Well, looks like I’ll be opening my wallet up again fairly soon
Firewood Vaporizer
- Thread starter Bouldorado
- Start date
Corvoed
Cannabis Crusader
This is also my favorite FW7 stem. Madheaters even sent me like 7 free glass stems with no airport/carb hole, so I don't even have to fuss with covering the hole. I've really been loving it, what a great company. Also I agree, I wish the fit was a little more snug, but luckily it's not too rattle-y to really annoy me.My new favorite FW7 mouthpiece
I was hesitant to do it because it doesn't quite fit, but it works brilliantly. It has significant vapor coolness even to my mvs.
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
So last night I finally got to try the FW8. It was a quick and dirty mini-session, but here are my impressions so far:
Loading the capsules: The FW8 capsules differ from the FW4 in a couple of significant ways. First off, they are ceramic rather than glass. Second, they are flared at the top rather than a straight cylinder like those on the FW7. This makes them very easy to load with a small scoop. Marc strongly recommends packing a capsule tightly as this makes for better heating of the material and prevents it from falling out of the capsule and into the heating chamber, and he certainly speaks truth on the latter point. I tamped down with my preferred packing tool: the plunger from a baby-sized oral medicine syringe. It’s the perfect size for both the FW7 bowl and the FW8 capsule. Inexpensive and easy to get at your local pharmacy. And don’t forget that the handle on the capsule carrying case is designed to be tamping tool.
One minor drawback is that the capsule’s screen is curved outward - is that concave or convex? I can never remember
– so the capsule rocks a little bit when sitting on its own. When I got my FW4 I sent a capsule off to Ratchet at Delta3D and paid the “custom R&D” costs to have him fabricate a capsule loading tray for FW4 capsules similar to those he makes for other vapes. Greatest accessory I’ve ever gotten. Made the FW4 SO much easier for me to use. I might end up doing the same for these new capsules. I’ll live with them for a while and see how it feels.
Rather than trust my old stiff fingers, I used a tweezers to get the capsule in and out of the chamber and that worked brilliantly. But you could just as easily drop the capsule into the chamber and then jostle it into place with a finger if it lands on the edge of the ceramic heating unit. It’s really pretty easy all around.
In the hand: If you’ve spent any time with this thread, you know I am an unabashed Firewood Fanboy. I’d probably own a Firewood t-shirt if one existed. So, you know I am predisposed to positive attitudes about these vapes. But if I’m being totally honest, I have to say that my first impression is that the FW7 feels better in the hand than the FW8. The sliding latches on the battery pack and the handle of the oven chamber plug mean that the FW8 does not have the same uninterrupted smooth form factor as the FW7. The FW7 just feels so great to hold. I often find myself fondling it while the effects set in. (Don’t judge me. It’s not as weird as it sounds.) In my experience, no other portable comes close. So that’s a pretty high bar to meet and as I spend more time with the FW8 I’m sure I will find my most comfortable grip. Especially once I start using it with my preferred cooling extension – a length of surgical tubing. One end slides perfectly into the end of the vape’s cooling tube and the other end terminates in a small glass tube that functions as a mouthpiece.
Speaking of the mouthpiece, the tiniest bit of it sticks out from the body when retracted. Nothing that would make we worry in transport as long as the vape was being carried sensibly. (“Yeah, I’ll just carry my Firewood in this pocket here that’s filled with pebbles and gravel.”
)
In use: This was a quick and dirty first test. I packed a pretty small amount of White Widow and tamped it down pretty tightly – more tightly than I would pack a FW7 bowl. I wouldn’t say this was a micro-dose; more like a mini-dose.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the control scheme for the FW8 is exactly the same as the FW7. I had previously set the temp levels to my trusty FW7 settings: Level 1 = 370F, Level 2 = 380F, Level 3 = 390F. I then temp stepped up through those with 4 hits: 1 hit at 1, 2 hits at 2, and a last hit at 3. The lighting where I was sitting did not allow me to see what kind of vapor clouds I was producing, but that is never a concern for me. I care more about function.
As I’ve mentioned before, the FW8 button is bigger and seems to extend a tiny bit further from the body than on the FW7. This makes it easier to use. One possible issue I noticed was that my button seems pretty wobbly. No way of knowing if that is a problem with my particular vape or a feature (maybe to allow for pressing at more of an angle?). I’ll check in with Marc after a few more sessions to see if any other questions or concerns pop up. But the button worked perfectly; just like on the FW7.
