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

[duh]

Not to contract "the eterra guy", but let's stick to devices that involve breathing and see what materials are used - space agencies are good - i.e. nasa, esa, etc.

Brass on breathing equipment went out w/20,000 leagues under the sea. Very cyber-punk! Not something I would use for more than display purposes, tho.

Actually, a lot of SCUBA regulators today use brass extensively for the valving in the first stage regulator, and the high end ones also use it in the second stage (usually chrome plated along with nickle elements). So to say it isn't being used for life critical breathing applications isn't quite correct.

I'm not sure your research is valid either. The brass you describe is used at low-temps specifically. Moreover, all the "brass regulators" I have heard of use an aluminum body and brass internals.

 

[Beezleb]

Dont get me wrong, I get the whole concern about lead but sometimes it seems like over concern by some making a bigger deal out of it.

I would say what breathing equipment do they use in deep mining areas such as where they have those gigantic crystals that those scientist study. It has the heat issues but in truth there probably isnt any real studies on the issue but at the same time there isnt anything that says this is an issue. Certainly it should be studied.

It seems to me that some here are speaking on the subject in attempt to form a negative perception that is not wholly deserved as I am confident within a few minutes of being in these peoples homes it would be easy to identify far greater threats to ones safety with such concerns but who knows.

Thats my view, while the discussion on the subject has merit perhaps it should be done in its own thread as the levity of the negative connotations are being focused as if only one vape would have such issues.

I wonder why it is some people just dont cook with the weed with such extreme health concerns I have seen tossed around as if they are matter fact proven points that are poisoning people.

Once again, I suggest the discussion on brass and materials used in the construction of vaporizers be discussed in its own thread as most of the information is not proven wholly factual or known.

 

[duh]

Hey, I'm all for a separate discussion if there is one to be had. There seems to be a lot of misinformation put out, over and over again. Finally, I say, show us the expert, that's all.

When you see the thread take a funny turn like, "Brass is a cool metal" - you kind of scratch your head a bit.

In other words, there is no discussion on the merits of brass vaping or how safe brass is because there isn't any. Beezleb, you needn't even enter my home because I live in LA, a toxic city if there every was any! You are right that the lead concern is not unique to this vape, but I question any attempt to defend a weak premise.

I have started a new thread to continue discussion on this topic outside of this one: Is Brass Safe? http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?pid=26407

 

[jeffp]

All I can add to this is that I remember in the old days smoking weed out of a brass chamber pipe (chamber pipe is where you can stick in a little weed in the middle and it gets "fortified" as you go along - major innovation back in the day.). And we used to make our own bongs out of plastic golf ball containers with a brass stem. We thought we were brilliant. That's about 40 some odd years ago.

 

[lwien]

Yup. I smoked out of a brass ProtoPipe for years.

 

[IAmKrazy2]

i still have a proto - maybe old Proto Bagins should could out of retirement. The Swiss Army Knife of Pipes.

 

[CarloP]

lwein and josh I don't know what you use the stems for but I like mine with dried and ground banana peels....Oh, my cheek hurts where my tongue is pressing into it.

 

[jeffp]

lwein and josh I don't know what you use the stems for but I like mine with dried and ground banana peels....Oh, my cheek hurts where my tongue is pressing into it.

the three stems are for balancing the unit - optimally they should be glued to the base.

 

[clonestyle]

Anyone know if the orders have been shipped on Monday as scheduled?

 

[Rick]

yes, all orders that were in by Friday shipped yesterday, Monday with the exception of one that shipped today. They should arrive Wednesday or Thursday. The late one was due to the USPS website not accepting an address on one hand while telling me it was good on the other hand. It went to a rare State for such items. It has an abundance of folks who believe as one of the GOP contenders did in 2008. Even wanted a hole in one stem.
The next batch of orders should go out late in the week. Anybody who has ordered has been notified of that.
I actually am taking a farm day today. Nice break from being cooped up in a (hot steel building) shop. I have to keep the doors closed or the barn swallows will attempt to nest inside.

