Underdog Log Vapes

[underdog]

I actually meant to ask for the glass stems but that ought to be fine. Basically these are the stems that fit INSIDE the heater core, right? So the heater core for the alpha dog must be ginormous, which means the glass stems (that fit over the heater core) for the alpha dog must also be ginormous, perhaps nearly as ginormous as they loom in my imagination.

Do we know what size the heater cores are, to compare relative sizes?

Standard Core vapes (Classic thru SC3) have a 3/8" OD core tube, the Alpha has a 1/2" OD core tube so they're actually not too far apart in diameter. The glass stems are metric and just slightly larger than those ODs.

Slight changes in diameter relate to larger changes in volume though and this is how the Alpha stems have such a high capacity. In addition the Alpha has so much air flow that you can load some really large bowls with the screens pushed way down and still keep the draw resistance reasonable.

The pic @arb posted shows our smallest stem that fits inside a SC series vape core and our largest stem which fits over the Alpha so the difference is very extreme there.

Here is Alpha Glass Direct Draw, Thick Wall for SC series and a thinner wall SC series GonG.

 

[Ripstar]

Dang! I knew the Alpha stems were much larger but that is huge. That's so great to see the comparison. I hope to snag one soon!

 

[CurryLeafTreehugger]

I, too, am looking forward to an Alpha dog, but I want a custom this time. So given pandemic shortages, if I see that in 6 months, I will count myself lucky.

 

[fubar]

I'm guessing everyone else already knew this but this puppy has learned what a good idea it is to carefully remove and clean the screen (flame red with a butane torch works) when the draw gets hard after a few days of intensive use of any of the underdog wands.
Makes a huge difference to the draw and so the taste and hit.
Same with the other dry herb vapes I've used.
Clean screen. Good dog.

 

[arb]

I usually just hit it hard empty to get it hot then blow out hard.
Reheat then carefully blow the other way.
That usually clears them back to free flowing.
Sucking and blowing.........like a big dog.

 

[KidFated.]

I usually just hit it hard empty to get it hot then blow out hard.
Reheat then carefully blow the other way.
That usually clears them back to free flowing.
Sucking and blowing.........like a big dog.

Hey, you like to suck and blow your stems too? i do it before I go to bed so when I wake up it’s got good flow for the morning rip.

 

[arb]

Hey, you like to suck and blow your stems too? i do it before I go to bed so when I wake up it’s got good flow for the morning rip.

Nothing worse than waking up with a clogged tip.

 

[ive_ana]

My first log arrived yesterday! I'm used to portables, OG Hopper, Solo 2, Dynavap & Legacy. I stick to low temperatures, 340 F on Solo 2. Trying to understand how to hit it as it seemed like it came close to combustion last night, had dial at 12. Do the stems (depending on size) go inside/outside the heat chamber's stem? I might have filled the stems too much as just the top layer got brown quick. Should I be leaving enough room at the tip of the stem so that it doesn't touch any of the heaters stem? Do I stick the stem all the way into the heater stem or am I just supposed to hoover over it? I hope I'm making sense here.

 

[arb]

My first log arrived yesterday! I'm used to portables, OG Hopper, Solo 2, Dynavap & Legacy. I stick to low temperatures, 340 F on Solo 2. Trying to understand how to hit it as it seemed like it came close to combustion last night, had dial at 12. Do the stems (depending on size) go inside/outside the heat chamber's stem? I might have filled the stems too much as just the top layer got brown quick. Should I be leaving enough room at the tip of the stem so that it doesn't touch any of the heaters stem? Do I stick the stem all the way into the heater stem or am I just supposed to hoover over it? I hope I'm making sense here.

Stick it in and suck at your normal rate.
Dial the setting down until it matches you........makes it easier to not think about it.

 

[vaporculture]

Do the stems (depending on size) go inside/outside the heat chamber's stem?

Yes. Typically the metal tips go inside the heater, the glass tips go outside the heater.

I might have filled the stems too much as just the top layer got brown quick. Should I be leaving enough room at the tip of the stem so that it doesn't touch any of the heaters stem?

The best method (if possible without irritation from dust) is to suck ground material up into the tip, and it shouldn't take much effort to do so. Be gentle. Then lightly tamp down the load so that it pushes back from the edge a bit. With the glass tips, the amount of material should be small enough that the heater can be inserted into the tip while you are drawing. Only pack enough to make a load that is perhaps 1/4 inch tall in the stem. Experiment with the grind, how you pack, how you draw, and the heat of your log. All of these factors go into the experience. You will find out how to make it work just right for you if you play with the variables.

 

[fubar]

My first log arrived yesterday! I'm used to portables, OG Hopper, Solo 2, Dynavap & Legacy. I stick to low temperatures, 340 F on Solo 2.

