Discontinued The Wand by Old City Diffusers

Old City Diffusers

Master of Nothing
Manufacturer
Modnote: Image links have been removed until they are fixed on the oldcitydiffusers.com server. Currently they are causing a password prompt.

Hello All & Welcome to "The Wand" thread!

I'm back again, wasn't on a hiatus from Old City Diffusers but just from public-life. This is the place I got my start though in 2010, the criticisms {support} I received here help me shape what has become of a series of semi-specialized vaporizers, but all based off very similar parts and platforms. In the long run, there had been many issues and details that I wanted to continually refine until the vaporizers were where I needed them to be and this just took me some time. I still consider all my ideas fluid, there will always be room for change and betterment. I'm more of a behind the scenes kind of guy, I enjoy working with materials and problem solving, and occasionally creating some art. So, I have natural propensity to assume the caveman life with my feverish passions but though this process I'm hoping I can bring into the light some new 'creations'. I always feel like I should explain who I am and what I do but whenever I write out even something from the heart it inevitably feels like a sales pitch, but I digress. I will try to keep this impersonal, so if you want to talk about anything of those matters just send me an email or pm, I'm always down to jibber-jabber with good folk...

The Wand.
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Why: When I first began building the old city vaporizer, I had gotten countless requests and questions on how one can adapt the OCV to be used with an existing water filtration setup. This was generally done through food-grade silicone tubing, or a combination of MacGyvering the mouth end of the vapor stem into the down-stem of your existing glass water filter. Most setups worked great, us vaporists seem to be the tinkering types, but some seemed like they caused more liability to what I consider two relatively expensive tools then it might have been worth.

[I personally prefer water filtration in addition to standard direct-draw vaporizing, as it generally removes the harshness to the throat during heavy draws and I have a strong preference for art glass, its a beautiful craft.]

The original Wand {Mk1}: was an exposed variable temperature heating element with a wooden handle, that was adjusted and 'wanded' over a bowl to ignite or vaporize the herbs. I produced many of these locally and no matter the warning or instruction I gave many found themselves smashing heating elements into there own glassware, laying them in ashtrays during intermittent non-use, and so on. I'm not saying it was impossible to use properly, it was actually simple, it just seemed to work out a certain way. It seemed something could be changed about the construction to give the user a cleaner, safer & more controlled experience. I found it to work great if compared to a replacement for butane heat-source in standard combustion. However, It was lacking the proper foundation for me to consider it a full vaporizer, its design needed to control, it needed accuracy and precision in a more suitable environment. Later additions to The Wand {Mk1} made it more efficient by offering a glass enclosure that 'cupped' or covered the top of a bowl to create a more controlled environment but I knew the methodology and function could be tweaked just a little more in order to get more efficiency out of the unit.


The Wand {Mk2}: is now a fully enclosed vaporizer unit, its methodologies are also safer in juxtaposition to working with a purely open element and the efficiency is now akin to the Old City Vaporizer but only differs in its aesthetics and its methodologies [i.e.- its looks & how ya might use it]. It is also offered in a standard & larger capacity as well. Essentially the only Wanding you will be doing is transferring your unit from its resting stand to the Vapor Stem Adapter that is attached to your existing glassware, but "sits on top and does nothing" doesn't sound as cool as the "The Wand", so I'll just keep the name for now.

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The Glass Heating Element Enclosure: The Wand housing is constructed of American made & ground borosilicate glass [COE 33]. I saw cut and flame work each enclosure in-house, each housing gets silk screened glass labels and is annealed in my computer controlled kiln. The housing is completely removable from the heating element, it is also cleanable and autoclavable. This vaporizer is offered in two sizes, our standard capacity 14/23 Vapor Stem Adapter {VSA} and our larger capacity 19/26 VSA. I try to have scientific labeling on all my products, if a customer is unsure or wishes to add something in the future - its as easy as glancing at the connecting side of ground glass joint.

