VapCap Induction Heater for Desktop and in Car Use

[Pipes]

Im a noob with electronics and i just ordered a 5/12v mini Zvs induction heater.

I have a spare 12v car battery laying around, would this combo work? And if so, what other components would I need to use for safety and functionality.

Thanks in advance.

The bare minimum would be a 10 amp fuse or breaker, 16 AWG wire or 14 AWG if running over 3 feet and a 5 amp push non-latching button switch.
The fuse should be as close to the battery as possible. Also, solder the work coil instead of attempting to use those blue screw-down connectors. Any loose connection with them will blow the FETs.
Check the soldering on the board as sometimes it's poor and a coil or cap leg isn't well soldered. Reheat if looks suspicious. Never power up without the work coil installed.
Good luck.
Oh, and shoot us a picture when you're done.

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

Thanks for that @Pipes, you are a legend. Photos for sure, waiting game till China delivers the goods.

 

[david8613]

I just got my tracking information for my portside mini she is on her way to me YAY! thank you Pipes for the quick responses to my emails and the excellent turnaround time with my order its coming much earlier than expected.

I still have my lucid custom metal wall powered unit, not sure if I am going to upgrade to battery powered or just keep it as is, or sell it. its also a very nice dependable induction heater, I like it alot.

I noticed a lot of people here are order the cauldron wall powered unit more than portside mini, is there a reason why more prefer wall powered? I thought it would be the other way around. portability is important even in the house.

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

So... my heater arrived.
Now for the fun/challenge. I am wanting to try and build a frankenheater, which means trying to build it from as many used/salvaged parts as I have on hand.
I have an old car battery that is one of my options.
Also have this laptop power supply, its 19v 7.89A. Can it be used to power the IH heater or is 19V too much?

I also have a power supply I removed from an old desktop computer which has a range of different voltage options, I'm thinking the 12V 2-13A (yellow black)might work?

 

[Pipes]

19 volts is too high.
Either of the 12-volt 13 amp outputs should work on that computer supply.

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

So I need to take one of the yellow or yellow/black wires (which would be my positive) and then a black wire (negative) to hook up to my heater? Do I still need a 10 amp fuse with this power supply?

Thanks for your help Pipes

 

[Pipes]

Without knowing the supply, a fuse wouldn't be a bad idea. There is likely an internal fuse in the supply but easier to change an external one if you accidentally short it out. Or even better yet if it has a self-resetting shutdown but can't be sure. Could always try and short it with a 10 amp fuse to see..? Cost you a fuse worst case.
Yeah, grab the yellow (V1) and a ground. Measure it first to be sure it's turning on. If I remember correctly some old PC supplies need feedback on one of the wires to turn on as well as might need to see some load. First old school supplies.
Good luck!

 

[someTooL]

Regarding The Caldron, is there an On/Off switch or is on all the time while plugged in?

 

[flammy]

Regarding The Caldron, is there an On/Off switch or is on all the time while plugged in?

There is not an on/off switch but there is still a momentary switch that needs to be activated to heat.

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

Frankenheater is alive.

Can be held and used with one hand.

Powered by a beast.

Safety is good.

I constructed this using salvaged parts from a blender and an old car, plus a piece of timber I had laying around. The only new part was the IH from Aliexpress.

It is big and bulky for sure, but boy does it heat to the click fast! Perhaps too fast(3-5 seconds)

Next project will be a more portable and maybe slower version I'd say.

Big shout out @Pipes for being awesome, thanks heaps.

 

[Hobbess]

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Has anyone noticed the cap dimpling from pressing down on the switch?

Mine barely makes a click now.

.

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

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Has anyone noticed the cap dimpling from pressing down on the switch?

Mine barely makes a click now.

.

Damn! That sux. How long did it take to dent/dimple?

 

[endof3d]

Has anyone noticed the cap dimpling from pressing down on the switch?

Mine barely makes a click now.

Oops! Just purchased a Cauldron and waiting for it to arrive. What your saying does make sense as the top of switch is a hard dome. Maybe Pipes has a solution?

 

[John Coaltrain]

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Has anyone noticed the cap dimpling from pressing down on the switch?

Mine barely makes a click now.

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Are you using a Cauldron or Portside Mini?

 

[Pipes]

.

Has anyone noticed the cap dimpling from pressing down on the switch?

Mine barely makes a click now.

.

