A Piece of Art: Just got my new Myrtlezap(lots of pictures included)!

[Madcap Laughed]

you guys are getting me worried. all this has my head spinning. i dont want to go madder and lose my mind totally from lead poisoning. i accidently possibly had spilled a drop or two of lemon oil onto the brass heat port(i think it is). could that have set some lead free?

 

[owin]

you guys are getting me worried. all this has my head spinning. i dont want to go madder and lose my mind totally from lead poisoning. i accidently possibly had spilled a drop or two of lemon oil onto the brass heat port(i think it is). could that have set some lead free?

You're probably going to die within 2 days.

 

[Madcap Laughed]

im cereal!

 

[lwien]

A bit of sarcasm there?

Here's the deal, Madcap. Some of us have turned to vapes because of health concerns, and being that lead does not leave your body, and has a cumulative affect, from the day you are born till the day you die, some of us feel that whatever trace amounts of lead exposure that we can eliminate, the healthier we "may" be over the long haul, so to some, the elimination of brass in the Purple Days makes a lot of sense.

But if that is not a concern for you, than I can totally understand how the Zap would be a viable alternative.

 

[Madcap Laughed]

no im serious about the lemon oil. a drop or two may have spilled on the heating element, couldnt that corrode the brass?!

 

[lwien]

no im serious about the lemon oil. a drop or two may have spilled on the heating element, couldnt that corrode the brass?!

Oh, sorry. Sometimes it's really hard getting the intent of words in writing. My bad......

I have no idea about the lemon oil.

 

[Purple-Days]

I don't believe the oil will have any effect other than on the aroma of your vapor.

And for the record: I have never said the A-Zap or the M-Zap are unsafe in any way. I just had concerns about my own use, and decided to do something about it. I have no idea if breathing heated air through drawn brass tubing is a safe daily prctice. But I decided it wasn't for me or my family.

Remember I used one for several years starting in 2003 before learning of the lead content of brass. The A-zap site didn't mention it in 2003 or till well after I learned of the situation. It just stated Lead Free solder and not much more. I would really like to see those articles or scientific papers and get some re-assurance about the safety of what I was doing.

 

[Madcap Laughed]

I don't believe the oil will have any effect other than on the aroma of your vapor.

And for the record: I have never said the A-Zap or the M-Zap are unsafe in any way. I just had concerns about my own use, and decided to do something about it. I have no idea if breathing heated air through drawn brass tubing is a safe daily prctice. But I decided it wasn't for me or my family.

Remember I used one for several years starting in 2003 before learning of the lead content of brass. The A-zap site didn't mention it in 2003 or till well after I learned of the situation. It just stated Lead Free solder and not much more. I would really like to see those articles or scientific papers and get some re-assurance about the safety of what I was doing.

do you feel as sane as when you first started using the aroma zap!

 

[MrMistyTokes]

Canadian sales (they live too far from a post office) Just as it should be. It's his baby.

what are you talking about..

you and rick and dead to me

 

[duh]

I just had concerns about my own use

Yes, and w/a few other monikers around here, anything you say is taken w/less grains of salt.

Gee, I went to sleep last night after my exchange on this thread and figured it would have dwindled out by now.

I side w/lwien - the whole purpose of this board and discussion is to get real info on products and how ppl use them. The capital T Truth is the goal - not chatty repartee or vapor porn shots. If Death = Art, then yes, we are looking at Art (i.e. title of this thread). No, not tomorrow or probably next week, but I don't care if using the wrong vape takes a nanoseconds off my life - its worth it.

BTW - most all of us started w/the wrong approach to begin with (smoking/combusting) so vaping is a big step forward - but we are not just splitting hairs here. Many use their devices all day/night long so these little things add up.

 

[Rick]

OK, you guys got me.
First, thank you Madcap. When we have an extra special piece go out, I never know how that particular customer will take it. Some go ho hum, others take it somewhere else.
Now, some points to cover. Some history, some my opinion.