CarloP
Banana peels???? You must be CRAZY!!!!!!!
Somebody just called me crazy the other day. A real compliment!

Rick

 

[clonestyle]

Cool, thanks for the update Rick. Looking forward to receiving mine.

Edit: Just received mine, thanks a lot! Love the grain of the wood, will post pictures if I can find my camera..

 

[Madcap Laughed]

sorry it took so long but here are the requested pictures of the heating chamber. the myrtlezap is working perfectly and better than ever. i always get thick heavy vapor and im amazed at how the spent herb is barely brown but all the good stuff hits me so hard!

 

[Steve1208]

I believe this was already asked, but I don't think it got an answer. Is the heat-up time the same as the PD? And does it use the same amount of energy? Also, a slightly more general question about paying for the Myrtlezap. Is there a sales tax on top of the actual price? Having never used PayPal before, I'm a bit unfamiliar with how it handles such things.

I can't overstate how much glad I am that Madcap posted this thread. After looking through the Vapor Brothers, Vaporwarez, PD, etc., this looks like the best available vaporizer for what I'm looking for (my top priorities are efficiency and discretion), and I never would have heard about it were it not for FC. Thanks guys!

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Thanks Madcap.

Interesting, it appears to have a screen over the HE. Good idea....

 

[Rick]

Steve
I assume the heat up time is the same(1/2 to 1 hour). I think Tom uses the same commercial power resistor we have always used which determines how much heat is produced and how fast it is produced. The PD heater is RoHS compliant as ours are now. (An interesting side note: When re-ordering some parts last week my supplier told me that the RoHS compliant electrical parts are actually CHEAPER than non- RoHS parts because that is what everybody is buying now.) We recommend leaving the MZ on 24/7 for the first few days at least to burn in the hardwood. MyrtleZap draws about 7 watts which is about 1/2 of a fridge light bulb.

The price you pay on our website(www.myrtlezap.com) is the total price. Shipping via USPS priority mail is included in the price and no sales tax is charged on sales out of our state(Idaho).

Efficiency is clearly a plus on this CONVECTION vape design. Discretion is a real plus with MZ. Our hand crafted aroma diffusing flower is functional and very pleasing to look at. It also gives the MZ an authentic aromatherapy use. Some of the stories we get are so cool. Like the MZ in the kitchen with the Aroma flower. Mother-in -law comes over for a visit then needs to go to the bathroom. Then the loaded vapor stem comes out of the drawer, flower out of the MZ, coupla nice vapor tokes, then flower back before mother-in-law even gets out of the bathroom. No burning herb smell either. Then a big smile as the visit continues. We also have stories of professionals having them in their office.

Paypal has worked well for us for many years. One does not have to join Paypal to use the service. It is basically a credit card processing outfit for the small guys and gals.

Everybody who ordered last week should get delivery today or tomorrow as all orders were shipped out Friday.

Thanks all
ZM
Rick

 

[Purple-Days]

Rick says,"I think Tom uses the same commercial power resistor we have always used...".

This is not true. We have always used RoHS compliant parts from the very start of the PD development. Even when they were more expensive. 100% lead free from the very start. Top to bottom.

 

[Rick]

Hmmmmm
I did mention in my post the PD heater is RoHS compliant, right?
But, alas, I lied nevertheless.
Must be getting leaded out. God help me and all those other careless people.

As I recall even Tom says there is no proof of any lead being released with either the MZ or the Eterra, both of which have brass internals.

Tom, you do use the Ohmite 25J20RE, correct? The same ohms and wattage as used in the Eterra and the MyrtleZap? The above discussion was about heat/heatup time, etc, not lead. But that is cool, bring it up whenever you can. New product, new market.