This is only the second report of this since I switched out the jewel type rhinestone to the dome top type. The jewel ones had a hex-shaped flat top which left the edge marks on "some" caps. There were enough reports that I changed to the current type. This change was last April and 2 reports now of the doming of the VC and 100s sold. So with these numbers, I really don't want to draw any conclusions why.
But only 3 possibilities.

-Button too hard to push. The first reporter said it did not feel stiff at all. @Hobbess, does yours feel stiff? (the tact switch I mean...)
-User pushing too hard. The first reported said they were not... Imagine the same with Hobbess...
-Tolerance in the cap thickness itself. Some caps may be thinner at the top..? Only a speculation.

Regardless of the cause, we need to resolve it. I think the easiest and double-duty solution lay with the use of 12mm cork discs. The kind you find for putting under glass table tops and cabinet door stops. This was mentioned a couple of pages back where a user wanted his cap to click at a cooler time. They added a cork spacer to cool the temperature some. So I can't see why the same idea can't be used with a thinner disc just for added cap protection. Just add more to lower the click temperature.

The downfall will be that it will likely need replacing from time to time as well as you would lose that firm hard mechanical feel while pressing.
With the numbers reported to me though, this should be a rare mod.
Hope this helps.

 

[Hobbess]

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I have a Caldron, works perfect except for the dimpling.

I've had the Caldron for about 5 months.

.

The switch feels stiff.

I've been pushing hard on the switch.

.

Thanks for the concern Pipes,

.

 

[someTooL]

I’ll be starting “tests “ in about 4 more days. I’ll be using a < 1 month old 2019 SS tip (not that it sounds like the tip but the cap). Thanks again @Pipes for the super quick communication and mailing!

 

[Hackerman]

Yet, another reason why I have always disliked the tactile switch. The SJK uses a proximity switch which eliminates this problem.

 

[Moses Baca]

Yet, another reason why I have always disliked the tactile switch. The SJK uses a proximity switch which eliminates this problem.

Only two instances noted by Pipes. Not much of a 'problem.' I'm a fan of tactile switches.

 

[Pipes]

.
The switch feels stiff.

You could try removing the Orings and checking it to see if something is out of place or not centered. A small paper clip with a little bend for a hook or a dental tool can be used to snag and pull out the Orings. To re-insert, the top lid of a pen or sharpy will allow you to push evenly without pushing on the center post. Moistening the Orings will allow for them to slip along the tube easily.
PM me if you need any extra help.

 

[endof3d]

Thanks Pipes for your prompt reply and solution. The cork disk concerns me a bit as it seems that cork would oxidize prematurely from repeated heat cycles, flake off and could interfere with the tactile switch.

An alternative I was considering was to use a disk cut from a Silicone baking sheet that’s rated to 260°C/500°F. Would anyone know if the IH oven exceed these temps in normal use?

 

[Pipes]

Good idea!
I've placed an order this morning for a cork sheet to experiment with. Good point about the cork flaking and jamming the switch mechanism. I'm going to try with the sticky back cork cut to the full tube diameter and remove the Orings and rhinestone. My thinking is that the full diameter cork will suffice for keeping the button post centered so the Orings will not be needed. Any small amount of flaking should then not affect the switch function. However, don't like the idea of it needing replacing...
Now with your silicone sheet idea, cutting the diameter to fit "snuggly" in the tube, a sticky backing would not be necessary. Even the cork might work this way. But would still need the Orings to prevent sideways post movements.
Thanks for the input, always looking for improvements.

 

[endof3d]

Have not received my Caldron as of yet, so I can just go by the pictures in the forum, but the O rings set up looks to be a solid, innovative solution for supporting the robust switch you chose. If the rhinestone and heat shrink tubing ever became dislodged on my unit (unlikely) I would replace with a wafer of silicone using a high temp food safe adhesive.

Bought the Caldron and the wife a new DV. No more excuses for her bumming hits off of me anymore.

 

[ManNR]

Built my first induction heater last night. Everything works as expected but I'd love tips on number of coils, space of coils, ways to slow down the heating cycle.

Currently I am seeing the 2nd click occur around 6sec.

I'd like to slow this down, perhaps around 10sec. or so.

I started with the stock coil wrap which was about 10 coils. Now I have it down to about 5 coils which are spaced apart a bit. Still seeing 6-7sec. clicks.

How else could I go about slowing the heat-up?

 

[Pipes]

Insertion depth is your only control. Having the tip close to the end windings is the longest click but also can be too hot if inserted too far and may combust before the click. If the depth is not deep enough, a long count after the click is needed and heat distribution will not be as even with the tip been hotter. I found about 2-3 mil shy of the last winding is good.