The Hammer Vaporizer

If you need any more testers I could pay the cost to you of the unit and compare it to the UD I have

I got the device for the review. I have not been making videos because I am working on a charity side project. Once I get done with that things will go back to normal.

Also anyone who knows me, knows I can one hit out of almost anything... So I might not be the best basis for comparison in terms of how many hits a session.

I also tend to pack my log vape stems pretty tight and usual fit more like .08-.1 in them, which is why it feels like I can fit a couple of hammer loads inside an Underdog stem.

I'm at a bit of a loss here. I don't own (and have never seen) a UD, but as I said before (post 19) my PD is generally 25 to 30 mg. Which makes it 1/2 to 1/3 of the hammer? And therefore 1/4 to 1/9 a UD stem?

No way are a PD and UD stem the same size by that measure???? It sounds to me like Hammer is a couple of PD stems, and it takes a couple of Hammer stems for a UD? Hammer is between them?

OF

UD stems are variable, so there is no standard bowl size. Any reference to UD bowl "size" is meaningless IMO. I typically load about 1 - 2 PD stems worth in my UD at a time FWIW.

Sorry with my dyslexia I got really confused about what you just asked OF... sorry.

What I will do is weigh the amount that fits and photograph it next to a quarter. That should give a better idea of what we are working with.

I think I agree with Stu the Underdog stem can be really variable... probably not the best comparison.

I may be off on my guess... I know I can get about 15 or so loads from a gram so I just extrapolated from that (1/15 = .066). Slims plan sounds good, I don't own a good scale so it may be a few days before I could get an accurate measure. I haven't used either of the other vapes, so I have no basis for comparison.

I like to load it pretty fluffy so the airflow is good. This allows for even heat distribution around all of the material. When I load using my preferences I get .03 worth of material in the stem. What is in the pictures below is .035. My scale was jumping between .03 and .04 so I figured .035 is a safe bet.

If you pack it pretty tight you can get about .07 before you loose air flow. Personally, I feel like anything above .05 starts to vaporize a little unevenly. The ABV in the heat source is darker then the back. The air is cooling quickly due to restricted flow.

I find around .03 allows the air to flow, but retain heat... which allows for move even ABV.

Here are some photos:





Here is the stem up next to one of my thick silicone Underdog Stems. I could not find my PD stem... it went missing awhile ago. (The Hammer stem can actually fit inside the thick silicone stem.)

Thanks. So it sounds like my original estimate that the PD stem was about the same size (based on scaling the photo and my similar soldering iron) is fairly accurate then. I load about .03 grams per, by loading what will 'suck up' easily.

Since your scale has resolution issues, you can weigh several 'bowls' (say 5 or 10) at once and divide to get a more accurate measure, should you want to.

Thanks again.

OF

Thanks for posting Slim, you the man!

I use the 'suck up' technique OF mentioned to load the Hammer hitter. I think that fills it perfectly without restricting air flow.

We will likely offer some additional options in time; custom designed hitters, hitters with larger bowls, Glass-on-Glass slides (to use the Hammer with your favorite piece), etc. Once the Hammer becomes more widespread, our vision is that glass blowers will start to create their own custom hitters and slides to work with it as well (the inside diameter is 8mm if anyone is interested).

Below is a pic of some prototype GonG slides we made for demonstration purposes:

I checked out your site and saw you currently only sell to the US, will you start selling internationally in the future?

We should be able to ship to Canada soon, not sure about overseas yet. I will try to update this thread as the Hammer becomes available in different countries. We would (obv) like to see it in the hands of anyone around the world that wants one, so hopefully it's just a matter of time.

Saw the video for this yesterday or the day before... thought about it for a good part of yesterday. This device has potential... it's different for sure. Not necessarily a bad thing, though. Looks like a hammer, obviously... I think this will be a favorite with campers, outdoors people, "extreme conditions" and such. It looks rugged. What kind of plastic is it? The black case around it, I mean. How's this thing handle hash? Oil?

Does the hammer hiss when it's heating like the Iolite does? I can't tell on the video since they have the music playing.

Yes. Well the basic lighter unit it's built on should, my soldering iron does from the time you open up the valve (black lever below the button) until you close it again. It sounds a bit different when lit. The guy sitting next to you will know something is up unless he's deaf even without smell issues.

It doesn't cycle on and off, of course, always on.

