The Nomad From Morwood

[Dan Morrison]

@shark sandwich , That is some really awesome work man! Took a nice long look at your website.

I love the long pipe stem! And the touch sensitive fire button is a really nice touch.

I'll be sure to message you in the future!

Alright, so, the people have spoken! I've gone back to the older design and made some tweaks to bring it into a sort of middle path.

The steel battery tube is covered in a layer of kraft paper, with a knurled brass screw cap on the top.

And, clear stem...

 

[DocGonzo]

I think that's my favorite so far.

 

[grokit]

I like that one too, although I am not so sure about the kraft paper exterior.

Maybe give the battery tube a distressed metal finish like with the okin?

Other options could be an acid-stained or even an anodized finish...

Or perhaps a copper tube that would oxidize naturally.

 

[Dan Morrison]

@grokit , I was thinking that the kraft paper tube would be like a slip cover over the inner steel tube. You could customize the colour of the slip tube, draw on it, whatever, they would basically be disposable. Or even slide a copper/brass/steel tube over it for something more permanent.

I'll try mocking up some of your suggestions to see how they might look, thanks!

 

[Stu]

Or perhaps a copper tube that would oxidize naturally.

I'm not a fan of touching copper.

 

[grokit]

I'm not a fan of touching copper.

Yeah I was kinda thinking that when I wrote it. Still some metals (silver/pewter?) do age/tarnish to new patinas, maybe there's another one out there that's more attractive and not so yucky to touch.

@grokit they would basically be disposable

So we could get extras and mix/match/refresh, hmm a whole new meaning for ruby tuesday

 

[Stevenski]

I'm not a fan of touching copper.

My folks have a couple of brass candlesticks that are 350-400 years old & when they had them cleaned they were dipped in a clear coating by the restorer. Not sure about the coating but they have not tarnished in several years. Maybe the copper could be patina'd & then sealed so you have the best of both worlds?

 

[Dan Morrison]

So we could get extras and mix/match/refresh, hmm a whole new meaning for ruby tuesday

Hahah, Yeah! It would just be a simple glue and paper sleeve, so they would be very easy/cheap to make.

I like how the Blade Runner cityscapes look like future cities built on top of old ones. It's got a Hong Kong vibe to it. I would love to capture that vibe somehow.. and I feel like being able to treat the battery tube as a sort of collage space could help with that.. layered graphics, text.. etc. You could have first time users sign it or draw a lil' something.. Slap stamps or stickers on it.

As an example, here is what I imagine when I think of a customized battery tube... It's a bit weird and maybe not quite right, but it's got some sort of cyberpunk thing going on that I like.

@Stevenski , That's probably a clear lacquer, common practice for brass/copper stuff. You can indeed cover a hard patina with it, but If it ever chips or gets scratched it might not look too hot. A hard wax would be a good idea as well, easier to maintain but not as durable.

 

[ragnorokk]

Hahah, Yeah! It would just be a simple glue and paper sleeve, so they would be very easy/cheap to make.

I like how the Blade Runner cityscapes look like future cities built on top of old ones. It's got a Hong Kong vibe to it. I would love to capture that vibe somehow.. and I feel like being able to treat the battery tube as a sort of collage space could help with that.. layered graphics, text.. etc. You could have first time users sign it or draw a lil' something.. Slap stamps or stickers on it.

As an example, here is what I imagine when I think of a customized battery tube... It's a bit weird and maybe not quite right, but it's got some sort of cyberpunk thing going on that I like.

@Stevenski , That's probably a clear lacquer, common practice for brass/copper stuff. You can indeed cover a hard patina with it, but If it ever chips or gets scratched it might not look too hot. A hard wax would be a good idea as well, easier to maintain but not as durable.

Very cool. I was thinking the bare metal would suck to touch when in the cold, but I guess that could be construed as my fault for not wearing gloves, and not necessarily a product flaw...

 

[Stevenski]

A good coating of a hard wax would look pretty special especially as the wax wears & gets scratches & dings. What would be cool is if each unit came with a bunch of plain sleeves you could put your own designs on or a template to craft your own as it is a slip cover for a metal tube. There is something about this vape that looks rather "organic" if I may be so bold @Dan Morrison.