> Madcaps MyrtleZap was special. Most are not quite that trippy but all are beautiful.
> I did not know Tom was doing PD or did I know of PD until late February of this year. I started turning all Zaps in January after picking up a small lathe at Harbor Freight.
>We stopped ALL global sales several years ago for several reasons. The main one was we just got too busy for two 60+ yr old people. There was a time when we were doing well over 100 units a month. We just said "no more" and confined our sales to US customers and no wholesale.
>Tom is right about no bad blood between us. My only gripe is that he gave us no clue ever that he was working on a competing product. Had he told us, he would have found us just fine with it. We have had many competitors over the years. I love that. Never has bothered me one bit. I am the type of person that goes on with today, no matter what. I do not fret over the past or the future. Today is what counts. The Eternal Now Moment.
> We bought an Eterra in January 2001. We liked it and tried to buy another. Two weeks for an Email response and the price went up almost 50%! Terrible customer service. So Pat(married 45 yrs) says" I'll bet you can build one of those". Then about a year getting the bugs worked out and a slight re-design. Then a hokey website(still is, eh?). Then a small ad on OG(anyone remember OG?) and a Paypal account. Off to the races. Almost every state in the union, UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Canada, OZ, Kiwi, South America, Guam, Taiwan, Israel and on and on. Yup, we have done lots of them.
>The wood was softwood because that is what we had on our place and it was recycled. As the wobbly heatport bacame an issue after years of use(usually college dorm use), we began offering replacements at discounted prices. Nobody complained. We still offer softwood because some old customers still want them. Not sure why as you can see we really try to encourage MyrtleZap sales with our pricing.
>Yes, thanks Tom for introducing us to Myrtlewood.
> We have another gig going in her fourth year now. A certified Organic Farm of about two acres. Our hearts are there these days. We live in Idaho. We have grandsons. Any **** delivery device is not a good legacy to pass on in this day and age. Maybe that will change someday.
> We have done zero advertising and/or chat board stuff for many years but our sales still keep going at a pace we like. We did take a spike this weekend. Thanks to all.
>Ah, lead. Tom took an old adage and went with it. "New product, new market". His IS a new product with the stainless and all that super safe stuff. Good job Tom! It was never an issue with us as I talked with a metalurgist way back in the beginning who said the temps are not high enough to release any tiny amount of lead that is in the brass. Different strokes for different folks is all. What concerns me is our food that we eat every day. The plastic all our water and food is sold/stored. The meds our great doctors prescribe. The pots and pans we cook in. The air we breathe. How about the herb we use? Do we all know how it was grown. Then there are all the poisons we use daily and routinely. How about kids playing on those pretty(poisoned) lawns?Do you gag when you walk thru that section of the stores? How much crap did you inhale in those few seconds? How about the perfume we smell on people? Some men are the worst!

So a little history and maybe some defense of Zaps. We really do appreciate the conversation on the subject. We would recommend the PD to ANYONE who has any concern about lead in brass. Now you have an alternative. Everyone also needs to be aware of our production schedule. I will never work 80 hours a week for anyone, even myself. Life is too short for that. If sales pick up a bit here, some may have to wait a bit longer than usual. If that happens, we will let you know for sure.

One more thing. We make Aromazap/MyrtleZap to make a living. We make them to earn money. No altruism here. The farm will cover that base. Howling Hills Organic Farm, BTW

Thanks all. Have fun Tom. Sounds like you are working too much but must be fun, eh? And dont be waiting on anything "scientific" from us. You know we are not there.

Rick

 

[lwien]

Let me be the first to welcome you here Rick. You're input regarding the product that you build is enlightening and I'm sure, appreciated by all. You build one helluva beautiful piece. I see no reason why the PD and the MyrtleZap can't both thrive in the vape market. Sure, there's gonna be comparisons being that the two are so similar, but in the end, they are subtle differences that will appeal to different people. One vape doesn't have to be better than another vape to survive. All they have to do is be a bit different, be built well, serviced well, priced at the right price point and deliver to the customer the performance that is promised.

Welcome to FC.

 

[duh]

OK, you guys got me.
First, thank you Madcap. When we have an extra special piece go out, I never know how that particular customer will take it. Some go ho hum, others take it somewhere else.
Now, some points to cover. Some history, some my opinion.

> Madcaps MyrtleZap was special. Most are not quite that trippy but all are beautiful.
> I did not know Tom was doing PD or did I know of PD until late February of this year. I started turning all Zaps in January after picking up a small lathe at Harbor Freight.
>We stopped ALL global sales several years ago for several reasons. The main one was we just got too busy for two 60+ yr old people. There was a time when we were doing well over 100 units a month. We just said "no more" and confined our sales to US customers and no wholesale.
>Tom is right about no bad blood between us. My only gripe is that he gave us no clue ever that he was working on a competing product. Had he told us, he would have found us just fine with it. We have had many competitors over the years. I love that. Never has bothered me one bit. I am the type of person that goes on with today, no matter what. I do not fret over the past or the future. Today is what counts. The Eternal Now Moment.

You have all of us until you start w/this "Now" crap. What does this have to do w/vaping or your product in general? Also, the carets (>) symbols make it obvious you copy and pasted from an email. This is fine, but one would assume an email would be more well thought out than this.

There are a lot more ppl on this board than me than would be more than willing to step up - it's on like donkey kong!