As I alluded to above, I went without my usual cooling extension on this session to see how the vape worked natively. The mouthpiece was lightly warm to the lips by the time I got to my fourth hit but nothing terrible. The taste and smell weren’t as pronounced as with some of my other strains, but since this was my first session with this medicine, I can’t be sure if that’s due to the vape or the weed. More experimentation is required. I’ll need to try the Widow in the FW7 and one of my other stronger smelling/tasting varieties in the FW8. Tough job, right?
So, did it work?
Oh, yeah. Had a nice functional high that made it fun to watch an episode of Paper Girls (highly recommended if, like me, you’re a fan of well-done comic book adaptations). After that I took another hit (or maybe another 2; can’t remember for sure – a good sign?) at level 3. And played some guitar. A very enjoyable session in a nice functional yet altered state. (Can’t wait to do a bigger bowl and see where the Widow takes me.)
Clean-up: I left the vape alone to cool down for about 40 minutes while I played. I took off the oven plug and lifted the capsule out with tweezers but I could have just as easily turned the vape over and gently dumped out the capsule. I’m confident the material would have stayed in the capsule.
I used a cleaning tool to stir/scoop the material out of the capsule. With the exception of one small piece, everything looked well-vaped. Not the darker brown that lets you know you’ve definitely extracted all there is in there, which I know some folks like and which I get with the FW7. More like a very pale brownish off-white. It may be that I decide to up my temps a bit or take longer hits if I want that browning.
The capsule and screen were perfectly clean afterwards. Nothing stuck in there.
What I didn’t do: I did not try loading capsules and getting them into the carrier and I obviously did not try swapping capsules on the go. That will have to wait for another time. But given how well the packed material stayed in the capsule, getting capsules in an out of the carrying tray seems like it won’t be hard, even though the capsules go into the tray upside down.
I imagine swapping capsules on the go while the spent one is still hot will be a challenge, but I’m guessing if you pack a full capsule you won’t immediately need a second capsule for your own use. And does anybody really do shared vape sessions anymore in the age of COVID?
So there’s my first report. Hopes this helps people who are on the fence and proves likewise useful to those anxiously awaiting their own FW8. I will post more thoughts, findings, etc. as they come up.
EDIT to add: And of course, feel free to ask any questions that come to mind. I'll answer if I can.
Loading the capsules: The FW8 capsules differ from the FW4 in a couple of significant ways. First off, they are ceramic rather than glass. Second, they are flared at the top rather than a straight cylinder like those on the FW7. This makes them very easy to load with a small scoop. Marc strongly recommends packing a capsule tightly as this makes for better heating of the material and prevents it from falling out of the capsule and into the heating chamber, and he certainly speaks truth on the latter point. I tamped down with my preferred packing tool: the plunger from a baby-sized oral medicine syringe. It’s the perfect size for both the FW7 bowl and the FW8 capsule. Inexpensive and easy to get at your local pharmacy. And don’t forget that the handle on the capsule carrying case is designed to be tamping tool.
One minor drawback is that the capsule’s screen is curved outward - is that concave or convex? I can never remember
– so the capsule rocks a little bit when sitting on its own. When I got my FW4 I sent a capsule off to Ratchet at Delta3D and paid the “custom R&D” costs to have him fabricate a capsule loading tray for FW4 capsules similar to those he makes for other vapes. Greatest accessory I’ve ever gotten. Made the FW4 SO much easier for me to use. I might end up doing the same for these new capsules. I’ll live with them for a while and see how it feels.Rather than trust my old stiff fingers, I used a tweezers to get the capsule in and out of the chamber and that worked brilliantly. But you could just as easily drop the capsule into the chamber and then jostle it into place with a finger if it lands on the edge of the ceramic heating unit. It’s really pretty easy all around.
In the hand: If you’ve spent any time with this thread, you know I am an unabashed Firewood Fanboy. I’d probably own a Firewood t-shirt if one existed. So, you know I am predisposed to positive attitudes about these vapes. But if I’m being totally honest, I have to say that my first impression is that the FW7 feels better in the hand than the FW8. The sliding latches on the battery pack and the handle of the oven chamber plug mean that the FW8 does not have the same uninterrupted smooth form factor as the FW7. The FW7 just feels so great to hold. I often find myself fondling it while the effects set in. (Don’t judge me. It’s not as weird as it sounds.) In my experience, no other portable comes close. So that’s a pretty high bar to meet and as I spend more time with the FW8 I’m sure I will find my most comfortable grip. Especially once I start using it with my preferred cooling extension – a length of surgical tubing. One end slides perfectly into the end of the vape’s cooling tube and the other end terminates in a small glass tube that functions as a mouthpiece.
