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

[Hippie Dickie]

Actually, if i just put a 200F cutoff against the stainless steel shell, that should be very safe.

In fact, the shell could function as an interlock, so that it must be in place for the thermal cutoff to be connected, or the vape doesn't get power.

Gosh, i'm liking that idea a lot. Thank-you andrewburgess for your comments.

 

[andrewburgess]

Thank-you andrewburgess for your comments.

My pleasure. Now if I could actually get something done like you have instead of just thinking about it...

I really like the zero thermal mass and microcontroller design. I'd still like cordless operation in my dream vape. I know you tried self-contained with two batteries and it was too heavy. I wonder how it would be with one battery? A123 sells a 6.6 volt cell; half the size and half the energy of the two cells you use that would just drop into your design. Twice as expensive. A cheaper alternative would be to use just one 3.3V cell. I looked at dc-dc converters and they have them with almost arbitrary dropout voltages so that would have to be added to run the micro.

Would it seem too heavy with just one cell?

I know you are nearing production with this design so I'm talking the new cordless Mark II

Another thought I had on warm up time (I'm shooting for zero warm up); what happens if you toke on it while it is heating? Does it reduce the time to a full vapor toke?

I wonder what the warm up numbers would be if you used a fatter MOSFET and sized the heater to draw max battery current at 100% duty cycle.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

From my 9 years experience, zero thermal mass with a microcontroller is the only way to go. Together with the amount of current only this battery technology can deliver.

Here is a link to my code on SkyDrive if you decide to follow along at home -- i'm keeping the files updated as i fix bugs and make refinements:
http://cid-02b3f5d74f36685c.profile.live.com/

i've got some ideas for totally cordless, but it needs a new battery technology --- and i can wait.

i spent a month studying and respecifying the MOSFET after receiving an email about a problem in the first circuit layout. And what i learned is that the MOSFET is the limiting factor with using a lower voltage. Cliff Notes version: the MOSFET wants to see at least 4.5vdc at the gate to turn on hard enough - otherwise there is too much heat dissipation within the MOSFET. And i saw the effect -- my old design was delivering 2.5v to the gate and the MOSFET got too hot to touch -- this design delivers 4.5v and the MOSFET stays at ambient temperature, i.e. no detectible heat dissipation.

what happens if you toke on it while it is heating? Does it reduce the time to a full vapor toke?

it just takes time (90 seconds) for the trichomes in the bud vial to reach a high enough temp to melt and release the THC -- you would get a little of the terpenes/flavinoids. No amount of toking affects the temperature - the PIC easily compensates, and the coil heats about 4 times faster than it can cool. It would be trivial to add a fan to fill a bag.

i have thought about making a hash/oil vape that would have just a small piece of nichrome ribbon as the heater -- could be milliohms and draw lots of current. It would be a much smaller vape.

i am planning a whole line of vaporizers and accessories --- once the Bud Toaster is a real product.

The MOSFET itself is rated at 80A, so it is plenty fat enough. Maybe Bubar has numbers on faster warmup -- he runs more voltage and has melted a few vapes. i'm pretty sure the Bud Toaster would be much faster on a car battery, but i haven't test it yet. i might plug 4 of these batteries together -- i just need to make a 4-cell harness, but i keep putting that off.

There are some (undefined) issues with using more than one battery -- they discharge unevenly. This could possibly damage the 3rd or 4th cells that are more depleted. A problem for another time.

You might checkout the Oracle's thread for a zero-warmup time vape -- using an IR emitter, i think.

 

[andrewburgess]

i spent a month studying and respecifying the MOSFET after receiving an email about a problem in the first circuit layout. And what i learned is that the MOSFET is the limiting factor with using a lower voltage. Cliff Notes version: the MOSFET wants to see at least 4.5vdc at the gate to turn on hard enough

I remember that. I wonder if that's a fundamental limit or if there are different power switchers that would work?

Then again if its just the gate voltage the dc-dc converter could provide it.

There are some (undefined) issues with using more than one battery -- they discharge unevenly. This could possibly damage the 3rd or 4th cells that are more depleted. A problem for another time.

I think smart chargers handle that. I notice the 6.6V pack has lots of extra wires; maybe so internal cells can be monitored?

You might checkout the Oracle's thread for a zero-warmup time vape -- using an IR emitter, i think.

cool thanks. I hadn't found that yet. That thread is http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=2269 for those following at home.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

or if there are different power switchers that would work? Then again if its just the gate voltage the dc-dc converter could provide it.

i couldn't find a MOSFET with a wide enough voltage range (6vdc to 20vdc) and current handling (at least 40 amps) with less than 4.5v gate turn-on voltage. So a dc-dc converter would be needed. i even got a small signal mosfet to be used to turn on the MOSFET, but i'm satisfied with the design specs of this version of the Bud Toaster.

i've tried to minimize parts count. 3 chips plus the MOSFET is as low as i can get it. Likewise for doing battery pack cell monitoring. Although i may eventually have to do my own charger ... the key part is $5 from maxim and it replaces a $50 charger.

So, it's another exercise left for the reader ...

 

[andrewburgess]

So a dc-dc converter would be needed. i even got a small signal mosfet to be used to turn on the MOSFET, but i'm satisfied with the design specs of this version of the Bud Toaster.

OK. I was still thinking of cordless with one 3.3V cell so the dc-dc already exists

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Beta Unit #3 ...

Here it is warming up...