 

[phattpiggie]

It's all got very dejafrickinvue'y for me in here with the ecig stuff.

I really like the battery holder on this one, never used an ecig but as I've posted elsewhere you've got to admire the work that goes into some of these things. Excellent work shark sandwich.
This is some of the stuff I posted elsewhere. I prefer the side by side shape to a tube shape.

I like it so much I set about trying to get rid of the plastic tube one of my other vapes was housed in, I couldn't summon up the enthusiasm to finish it. The idea was to sandwich the internals between to pieces of wood. I got as far as fixing the two together but getting the potentiometer in place was going to be tricky. The fixings sat in the middle of the heater and the battery which meant I could remove as much as the oak from round the outside as I felt okay with.

 

[nondarb]

We back on fire yet??!? Its about time for Dan to change it up on us again .

It's all got very dejafrickinvue'y for me in here with the ecig stuff.

Is the Deja Vu the fact that most of the pictures and several of the pitched ideas are directly from the early pages of the Milaana thread?

 

[phattpiggie]

@nondarb yep shark sandwich's excellent mods did that, I don't see any of the stuff I put in the TOD thread being of any use. There are some very clever custom box mods out there, no harm in seeing if they would translate or even set off some creative tangents.

 

[killick]

Every time I see @phattpiggie post those it makes me want to start taking vapes apart and putting them back in spiffy ways. Wouldn't it be handy if there were a place where you could just select parts off a shelf and make them at home? Like the old electronics kits when you were a kid. Maybe some enterprising young wizkid needs to come up with a modern version of Medical Mechano. Heck, maybe there is some strange asian knock-off Lego Mindstorm vape kits out there?

 

[StormyPinkness]

I'm definitely a fan of the designs where the tube looks attached horizontally the whole way up if that makes sense. The ones where it isn't 2 pronged. They all look pretty amazing so far though.

 

[Dan Morrison]

We back on fire yet??!? Its about time for Dan to change it up on us again.

Hahaha, I had a good laugh at this line. And I'm still sticking with battery! My shop experiments ruled out butane and fan powered charcoal heat exchanger... and liquid/alcohol/wick fuels..

I should have known better, since I went down the same paths while exploring Okin prototypes.. but I just had to revisit!

I also recently tested a charcoal (still inhaling the air through the charcoal itself) powered pipe, it was glorious. I am developing a simple charcoal holder that can be added to bowl lids and built into many different pipe styles. So I can go back to making custom pipes...but without the smoking part!

I think that charcoal vaporizing is more of a niche product..geared towards more custom orders, high end and one of a kind designs. I would like to continue with the Okin, and also offer custom pipe-style versions, but have a battery operated device that can be produced in larger numbers and appeal to another sector of the market. That way I can offer something for everyone.

But THIS thread here, will be for the battery device... Unless I change my mind again, hahaha.

@killick , I don't think it'll be long before companies start coming out with 510 friendly dry herb heaters/chambers. And that will change everything.

I had the thought of making this vaporizer project 510 based, so the heater could be entirely swapped out in the case of future updates, or the heater could be ordered separately for people who want to pop it on their own box or mech mod. Alternatively the body could be used with e-cig atomizers.

This is already in motion with "the project" by @Pipes , but they are focusing on regulated power. When it comes to modern box mods, it seems that most people want regulated power, so putting the time into creating an unregulated 510 based box + dry herb heater could be a waste of time... But then again you could go the middle path with an OKR chip and get some regulation, but non of the cutting edge temperature control stuff...

Thoughts? Would you guys be into the 510 idea? If so, does it make sense to go with regulated power via an OKR or similar chip (no LCD, no DNA or similar)?

With the added ability to swap atomizers...it adds to the space punk feel I think.

Also, there is a question of size still.. From recent rough mock ups in the shop, the smallest form factor, single battery, unregulated...actually felt too small to me! It seems to feel and look better when it has more mass..a bit larger..a bit heavier. These recent findings have me more attracted to regulation and dual battery setups..since I'm less inclined to shoot for the smallest size possible at the expense of other design features.