OF

The Hammer is like %50 quieter then the ioLite. I think it sound much like a small jet flame lighter.

The outer casing is made of glass-filled nylon. It's very solid and made to withstand temps in excess of 550 degrees, which is way hotter than the unit will ever get. The top part gets warm when in use, but never too hot to hold. The only moving part is the ignition button, so there isn't really much to break. The Hammer itself never has direct contact with materials, so the hitter is the only thing that gets dirty.

It was designed for loose-leaf, but I am sure some of you creative FCers could figure out a way to adapt it for concentrates. We're in the midwest, so oils/waxes are not common here yet and hard to come by for testing.

I'm not at all sure about either of those statements. There are several nylons out there, the one most commonly glass filled and molded (Nylon 6) melts long before 550F:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon

The general 'maximum short term working temperature' is under the boiling point of water, lest softening cause issues:
http://www.ansellpro.com/Attachments/38552615462963.pdf

If it stays cool enough, there's no problem of course, but that temperature claim is not accurate IMO.

And for sure there are way more than a button moving. The valve alone has several moving parts (and gets run on each use). More importantly here, since it's subject to random hand operation it sees lots of strange stresses. Likewise the valve seat itself is a rotary seal which will eventually wear out and die (leaking). Valve failures are fairly common in this sort of thing (I know of a soldering iron that died this way...). The igniter itself has more than the button moving, there's the hammer and the spring that drives it (both pretty dependable), the release latch (the common mode of failure) and of course the crystal that gets hit (again, a common failure). I think we've all experienced such lighters 'failing to click'? Or if they clicked, no spark.

Nothing lasts forever, while on average suitable for the duty most likely it's far from bomb proof.

OF

The temperature was info I was told passed down from the factory... it may be off, but wiki puts it at 509 °F. Either way, it is well above the normal operating temp.

When I said moving parts, I meant parts that the user moves. I forgot about the temperature dial, those are the only external "movable" parts, there is obviously more moving on the inside to make it work.

No claims that it's going to last forever or is bomb proof, just that it is a well made and durable product.

You' re quite thorough, OF kudos!

Cool. Remember, melting point is a long way away from useful ranges (softening is what will cause it to fail, in most polymers that happens much sooner than melting). Which is why you don't find it used even at 212F (boiling water). It gets 'plastic' and changes shape.

As you point out, the key is the actual worst case operating temperature. Time will tell us if the material choice is appropriate here (I suspect it probably is unless you get caught in a Grateful Dead concert with a group of friends perhaps...... For sure glass filled nylon is commonly used in vapes (like the HA body for instance) if the usage allows.

Interesting product though. Be fun to see how it plays out.

OF

Makes sense. I'll see if I can get more technical specs for you next week.

Appreciate your interest and feedback... it should be a fun ride!

In the manual it says not to run for more then 90 seconds at a time. I always figured this way to help prolong the life of the device. I suspect it keeps the device from ever getting to hot. I think as long as users don't exceed the 90 seconds of continuous operation, the material will be okay.

That makes sense. The Grateful Dead concert not withstanding, I know some stoners I'm not sure can be counted on to moderate their use when the situation demands. I mean it wasn't all that far back we had the fellow torching the outside of his Revolution, right? When the siren call of 'Big Clouds' hits, lots of stuff happens.

As a personal unit I think it has a better chance of survival? As a loaner, not so much so.

Still, looks like a fun little gadget.

OF

Can you give an estimate for how many 0.03g bowls & how long it takes you to get comfortably medicated? I too have a rather high tolerance

EDIT: hahaha missed this:

How long do you think 10 bowls would take?

That's right, the 90 second rule is really the key, it refers to "continuous" use. You can pass the Hammer around in groups, as long as you let go of the button for a bit between hits to let it cool down. I have seen it passed around in a large group for over an hour without any problems.

Tough to answer, I can milk a load for a several minutes and get 4-5 good vapor hits out of it. Others can vaporize an entire load in a hit or two. I have been a daily smoker for 18 years and 1-2 loads is all I need for a few hours. If your tolerance is really that high, the Hammer may not be the best choice for regular daily use, but still could be a good option for certain situations where you just need something to hold you over for a bit.

You meant to say 'shut the valve off and let it cool' didn't you? Letting go of the button after it's lit does you no good.

If so, this would be the second time you forgot the valve......maybe you just don't like the valve?

OF