> We bought an Eterra in January 2001. We liked it and tried to buy another. Two weeks for an Email response and the price went up almost 50%! Terrible customer service. So Pat(married 45 yrs) says" I'll bet you can build one of those". Then about a year getting the bugs worked out and a slight re-design. Then a hokey website(still is, eh?). Then a small ad on OG(anyone remember OG?) and a Paypal account. Off to the races. Almost every state in the union, UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Canada, OZ, Kiwi, South America, Guam, Taiwan, Israel and on and on. Yup, we have done lots of them.
>The wood was softwood because that is what we had on our place and it was recycled. As the wobbly heatport bacame an issue after years of use(usually college dorm use), we began offering replacements at discounted prices. Nobody complained. We still offer softwood because some old customers still want them. Not sure why as you can see we really try to encourage MyrtleZap sales with our pricing.
>Yes, thanks Tom for introducing us to Myrtlewood.
> We have another gig going in her fourth year now. A certified Organic Farm of about two acres. Our hearts are there these days. We live in Idaho. We have grandsons. Any **** delivery device is not a good legacy to pass on in this day and age. Maybe that will change someday.
> We have done zero advertising and/or chat board stuff for many years but our sales still keep going at a pace we like. We did take a spike this weekend. Thanks to all.
>Ah, lead. Tom took an old adage and went with it. "New product, new market". His IS a new product with the stainless and all that super safe stuff. Good job Tom! It was never an issue with us as I talked with a metalurgist way back in the beginning who said the temps are not high enough to release any tiny amount of lead that is in the brass. Different strokes for different folks is all. What concerns me is our food that we eat every day. The plastic all our water and food is sold/stored. The meds our great doctors prescribe. The pots and pans we cook in. The air we breathe. How about the herb we use? Do we all know how it was grown. Then there are all the poisons we use daily and routinely. How about kids playing on those pretty(poisoned) lawns?Do you gag when you walk thru that section of the stores? How much crap did you inhale in those few seconds? How about the perfume we smell on people? Some men are the worst!

Again, fine until you get to lead. The "I talked with a metalurgist" doesn't cut it to a lot of us. For one, you didn't spell metallurgist correctly, which makes me nervous already, but also, who did you talk to? A hs kid in chemistry class? The head of MIT's materials science department? This is the internet, we aren't all here.

We all agree about food and plastic but you are conflating issues and trying to justify what you can't. Food grade plastic also doesn't equal the nylon in your product. Yeah, I live in LA, but I also don't vape off the exhaust pipe of my v8.

Perfume? Do you vape perfume? Inhale, retain for 30 and exhale?

So a little history and maybe some defense of Zaps. We really do appreciate the conversation on the subject. We would recommend the PD to ANYONE who has any concern about lead in brass. Now you have an alternative. Everyone also needs to be aware of our production schedule. I will never work 80 hours a week for anyone, even myself. Life is too short for that. If sales pick up a bit here, some may have to wait a bit longer than usual. If that happens, we will let you know for sure.

One more thing. We make Aromazap/MyrtleZap to make a living. We make them to earn money. No altruism here. The farm will cover that base. Howling Hills Organic Farm, BTW

Thanks all. Have fun Tom. Sounds like you are working too much but must be fun, eh? And dont be waiting on anything "scientific" from us. You know we are not there.

Rick

This may not be the right business for you w/that attitude. "No altruism here". Nice. A lot of us are fighting the compassionate mmj fight and you are turning a buck, goodie for you.

After 8 years of G.W. Bush, making the statement "dont be waiting on anything "scientific" from us" is about in line w/your whole post. Maybe we should pray on this. Perhaps the known ill effects from these materials will stop causing their known problems.

It is pretty though unit, though, I'll hand you that. Like the vapor buddy I picked up without knowing it, I put it away after talking to FCers and reading up. I would probably try to repurpose that beautiful wood for something less destructive.

 

[lwien]

Wow, duh. That was a bit abrasive.

Rick and Tom obviously have different philosophies regarding their product, and I still side with the Purple Days even after reading this thread (hell, I bought one) , but did Rick really deserve this?

 

[Rick]

Good job Duh.
I was wondering if this would be civil.
I happen to believe everything I said, especially the Eternal Now Moment.
Maybe I made a mistake even offering anything here?

Enjoy

Rick

 

[spyder]

Duh, GFY!!

You're kidding right?? You are going to pick apart that fact that he forgot an "L" in a word... how petty.

Sounds like someone stole an idea and didn't have the courtesy to give a reach around!!

 

[slip]

Thanks for chiming in, Rick. The mz is definitely a pretty piece. Good luck with them, and especially with the farm!

