Kal

Well-Known Member
I do stems the hard way @Kal. I cut the blank; turn it round; core with a long bit as true as possible; Then cure.
Then I come back and true the blank to the bore; square the ends and cut the VC port 10mm deep with a 3-jaw chuck.
Now the body is ready for shaping; I use a collet with a 5/16" stub against a live center on the tailstock.
I use a jewels lathe so some of this is geared towards that. I run a 4mm bore where a pen blank rod might be harder to do.

Thanks for sharing your method! I don't have collets, so I may just try and make my own bushings out of brass or HDPE.

Have you tried a stem with stabilized wood? I'm not sure how it would do with the heat, but using a brass tube inside the stem where the tip connects might be enough to keep it under the 372ºF cactus juice is rated for.
 
Kal,

danielj

Accessory Maker
Accessory Maker
I've been wanting to make some of my own stems on the lathe. Do people mostly use pen mandrels to turn stems on the lathe? What bushings do they use? I've had a hard time finding 8mm ID bushings that fit on a 7mm mandrel.
hi @Kal

I think there are as many diff ways as there are stem creators... the kind of lathe and accesaries you have will dictate alot. Yes the whole pen mandrel approach depends on finding those bushings...I was not sucessful, and avandoned that approach

@TommyDee use of collet chuck and a 5/16" pin on one end and a live tailstock on the other is a good approach
the other issue is the drilling of the bore into the blank

keep asking ? we will try to abswer
 

TommyDee

Vaporitor
I just drill by hand @danielj . And @Kal - I got a pen turning tools from Etsy. They are paired with the tip. The rod is just under a 1/4". The end-stops are made for the ID of 5/16" OD tube so this too needs adjusting.

As to the collet, I use that for safety. Obviously anything to center the stub to hold the VC turning true on the tip's port. A jawed chuck or drill chuck will work just as well. I've lost a lot of skin to the jawed chuck while shaping and that needed to change.

I received some Cherry from back east today. I still follow the same process except I can finish the stem the same day if the wood is already kiln dried. If you kiln-dry the finished piece, it will gain some 'personality' but nothing you'd detect unless you put it back on the lathe.

I've turned mostly 'shrub'. A good high mineral content mature shrub with a super-tight grain. I've been skunked out of the harvest season so I am on the hunt for a more reliable source.

@danielj - what are you using for wood?

20200903_151837.jpg
 

Duba

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
hi the community,
i have an issue with my Omni XL used since 2 years : When i screw down the mouthpiece to the body, the condenser exceed (photo). Has anyone ever experienced this problem? is it a thread problem?
nivjncjygne51.jpg



[/QUOTE]
Thank you guys ! i've tried to contact the company but don't have any response. Which is the good mail contact to touch them?
 
Duba,

stark1

Lonesome Planet
@Duba after two years if you haven’t resolved the issue with DV, you might do so yourself?

Unscrew the metal tubing from the mouthpiece (mark the extended part first), and sand or shave off the protrusion with a Dremel .

Saves on time/money/frustration. & dealing with a busy CS on a year old issue.


—alternatively, while it may affect your airflow, you could try to back off the screw a smidgen until it doesn’t protrude.
Whatever floats your boat.
 
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stark1,
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Duba

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
@stark1, The OmniXl has been used for 2 years, the problem is a few months old! Of course I use it by backing "the screw a smidgen until it doesn’t protrude", but I would like to fix this. The omni must be a solid material (with a high price too ...) so I want it to be perfect (and use the adjustable airflow, the specificity of the omni).
 
Duba,

stark1

Lonesome Planet
Is the press fit on the condenser still intact? Sounded like the problem was from two years back.

If the assembly is loose, you might be able to snug it back into place by tapping it. Could be an easy peasy fix.

Good luck.

—DV is purportedly coming out with a newly fabricated Omni, when you get yours, ask them to throw in
A replacement OG Omni tubing.
 
stark1,

Skinku

Well-Known Member
I am loving my FrankenVap
FrankenVap.jpg
It scratches a few itches.
Medical issues were making my hand cramp when heating/turning, the spinning mouthpiece works surprisingly well, much better.
The XL condenser was a tight fit with the 2020M tip so I got around to using a 2017 which was bundled with the IH, I can see why he sold it, the draw was terrible, so I filed four grooves and it now rocks.
Finally an OmniVap seems the likely endgame so I wanted to determine my preferred length, my hands are like dinner plates so this is a much better fit.
Boxes ticked, now to enjoy.
 

danielj

Accessory Maker
Accessory Maker
I just drill by hand @danielj . And @Kal - I got a pen turning tools from Etsy. They are paired with the tip. The rod is just under a 1/4". The end-stops are made for the ID of 5/16" OD tube so this too needs adjusting.

