Modifying the Hakko 556

So ive been getting multiple emails from FC users regarding my version of the Hakko vapes. Because of this I thought I would start a thread with all the info needed to build one. So here goes...

you will need:

materials
(1) Hakko 556SE soldering iron
(1) DBV heater cover
(1) Ground glass wand/bowl of some sort
(1) 3" piece of extreme temp silicone tubing (mcmaster carr # 5546T16)
(1) 3 X 3 X 1/4" piece of extreme temp silicone sheet (mcmaster carr # 2614T27)

tools
(1) small tubing cutter (1/4 to 1" cutting range)
(1) exacto knife

how to
Before getting into it I want to point out that all of the metal parts of the hakko 556SE tip sleeve, heating element sleeve, and nut are all made from high quality stainless steel.

First unscrew the nut at the base of the "tip sleeve" and remove the "tip" and "tip sleeve" from the 556SE. You will be left with and exposed heating element and an element sleeve. Get rid of the tip, but keep the nut. Do not remove the element sleeve. It will look like this.


Then you will need to cut the "tip sleeve" with a small diameter tubing cutter. Remove sleeve from nut and cut about 1" up from the flanged end. You can see about where to cut in this pic.


After that is cut you will need to put the tip sleeve back into the nut and insert it into your DBV heater cover. This is probably the hardest part. Depending on which DBV heater cover you have (or whatever HC) you may need to mod the sleeve a bit more. By that I mean if its too tight you may need to make a cut down the length of the sleeve to get it to squeeze into the HC base. Or if its too loose you can then use some of the shims that are provided with DBV HCs. The HC can mate to the sleeve well, but the silicone seals up the seam very nicely. Here is what it should look like.


Then you will need to cut the high temp silicone tubing and flat stock. The tubing should be about 1.5-2" and the stand can really look like anything you want. As long as the diameter of the hole is the same as the base of the hakko your good. They should look something like this.


At this point you can then push the high temp silicone tubing piece that you cut, onto the heater cover w/ sleeve and nut. Push it on until the bottom of the nut starts to come out of the bottom. You will then have this.


Then take the other piece of high temp silicone and push it onto the hakko base so that it acts as a stand. You should have something that looks like this.


Almost done. Take your HC w/ sleeve and silicone and slide it down the top of the heater and screw it to the base of the hakko. Thats it! You should have something that looks like this.


Here is the stacking order.


Oh and always remember to let your new hakko run on full power for about 15-20 mins before using it for any vaping. All you need then is a wand/whip setup and your golden. Or you can have something like these made.


Now its your turn! If anyone makes one be sure and post pics. Enjoy.

2clicker, you make it sound too easy, bro!!! when i was reading through your homemade DIY posts, it seems like you changed a lot as time went on (i believe you even switched to a totally different hakko model)!

but i cant wait to see the instructions...

thanks for making this machine & thread! it looks so badass!

Yeah, I have been semi-following in two thread (homemade thread) & (DIY) if memory serves correctly. Thank you for posting a final shopping list of what you personally feel are the best parts for the job. I will be watching this since I have everything but the soldering iron and the silicone =)

My dbv replacement cover came with new metal piece/sleeve that surrounds the heating element.. So i use no silicon.. i use that metal piece.. Also i dont use a hakko but a 30 $ ceramic soldering station.. with variable temp 200-450 c . Hits harder than the dbv.. when vapebonging .

u got a pic? sounds interesting...ceramic heater, too?

yeah ive tried the metal sleeve that comes with the heater cover, as well as other methods, but all of the other options havent worked. eventually after some use the heater cover will pop off and sometimes break. its just not a good enough solution for me.

the silicone is perfect. its resistant to up to 600-700deg and allows a little flex for the heater cover during use. it also helps seal the bottom of the heater cover so that the air intake ONLY comes from the inlet hole on the DBV cover. and most importantly the silicone will hold the heater cover on the iron w/out fail.

oh and the silicone is perfect for the "stand" as it is attached to the vape and cannot be lost or forgotten.

i too would like to see your "vaping station". the problem i had with a station is that its not very portable. i use my Hakko in my vehicle all the time. flawless

Damn... in your vehicle. This is pretty intense for that to me. haha

Nonetheless... awesome!

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/687/dsc1158f.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/dsc1400ed.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/17/dsc1407p.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84/dsc1157o.jpg/
I believe Hakko is the shit.. but i had that soldering iron station and a broken dbv cover with an extra metal sleeve.. And i must say a friend of mine is very happy with it.. He vaporizers mainly salvia.. on highest temp without any combustion smile.

wow, abysmal, the rank you have listed on the bottom of your posts is quite interesting! you have the mflb as "greater" vapes than all the rest?!!? i do thin your setup is cool, but i just dont like that box that you have to carry around to adjust the temp...but for the price, it could be worth it!

Ha ha I might have been very stoned I didn't meant .. to one to be greater than another.. That is just my line of use .. Starting from the MW(daily driver)to The MFLB(only on rare stealth missions) .

haha... yeah i know. its important for me to have one at all times. i just cant bring myself to combust anymore. such a waste.

the only problem with using a hakko in a vehicle is that it MUST run on "pure sine" power to operate properly. so that means you cant use just any old power inverter. you must use a "pure sine" power inverter. after that your golden. you have to go out of your way to find one, but they can be had as cheaply as regular power inverter. this is the one i use although im considering getting a hard wired version and mounting in/under dash somewhere.

http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-EL2200-Elite-Watt-Inverter/dp/B003INJ3VI

Hi 2clicker,

It's been long enough since i've posted about your "baby", that was many months ago!