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The Heating Element Design: is based on a 120VAC - 30 watt pure alumina ceramic cylindrical heating element. By surrounding the heating element in a titanium heat exchanger [the coil lookin' thing] we have almost doubled the available surface area of materials that are able to transfer heat energy to the incoming air [compared to a stand-alone heating element]. In general, direct-draw vaporizers will have the tendency to create a Venturi Effect as you will be, ceteris paribus, drawing air from the atmosphere into a smaller chamber in hopes of predictably controlling a reaction [vaporization]. According to the laws governing fluid dynamics, a fluid's velocity must increase as it passes through a constriction to satisfy the principle of continuity. We have found that this action has the natural propensity to cause a centrally heated zone in the herbal material, especially in smaller or more isolated herbal chambers. The small amount of resistance caused by air traveling over the coils allows greater pre-mixing of heated air prior to reaching your herbal blends, which limits the potentiality of 'hot spots' or the occurrence of a more centrally-located heat-zone in the herbal chamber. This allows a more thorough penetration of heat due to its slightly increased heat capacity and thermal transfer rate. This 'pre-mixing' is a characteristic akin to the actual physical shape of the coil rather than an inherent attribute to titanium itself. The titanium coil is not the sole of our vaporizer but we believe it has aided in the efficiency of extraction and precision. We believe titanium's wide-use in both medical [because of its bio-compatibility] & aerospace applications has proven it to be a great material in the construction of a quality vaporizer. The titanium heat exchanger is removable & replaceable if you prefer the operation without it (removal when powered off & cooled).

Influences on enclosure design: Well its a bit odd. Over the years I have become increasingly interested in functional glass art. I got to thinking that combustion is sometimes stuck retroactively trying to make something a 'better' or more objectively a different experience brought about by the infusion of water, diffusion of smoke, all swirled, mixed and recycled in this great symphony, I admired that. It got me thinking, what can I do to mix things up? I started to do 'smoke tests' to see how the air was traveling in through the orifice of my heating element enclosure and to see how it exited through the vapor tube. What I was seeing was a propensity for the smoke to cluster together in a stream inside the unit. With the addition of the titanium coil I was able to manipulate the flow of incoming air with the shape of the coil and with the thermal properties analogous to titanium it lent well to transferring the heat to the incoming air more efficiently due to its increased exposed surface area. The titanium will reach an equilibrium with the ceramic heating element as you adjust the power and will act as an extension of the element itself.
 
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Old City Diffusers

Master of Nothing
Manufacturer
Temperature Control: This housing is constructed of an aluminum alloy {2204 aircraft-quality} and has a 270-degree sweep linear rheostat that is rated for over 5 times the output of the heating element even at peak draw. The aim was to build simple and overbuild when possible. The body on the latest batch is powder-coated black wrinkle and peacock blue graphics. The graphics and colors will change often but the function will remain the same. The unit itself weighs under 200 grams and is just shy of 10 cm in length. I think the next batch I will be doing brushed aluminum and I might actually do full glass enamel decals with a high-gloss powder overcoat over everything.

The graphics:The featured graphics are influenced by my interests in Taoism {gimme a break I gotta keep it fun for myself}. The Temperature Control is segmented into 7 heat levels represented by the strange looking slashes and lines which are Bagua Taoist trigrams that represent the fundamental principles of reality, the only trigram omitted was fire or ? Lí since this was an attempt at vaporization, one wishes to 'omit' fire. More of a play on its representation than anything actually meaningful.

temperature_control.jpg
The cord: Each unit is supplied with your choice of high quality durable cotton-covered cord. They are offered in 8ft [std] and 12 [ft] lengths . In all honesty the cotton-covered cords are beautiful & durable but in juxtaposition to a standard plastic cord, they are slightly more rigid & less flexible due to their construction. Perhaps I'll offer a standard plastic cord later down the line, if people want it.
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The Wooden Handle: The wooden handle is harvested from domestic and imported wood species and varies monthly. It is a stubby handled unit, it allows the user to carefully handle the vaporizer without jeopardizing the existing glassware with added leverage or extra weight. Expect more species and odd things to come of this handle, I'll also be doing some 'worked' handles in borosilicate art glass as well.
Purpleheart
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Zebrawood
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The Stand: The stand will match whichever version you choose {14 or 19}, They are all made from local Florida cypress. This is where your Wand will rest between packing, repacking, or warm-up.