Speaking of the mouthpiece, the tiniest bit of it sticks out from the body when retracted. Nothing that would make we worry in transport as long as the vape was being carried sensibly. (“Yeah, I’ll just carry my Firewood in this pocket here that’s filled with pebbles and gravel.”
)In use: This was a quick and dirty first test. I packed a pretty small amount of White Widow and tamped it down pretty tightly – more tightly than I would pack a FW7 bowl. I wouldn’t say this was a micro-dose; more like a mini-dose.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the control scheme for the FW8 is exactly the same as the FW7. I had previously set the temp levels to my trusty FW7 settings: Level 1 = 370F, Level 2 = 380F, Level 3 = 390F. I then temp stepped up through those with 4 hits: 1 hit at 1, 2 hits at 2, and a last hit at 3. The lighting where I was sitting did not allow me to see what kind of vapor clouds I was producing, but that is never a concern for me. I care more about function.
As I’ve mentioned before, the FW8 button is bigger and seems to extend a tiny bit further from the body than on the FW7. This makes it easier to use. One possible issue I noticed was that my button seems pretty wobbly. No way of knowing if that is a problem with my particular vape or a feature (maybe to allow for pressing at more of an angle?). I’ll check in with Marc after a few more sessions to see if any other questions or concerns pop up. But the button worked perfectly; just like on the FW7.
As I alluded to above, I went without my usual cooling extension on this session to see how the vape worked natively. The mouthpiece was lightly warm to the lips by the time I got to my fourth hit but nothing terrible. The taste and smell weren’t as pronounced as with some of my other strains, but since this was my first session with this medicine, I can’t be sure if that’s due to the vape or the weed. More experimentation is required. I’ll need to try the Widow in the FW7 and one of my other stronger smelling/tasting varieties in the FW8. Tough job, right?
So, did it work?
Oh, yeah. Had a nice functional high that made it fun to watch an episode of Paper Girls (highly recommended if, like me, you’re a fan of well-done comic book adaptations). After that I took another hit (or maybe another 2; can’t remember for sure – a good sign?) at level 3. And played some guitar. A very enjoyable session in a nice functional yet altered state. (Can’t wait to do a bigger bowl and see where the Widow takes me.)Clean-up: I left the vape alone to cool down for about 40 minutes while I played. I took off the oven plug and lifted the capsule out with tweezers but I could have just as easily turned the vape over and gently dumped out the capsule. I’m confident the material would have stayed in the capsule.
I used a cleaning tool to stir/scoop the material out of the capsule. With the exception of one small piece, everything looked well-vaped. Not the darker brown that lets you know you’ve definitely extracted all there is in there, which I know some folks like and which I get with the FW7. More like a very pale brownish off-white. It may be that I decide to up my temps a bit or take longer hits if I want that browning.
The capsule and screen were perfectly clean afterwards. Nothing stuck in there.
What I didn’t do: I did not try loading capsules and getting them into the carrier and I obviously did not try swapping capsules on the go. That will have to wait for another time. But given how well the packed material stayed in the capsule, getting capsules in an out of the carrying tray seems like it won’t be hard, even though the capsules go into the tray upside down.
I imagine swapping capsules on the go while the spent one is still hot will be a challenge, but I’m guessing if you pack a full capsule you won’t immediately need a second capsule for your own use. And does anybody really do shared vape sessions anymore in the age of COVID?
So there’s my first report. Hopes this helps people who are on the fence and proves likewise useful to those anxiously awaiting their own FW8. I will post more thoughts, findings, etc. as they come up.
EDIT to add: And of course, feel free to ask any questions that come to mind. I'll answer if I can.
Last edited:
noobvaperct
Well-Known Member
Can I ask why if you don’t mind? I’m on the waiting list (group D I think?) and never was able to grab the FW7 or any of them for that matter.
A tad off topic but I’m also waiting for some in-depth reviews on the FW8 in general, not as an extension to the FW7 or comparison to be honest. I would love a review just on the unit itself in a vacuum. I say this because if I’m not sold on the reviews I will go with a TM2.
games-loaves0t
Well-Known Member
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
He didn't mention anything to me about a WPA and there are no parts (spares or otherwise) for the FW8 up on the site yet. The FW8 body does not have a separate removable section for the mouthpiece/airpath like the FW7, so I don't see how he could do a WPA for the FW8 that would be similar to the one for the FW7. If I wanted to use the FW8 with a water piece I would cobble something together with my trusty surgical tubing coming out of the mouthpiece and feeding an adapter into my Magic Flight Orbiter. Not as elegant as some of the rigs we've seen here for the FW7 with its WPA, but it'll serve my purposes until Shit Snacks or one of our other mad scientists comes up with the "right" way to do it.