I'm a very old vaper but new underdog user and the best advice I can offer is that less is often more. Over filling will not work well. The thin stems work well with a surprisingly small load - I get 2-3 loads from what would be one normal Arizer EQ DDave 18mm basket that I generally fill with about 0.12g of shredded flowers.

If you have some jeweler's scales, try loading about 0.05g (yes, 50mg!) of dried shredded bud into one of the thin (SS or nylon) stems. That's not much. After a good preheat to get the underdog warm - say 20 minutes @ "10v" on the variable power supply or so, you should get 2 or 3 decent tokes - dump and reload once to mix it up. Do not pack it down hard - you want it loose enough to allow easy air flow for good extraction. If you have to suck hard to get airflow, you are probably packing it far too tightly.

Once you get the load and heat setting to your satisfaction, the screens are movable inside the stems giving you yet another variable to adjust to your satisfaction - lower and closer = faster extraction and more risk of char or combustion at any given dial setting.

FWIW: stick with it - it takes time and there is no "right" way that works universally - you have to figure it out for your weed and your needs - but once you get the hang of it, it's a very useful addition to your vaping options.

I usually just hit it hard empty to get it hot then blow out hard.

Your screens stay clean enough to get decent air flow in the narrow SS/nylon stems after a week of heavy use without being flamed ?

Mine clog after a few days with sticky black resin/condensate.
Once the airflow drops to a certain critical point there's so little hot air moving through that I can only get them working again by removing and heating to red with a butane torch. Maybe it's me or my technique - I am a log newbie although I've had at least a decade of dealing with SS screens in various dry herb vaporisers.

I'd far prefer not to remove them if possible because as the stem gets sticky, the baskets are at increased risk of damage while being pushed in and out but that's the only way I can get decent air flow reliably.

Does everyone else manage to keep their screens clean without taking them out or is it just me ?

 

[vaporculture]

Does everyone else manage to keep their screens clean without taking them out or is it just me ?

I also use the heat it empty and blow out hard approach, but find I need to do it every 5 to 10 bowls to keep the screen from getting so gunked up the method doesn't work. If you stay on top of it, deep cleaning the stem & screen can become a much more infrequent chore.

 

[fubar]

I also use the heat it empty and blow out hard approach

ok - n=2 is good enough for me to try it. I'll report back. An old trick for a new dog is always a good thing.

 

[arb]

ok - n=2 is good enough for me to try it. I'll report back. An old trick for a new dog is always a good thin

I only remove screens when soaking the adapter in iso.
I am kind of OCD so I clear the screen every load which prevents any heavy buildup........blow it out hot never let spent flower cool in the adapter.
Screens last years without being torched.

 

[CurryLeafTreehugger]

I put my screens in upside down - flat bottom up, where you will put the herb - and that in and of itself has greatly reduced clogging. I can only do this in straight glass stems but others report being able to put them in upside down in any of the stems. I can only manage it buy putting the screen in and pushing it all the way to the other end, I have to be able to see it to get it to work properly.

Then I do blow them out into a tightly woven cotton bag, after "cooking" for a little while by leaving the stem on the UD to heat the screen up. It helps burn out residue and loosens anything still stuck.

Second step, when blowing out isn't clearing it enough, is take a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol, I use the strong stuff 91% or whatever it is - and wipe off the flat surface to clean it. Then I burn off the alcohol by cooking it on the UD, blow out any lingering fumes.

Finally, when all else has failed, I have one of the plastic tubes that UD sent out with my vape and I put about an inch of alcohol in it. When my screen becomes so clogged that even the q-tip won't clear it, I fish my spare screen out and set it aside to dry (which will be quick) then push the clogged screen out and drop it into the alcohol, snap the lid closed, shake it up a bit, and let it soak until I need to swap them again. Probably about once a month. Possibly less.

My screens are all about 5 years old now and they're tending to clog more easily - I really need to replace them. Somewhere I actually have a stash of extras. Somewhere. But for now I rotate between just two.

Before I started putting them in upside down (flat side up so you put the weed there), I would have to pop them out for deep cleaning about every 4th use, no matter how I tried to keep it cleared out.

 

[underdog]

Just posted up a little vape refresh on the website.. only a dozen or so new pieces but half are Alphas. Enjoy!

Alpha Headies, Alpha Direct Draw Nylon and standard Alpha 18mm NonGs (not the giant oversize ones) should be available
sometime this coming week.

I think these are my favorites this week: Dyer Oak Alpha, Myrtle Alpha, Paradise Fire Citrus Alpha and an Ailanthus SC3+

 

[fubar]

My screens are all about 5 years old now and they're tending to clog more easily - I really need to replace them. Somewhere I actually have a stash of extras. Somewhere. But for now I rotate between just two.

