The Nomad From Morwood

[Dan Morrison]

@Copacetic , I totally agree on size. The smaller the better. I want this to be a portable...not jeans pocketable, but definitely portable in a camera bag or back pocket (with stem removed).

Definitely don't want to get as large as the mighty is. Holding the battery like I have in my design would be a big size saver I think. Check out this three 18650 box mod, it uses super thin side walls, and holds the batteries against one another. Seems very reasonable in size.

Something I learned with the Okin box was that even reducing a box size by a couple mm's can make a big difference in how big it looks and how it feels in the hand. And tricks like rounded edges can make an object feel and look smaller as well..

@Shit Snacks , I did consider going plug in for a while... but I can't help but design for my own personal taste. And the idea of a portable is more exciting to me.

 

[DocGonzo]

To be practical, the load has to be SO easy and fast to switch that it could be done one handed in the time it takes to exhale your last draw... that alone could prove to be a huge design challenge.... so we will see about that, heh. PEZ comes to mind...haha.

This sounds awesome and unique. You've mentioned laser blaster aesthetics a couple times, have you considered some kind of revolver system? You could have each "bullet" loaded up and just spin through for each one-hit chamber. Regardless of where you ultimately go with this bad boy, I am sure it will be absolutely gorgeous and I cannot wait.

 

[grokit]

I just caught up with this thread too, and it kinda reminds me of this coal-powered portable hookah.

https://www.hookahcompany.com/hookah-sali-19976-prd1.htm

 

[Copacetic]

@Copacetic , I totally agree on size. The smaller the better. I want this to be a portable...not jeans pocketable, but definitely portable in a camera bag or back pocket (with stem removed).

Definitely don't want to get as large as the mighty is. Holding the battery like I have in my design would be a big size saver I think. Check out this three 18650 box mod, it uses super thin side walls, and holds the batteries against one another. Seems very reasonable in size.

Something I learned with the Okin box was that even reducing a box size by a couple mm's can make a big difference in how big it looks and how it feels in the hand. And tricks like rounded edges can make an object feel and look smaller as well..

@Shit Snacks , I did consider going plug in for a while... but I can't help but design for my own personal taste. And the idea of a portable is more exciting to me.

I've gotta admit that's a pretty good size.
If the heater/chamber occupied the '3rd battery space'.

I've just been looking up catalytic converters to see if there's any likelihood that the tech' could be used as heaters.
However, I'm betting that I'm not the first to consider this.
Are there any convo's re' this subject that might be useful to us here?

I note that ceramic honeycombs are sometimes employed.
Coated with platinum or kanthal (I think) and used to remove pollutants from the gas moving through them (air in our case).
Possibilities there?
A piece of platinum coated ceramic with a current applied might heat up in a useful way?
Lots of surface area, maybe good materials.

 

[stickstones]

See the iolite for using a catalytic converter

 

[Copacetic]

I'll check it out, thanks

 

[Shit Snacks]

@Shit Snacks , I did consider going plug in for a while... but I can't help but design for my own personal taste. And the idea of a portable is more exciting to me.

Overall agreed, but my main point was for full creative freedom, at least for prototypes to design the vaporization function untethered, so:

But I actually do see the benefit of setting limitations on the creativity too, in the end probably only breeds more creativity actually, so carry on good sir, I will continue to sit back and watch the genius at work, miss this from the early Okin days...

 

[Dan Morrison]

This sounds awesome and unique. You've mentioned laser blaster aesthetics a couple times, have you considered some kind of revolver system? You could have each "bullet" loaded up and just spin through for each one-hit chamber. Regardless of where you ultimately go with this bad boy, I am sure it will be absolutely gorgeous and I cannot wait.

This definitely came to mind. But I feel like the barrel would be kinda...fat. It could stick out from the main body.. something to look into. It would be a great way to do the bowl switching, that's for sure.

I was also thinking about a bolt-action rifle sort of design. I had this idea in the early days for the Okin, but never flushed it out. I still think it would be so cool to pull back on a lever and have a little bullet-like chamber pop out with a satisfying sound... mmm. So tactile!

And thanks!!

@grokit , That portable hookah definitely looks like those earlier drawings I was posting! They went a bit heavy on the chrome, haha. Looks like a vacuum cleaner.

@Copacetic , I was all up in catalytic stuff when developing the Okin. Still not sure if there would be any use for it outside of a butane vaporizer. They use a catalytic mesh in butane soldering irons as well, probably the most expensive part of those things... That platinum mesh is not cheap!

Platinum would probably be a great material for use as the heating element, being between nickel and titanium as far as resistance, but slightly more thermally conductive than either. It's also very resistant to oxidation. But.. it would most likely be too pricey to justify.

@Shit Snacks , Ah yes. For the prototype phase it would definitely be handy to have a variable voltage power supply that acts as a stand in for an 18650, just to make testing elements easier.

