The Nomad From Morwood

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
As some of you know, things have been going awesome with the Okin. I have settled into a good groove in the shop, and hope to steadily churn them out on a more regular basis for the rest of the year and beyond.

I loved the Okin project for so many reasons, and it's been an amazing learning experience so far. And I know for sure that it would not have been the same without FC.

So what better place than here, to share and gather feedback on my ideas for a new vaporizer project. This is something that's been knocking around in my head for a few months.. and it's time to start developing.

It will take about a year to plan, design, test, perfect... and I am busy making Okins in the mean time.. so this will be a slow burn.

Every idea starts with a little seed, and mine is pretty obscure.. it's a prop from the movie Ewoks: Battle for Endor.. This was my favourite movie as a kid, and it's had a lasting influence. The whole Star Wars universe is very inspiring to me... same with movies like Bladerunner, Ghost in the Shell, Mad Max... anything with a mix of organic and sci-fi tech.

Anyhow, back to the seed. The Ewoks movie features a power core for a star cruiser as a central prop. In the movie it's framed as a sort of relic, lost for years. Needed to power an outdated heap of junk space ship.

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The importance here is the idea of an object that is both futuristic and ancient.

I don't know what to call the vibe, but it's something like.. scavenger futurist. Technology that is advanced to our world, but obsolete in a sci-fi fantasy world. Like a piece of scrap pulled out of the wreckage of a star destroyer that still glows dimly under a veil of dust.

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So what the hell does this all have to do with a vaporizer?!

Like the Okin, I am starting with a feeling, a vibe I want to emulate. The details of the heater will come later, but I do have some rough ideas.

I want it to feel like the vaporizer of a space explorer, something they might have in a canvas belt holster beside their beat up blaster gun.

I want it to feel heavy for it's size, perhaps not pocketable (the Okin is already as pocketable as it gets for me). I want to see some sort of glowing light. Materials will include steel and brass/bronze with aged patina, pitted. Dark wood accents, thick glass or lexan... perhaps some exotic plastics. Perhaps textiles like canvas.

Most likely cylindrical in shape.

And powered by a liquid/solid fuel heat exchanger (no exhaust emissions in air stream) or electronic. There will be a focus on analog design, robustness, user serviceability, and perhaps modular in some way.

That's all for now, not much to go on I know, but it's just the beginning.

I will be updating the thread as I go, with lots of concept drawings, prototypes, etc...

Definitely open to any and all suggestions, wish lists, feedback, thoughts of any kind! I view this process as a collaboration between maker and community.
 

Copacetic

Somewhere North of The Wall
This is going to be fascinating!

Can I ask if your preference is to design something intended for mass manufacture, small batch production or a one-off artisan piece?

I don't want to make assumptions!

I love your sources of inspiration, and bet lots of us here share your love of this stuff.

Subbed:popcorn:
 

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
...is to design something intended for mass manufacture, small batch production or a one-off artisan piece?

Small batch production. Though, I would like to design this piece with more attention to what can possibly be outsourced. As a one man shop, I can only make things so quickly. I wouldn't be opposed to getting some of the parts CNC'd (domestic, not in China), and focusing on assembly, finish work, and making all the parts that need to be hand crafted.
 

phattpiggie

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
Post some fotos or sketches of where you feel the outer form of this 'retro space punk' device should be going and I will see what I can find for you. No promises we will be on the same wavelength and be patient with me as posting fotos of obscure out of the box ideas is all new to me :lol:.
 

VegNVape

Increase the Peace
Company Rep
Woah Dan! Reading your post just gave me goose bumps! Your description of what you hope to achieve is tantalizing. The power core :borg: :myday:

I want me a sci-fi fantasy vape for my holster!

Thanks for sharing another of your fantastic projects with F.C, Dan :tup:

:peace:
 

NickDlow

Log Hog
Small batch production. Though, I would like to design this piece with more attention to what can possibly be outsourced. As a one man shop, I can only make things so quickly. I wouldn't be opposed to getting some of the parts CNC'd (domestic, not in China), and focusing on assembly, finish work, and making all the parts that need to be hand crafted.

I'll take another hand crafted beauty before the (domestic) outsourcing. You can't add that love with a CNC. I saw this quote on a very talented blacksmiths page. I think this very much applies here and especially with you @Dan Morrison

"One machine can do the work of 50 ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -Elbert Hubbard
 

sherb

Well-Known Member
Sounds awesome... can't say I'm a little skeptical, though. The use of nice woods, glass, and electronics is hard for teams of designers to pull off, let alone a one man operation...
 
sherb,

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
I'll take another hand crafted beauty before the (domestic) outsourcing. You can't add that love with a CNC.

Oh it'll still be hand crafted, don't worry! I was only talking about the potential of outsourcing a single part. If I am going to be manually turning a part on my old school engine lathe, getting the same part CNC'd would produce an identical part at a fraction of what it would cost me in time.

Hopefully its torch powered? Admittedly that is my own preference.

I am a big fan of seeing a flame of some sort, heh. And the potential heat energy in a flame is great. I would like to see a design where the torch/burner and fuel tank were integral. So you could just open a valve, hit a piezo and your device starts right up. This also presents an opportunity for more exact temperature control... either with a fuel valve (not ideal because I'm not fond of that compressed fuel "jet engine" sound), or with positional control over the distance between the heat source and heat exchanger.

Sounds awesome... can't say I'm a little skeptical, though. The use of nice woods, glass, and electronics is hard for teams of designers to pull off, let alone a one man operation...

The game changes when you're not designing for mass production!

Mr. Morrison seems not to do things half assed. :2c:

:cheers:
 

Copacetic

Somewhere North of The Wall
I'll take another hand crafted beauty before the (domestic) outsourcing. You can't add that love with a CNC. I saw this quote on a very talented blacksmiths page. I think this very much applies here and especially with you @Dan Morrison

"One machine can do the work of 50 ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -Elbert Hubbard

I certainly agree that the absence of hand craft might make a design less appealing to Dan's customer base, but the successful marriage of both approaches could yield something very special that may well delight us all.

I personally love both aesthetics, separately, but a good mashup is tough.
Dan's the man though :cheers:
 

Mister G

Deceptively Old Fart
I'm a little skeptical, though. The use of nice woods, glass, and electronics is hard for teams of designers to pull off, let alone a one man operation...

Ha ha ha...I feel exactly the opposite when it comes to a Dan Morrison project. The result can only be incredible in his hands. Even a failure would be spectacular and better than most other's successes.
 
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KeroZen

Chronic vapaholic
I had hope for a couple of days, then... "flame powered"... meh... stone age in a futuristic package? I'll pass and unsubscribe. Have fun guys!
 
KeroZen,
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