As to the collet, I use that for safety. Obviously anything to center the stub to hold the VC turning true on the tip's port. A jawed chuck or drill chuck will work just as well. I've lost a lot of skin to the jawed chuck while shaping and that needed to change.

I received some Cherry from back east today. I still follow the same process except I can finish the stem the same day if the wood is already kiln dried. If you kiln-dry the finished piece, it will gain some 'personality' but nothing you'd detect unless you put it back on the lathe.

I've turned mostly 'shrub'. A good high mineral content mature shrub with a super-tight grain. I've been skunked out of the harvest season so I am on the hunt for a more reliable source.

@danielj - what are you using for wood?

View attachment 2474





IMG-9668.png
IMG-9671.png


hi @TommyDee


regarding wood, early on I decided to primarily use species which have a low allergy risk…thought of the VC as a medical device. so, maple, cherry, madrone, canarywood, holly, pear etc. The downside to this is that the most beautiful woods are the most allergenic. if I were doing non chambered stems, the allergy thing would not be as much an issue. I use mostly dowel stock and pen blanks, as I do not have the tools, nor room to process boards. ( oh the days past when I had a full woodshop as a flutemaker) Now days no tablesaw, planer, bandsaw etc… only a chopsaw and a benchtop drillpress.





I use mostly er32 collet chucks and pin chucks. There are some downsides, but being legally blind and having no depth perception, the 4 jaw chuck I have, scares the crap out of me. Youre lucky u have lost only skin with the jaw chucks. My lathe is a Taig micro machine lathe, dont have room any thing larger. and it works great for making mouthpieces
 

shopdognyc

Well-Known Member
hi the community,
i have an issue with my Omni XL used since 2 years : When i screw down the mouthpiece to the body, the condenser exceed (photo). Has anyone ever experienced this problem? is it a thread problem?
nivjncjygne51.jpg

haven't looked at posts since, what was the solution for this? Just to turn the mouthpiece out?
 
shopdognyc,

StringTheorista

Well-Known Member
hi the community,
i have an issue with my Omni XL used since 2 years : When i screw down the mouthpiece to the body, the condenser exceed (photo). Has anyone ever experienced this problem? is it a thread problem?
My Omni stem is a few years old. Here’s what I’ve discovered. The threaded barrel in the middle of the condenser that the mouthpiece screws onto can move a few mm on the condenser. Try unscrewing the mouthpiece and removing it, putting the mouthpiece end of the condenser on a firm surface, grabbing the threaded barrel, and pushing it toward the mouthpiece end. Mine moves about 2mm up and down. If it moves down, it will make the condenser not protrude from the mouthpiece when reinstalled.

DB4-B66-AC-1-BBE-47-E0-AE1-B-132-FC13-D04-D5.jpg

DE0-C1-C47-8533-4-DB9-82-B5-7-B8-FB5-EB9647.jpg
 

TommyDee

Vaporitor
I don't think it was suppose to do that @StringTheorista . Interesting observation though. Thanks for posting the expected lengths.
Looks like 46mm to the flange is the target number.

IMG-9668.png
IMG-9671.png


hi @TommyDee


regarding wood, early on I decided to primarily use species which have a low allergy risk…thought of the VC as a medical device. so, maple, cherry, madrone, canarywood, holly, pear etc. The downside to this is that the most beautiful woods are the most allergenic. if I were doing non chambered stems, the allergy thing would not be as much an issue. I use mostly dowel stock and pen blanks, as I do not have the tools, nor room to process boards. ( oh the days past when I had a full woodshop as a flutemaker) Now days no tablesaw, planer, bandsaw etc… only a chopsaw and a benchtop drillpress.





I use mostly er32 collet chucks and pin chucks. There are some downsides, but being legally blind and having no depth perception, the 4 jaw chuck I have, scares the crap out of me. Youre lucky u have lost only skin with the jaw chucks. My lathe is a Taig micro machine lathe, dont have room any thing larger. and it works great for making mouthpieces

Your lathe has the same reach as mine. A lot more flexibility too! I got lucky with this vintage collet holder on mine. Yea, scary is a good term for the jawed chucks. I do use them to cut the VC port though. Fortunately the chuck remains on the other end during that process.