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Sizing & Herbal Capacity
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The Wand is offered in two sizes for its herbal capacity, the unit is supplied with your choice of a Vapor-Stem Adapter. The inner or male side of a ground glass joint is used to hold the herbal blends and a high-mesh count stainless filter is matched and seated to the base of the inside of the joint to store your herbs during vaporization, no longer are [FDA-approved] o-rings needed but can be provided if you would like them.


Vapor Stem Adapters: {VSA's for short}. The VSA mates your Wand to your existing glass but also holds your herbal blends during vaporization. These are all flame-worked in the shop with the same glass as our boro-housings. They are comprised of 2 ground glass connections, one side will always be a male (inner) which will be a 14/23 or 19/26 to match whichever Wand version you have chosen and the opposing end will attach to your existing glass setup's ground glass connection. If you have a connection on your rig that I don't offer, don't fret we can do custom adapters. The Wand currently adapts 19/26 & 14/23 in both male and female connections on existing glassware.

14/23 Version: Speaking in generalities, this is the type of vaporizer I would choose if I wanted a low-power consumption unit {std. vaporization window uses ~15 watts} which only requires half-power of the total output ability of the heating element. This unit was aimed at the daily personal user, with a minds-eye for conservancy of his or her herbal blends.

For those where conservancy is key, it takes much less herbal material in the 14/23 to get an efficient vaporization. The amount of herbal material to cover the screen completely is roughly 30% less then when compared to the 19/26 [14/23 has ~.2 sq. inches of screen area while 19/26 has ~.3"]. I personally find packing and refilling the vapor stem to be a meditative experience but if you get easily annoyed by this procedure then I would go for the 19/26 which would require less chamber changes. I believe that sometimes are actions are unknowingly shaped by the tools we are using (part of our environment we are actively involved in) and I think that is a benefit of the smaller version. Its size alone aides in shaping; you are more aware of the times you have unloaded & reloaded your herbal chamber. For some, when it comes to ideas like conservancy and even those with problems of excess it is best to have a tool that aides in our mediation but this is just speculation from personal experience on my part.

19/26 Version: Our larger version, this is the type I would suggest for those with who enjoy longer and larger sessions or those who get to enjoy a group gathering. Loosely packed the 19/26 is roughly double the chamber size of the 14/23 and requires roughly 3/4 power. Rarely ever will a unit needed to be used at full power and each unit is capable of combusting plant material at full power. I feel as though it is better to give the individual the full range of possibilities, even if it is one we are trying to avoid {combustion}. To me knowing the the unit is capable of combustion allows me to know without trepidation that I'm able to experience the full spectrum of the herbal experience if I so choose.
 
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Old City Diffusers

Master of Nothing
Manufacturer
Cleaning & Care
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The glass housing: Depending on what materials you are vaporizing and how clean your general methods are your housing may occasionally need cleaned. With the power unplugged and the unit completely cooled to room temperature, remove the keck clip from the housing and gently pull the heating element connection out of the glass housing. The Titanium heat exchanger [the coily thing] may now be removed and put to the side. We recommend an easy and affordable cleaning solution of 1,000mL isopropyl alcohol & 20 grams (a heaping table spoon) of sodium chloride. Using standard laboratory precautions mix ingredients in a suitable polyethylene container. Put glass housing in solution & let soak for a few hours. Each vaporizer kit is supplied with a bristle brush made to clean the interior walls of the glass. Use great care when handling glass housings and avoid thermal shock by introducing only room temperature liquids when cleaning. Care should be taken around welds to avoid any unnecessary stress during the cleaning procedure. Rinse the glass housing off with plenty of clean water until all salt deposits & residue have been completely removed. It is imperative that you let it dry completely before use.



The heating element is self-cleaning – if debris found its way onto the heating element, with the titanium heat exchanger removed, turn slowly to full power for several moments. Due to the properties of its ceramic substrate, it is almost impossible for even the toughest oils and dirt to stick to the outside of its super-heated ceramic parts. Use proper laboratory handling procedures & safety wear during all handling and use, keep all OCD products and cleaning products out of the reach of children [and confused adults].
 
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tepictoton

Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing. I have always wanted one of these 'wand-type' of vaporizers, and this looks very promising. Giving the user the ability to go into higher temps actually gets more possiilities into the game ;-) wonder as well how 'low' it can go?