I’ll be getting the TM2 as well, they’re two different kinds of vapes, I got Firewoods specifically because yes they perform amazing, but they’re just fucking pretty. And it’s such a great talking piece
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
I'm intrigued by the stem with the pills. Can you tell me about that mouthpiece and where you got it?
Both products are by high artisan if I’m correct
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
Thanks!
LogicThug
Member
Pilled stem and wood mouthpieces are high artisan, the purple boro ball stem is from good vibes boro. They are on par with the revolve for cooling with a little more flavor imo.
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
Thanks!
So my FW7's airflow seems to be pretty blocked up and I am not sure why.. I cleaned the stem and all the other parts that I could and the screen is not blocked. The only thing I can think of is the holes on the top of the chamber were blocked by resin so I poked through the resin with a sewing needle to expose the holes again. Unfortunately, this did not open up the airflow, in fact, it actually made it worse. Does anyone have any advice on how I can clean the holes so that air can travel through them again?
Starzboy77
Member
The FW7 has a self cleaning oven which may help you. Set your heat setting to 4 clicks. Yes, there is a 4 click setting. Once set just hold the fire button and let it heat up to max temp for awhile. I recommend doing this near a vent or fan. You can then try cleaning the oven again.
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
Had my second session with the FW8 last night. Here are my thoughts:
I used the 8 for my bedtime medicinal dose. I loaded my usual sleepy-time cocktail: a micro dose of Purple Urkle and a healthy helping of CBD flower. As per Marc’s suggestion, I packed it pretty tightly.
(BTW, I am currently blessed with 2 fantastic CBD strains. Unfortunately, my favorite is from a one time grow and is not available. But the other strain comes in a very close second. It’s from Head & Heal - https://headandheal.com/collections/hemp-flower. They are a local – to me – company that I have lots of experience with and they do brilliant work. All their products are organically sourced and of super high quality. You can order their flower from their website. If you are looking for CBD flower, you MUST check them out.)
So anyway, for this session I was in lighting that allowed me to see what kind of vapor I was getting. As I’ve said before, I don’t chase big clouds, but I always get very satisfying clouds from the 7 and the 8 produces very similar, if not even better, results. No complaints there.
I did my usual temp-stepping – 5 hits with the first at temp level 1, 2 hits at temp level 2 and 2 more hits at temp level 3. I once again went native and noticed that the mouthpiece was getting warm to my lips on my first level 3 hit. Not terribly hot, but definitely noticeable.
So far, I think the 8 has really good airflow. Pulls are super easy - easier than my 7.
As before, the 8 provided excellent medicinal effects. I was actually a little more affected than is my preference for sleeping. But again, performance was on par with the 7. And we all know how good that is.
I didn’t empty the capsule until this morning. I was curious to see what things looked like in the chamber because I carried the vape up and down the stairs in a case with no regard for keeping it upright. When I opened the chamber, I was pleased to see that the material had all stayed in the capsule. No spillage at all, save for one tiny leaf fragment that fell out when I turned the vape upside down to dump the capsule into my hand. As before, cleaning out the capsule was a breeze. A slight prod with a scoop and everything fell out, leaving just a couple of specks to be brushed out.
The ABV from this session was noticeably darker than from the first session. I did use different strains for each, but I was glad to see these results. The material was not that satisfying tobacco brown that we love but had clearly been baked. There is clearly still more experimenting to be done to see how I can get even more performance out of this vape.
So that’s it for this report. I can’t wait for others to start getting their 8’s so I can learn new tips and tricks from them.
I used the 8 for my bedtime medicinal dose. I loaded my usual sleepy-time cocktail: a micro dose of Purple Urkle and a healthy helping of CBD flower. As per Marc’s suggestion, I packed it pretty tightly.
(BTW, I am currently blessed with 2 fantastic CBD strains. Unfortunately, my favorite is from a one time grow and is not available. But the other strain comes in a very close second. It’s from Head & Heal - https://headandheal.com/collections/hemp-flower. They are a local – to me – company that I have lots of experience with and they do brilliant work. All their products are organically sourced and of super high quality. You can order their flower from their website. If you are looking for CBD flower, you MUST check them out.)
So anyway, for this session I was in lighting that allowed me to see what kind of vapor I was getting. As I’ve said before, I don’t chase big clouds, but I always get very satisfying clouds from the 7 and the 8 produces very similar, if not even better, results. No complaints there.
I did my usual temp-stepping – 5 hits with the first at temp level 1, 2 hits at temp level 2 and 2 more hits at temp level 3. I once again went native and noticed that the mouthpiece was getting warm to my lips on my first level 3 hit. Not terribly hot, but definitely noticeable.