 

[Copacetic]

See the iolite for using a catalytic converter

Checked it out, cheers!
I was thinking that rather than using butane, a piece of platinum/ceramic foam or mesh could have an electrical current applied across it so that it heats up like the wire in an e-cig.
Instead of applying juice or anything to the hot foam/honeycomb, we could just draw air through it which would then be hot enough to vape herb in a neighboring chamber.

The tech' IS expensive, but I wonder if a cat' converter from a vehicle could be cut up and re-purposed making many vapes from one converter?
I've never seen inside a cat' though (no roadkill japes here please )

It sounds as though Dan and you guys have already explored this in the early Okin thread though, so I'll let it drop.

My own pref' is still for Halogen tech' anyway.
If it can be made to work well without even having much in the way of heat exchanger tech' (Apollo), then I think it can be improved upon, and exploited for the aesthetic possibilities of light.

Might be better for a larger home vape though

 

[virtualpurple]

@Dan Morrison I'm a fan of the picture you're painting. I think you're robbing shit straight from my dreams.

 

[Dan Morrison]

I will be looking more into the halogen bulb idea. The more I think about it, the more It appeals to me...

Perhaps a 50w bulb with some insulation, machined mica, snug fitting on the bulb with spiral air channel wrapping around it...ooorr somethinngg..

 

[virtualpurple]

Just take my money already!

 

[Dan Morrison]

Just tweaking the design a little bit... I know the logo design needs to be changed, but it's a stand in for now.

 

[NickDlow]

Just tweaking the design a little bit... I know the logo design needs to be changed, but it's a stand in for now.

Can you make the mp interchangeable with the standard size (510) the vape/ecig industry uses. There are many different customization options already existing. It would be nice to use the collection I have lol.

 

[Dan Morrison]

@NickDlow , I think that's a great idea. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Dan Morrison]

Okay. Some more revisions here. The next step is deciding between a single or dual battery setup.

To achieve the sort of design I'm presenting here, in a reasonable size, I doubt I will be able to fit the necessary components for a regulated setup.

Going unregulated will keep things simple, robust, smaller.

Consider the fact that I want this thing to be sort of like a one or two hitter, extracting a small chamber quickly on demand. Taking that into account, the smaller size becomes more appealing, and the voltage drop becomes less of an issue. The losses in voltage consistency and battery life are acceptable if we approach this design as being more of a wild beast...rather than a tamed cat.

I am still debating single vs. dual battery. But I think that ultimately the heater design will make the choice for me. In any case, here are some example of what's I've got now.

It would be great to get some feedback on which setup ya'll would prefer (single vs. dual battery).

I removed the "heat sink" tube, made it more minimal..streamlined. And I'm playing around with two different body materials, patina'd steel body with wood airway tube, or wood body with steel airway tube.

The wood body has the advantage of being easier to make, but comes at the price of being less robust if dropped...especially on the corners. The steel body would add a nice weight, and be much stronger.. I suspect I will be able to make the over-all design smaller with a steel body as well.

I have the battery compartment cover done up in kraft paper. I will most likely have the battery drop out the bottom of the device. The sliding bottom cover will be African blackwood. Removing this cover would also give you access to the bottom of the heating element in case it needs to be removed for repair.

Both the on/off and fire button will be on the top plate.

 

[delloy]

Loving all of those @Dan Morrison. Superb stuff as we've come to expect from all your work. Really looking forward to see how this progresses

I think I personally would prefer the single battery model, purely for size and stealth purposes. But this ultimately depends on the battery life.

I didn't much like the sound of the steel versions reading your post, but those sketches changed my mind.

 

[Shit Snacks]

If you think you can get the right power with a single battery, then go for it, but may need the extra power of dual for that fast extraction (I'm thinking Milaana vs Dual Battery TOD prototype, so you may be fine with a single battery actually, but depending on the heater ofcourse)

 

[Dan Morrison]

@Shit Snacks , Exactly my thoughts. It's just going to take some experimenting.

I also believe that the distance between heating element and chamber needs to be easily adjustable while in use. This will be the key to temperature adjustment and would also help with voltage drop issues.

 

[DocGonzo]

I really like the look of the patina steel body in those sketches. Definitely looks like something that could be found slung on some sci-fi rogue's belt.

 

[ragnorokk]

@Dan Morrison Purdy

 

[NickDlow]

To start off, most know I love my wood. I don't mind the steel either but I'm usually in extreme environments, hot and cold and IMO the wood is best for hand contact. It doesn't get ice cold in the winter nor piping hot in the heat.

The wood has my vote obviously....

 

[Shockwave]

That steel one gives me some Mad Max vibes, i would go with one battery as i don't mind changing batteries on the go and it looks like it would be easier to hide in palm if you want to take a hit somwhere in public

 

[stickstones]

I like the looks of both, but prefer ss for the air path for long term cleaning purposes. The adjustable bowl location is a great idea, and I suggest looking into @DDave 's mods for basket loading vapes. He has figured out how to effectively micro-dose, and that could help you with single battery power needs.

 

[marduk]

I like the looks of both, but prefer ss for the air path for long term cleaning purposes.

+1