Duh, I'm new around here and more prone to lurk in general, but dude, you need to relax. Maybe you're having an off day, but your response is unnecessarily aggressive.

As for the dangers of lead in brass, lead has a melting point of 621.43 F and a boiling point of 3180 F. Assuming intended use and no malfunction, it is highly unlikely that you will find even trace amounts of lead in your vapor. Rick is right in saying that there is more risk from the possibilities of pesticides in your herb materials.

That said, the only way to know for sure is to have a third party lab testing the units - anything less is either hearsay at best or a smear campaign at worst.

 

[Madcap Laughed]

hey, rick! the myrtlezap is working brilliantly and everyone who has tried it has raved(a few of my friends actually bought one from you now). but do you foresee any issue with the fact that possibly(im not sure it even happened) a single drop or two of the essential lemon oil may have dribbled onto the units heat port?(i accidently put too much in the butterfly cup)

 

[stickstones]

Rick...no mistake made. I enjoyed reading your post and love your attitude. The sucky thing about the internet is you get all kinds, including dicks.

Duh...settle down and quit being an asshole. You want to talk vaporizers but take a stab at the man's life philosophy? And then bring your GWB politics into it? Your post was just as fucked up as you think Rick's was, only his wasn't. I think his attitude is perfect for this business. You clearly have been too long between sessions. Run, don't walk, to your nearest vape!

 

[digglover]

Good job Duh.
I was wondering if this would be civil.
I happen to believe everything I said, especially the Eternal Now Moment.
Maybe I made a mistake even offering anything here?

Enjoy

Rick

Well I for one am glad you posted in on here - I love the information I can glean from someone who makes vapes.

It's a beautiful piece and I definitely will consider it for my mother if she ever decides to consider getting a medical card for her MS.

 

[NoSmoke]

Good job Duh.
I was wondering if this would be civil.
I happen to believe everything I said, especially the Eternal Now Moment.
Maybe I made a mistake even offering anything here?

Enjoy

Rick

You did NOT make a mistake at all, none whatsoever. Duh is completly out of line, im sorry but that was uncalled for. Thank you Rick for coming on FC and standing behind your vape.

 

[lwien]

Good job Duh.
I was wondering if this would be civil.
I happen to believe everything I said, especially the Eternal Now Moment.
Maybe I made a mistake even offering anything here?

Enjoy

Rick

Well Rick, from the recent posts, it should be obvious to you that you are very welcomed here and we all hope that you stick around and continue to provide input and support for your vape. Duh just forgot to take his meds this morning.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Good job Duh.
I was wondering if this would be civil.
I happen to believe everything I said, especially the Eternal Now Moment.
Maybe I made a mistake even offering anything here?

Enjoy

Rick

Being a PD owner, I had very little to add to this thread. But I did want to extend my thanks for stopping by and giving us your side of the story Rick. It's always nice to see the manufacturers take pride and joy in their product, sharing their trials, tribulations and 'little lifes secrets' with us. Please don't take anything personally, and thank you for your contributions to the Vaporizing world. Don't hesitate to 'stick around'.

[edit: I'm totally a believer in the Eternal Now Moment too..... ]

 

[CapnVape]

There are a lot more ppl on this board than me than would be more than willing to step up - it's on like donkey kong!

Looks like you were right about people on FC stepping up, but they're stepping up FOR Rick, not against him.

Welcome Rick.

 

[duh]

I love the firestorm around the concept of 'defending' but no-one has answered the heart of a lot of my points - only got lost in a little of my 'venom'. As for being called an 'AH' - that isn't the first, and probably not the last name I have been called. Names can't hurt me, stickstones, .

Now back to paring down the discussion.

I also believe in the Eternal Now Moment (I practice mediation too). Most people reading this thread may be wondering if 'now' is the time to hit the 'pay' button on this unit. The fact that he only posted on the 'civil' tenor but didn't answer many of my or others points should be a warning sign already.

Spelling doesn't matter but little things do. The greater than signs and cut and paste comment stands - either not modern firefox or chrome or email doesn't have spell check. Petty? You bet. But when you make a device that puts air and meds INTO MY BODY - I am going to be giving the manufacturer the eyeball.

Qualifications. I know Tom has asked repeatedly in many manners for getting who the metal-dudes are that say brass is cool to vape with. We do have counter evidence.

I'm a little shocked ppl are defending "No altruism here" and "no science". Don't you want to know as much as possible about your vape? Isn't that why the Volcano so popular? Medical studies?

Regarding the GWB comment, if that was below-the-belt, than I apologize. Heck, it's good to know things have come to where that is an insult. I do like the look of the unit and wish I had one just like it, only w/cleaner guts and stems.