I did forget to say that I true the blank on two centers once the bore is cut. I should use a drive dog for that but often just spin it and cut slow. This truing allows me to re-chuck the blank for the port boring operation. At this time you should be at length with the ends trued as the bore may not be straight when you use smaller drill bores. Mine is 5/32" and I really like that size for the mouthpiece options.

I've looked at a couple of those allergy list and they make my head spin. Seems every species has some kind of complex. The 'majors' have settled on Cherry, Walnut, and Maple. Even in those species I've seen sub-species warnings. I've done Flower Quince since vaping so that is my home base. Definitely not allergic to it. I figured anything food safe from a tree is safe so maple syrup, walnuts, and Cherries fit that bill. FQ has lemon like fruits, so it too is in by extension. Not to mention I know the source waters for my shrubs LOL
 
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StringTheorista

Well-Known Member
I don't think it was suppose to do that @StringTheorista . Interesting observation though. Thanks for posting the expected lengths.
Looks like 46mm to the flange is the target number.
I don’t think so either. When I discovered that it was cheated towards the tip end, I understood why my omni would not close off 100% of the airport. Discovered the moveability by accident when cleaning once.
 

danielj

Accessory Maker
Accessory Maker
I don't think it was suppose to do that @StringTheorista . Interesting observation though. Thanks for posting the expected lengths.
Looks like 46mm to the flange is the target number.



Your lathe has the same reach as mine. A lot more flexibility too! I got lucky with this vintage collet holder on mine. Yea, scary is a good term for the jawed chucks. I do use them to cut the VC port though. Fortunately the chuck remains on the other end during that process.

I did forget to say that I true the blank on two centers once the bore is cut. I should use a drive dog for that but often just spin it and cut slow. This truing allows me to re-chuck the blank for the port boring operation. At this time you should be at length with the ends trued as the bore may not be straight when you use smaller drill bores. Mine is 5/32" and I really like that size for the mouthpiece options.

I've looked at a couple of those allergy list and they make my head spin. Seems every species has some kind of complex. The 'majors' have settled on Cherry, Walnut, and Maple. Even in those species I've seen sub-species warnings. I've done Flower Quince since vaping so that is my home base. Definitely not allergic to it. I figured anything food safe from a tree is safe so maple syrup, walnuts, and Cherries fit that bill. FQ has lemon like fruits, so it too is in by extension. Not to mention I know the source waters for my shrubs LOL
hey thanks bro for sharing

yes, truing once the bore is cut...very important I should get a drive spur also...that spinning around under load without it, drives me nuts sometimes

Post a pic if you can of your lathe sometime

and if you ever have an extra piece of that Flower Quince, I would love to try it. As you grow it yourself, dont know about the scarcity. I would trade you with a dowel piece of madrone or something hey, We have a small japanese maple we r cutting down...many branches would becsuitable. Will do some research on that species via usability allergy etc pm me if interested
 

TommyDee

Vaporitor
What do you think of the Madrone? Cool wood huh? Manzanita is a bit smaller making it more of a shrub. Similar to Flowering Quince, it is the shrub version of a Quince fruit tree. They grow a similar fruit but the tree version has a more appealing taste. I'll keep that thought in mind. It might show some promise in my quest.

I don't think Flower Quince is necessarily rare other than the fact they are normally cut flush with the ground. They come up in shoots. Mine hadn't been cut in decades. So I have two shrubs of varied spires I can harvest toward the center to finally get to a ground-flush state. Harvest depends on rain and time of year to capture the desirable minerals in full flow. I arrest this flow and allow the minerals to freeze in place. This gives the wood a plastic like texture which is quite tough. I have to remove the bark immediately to keep it from leaching these minerals. This easily qualifies as a hardwood in this state. This makes it more rare but I'd be happy to keep an eye out for some pieces to share.

I've worked hard to get to this state with mine. I have the mill and lathe part and quite a few accessories. This video is not mine.

 

danielj

Accessory Maker
Accessory Maker
What do you think of the Madrone? Cool wood huh? Manzanita is a bit smaller making it more of a shrub. Similar to Flowering Quince, it is the shrub version of a Quince fruit tree. They grow a similar fruit but the tree version has a more appealing taste. I'll keep that thought in mind. It might show some promise in my quest.