On another front, we have another batch of musical instrument grade Myrtlewood on the way. When it arrives, I will separate the most beautiful grain patterns out and offer them at a slight premium($10-15). In fact, we will call them "PRIMOS". They will be offered to whoever wants one. Feel free to ask about them anytime. Our customer service department is always open and always happy to answer any and all questions

ZM
Rick

 

[Purple-Days]

You brought it up. And you admit you have not always used the RoHS compliant part. Therefor, the PD does not use, "the same commercial power resistor we have always used...", as you state. We have never used the non-RoHS version.

I didn't wan't to post in your thread, but you specifically mention me and make an untrue statement. I'll drop it.

 

[Madcap Laughed]

a vital purchase for the myrtlezap for me, was my glass on glass vibe spice jars*made in usa i got a set of 4 for $8 from bed bath and beyond. i have one for grinded herbs which is perfect to stab my stem into it and pick up more than it can handle on one or two jabs(best method), and the other to blow the spent herbs into! its a little low now, but 3.5 grams of herb in that jar have lasted me three weeks(and i used to use that much every 5-6 days), and i use the myrtle all day and night! i can smoke for an hour and not notice a difference in my jar it feels so medicinal and healthy. i've never felt better!(and it helped me to quit my "blunt" addiction) the amazing taste alone was enough to make me feel disgusted by dutch masters.

oh and if youre curious to where all my spent material has gone, i just made divine bacon cornbread with it!

 

[Madcap Laughed]

whoa guess what guys, my new myrtlezap is here! oooh im going to clean up everything then i'll open it and take pics!

 

[rotax]

whoa guess what guys, my new myrtlezap is here! oooh im going to clean up everything then i'll open it and take pics!

lets see it.

 

[Madcap Laughed]

i said in the other thread that i was afraid of it losing its soul by taking too many pictures, because its alive, and how much can it take! but since you asked with a smiley face, i probaly will today!

 

[dadesign]

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.

after reading a bunch of these post and then coming across this post...I would say you have been smoking too much weed really making a lot of leaps and bounds on this jeez

 

[dadesign]

Bass contains Zinc and Copper, not Lead

All brass (not bass ) is not the same. Also from wikipedia-

"Leaded brass is an alpha-beta brass with an addition of lead. It has excellent machinability."

"Lead-free brass as defined by California Assembly Bill AB 1953 contains "not more than 0.25 percent lead content"."

.25% is low but not exactly lead free. The problem with lead is that it builds up/accumulates in the body. I'm not saying that lead is released and ingested with any vape, but personally I prefer not to breathe through any device that can even possibly contain any amount of lead.

that is what I was thinking too.

but does it really matter? we get trace amounts of poison in just about anything.

I think I look at it this way. I had a friend that was a health inspector for the state. he inspected food plants, butcher shops(which I worked in at the time) and other food serving or processing places. now if you like Peanut butter, read no further. he told me that the FDA allows a certain percentage(albeit a very trace amount) of rat dropping in the product because, it is impossible to make it 100 percent free of it. in a plant like that there are going to be some and if it wasn't allowed then we would not have any peanut butter. I am sure this probably apply to a lot o things in life. I still eat peanut butter. just dont think about it.

really I would be more concerned about where that herb you are smoking came from, what pee'ed on it, what was in the rain that rained on it. or what was in the plastic that the nutes came in and then what did it pick on the way to your door (where was it stored, cut with, wrapped in) but fuck that I dont have that much time in my life to be that concerned. I think we all take in more pollutents from crossing the street or sitting in the drive thru.

I say give it a rest on the lead issue. just my thoughts on it

 

[Hennessy1414]

^^so why knowingly inhale out of a device with known dangers? With all that stuff you listed wouldnt you want to at least avoid taking it such things? Like you said you dont want to "look into it"...you kno this has bad shit in it and you know there are other (better) vapes to be had that are much safer to use. The MZ might not directly effect you...but why add to the list of bad things in your life?