I'm lazy but working at it and seeing much less clogging - thank you very much for all the tips. 5 years for a screen will do - I'm about to flip the screens over - that makes sense now (edit: I can't insert my old screen inverted to the SS stem - edges catch - will try with a new one later. Won't fit from the other end because of the mouthpiece constriction)

After emptying the stem, it goes back for half a dozen cheek/cigar puffs (do not want to inhale that muck) until the SS stem gets hot then a couple of sharp exhalations - seems to be working pretty well so far. Puppy greatly appreciates these old dog tricks.
Is there somewhere these tips should/could go so new arrivals can find them?

 

[CurryLeafTreehugger]

Just posted up a little vape refresh on the website.. only a dozen or so new pieces but half are Alphas. Enjoy!

Alpha Headies, Alpha Direct Draw Nylon and standard Alpha 18mm NonGs (not the giant oversize ones) should be available
sometime this coming week.

I think these are my favorites this week: Dyer Oak Alpha, Myrtle Alpha, Paradise Fire Citrus Alpha and an Ailanthus SC3+

AAAARGH! Dyer oak, gone already.

There's a beautiful Big Leaf Maple Burl on there but its not an alpha.

 

[CurryLeafTreehugger]

I'm lazy but working at it and seeing much less clogging - thank you very much for all the tips. 5 years for a screen will do - I'm about to flip the screens over - that makes sense now (edit: I can't insert my old screen inverted to the SS stem - edges catch - will try with a new one later. Won't fit from the other end because of the mouthpiece constriction)

After emptying the stem, it goes back for half a dozen cheek/cigar puffs (do not want to inhale that muck) until the SS stem gets hot then a couple of sharp exhalations - seems to be working pretty well so far. Puppy greatly appreciates these old dog tricks.
Is there somewhere these tips should/could go so new arrivals can find them?

I can't do it in the SS stems either, though another UD user on this forum has reported he can manage it. I have the same problem if I try to put them in from the top - the edges of the basket catch and if you bend it up too much, it doesn't fit tightly to the inside of the stem. Thus my unswerving devotion to the glass direct draw stems ONLY, because the advantages of flat side up screens are so great. Just put it in from the bottom and push it to the other end, now the flat side is the up side. Plus I just plain like glass because I can see what's happening, and it doesn't retain heat or heat up like metal does. I likes mah convection with as little conduction as possible.

 

[arb]

Just posted up a little vape refresh on the website.. only a dozen or so new pieces but half are Alphas. Enjoy!

Alpha Headies, Alpha Direct Draw Nylon and standard Alpha 18mm NonGs (not the giant oversize ones) should be available
sometime this coming week.

I think these are my favorites this week: Dyer Oak Alpha, Myrtle Alpha, Paradise Fire Citrus Alpha and an Ailanthus SC3+

Just fucking wow on this batch!

 

[BrianTL]

Just posted up a little vape refresh on the website.. only a dozen or so new pieces but half are Alphas. Enjoy!

Alpha Headies, Alpha Direct Draw Nylon and standard Alpha 18mm NonGs (not the giant oversize ones) should be available
sometime this coming week.

I think these are my favorites this week: Dyer Oak Alpha, Myrtle Alpha, Paradise Fire Citrus Alpha and an Ailanthus SC3+

This is probably my favorite batch I've seen since I started following the pack here, which would be post-fire / before production started again though... really amazing work with these ones!

 

[eideal852]

oh lord, I pop in too infrequently but NEED an alpha. neeeeed

 

[CurryLeafTreehugger]

So I used to get "shake" here for about 60% of the cost of "regular" bud, but lately they've taken to pregrinding it to the consistency of tea fines. Stuff comes right through my screens now. It used to be actual shake, broken bits, but not ground. The original stuff worked great in my UD.

I've had to go to straight bud. Lopping off small bits - does not work well. Grinding in my Golden Gate Grinder - works somewhat but the grind is too fine. It chars at the drop of a hat now.

So I need a coarser grinder for Best UD Practices now. Any suggestions from Mah Fellow UDogians?

 

[Ripstar]

Wow, that sure was a beautiful batch!! Amazing work!

 

[BrianTL]

So I used to get "shake" here for about 60% of the cost of "regular" bud, but lately they've taken to pregrinding it to the consistency of tea fines. Stuff comes right through my screens now. It used to be actual shake, broken bits, but not ground. The original stuff worked great in my UD.

I've had to go to straight bud. Lopping off small bits - does not work well. Grinding in my Golden Gate Grinder - works somewhat but the grind is too fine. It chars at the drop of a hat now.

So I need a coarser grinder for Best UD Practices now. Any suggestions from Mah Fellow UDogians?

If you're looking to spend a bit, my BCG medium plate works great for the UD, and my Flower Mill works great with either the finest or 2nd finest plate option. FM doesn't necessarily let you pick which plate you want (if you only want one), it comes with their standard plate and the expansion pack consists of the other 3 sizes... but a couple people have had some luck just asking for a specific plate in the order comments, doesn't seem to be an issue. They also have a thread here (and are active on it) that may be worth checking out.