I don't think Flower Quince is necessarily rare other than the fact they are normally cut flush with the ground. They come up in shoots. Mine hadn't been cut in decades. So I have two shrubs of varied spires I can harvest toward the center to finally get to a ground-flush state. Harvest depends on rain and time of year to capture the desirable minerals in full flow. I arrest this flow and allow the minerals to freeze in place. This gives the wood a plastic like texture which is quite tough. I have to remove the bark immediately to keep it from leaching these minerals. This easily qualifies as a hardwood in this state. This makes it more rare but I'd be happy to keep an eye out for some pieces to share.

I've worked hard to get to this state with mine. I have the mill and lathe part and quite a few accessories. This video is not mine.



so you have the unimat...I spent alot of time looking at the various ebay offerings...it seemed alot of work to piece all the needed elements...I do like the unimat and sherline tailstock better than the taig version. You have the mill too...cool

yes, madrone is a very nice wood for VC the stem in my avatar pic is from madrone. It buffs out extremely nice, that pieve has no finish, nor paste on it

oh, hope you r in a safe area in OR ( if such exists) I am in Eugene, so there are some really horrific experiences nearby. Just breaks my heart
 
danielj,

TommyDee

Vaporitor
Oh crap man... stay safe down there. I'm in suburbia. Just crappy for a few more days. staying indoors. They say this is 20 packs of smokes a day!
 
TommyDee,

stark1

Lonesome Planet
I’ve had good luck with a Scorch double like this one, though truthfully I use single 99% of the time. I used it a lot when I began with vapcaps. And it seems to be an older model... only downside was no fuel level window. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scorch-T...ghter-w-Keychain-and-Strap-Gunmetal/138754416
You got a good run out of your triple—5 years!

I loved my Scorch to death ( until I discover magnetism 101 ).
After that, I started collecting an induction heater here,
And there.

My poor Scorch became neglected, and ultimately disappeared. Funny,
After reading your post last night, I went to sleep.

Upon waking, I was fishing for a thin book wedged between the bed and the wall, and walla!

Gotta Fire up the Scorch, after a cuppa joe! —& waiting for Monday, Monday to arrive. :cheers: ;)

Thanks, ST! :spliff:


 
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whatitdew

Vapes R Great
I could never get down with my 2020 M, or any of the Ms I had.
so I stuck the tip in a WPA instead
im too use to the titanium and wood bodies
the M just feels so heavy and clunky now
guess I’m a dynasnob haha!

my titanium or custom wood SimRell stems are still my got to DD with a vaphotbox for on the go and a caldron at my bedside table.
the XL omnivong probably gets the next most love
got to have the XL length these days
 

Morty

Well-Known Member
Anybody else likes to hit the M2020 with the airport opened 100% of the time? i mean... the airport is much better here than the M2019
Me! It is even my favourite Vapcap so far. If you respect the click then it extracts a bit slower than the TI/19M tip, which seems to preserve the taste better.
Me as well. I went from the airport closed (used natively) to the airport closed w/ no condenser in a j-hook, then back to using it natively again w/ a condenser but w/ the airport fully open the whole hit. It was a game changer for me.

The M is hotter on the lips than an actual 3 inch one hitter, and it's def not my fav for flavor when trying to cash a load in 1 hit. Keeping the airport open helped solve both these problems, but unexpectedly, it was also getting me higher than the previous two methods mentioned above. I think it's the fresh air getting mixed in w/ the vapor which in turn gets that shit deep in the lungs. When I use it w/ the airport closed, the vapor upon exhale is immediate while when I use it open, the vapor upon exhale takes a couple of secs to start rolling out. My mouth. :spliff:

I also use the tip at the half bowl setting for microdoses as I find I can get the AVB I like (dark dark brown) in 1 hit as opposed to the 2 it usually takes w/ full bowl setting.
 

DHV8654

Well-Known Member
There is also the Orion @BabyFacedFinster . I think both the Rover and Orion now have intrusion detection instead of the switch in the bottom of the coil.
It sounds like the rover will continue to use the switch at the bottom of the heater. “A momentary tactile switch is built into the chamber to ensure the heater is only activated when a VapCap is inserted with light pressure”
 
DHV8654,
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