I can relate to the size of digital cameras right now (my other passion). Pocket friendly compacts are nice in theory, but are awkward to use and always feel a bit..cheap... Large pro DSLRs are feature packed..but have always been too big and cumbersom for me... The middle path has always been the sweet spot.. medium sized..

In the end, I guess everything is about balance.

Portability (size, weight, battery life, stealth)
Usability (Ease of loading/unloading, maintaining, learning curve)
Performance (vapor quality)
Durability (longevity of materials/design, user serviceability)
Price
Aesthetics (the overall feel, visual and tactile)

Each category has an impact on all of the others.. its always give and take..

It would be interesting to see how everyone here weights these categories..feel free to share your weightings! Listing each category from most to least important. Also feel free to add categories!

 

[Stu]

It would be interesting to see how everyone here weights these categories..feel free to share your weightings! Listing each category from most to least important. Also feel free to add categories!

Here is how I would rank the categories:
Performance
Usability
Durability
Aesthetics
Price
Portability

 

[Copacetic]

Performance would come first for me
Closely followed by Aesthetics
Usability
Durability
Battery life (if portable)
Price
Portability

Agree strongly re' size
Two 18650's next to each other with the heater/chamber (like a slightly larger 22mm e-cig 3ml tank atomiser) laid on it's side, very vaguely like the Hammer:

And, of course, Halogen

 

[stickstones]

If I'm getting a vape from Dan, the aesthetics are the most important and why I came here.

 

[Dan Morrison]

Oh man, hearing how you both weighted those categories is so useful!! After everyone has weighed in I will compile a summary.

@Copacetic , That's a very cool idea! I am totally going to keep that drawing in mind.. placing the heater above the dual batteries like that is quite clever.

Also Halogen is still appealing! If only for the fact that the heater would be so consistent, and easy to source and replace... the only thing it would require is a bulb housing to most efficiently direct airflow and collect/transfer heat.

With an 510 connector it could be possible to make both a resistive wire based heater AND a halogen heater, with the ability to choose which best suits you. Damn..that's a cool thought.

@stickstones , Thanks for weighing in!

 

[ragnorokk]

I weigh performance and usability together; if a device takes too much time to master or too much aftermarket, not officially documented modding to reach its full potential, I consider that an overall performance issue.
Below that is price, and my concern over the price is changed by the aesthetics and durability (and, again, the performance).

 

[delloy]

Looking at the weighting I think I would go with exactly how @Stu listed above but with one change and that would be changing durability out for aesthetics. I love design and how things look its one of my main hobbies outside of vaping. I have an unhealthy obsession with chairs and lighting and design in general and also collect art so aesthetics is higher on my list

I think I have drilled so many holes in my walls to hang paintings/pictures it is going to start affecting the structural integrity of the building soon.

Performance
Usability
Aesthetics
Durability
Price
Portability

And I was always into the idea of a 2 battery model right from the offset just for the possiblity of more loads before needing a recharge or battery swap out when out n about in the wilds

 

[DocGonzo]

May as well chip in my priority list.

Aesthetics
Performance
Durability
Price
Usability
Portability

This is specific to DM Pipes, since aesthetics are such a huge draw. Looks would fall further down if I were being more general. I don't care at all about portability since I do most of my vaping around the house and have units that cover my on the go needs. Also not very concerned with usability, since mastering technique on difficult vapes can be pretty enjoyable, as long as the efforts are rewarded with solid functionality once you have it down. It's really all about beauty and performance for me, with durability a distant third.

 

[Shit Snacks]

I weigh performance and usability together; if a device takes too much time to master or too much aftermarket, not officially documented modding to reach its full potential, I consider that an overall performance issue.
Below that is price, and my concern over the price is changed by the aesthetics and durability (and, again, the performance).

I agree with this as well, ideally portability doesn't bring to much compromise on the battery life, size, etc. otherwise might as well plug it into the wall imo, but performance and usability, along with aesthetics can potentially offset that portability too actually

 

[grokit]

I'm really liking these particular aesthetics