So far, I think the 8 has really good airflow. Pulls are super easy - easier than my 7.
As before, the 8 provided excellent medicinal effects. I was actually a little more affected than is my preference for sleeping. But again, performance was on par with the 7. And we all know how good that is.
I didn’t empty the capsule until this morning. I was curious to see what things looked like in the chamber because I carried the vape up and down the stairs in a case with no regard for keeping it upright. When I opened the chamber, I was pleased to see that the material had all stayed in the capsule. No spillage at all, save for one tiny leaf fragment that fell out when I turned the vape upside down to dump the capsule into my hand. As before, cleaning out the capsule was a breeze. A slight prod with a scoop and everything fell out, leaving just a couple of specks to be brushed out.
The ABV from this session was noticeably darker than from the first session. I did use different strains for each, but I was glad to see these results. The material was not that satisfying tobacco brown that we love but had clearly been baked. There is clearly still more experimenting to be done to see how I can get even more performance out of this vape.
So that’s it for this report. I can’t wait for others to start getting their 8’s so I can learn new tips and tricks from them.
Perfect! Cant wait to get mine
Just got mine in today! Planning on taking a few days to play around with it before giving my thoughts, but pretty cool little piece from my initial impressions. Build quality is nice, the mismatching edges are a little strange at first but quickly getting used to it. Feels very solid in hand.
For people that are dealing with the airflow in their firewood 7 being blocked like this, I figured out how to fix it. Just like Moondog said, press the fire button 5 times and hold it down for a bit to heat up the device. Then, with the chamber/battery cover on, blow into the mouthpiece. You should see vapor/smoke (not sure which it is) coming out of the 4 holes on the bottom exterior of the device. This is the gunk in the device melting. After this my FW7's airflow was just like new again!
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
Don't panic. Rest assured he will take the best possible care of those affected.
Credit where credit is due: It was Starzboy77 who mentioned the FW7 self-cleaning mode. I didn't even know it existed.
Pasting email, hope that’s okay, just want everyone informed
A problem with the Firewood 8 battery has come to my attention and there is a small chance that it could affect one of your batteries. There is a potential defect that can cause a short on the circuit board which causes it to fail when inserted into a device. One of the connections in the battery pack acts as a fuse so this is unlikely to be a safety issue, but I'd still prefer to inspect your batteries and either repair or replace them if they have the defect.
I know it is a drag to have to send the batteries back, and I definitely don't want you to feel punished for being an early adopter, so I'd like to make it a positive for you. I'll send you an extra new battery along with postage and packaging to send the original batteries back here. I'll inspect and repair/replace them if needed then send them back to you. So basically you get a free battery and postage and just have to pack up and mail the old batteries back here.
I guess this applies only to me and the few that have already gotten their units, Marc is an amazing dude for offering to send a new one free and then sending the other two back, 10/10 service as always
A problem with the Firewood 8 battery has come to my attention and there is a small chance that it could affect one of your batteries. There is a potential defect that can cause a short on the circuit board which causes it to fail when inserted into a device. One of the connections in the battery pack acts as a fuse so this is unlikely to be a safety issue, but I'd still prefer to inspect your batteries and either repair or replace them if they have the defect.
I know it is a drag to have to send the batteries back, and I definitely don't want you to feel punished for being an early adopter, so I'd like to make it a positive for you. I'll send you an extra new battery along with postage and packaging to send the original batteries back here. I'll inspect and repair/replace them if needed then send them back to you. So basically you get a free battery and postage and just have to pack up and mail the old batteries back here.
I guess this applies only to me and the few that have already gotten their units, Marc is an amazing dude for offering to send a new one free and then sending the other two back, 10/10 service as always
checkyourlibido
Well-Known Member
I told you so. Is what I was going to say until I read the paragraph I quoted above. Early adopting sucks. Mark didn't do any beta testing, which gave me a tad of concern. But yeah, I was wrong about being an early adopter. I mean, it's still not ideal, but not many things in life are perfect.
And it looks like he's making it right, even more than right. These are the things I love about this community.
moondog
It's an obsession but it's pleasin'
This is why I have NO fear about being an early adopter of Firewood vapes. When it comes to taking care of those on the bleeding edge, nobody does it better than Marc.
Falconflys
Well-Known Member
Yup... got the message today and my 8 is coming tomorrow. Open it, pack up batteries and send them back. A little bummed out, but Marc is making it good with another one. The tetras will do for a few more days!
acstorfer
Take My Money Dammit!
I just tried this, thinking I didn't have any airflow blockage. Holy crap! Huge massive clouds!