Seeing I'm from Europe, could one use these with a basic convertor or might this lead to problems in any way?

The name sure is great:tup:

PS you might find a lot of interested people here for your EOVA...dunno if you allready have a thread on that in the concentrate part?
 

Old City Diffusers

Master of Nothing
Manufacturer
Thanks for sharing. I have always wanted one of these 'wand-type' of vaporizers, and this looks very promising. Giving the user the ability to go into higher temps actually gets more possiilities into the game ;-) wonder as well how 'low' it can go?

Seeing I'm from Europe, could one use these with a basic convertor or might this lead to problems in any way?

The name sure is great:tup:

PS you might find a lot of interested people here for your EOVA...dunno if you allready have a thread on that in the concentrate part?

I will be publishing a temperature chart but the temp. control is infinitely variable [within the parameter of its wattage]. The chart will cover the heat levels and symbols on the temp. control and will give you at least a better idea where to start your vaporizing experience. keep in mind these are handmade, so expect small differences in comparing one with another, however I do my best to work within what I consider tolerances worthy of reproduction quality vaporizers.

Just a side note: The margin of error when trying to create a 'temperature guide' for a direct-draw vaporizer proves in itself to be semi-flawed. Since the user is very much a part of the actual extractive process {he/she is source of vacuum} the results can vary a bit. I try to explain the most repeatable type of breathing for consistent results in the user guide but not everyone will have the same 'pull' in their draw or even same preference for drawing.

I have three separate vaporizers that I will be making threads for; I just figured I would span them out a little bit. The EOVA is taking off wonderfully, I'll be posting that thread in the candidates section this week. Thanks for your interest! Just didn't want to bombard the forum with a bunch of my stuff, seemed a little spammmy.
 

nopartofme

Over the falls, in a barrel
I have three separate vaporizers that I will be making threads for; I just figured I would span them out a little bit. The EOVA is taking off wonderfully, I'll be posting that thread in the candidates section this week. Thanks for your interest! Just didn't want to bombard the forum with a bunch of my stuff, seemed a little spammmy.
Don't worry about that, this is a pretty info-hungry crowd! I'm looking forward to seeing more; I love the aesthetics you've got going with the Wand.
 

Enchantre

Oil Painter
I would have a concern in reference to the cord.

Cotton-covered electric cords are generally intended for applications where they will not be moved much - such as internal wiring in stoves, appliances, etc. They may not be nearly as durable as a plastic covered cord in this sort of situation.

I would hold out for that plastic cord, myself. HOWEVER, that said, this is VERY interesting to me! I love the absolute ELEGANCE of this design!

Oh, and another idea, glass-screened GonG. :)
 
Enchantre,

elmomuzz

That just happened...
Not true. High quality guitar cables come in a vintage fabric covered variety and they handle stress very well.
 
elmomuzz,
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Enchantre

Oil Painter
Not true. High quality guitar cables come in a vintage fabric covered variety and they handle stress very well.
So, if they are rated for "flexible" use, rather than "stationary" use, that would, indeed, answer my concern.

My husband was an appliance repairman, and an electrician in the Navy. So, I'm always asking these sorts of questions. :)
 
Enchantre,

nopartofme

Over the falls, in a barrel
I've seen that kind of cord used in high end gaming mice, for what it's worth. That's definitely a high mobility application.
 
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Old City Diffusers

Master of Nothing
Manufacturer
I would have a concern in reference to the cord.

Cotton-covered electric cords are generally intended for applications where they will not be moved much - such as internal wiring in stoves, appliances, etc. They may not be nearly as durable as a plastic covered cord in this sort of situation.

I would hold out for that plastic cord, myself. HOWEVER, that said, this is VERY interesting to me! I love the absolute ELEGANCE of this design!

Oh, and another idea, glass-screened GonG. :)


Understandable concern, but these are not just "cotton-covered' cords.

These are intended to look just like those wires that were for older rigid applications, then they actually are. The wire itself is your standard 16 ga. copper-stranded core wire {not solid core like I believe you may be referring to]. The wire is coated in same in plastic insulation, and then cotton-covered. This is a look I like because its made to look 'old' but I believe reflects modern day needs in flexibility, longevity and durability that a normal moved appliance needs but I totally get where you're coming from.
 

