Discontinued Lil' Bud by Vapwood

[P.A.M.]

That is all great news indeed! The new switch does look low profile, that's a great improvement.

I was going to ask you or google which wood was the hardest of the two having never worked with cherry. you answered my question seeing the walnut is tougher to work then cherry in small size. I take the walnut is denser then cherry.

I wonder if the cherry body is more shock absorbant (less brittle) in that sense or if both are similar in shock and heat resistance.

On other side of equation ,the harder would wear less over time from the stem to body insertion and removal.

I know some wood like mahogany is about as hard as maple yet way easier to work with , perhaps cherry is one of them woods .

I'm going to try and find a camera case or something suitable at the dollar tree store to protect mine regardless of what shows up at my door . I will keep good care of my handcrafted lil'bud

 

[Bravesst]

One of the things that makes walnut tough to work with in this capacity is the dark color, and the need for dead on accuracy, hard to see the pencil lines, even white. To me, walnut and cherry are very similar in properties, and probably two of the nicest woods to work with, and my two favorites. Mahogany tears out too much, something about interlocking grain pattern, plus I don't like it as much.

In researching this very same thing, both cherry and walnut were listed as dense enough for pipe making. Briarwood, hickory, ironwood, are some super dense woods I've looked into. I'm sure they are a bitch to work with. Something for the future for sure.

From Woodworkers Source:
Cherry
Has no rivals that are as easy to work, fine textured, strong and regal in color. It's highly rated in all working properties including wood bending and turning. Cherry's color ages to a richer, rusty red brown with any clear finish.

Uses: Furniture, cabinets, joinery, intarsia, veneer, interior millwork, small accessories
Weight: 3 lbs per Bd. Ft.
Hardness: 660 janka rating
Density: .54 specific gravity
General Workability: Good
Texture: Very Fine
Ease of Finish: Avg
--------------------------------------------
Walnut
Usually steamed to match sapwood and heartwood. Fine but open grain. Moderately coarse texture. Excellent to work including turning and carving.

Uses: Gun stocks, musical instruments, fine furniture, cabinetry, flooring.
Weight: 3.33 lbs per Bd. Ft.
Hardness: 1010 janka rating
Density: .59 specific gravity
General Workability: Nice
Wood Texture: Fine
Ease of Finishing: Easy
--------------------------------------------
Maple
Exactly the same species as Hard White Maple, the only difference is Country Maple contains the dark brown heartwood as well as pale white sapwood - it hasn't been manually sorted for solid white color. Known for its durability and strength. It has excellent turning properties , a fine, even texture, a natural luster. Somewhat difficult to work due to high surface hardness. Paints and finishes very well

Uses: Furniture, flooring, industrial parts, desks, cabinetry, doors, cutting boards, small boxes and accessories
Weight:3.67 lbs per Bd. Ft.
Hardness: 1450 Janka
Density: .68
Workability: Nice
Texture: Fine
Ease of Finish: Easy
--------------------------------------------
To put things a bit into perspective, Hickory has a hardness rating of 1880 janka, with density of .64 specific gravity, and weighs 4.16 lbs per bd. ft.

Glad you like the switch. Now that I've adjusted the build for it, it is clearly the right choice (and Alan's recommendation from the beginning). Took me a while to go through a few options before settling. My surplus switches will find a home, maybe on Timber.

Supplies for this project are generally reasonably priced as compared to building furniture, where the price of fine hardwoods can make things cost prohibitive. The challenge here, is to ensure an adequate stock of all your supplies based on projected sales. That is exactly what I'm doing now, estimating what stock I need to build, and doing my best to procure it. Thank God there is only a dozen or so parts! If you've planned on getting on the wait list, please do so, as it will help me estimate what I need to order.

 

[Bravesst]

Was at the lumber yard today. Didn't get too much, but I did pick up a small amount of some interesting grained walnut. I'm going to have to go back for cherry and maybe some figured maple. Some of the walnut has a *live edge*. That is real popular in table tops now, rough edges right to the bark. Makes me wanna make a vape with a live edge, more of as a novelty than anything practical. Might be better saved for Timber.

But definitely look for some walnut unit pics in the near future.

 

[Andreaerdna]

Just to mention, I had to check on shipping to Germany for a customer, and it's $25 for first class (that's an extra $15). I'm assuming most of Europe will be about that. So shipping internationally will be adjusted on a case by case basis.

It is the price for overseas shipping for medium small package (only dynavap is cheaper bit it is not a packet but an envelope)

 

[Bravesst]

Pretty sure that was for a small package. The offered first class, and priority. First class was about $25, I believe priority was like $35.

from the website...
First-Class Package International Service™**
Other than rolls: Max. length 24", max length, height and depth (thickness) combined 36"
Rolls: Max. length 36". Max length and twice the diameter combined 42"
Value of contents can not exceed $400.00

Select a Delivery Option Expected Delivery Day Retail Click-N-Ship®
Normal Delivery Time Varies by destination $23.50

 

[P.A.M.]