Such persistance in a project earns you some admiration around here i'd say...

Well, i thought to myself it's time i comment on this subject again. I hope you don't mind (of course)!



I know what a soldering iron is/looks like, i understand how a similar (read "familiar"!) tool like this would happen to be utterly "stealthy" in an environment where somebody lives who gets busy playing with electronics, for a hobby, perhaps. If you ask my mother what a soldering iron is then expect her to tell you all about it all right 'cause she's seen many while i was around. Lots of people around me are acquainted with soldering irons, actually. The "stealth" design of your custom-made vaporizer can't be disputed in my case. If i didn't have an enormous turkey-cooking balloon connected to my water toy besides my vaporizater perhaps even my HA would look "stealthy" as well... I wonder!...



I like my HerbalAire but i'd like it more if i could use it with a whip working as some crucible replacement. Once i'm done inhalating what i feel i need to inhalate, euh... Well, i'd like to take whatever remains of my cricible's load out of the HA's oven, to "conserve" any noble molecules which might have been left behind... After all, the HerbalAire is an absolute extractor, at least so i heard - and it appears to verify in real life too. I don't understan why HerbalAire didn't think we - their clients - might want to try a whip which also works as the vaporisation chamber. When one thinks of it, HA owners never see the vaporisation process in action...



Part of the considerations above explain why i'm curious about your activites.

If i were to try a whip with a relatively standardized GonG interface (like yours), but without using my HerbalAire, then i guess my next best move would be to consider building something of my own. Instead of having to deal with the casing why not adopt some extremely affordable (read "cheap") vaporizer and offer your readers to "mod" that product instead. This way they'll get a product with a professional finish and all the bells & whistle considered necessary, yet at a ridicule price. The Vaporite Glow Pro, for exemple... The last time i checked it was sold 45 $, whip with flexible tubing included! Depending on the mechanics inside, i can imagine an easy "mod" where it would only be a matter of switching boards... But then, the "stealth" aspect of your solution would be lost totally.



Certainly, there's plenty of room in a Vaporite Glow Pro to host the electronics from your temperature-regulated Hakko solering iron, IMO.

But i could be mistaking. There are a few similar models on the market anyway, finding the perfect shell shouldn't be a problem, as long as the shell's cost doesn't sky-rocket.



But then again a "mod" would scrap the whole "stealth" part of your achievement.

thanks for the kind words Egzoset

ive gotta take new pics for this thread. misplaced the pics i already had. i never took any pics while putting one together so ill have to get creative.

Hello again Clicker.

I wish to know if you wouldn't happen to have a "promotional-grade" photograph showing the Hakko Mod in all its glory?... I'd like to add it to my collection of vaporizer pictures pretty much.

You Hou! HONESTLY, I MEAN IT!!!

I have a meeting planed with some head-shop owner i've talked to recently and i wish to show him my collection of vaporizer pictures - INCLUDING your very creative solution. I'd be very dispointed not to be able to comment on this while i promote vaporization by showing him my other 80+ some images, actually!

I want to make one bit I want to commission a different style hc. I want a hc with a male gong not at a 90 degree angle. And I want to get an elbows from sm before I get my cloud and I think you have a lil power house with those mods. You could even just put a wand on it and hot it directly...Mmmmmm tasty tasty

The concept will never beat induction but since it will be a long time before i see any implementation based on induction that's the next best idea for what looks like a relatively simple project (seen remotely from outside).

Well, there's the halogen avenue as well which i like pretty much - much more than soldering iron heating elements - but there's something so sexy about that Hakko "mod" i can't ignore it, even less discard it!

Which is why i need a nice picture to show it off to anyone who wants to hear about it...

i want to apologize for not updating this thread in a timely manor. my only excuse is that im working 2 jobs and growing/promoting my small business which at 10 months is still in its infancy stage. needless to say a lot of time and energy (all of it) goes towards that.

egzoset i may have to look through some files to see what ive got. if nothing I will do my best to get a nice clean pic of it. my wife is a photog and we have cams out the yang hole around our house. my only problem is time.

to everyone counting on the "how to"... its coming.

Thanks, all i ask is that you consider the option...

Just want to toss in that I, too, am a fanboy of this idea, eagerly awaiting your how-to before I attempt on my own and accidentally overlook something!

im sorry it took so long everybody. "how to" has been edited to the original thread post.

enjoy!

It's been a while indeed, but it was worth the wait. Nice job 2clicker!

I just wish they made a 220V version of these.

edit: am I correct thinking this would work just as well without the orange silicon if people don't have a need for an integrated stand or for esthetic reasons?

i would say it would probably work well without the silicone. ive never tried it w/out any. the only problem i can see would be that where the sleeve mates with the HC... that it wouldnt be sealed well enough and possibly let in too much air.

may not even be an issue.

great edit. Tried to make my own and sadly it offgassed with the silicone I was using. I have to find better silicone.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#5546t16/=flgrd7

http://www.mcmaster.com/#2614t27/=flgs1r