3D-Printed Ceramic Accessories (Vapcap Stems, etc.)

[seriousTone]

So I've been fiddling around with the idea of having some custom stems printed out for myself, for my vapcap, and finally found a company that I like the aesthetic of their ceramics. I don't really like the glazed look and a lot of the glazed 3d printed ceramic items I've seen look sort of sloppy and thick.

This companies ceramics have more of a sandstone look and slight texture to them. Just so happens the company is in the middle of expanding for a month or two so I can't get any test prints made yet. But in the meantime I've been having a blast not only coming up with different ideas for stems and trying to produce them in my software but setting them up and rendering out a nice "photo" of them.

I've spent so much time just messing around with the renderings that I figured I might as well share them with you guys here as I know a lot of you would appreciate them. Not only that but I'm sure you guys all have some sweet ideas that would be fun to try and create.

I've only done a handful of vapcap stems so far but the designs could be converted to stems for Nomads, e-nanos, etc. pretty easily. Some of these might not be do-able, in the end, either and will probably be tweaked and/or changed before I get them test printed but the renders still look pretty sweet and I can't wait to actually try them out. And believe me, I have a ton more ideas for designs that I just haven't had the time to get to yet, including a/some tobacco pipe shaped ones that I've always wondered if the form factor would be cool.​

It all started with just a standard stem shape

I personally like a flat "black and mild" style mouthpiece

Round mouthpiece version

Square Pattern...eh kinda cool but will probably tweak

This one has potential but I'll definitely make changes as it is probably too brittle

And finally, my absolute favorite and an example of the possibilities that 3d printing gives you over standard wooden stems. (I love wood)

Let me know what you guys think, and would love critiques/suggestions as some motivation to start designing again!

 

[arb]

Wow I like the look,how.brittle\fragile are they so far?

 

[Nomad #111]

Nice work. I think you will sell plenty of these.

 

[seriousTone]

@Nomad #111 Thanks, hey if people want them that's cool but either way, I know I'll enjoy them!
@arb They're just renders, I haven't been able to get any test prints yet.

 

[seriousTone]

I've always wanted a peace pipe, I thought this might be a fun and different stem.

 

[seriousTone]

FINALLY GETTING SOME OF THESE PRINTED!




So excited.

 

[BallzMcVinegar]

The one that splits in the middle, I dont understand what the carb/airport hole is for. Its so close to the mouth that its not clearing 90% of the stem and there is no condenser for it to be an airport. That pipe design looks promising. Might be tough to clean but could be nice for an induction heater. Id move that carb to replace that pointy end and you could clean it easier since it would be straight through and clear the whole thing.

 

[TommyDee]

Curious as to acceptance to 3D printed ceramics. Any idea what the post processing is to ensure all binders are removed? Ask what precision can be held through firing. Should be highly repeatable once you dial in a good VC port size. I'm assuming you are considering a one-piece stem/pipe without liners(?)

 

[FlyingLow]

Really cool work!
Love the one with fins... though I tend to torch more than I use an induction heater, it could get interesting. What are the temp tolerances of your printed ceramic?

 

[seriousTone]

@TommyDee From my understanding the post processing is the same as regular ceramics, fired in a kiln just like normal. Their precision seems pretty spot on, they account for the shrink rate beforehand by first enlarging by that percentage.
They apply the glaze/engobe and fire again but keeping in mind what size I need the hole to be in the end - so that the cap will fit. We will see, I haven't received the stems yet. Yeah, I'm intending to use them without an insert.

@FlyingLow Thanks! The ceramics are good up to 932 degrees F. Watertight and food safe just like regular ceramics.

@BallzMcVinegar Interesting, I will keep that in mind. I mainly added them for testing to see if they are needed or not. I placed them where they are because that's about the spot they are placed on regular vapcap stems. I'm not sure what you mean by "Id move that carb to replace that pointy end" though.

 

[invertedisdead]

I’m definitely curious to see how they turn out! I was going to have one of my Dyna stem designs made by the same manufacturer, but my CAD skills are crap and I never submitted it for a quote. Their prices have about doubled since I last looked into it which seems a little weird but could still be worth it. They used to have a bunch of cool color swatches on their website but for some reason they removed them all.

 

[TommyDee]

I'm really curious as to what kind of expansion pressure these will tolerate @xtraclipsforxtrashit . One thing my Flowering Quince stems are susceptible to is rolled o-rings. I can run down to a 1mm wall thickness with no problem on an 8mm bore, but I can crack a 3mm wall with a failed o-ring groove where the o-ring steps over the edge of the gland. My 2020 tip was especially destructive. I never use wax on o-rings either. I want the stiction between the tip and o-ring so the o-ring turns with the tip.

As to the pipe, consider the carb at the end of the stem.

 

[seriousTone]

@TommyDee Yeah, we will see! I didn't add any o ring grooves to the inside. My ti woody nor the metal M have any so I hope they're not needed here either.

I now understand what you and @BallzMcVinegar are saying. I'll keep that in mind as well for the next prints.

Ah! Wish I would have come across this video before - explaining the way the dynavaps airport works. So maybe it's not needed but hey...whatever!

 

[TommyDee]

I didn't mean add o-rings... I was saying that when an o-ring on the tip comes out of the groove, it destroys wooden stems. Ceramic is vulnerable in this regard.

Here is an idea -

80mm long with triple cooling chambers.

 

[seriousTone]

@invertedisdead yeah I hear on on the cad skills, it's a steep learning curve! I've just been slowly messing around in it and watching YouTube videos when I get stuck on something I'm trying to do. I find it fun though.

@TommyDee Now that's what I'm talking about. Makes me want to get back in there and start tinkering around again, it's been a while. I've been on and off trying to figure out a sweet 4 chamber that would work in ceramic. The minimum wall thickness screws a lot of otherwise sick designs up.

 

[invertedisdead]

The minimum wall thickness screws a lot of otherwise sick designs up

Yup that’s exactly what stopped me is I wanted more intricate capabilities. Still think there’s a lot of potential though!

My favorite here is definitely the peace pipe!

 

[TommyDee]

What would the minimum wall thickness have to be? I'm assuming they can do 1mm on the final part.

 

[seriousTone]

4mm. Which after just thinking about it, and how annoying it can be sometimes, it's probably a better thing in the long run. Anything smaller, and especially ceramics 1mm thick would be super fragile to the detriment of being almost unusable.

The thinnest lip of any of my ceramic mugs/bowls is 3.75mm.

 

[TommyDee]

I work with fired alumina - that will do 1mm all day and be very robust. A decent stem would be around $1K.

 

[seriousTone]

Haha damn, well there ya go then,

 

[seriousTone]

What do you use the fired alumina for? @TommyDee

 

[TommyDee]

Engineered gadgets for high tech.

 

[TommyDee]

100mm long; 4mm wall minimum; 4 banger

 

[seriousTone]

Very nice, ok here we go I'm about to see what I can do this weekend now.

 

[seriousTone]

Here's something I came up with - 4 airpaths as well. Would probably be more like smoking a cigar.

I like the twisting and have some ideas for something that incorporates it but haven't figured out/ looked into how to achieve it yet.