Was at the lumber yard today. Didn't get too much, but I did pick up a small amount of some interesting grained walnut. I'm going to have to go back for cherry and maybe some figured maple. Some of the walnut has a *live edge*. That is real popular in table tops now, rough edges right to the bark. Makes me wanna make a vape with a live edge, more of as a novelty than anything practical. Might be better saved for Timber.

But definitely look for some walnut unit pics in the near future.

Looking forward to see the walnut bod's , thank you for the wood species explanation and specs, very interesting . , walnut seems like a good choice for hardness at the stem/bowl joint. I mean for durability over the years /generations lol . It comes down to visual & individual preferences in the end I suppose all being "hardwood"

 

[Bravesst]

Yes... my 2 favorite woods are walnut and cherry. But walnut can be stunning, swirly, sometimes purplish. I actually got a hunk of very purple walnut, with some light swirly grain patterns.

There are lots of wooden soldiers lining up waiting for me to bring them to life. Now is not the time to skip steps, or rush things, but rather the time to ensure all the research, planning, testing, and general hard freakin' work pans out in your hands.

Deep breath, staying the course.
FSA

 

[Bravesst]

I just did an update on my pre-orders and waiting list. I'll say this, it is just about 50/50, if I include those who made a down payment on the pre-order side. I am about to draw the line at the end of January, as far as what order I will ship.

First batch will be all pre-orders and down payments, up to and including January 31, 2018

Second batch will be all waiting list sign ups, up to January 31, 2018

Third batch will be all pre-orders and down payments, up to and including February 28, 2018

Fourth batch will be all waiting list sign ups, up to February 28, 2018

Not sure how I'll proceed after that. I guess it will depend on demand. Either way, just want to keep things fair, and not put waiting list people at the end of the line forever, but also want to take care of paying customers.

 

[Bravesst]

Here's a comparison shot showing multiple walnut bodies (there's a few cherry bodies in there as well). Notice the really cool hint of purple grain on a couple of units (second row, first and second from right). Now I know what I'm looking for when I go to the lumber yard next. When I get a chance, I'll post some pics of the 2 *purple* units from all angles.

 

[P.A.M.]

Nice! You were not kidding in an earlier post that the wood bodies are the fast part for you. you have that part covered, hands down! It still involves hard labour, great work man!!

Yup, the two purple ones seem great looking indeed . The last one from the first row seems purplish too.

The first one of the 3rd row is nice and dark and seems to have nice grain, the last one of 3rd row too with maybe even a bit of curl figure to it . They all look great , cherry's included.

Thanks for the wood porn!

Short video, the last 10seconds, haha

 

[Bravesst]

Right now I'm looking at those same 15, but all holes drilled. That's 4 holes, 2 from each direction, using the same center point. The four hole system, of course taught to me by my vape building guru @Alan, is the key to stable coil installation, and glasslessness (new word). I also cut out for switch box and lid, and squared up everything, and fared down to 220 grit. Good couple of days work.

It's time to make the coils, hopefully we can keep up the pace.

 

[Saulsaul]

looks amazing, very much liked the dark ones.

the symmetry is somehow interesting or i am too high .. lol ..

 

[Bravesst]

The dualities of life.

• Askewed Symmetry
• Organized Chaos
• Painful Pleasure
• Deafening Quiet
• Bittersweet Love
• Cruel to be Kind
• Icy Hot

I am way too high. Is that a thing?

Going to head down to shop 2 (electric / assembly). I love having the option of working comfortably indoors, sitting at a desk / work bench. This has really bumped my work capacity up to another level.

• Restful work

 

[Bravesst]

Forget what I said about restful... Coil building is the real work here. Okay, I'm sitting, but the effort put forth to form multiple coils is huge. Wound up getting about half of what I expected to get done. I logged in 5 or 6 hours, my goal was 6 finished coils or more, but I just couldn't get into a good groove. Brought only 3 to completion, with the other 3 half done. So I guess I got 75% done. With all the prep steps, it's unlikely that I will ever beat 2 coils an hour (four times faster than I moved today, but twice as fast as I expect to move now). Lots of steps, all tedious...

I can now make up some time with the woodworking. Once the jigs are all built, it gets routine, but there is nothing routine about the electronics, at least not yet, maybe after I build a couple of hundred units.

One of the reasons I can offer Lil' Bud at this price is my projected build pace far exceeds how fast I'm moving now. This is still the final dial in phase, with very minute adjustments still possible. Hard to put an exact number on it, so many aspects of the build process, but individual processes are a bit easier to predict.