Abysmal Vapor

Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
OCD ! As always awesome looking product and very thoughtful .. I guess being awesome and handy is your style and i like it very much !! I love the looks of all your products and i admit i have drooled longly to own one of them.. too bad i am not going to be able to afford any new vape soon due to some shit events that murdered my VAS . Some videos will make it easier to droool trough.. :D and ease my suffering :D ! I am also curious what is your Gun of choice to pair with your awesome vapes (glass,bong,bubbler,percs ? ) (i can even rember a perc-ed stem idea you had posted long ago)
images
 
Abysmal Vapor,
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Old City Diffusers

Master of Nothing
Manufacturer
OCD ! As always awesome looking product and very thoughtful .. I guess being awesome and handy is your style and i like it very much !! I love the looks of all your products and i admit i have drooled longly to own one of them.. too bad i am not going to be able to afford any new vape soon due to some shit events that murdered my VAS . Some videos will make it easier to droool trough.. :D and ease my suffering :D ! I am also curious what is your Gun of choice to pair with your awesome vapes (glass,bong,bubbler,percs ? ) (i can even rember a perc-ed stem idea you had posted long ago)

Haha, I remember that - certainly not a finished idea or product in any shape or form, it feels semi-goofy to me now that I look back at it but perhaps that idea could be refined [a feeling a get A LOT]. It was aimed at vapor-cooling for the OCV but The Wand is aimed at complete glass apparatuses.

I'll try to explain this objectively but it seems my choice would certainly be a personal one. As far as mechanically, a preference for a rig with a low center of gravity, wider style base and low to mid-range in down-stem height, in either vertical (my preferred angled) or a 45º. As far as percolators and their massive amount of styles [tree, waffle, Swiss, dome, showerheads, etc++], that is up to the user and they are so wildly different even in their construction from artist to artist that I can say much about them without much trepidation.

If we are speaking strictly about herbal blends, then I generally prefer a rig with slight resistance in its design and one that exhibits use of relatively low water levels. The complexity is up to the user in the orientation and style of the percs but I believe a decent amount of the glass experience boils down to what type of 'resistance' the piece is creating and where. I don't specifically enjoy a rig with too little resistance, where you may get that wispy [or hollow-feeling?] type of draw, where as I look for one that has a steady almost diesel like grumble to its percolation, and I believe this is a play between resistance in the percolator, water levels, orifice inlet/exit sizes, and the total volume of the chamber or chambers that your rig has and will be 'cleairing'. I generally just want the utilitarian function of cooling the vapor but its never that easy once you start your search, there are just so many seemingly infinite options for glass, its a bit overwhelming in a great kind of way.

The Wand itself is very lightweight, I've tried to keep the function in tact while removing any unnecessary weight that may jeopardize you, your existing glassware, or your Wand. However what I posted I guess is strictly my preference, I generally like compact and simple things. However, I have seen and used The Wand on fairly large glass chambered pieces with multiple perc levels - still able to give IMHO pretty clean 'milk-shots.' On the other end of the spectrum it seems there is an increase in popularity in smaller rigs. Although care should be taken on more lightweight rigs, I have still found them very enjoyable and extremely useful. The small volumetric size on a rig {lets say less then 10" tall} works great with the smaller 14/23 version, its kind of like my 'desk-buddy' just look for one with at least a decent flared lip or solid grounding.

When in doubt I always try the KiSS-Method but I get quickly distracted.
 

Enchantre

Oil Painter
Understandable concern, but these are not just "cotton-covered' cords.

These are intended to look just like those wires that were for older rigid applications, then they actually are. The wire itself is your standard 16 ga. copper-stranded core wire {not solid core like I believe you may be referring to]. The wire is coated in same in plastic insulation, and then cotton-covered. This is a look I like because its made to look 'old' but I believe reflects modern day needs in flexibility, longevity and durability that a normal moved appliance needs but I totally get where you're coming from.
Thank you! I do really like the slightly steam-punkish look to it.
 

Abysmal Vapor

Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
Does anyone have one of these lying around or pics of it ?
 
Abysmal Vapor,
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