -- knowing the wall thickness helps and India is not so secretive.

will a decent carbide PCB drill bit...?

i don't know -- i do know a diamond drill bit works a treat and they are not that dear.

It seems to me you have all the information you need in the schematic and source code. There is a list of parts and part numbers in one of the posts.

As you correctly surmise i am not interested in making a kit or sourcing components -- i found everything on the internet via Google. It will be all i can do to finish the design and build some units. This is a pretty advanced DIY project and getting the bucket of parts is the easy part.

And don't forget the programmer board for the microprocessor.

edit: should be "N-51" (damn senior moment)
 
Hippie Dickie,

yayvape

Member
well, that's not true -- i'm only buying enough to do the prototypes and beta units. And when i go into production all parts i purchase will be used.
oh ok. no worries.

Thanks a lot for filling in the gaps, I'll let you know how I go.
I have an old JDM2 programmer I used to use for 16f84's, but I'm half tempted to use an Atmel chip, run arduino firmware and add an LCD to display temperature, saving on the external thermometer, I have played with PID control on arduino's before.. ridiculously easy.

I used to vape with a soldering station with a hot air gun (set to 190C) and all glass bong, which worked great until the rework station packed up (cheap chineese crap) and I dropped the bong which are now illegal to sell here since new year (Australia is way over governed!)
I'm missing it, breathing smoke just feels shit, and its a very different effect. Your design looks portable and practical enough to be a pretty social device so I'm pretty keen to get something similar going.

On the slightly more technical side of things, how do you think the heating is mostly achieved in your design? seems like its partially convection, as the air heats around the sides before reaching the middle chamber.. is it also partially IR heated? this would mean the inside temperatures drop significantly during a toke right? I'm thinking about having a "boost" button
When in use is the chamber kept hot between tokes? is this a bit wasteful?

Thanks, you must love this stuff, still writing in depth replies after 43 pages
 
yayvape,

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
Indeed, i do love this stuff --- i'm convinced it keeps me sane to work out the little design issues that keep popping up as i finalize the device.

i think the vape operation is mostly convection, since so little of the herb touches the sides/bottom of the vial. But there is some conduction going on -- particularly after stirring (5 minutes into the session) breaks up the herb into much smaller particles. Definitely not as much conduction as when i was using a metal screen (before i got the diamond drill bits) -- the damn screen got extremely hot and i'm glad to be rid of it.

There may be some IR heating also. The stainless steel heat shield is highly reflective and redirects the heat from the outside of the coil back at the vial. The wood does not get hot at all -- not even warm -- except on the top immediately around the open edge of the oven tube. i am adding a heat shield to mitigate that as well.

When i have put a thermometer probe into the center of the herb, i find the temperature (inside the herb) rises with each toke and drops after the toke (50F) -- so definitely convection heating, while the thermometer display holds constant. Now, the thermometer is measuring an average temperature -- that of the outside of the glass oven tube -- while the green LED is showing what the microprocessor is reading (3 times per second). So, not so wasteful. The vial is cashed by the time the 7.5 minute session is over. The ABV is nicely evenly browned throughout.

Yes, the temperature is maintained throughout the session -- best to complete a session and cash the herb.

imho a boost is not needed for this design -- the heater responds instantly to a detected temperature drop. In fact, the thermometer shows a temp rise during/after a hit (1F) -- i think the D term in the algorithm is slightly overcompensating -- very useful and totally unexpected and i like it.

Small quantities of herb work as well as a normal load (0.12g), but i rarely use less than normal.

The external thermometer is only $3.50 from china. i think an LCD display is quite a bit more than that but it would be really cool to have access to the microprocessor variables.

i don't know the Atmel/Arduino chip. i kind of stumbled on to the Microchip 12f683 and have just stuck with it -- dirt cheap ($1.00) and just enough function and i/o in the 8-pin package.

Just two chips to do accurate temperature control. That so totally blows my mind. Why do all the other vapes have so many components??? i think the caps on the input and all the resistors are not really needed, but make the design much more robust, the design is done, so they stay.

Could also be the motor controller for an electric car (or cat toy) -- i see lots of projects in my future.
 
Hippie Dickie,
Hippie Dickie said:
i think the vape operation is mostly convection, since so little of the herb touches the sides/bottom of the vial. But there is some conduction going on -- particularly after stirring (5 minutes into the session) breaks up the herb into much smaller particles. Definitely not as much conduction as when i was using a metal screen (before i got the diamond drill bits) -- the damn screen got extremely hot and i'm glad to be rid of it.

I find it fascinating that this discussion is still going on seven years later. I distinctly remember bleating my one-note "convection, not conduction!" mantra at you back then and getting a response that was considerably better thought out than my original comment.

Forgive me if this territory has long since been covered, but my experience since then using a DIY heatgun/valveset/bag rig has led me to think about things a bit differently. I still believe that the vaporization is pretty much all convective, but my rig works much better when the glass "bowl" area has been preheated. I don't think this produces vapor by conduction nearly as much as it reduces heat loss through the walls of the chamber. But whatever is going on, it dramatically increases the rate of vaporization.

You probably figured this out long ago.
 
FlowersInTheAttic,
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