This is the basic process, in general terms.

Cut stock to just under three foot.
Rip to slightly larger than finished width
Rip to slightly larger than finished thickness
Repeat above steps for the switch box - set aside
Route battery mortise / wire groove in 3 foot piece (roughly five or six units)
Hand finish mortise
Route rounded edges body and switch box
Cut groove for lid
Cut to length
Drill first hole for tapered joint
Cut out for switch box
Hand finish switch box cut out
Drill out taper
Drill heater hole from below
Drill disk hole from below
Cut switch box to length
Drill out switch box for internal wiring
Drill switch box for switch
Install magnets for lid
Cut lid to thickness, width, length
Fare Up, Sand
Finish
Install lid magnets
Install basket screen
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Takes longer than the above list...
Build coil heater
Install coil heater, switch, battery terminals
Install battery inner cover

 

[Diggy Smalls]

It's pretty cool to read your posts sharing the progress and your thoughts as you go. I don't think I've ever experienced anything like this before. I love getting high and reading about this...I'm a visual artist and musician, but I can't work with 3d stuff very well. I don't really enjoy it that much either, but I have so much respect for artisans that craft something with their hands.
Your process feels very similar to my own when I work on a series or prints or writing and recording an album. Being able to replicate the musical arrangement both in recording and live is very important to a person like me, and I see this in your work. Anyway, I'm high, this looks awesome. I love to hear about the process as you're going through with it. It's freakin' awesome!

 

[Bravesst]

@Diggy Smalls
I love getting high and sharing the process. It is a fascinating journey. I also want to thank you all for spreading the word about Vapwood and my project. I expect, once in your hands, this will be how it sells, good old word of mouth (with an internet twist). It is much appreciated.

Even though *coiling* is a slow and tedious process, it is well worth the effort.

No jigs, pre set ups, templates, like in woodworking. Getting the wire mesh mounted to the wood disk in a rough coil shape with as little handling as possible is the first challenge. After it's mounted, forming the finished product takes a lot of tweaking, adjusting, and just sheer patience. Perfect spacing means even heating, and it also makes that cool springy, ping noise when you tap the side of a Lil' Bud.

 

[Bravesst]

Got home after a busy day out and about, but had enough time to sneak an hour or so in the shop. I decided to form one coil from scratch, beginning to end. I road the railroad in and out of Manhattan, so I had some solitary thinking time, and I always use it to go over everything and anything I'm working on. I didn't have any major revelations, just some decent ideas to try and speed things up in the coil forming department. I was thinking about it all wrong.

The coil needs a nice concave curve to be instilled into the mesh. In the fire department we know about hose, rope, having a certain natural bend, and we use that to store, pack, maintain integrity.

The coil will tend to form itself when this shape is gently rolled (brings back memories) into the mesh. After connecting my two leads, I use a flat surface to roll the pre-coil material up (like a carpet), creating just the right degree of curve. At this point the less I do the better until after it's mounted in the disk that holds it together. After mounting precisely, only minor tweaks were needed because the coil now wanted to be that shape. Maybe you hadda be there, but suffice to say, major time hurtle achieved. A piece of mesh became a perfect coil in one hour, now on to my goal of doubling that (for now). Less is more when it comes to coil building.

Coil porn to follow....

 

[Bravesst]

Doh... forgot to take pics of the coils. I can tell you, they don't look nearly as cool as the wood, but nevertheless, the coil IS this vape, both Alan and I agree, everything else is just a housing to support the coil. Game changer.

So I formed a shit load of coils this morning, before breakfast. Got bored coiling, so I switched to switch boxes, and some lid work, came back inside for some coil installation, finishing, and final assembly. It's quite the process. So I applied the beeswax, hot, using a cloth, some gloves, a heat gun and a stick of beeswax. At this point, it's one unit at a time, this is where all the hard works pays off. Final assembly is tedious, lots of tiny parts, tough access, blah, blah, blah.

I get the unit all assembled, and of course I want to test it immediately. So I try and pop a battery in, and it's not even close to fitting. The fit was honed to EXACT, like three steps ago. It is so tight, I'll probably resort to paring it with a chisel. No big deal, it will take ten minutes, but it makes no sense, or does it?

Wood is an organic compound that moves. Grain can swell, usually over time with humidity. The heat and the wax (I finished inside) must have swelled up the battery compartment. In a 3/4 of an inch span, it must have shrunk a full 1/64 of an inch or more, that's a lot when it fits perfectly side to side. Needless to say, inside the battery compartment doesn't need to be heated and finished. In the future it won't be. I would have run out to the wood shop to open it up, but I was done.