Green for GO! ... first vapors @ 11:00PM

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Okay! Beta #3 is now in service. This one is maple for the top and bottom wood discs and pink tinted deer hide as the leather ...

i made a different base to hold the thermometer display (just to get it done and out the door):

The wood piece is the size of a business card (2" x 3 1/2")

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Beta #3 ... she's got the ticket, she's on the train ... best of luck Beta #3, starting a new life in the big city.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

first independent user report for Beta#3 ...

First time on my own, this machine RULES. Nice fucking job!

 

[Plant]

cool let's hope the testing keeps going smooth and you can start producing soon

 

[GreenLeaf]

Your beta toaster looks very nice Where did you get the deerskin?

Any chance with the final model that you'll be able to make a bud toaster with black cowhide leather?

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Thank-you. i was kind of in a rush to get some pink leather, so i just shopped eBay.

And, yes, there are 4 wood selections: cherry, maple, white oak and mahogony
Definitely black cowhide leather, and other colors and skins, when i go into production.

In fact, i have some black leather and that will be used for the next three or four Bud Toaster betas.

 

[GreenLeaf]

HD-Does this vape use wands much like the Purple Days, Woodeez, and Myrtlzap do or do you inhale straight from the wood itself?

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i use an ALL GLASS wand ... a 1/2" diameter by 4" long tube:

 

[VaporNinja]

I'm very interested in making one of this, but I have no knowledge of electronics, what software do you use to program those SOIC chips?

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i wrote the software in assembly language for the PIC 12F683 chip. The other two SOIC chips are not programmable. The PIC code is listed on my SkyDrive here, along with some pictures:

http://cid-02b3f5d74f36685c.skydriv.../Lady Bud Toaster - Model 13 v5-4e - Beta ^32

The software can be downloaded to the PIC using a $36 PICkit1 board (Part Number : DV164101) from Microchip.com

 

[VaporNinja]

Thanks, I think that's quite complicated Have lots to learn before I'm able to do that... But I made an early version your Bud Toaster, powered by a 5w 20ohm ceramic resistor hooked to a copper coil holding a Pyrex cup . Works quite well, 15 minutes to warm up.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

yeah, it may seem to be complicated ... but computers is what i do, and have done since 1965 ... and really, the Bud Toaster is not that complex. Heck, i'm a softie, not a hardware guy. This is my very first computer that i designed: The Hippie Dickie Model 1. i was able to solve some "interesting" problems and i want to share. Some people might have the skills necessary.

Congratulations on making your earlier version Bud Toaster. Temperature control is a nice upgrade.

 

[spazo555]

Beta #3 ... she's got the ticket, she's on the train ... best of luck Beta #3, starting a new life in the big city.

This Vape looks super sliick haha, how does one go about being a beta tester!? One whom doesnt mind to pay if he has to lol.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

beta units are on a very slow rollout and the first 10 are already assigned.

you will need to wait for the retail version ... hopefully in time for Festivus gift-giving&getting season.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

three at once! ...

i gave my Pink Lady Bud Toaster to gf ... this is the acid test ... too much technology for what should be as simple as flicking her Bic. Anyway, now i need my own latest iteration -- a Man Bud Toaster: cherry wood and black leather.

i have one prep operation on the pcb. The two holes at the top were spec'd too small by 1/32" so i redrill those two holes ... i thought i'd fix 3 pcbs at the same time:

So, working on Beta Unit #4. First, flux and tin traces on both sides of the board. This makes attaching the super small surface mount components much simpler ... just heat the trace next to the component and the solder melts and holds the component so i can apply pressure without the piece flying across the room.

Buttons on the other side:

i'm trying yet another approach for the power cable ... the plug is on a 3" cable, there is a 36" extension cable on the battery pack. i don't like a 36" cable permanently attached to the Bud Toaster, and the plug attached to the bottom disc is just okay ... maybe this will feel better:

Everything except the nichrome heater coil, the k-type thermocouple probe, and the 16mm x 1.5" oven tube:

 

[Bubar]

Thought you might be interested in [http://www.kickstarter.com/]. Basically its a nice GUI and storefront that handles people pre-ordering products. The company allows pledge money and only have to pay if enough pre-orders are made to proceed with production. The company takes 5% though($0 if the product doesn't get made). Seems pretty cool though. Would be good if you wanted to try and get together a large order, though that seems a bit down the line.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Thanks. i have heard about this. i'll have to see what's up when this project moves from beta to production.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i'm supposed to be working, but i got to thinking about it -- a little blue sky time -- and i realized i could easily modify Beta#1, my main goto vape -- just screw the thermometer directly to the other shield. i have a punch and anvil (of course) so i punched two holes in the leather cover for the screw and the wires, drilled a 1/8" hole in the stainless steel cylinder (for the wire), drilled a 3/32" hole and tapped for 4-40 (my prototyping screw thread of choice) and in just no time at all, had the thermometer firmly attached to the front of the Bud Toaster.

While i was at it, i plugged in the soldering iron, chopped the power cable at 3" and soldered on the male Deans connector -- this is the way Beta#4 (and following units) is going to be configured, so i thought i'd test the idea right now of Beta#1:

then, i had to test the modifications. Bud Toaster warming up on the desk:

Then, after just 2 minutes the heater is at setpoint temperature, the vial (and bud) is heat saturated, and the toking light is lit:

Hurray! i didn't break it doing the mods. So far, i like this configuration a lot better -- much more convenient operation ... plus it eliminates a wood milling step.

Okay, so now i can do some work ...