Lesson learned, and from now on all assemblies will take place in the morning. Just like in furniture making, you'll hear experts always say, assembly first thing in the morning.

There are a couple of things about the final assembly that are just plain difficult. The battery terminals screw to the top and bottom of the unit, access is via the battery compartment in the back. The screws run perpendicular to the access, so it's pretty tight in there, lining it all up, making connections. I'm working on some more final assembly *helpers*. Even with my cool quad hands, this is tough.

Overall a good day, everything falling into place nicely, just can't rush the process.

 

[Mulchmaker]

I don't mean to derail everyone's excitement over the Lil' Bud (well-deserved excitement, I'd say), but I have to ask--any news on the Timber?

 

[Bravesst]

Hey @Mulchmaker
Love the avatar. Timber will be up and running in a couple of months. All efforts right now, are to get Lil' Buds shipped. Once I'm caught up, Timber will commence. Timber will also benefit from all I've learned building, tweaking Lil' Bud, and should therefore be a much faster process. Thanks for asking.

 

[Bravesst]

RANDOM LIL' BUD THOUGHTS

So, yeah... no more beeswax or heat in the battery compartment. Had to spend about half an hour faring down. It wasn't that bad, as I just picked up a new set of mini wood rasps, perfect for this job.

I'm very happy with the how things are coming together. Hard work does pay off. Back a few months ago when I was struggling to nail this design down, I was lucky enough to have some sound advice, *just fix one issue at a time*.

Once I stopped trying to build one Lil' Bud that was awesome, and shifted to simply improving the issue at hand, no matter what the overall situation, the stress of trying not to *fail*, lifted. I began to realize, you have to fail, many, many times, for quite a while. But then, you begin to see the light.

Suddenly I understood every aspect of this vape, could rattle off the specs of pretty much every square mm of it. Without the problems early on, none of this improvements would have been possible. And it all started with a challenge to build a unit with no glass.

That led to working with @Alan and being introduced to the coil heater. I immediately purchased an iHeat for my personal use (love it!) and knew that this was level of craftsmanship I wanted to reach in any product I put out there. And it will be.

Every day was about making improvements. Actually, that will probably never change, but what has changed is the Lil' Bud.

All wood, no really, the only non wood used is the coil heater, wires, terminals, switch, battery. Electricity won't run through wood. It has an easily accessible battery, hidden by a wooden cap. The tapered *bowl* is created by a series of drilled holes. The recommended stems are also wood to complete the package.

So, why eliminate glass? Glass steals heat, makes the battery work harder. We want the heat in the flower, not the glass, Wood will not steal nearly as much heat. The coil heater gets hot fast, so there is no real preheat. Press, draw, release, draw a little more. Glass also breaks, and needs to be attached to the wood.

The wood can get warm, that is why it's important to keep the mouthpiece clean. The draw pulls the heat into the load. If it's dirty, clogged, that's not happening. That means the heater is just getting hot. Clean your screens, mouthpieces often.

The battery is accessed via on side of the unit. The magnetic lid pops off, battery pops out. Popping the battery out between uses, and into a handy case, is the best possible safety measure you can take, and what I recommend. It's one of the reasons I wanted the battery to pop out so easily.

I'll have some good shop time over the next few days. Gotta head back to the lumber yard, need more cherry, and gonna pick up some figured maple if they have it. Tomorrow will be a good day.

 

[P.A.M.]

Thank you for the daily lil'bud updates and story behind the craft ! Always an interesting read!

Damn, they must be looking great . we haven't seen much photos recently , I have a feeling we are close to seeing some very exciting pics !

Yeah , easy battery removal and insertion is sweet, so is everything else you mentioned!! No worries about not finishing interior of battery compartment , I don't think it will bother anyone. It won't change the performance or esthetics anyways. Just sucks you had to clean off a few units, lol. Bet you still had fun doing so now that it's done and knowing it's best not to wax interior.

Looking forward to receive my shipping total and amount owing so I can send you the final payment and just have to wait knowing i won't miss the email or delay things once shipping day comes

 

[G1000]

you are inspirational to us all. The progress reports really just show how dedicated you are to your craft. The results are sounding very worthwhile
Can't wait to see it shining brightly in my face on the day it arrives. My hopes have hardly been higher for any 420 product

 

[Bravesst]

Walnut on walnut and cherry on walnut... not fully finished, you can see some scuffs, and lids
aren't made yet, but someone will own these units. No unit leaves my shop without some real use to make sure quality is top shelf.

I can tell you this, it's a lightweight, and will survive getting bumped around. With the battery removed, the way I store and stow is with battery in case, it feels almost weightless. Even my new switch is lighter than the last one, and you can really see it here, very sleek.

 

[P.A.M.]