Aromazap/Myrtlezap/CeramicRockZap

MoeOnTheMoon

Medical Marijuana Activist
Company Rep
wildkfx said:
Ok, I thought after reading about everybodys stem loading and draw technique that I would have it figured out, but thats not the case. Here is what I do, what am I doing wrong?
1. The herb is very dry
2. grind very fine (Cali Crusher)
3. use straw technique to load stem
4. tamp down end very lightly with finger tip
5. used cho cho draw style and long slow draws (20-30 seconds)
I get 2 good hits and about 2 wispy hits, the ABV is far from what I consider brown (I'm color blind to some shades of green), all flavor is gone after the wispy hits. How warm should the vapor feel in your mouth (I feel almost no heat in mouth what so ever)?
I know its me doing something wrong and not the Zap itself. Keep in mind this is my first vape and I know there is a learning curve. Please help if you could point me in the right direction.

These comments apply to an older version brass MZ so I can only assume they would also apply to the latest rock zaps:

1. very dry may be too dry; personally I don't dry mine at all, I prefer it as it comes out of the medicine vile
2. I grind in a coffee grinder which grinds a little finer than a twist-it style grinder but not powdery at all
3. I use the "jam the stem down into the vile" method and then pack it a little with a little piece of wood, but not too tight, just medium tight
4. tamp down but very lightly, not packed tight
5. I use both the choo choo method and the slow draw method. Usually I start with the slow draw to get the stuff warmed up, then the choo-choo/ cigar puff method for big hits

I get 5-6 good hits this way. The ABV is not what I consider brown. In fact it doesn't look that spent at all but I throw it into a jar and add 140 proof alcohol to it and make an elixir out of it which is as strong as one wants it to be; sometimes too strong so I thin it out with more alcohol.

You should feel some heat on your throat for sure.

It could well be that your zap is not hot enough to give the kind of hits you want. Try heating it up by putting a sock around it or ?

I have had this problem with my Launch Box. At first my launch box was not hot enough. Over time and with always using fresh Eneloop batteries, it got hotter and now gives great hits. I leave my Zap on all the time and the temp is fine, but when I first got it, it took about a month for it to reach higher temps. Not sure if this applies to the new rock zaps or not. Anyway if I want higher temps I throw a (clean ;) ) sock around the bottom of my zap all the way up to the top.

With a bong I get huge hits with my zap, sometimes too huge for my liking (but that's purely my own fault, not judging my in-breath well enough).
 
MoeOnTheMoon,

MoeOnTheMoon

Medical Marijuana Activist
Company Rep
Just for the fun of it, here's some pix I took some time back of my MZ which Rick made me back at Christmas of 09.
I prefer to use it with the tubing/bong but sometimes I use it with just a stem and some tubing. That's a wool sock with the bottom cut off which I occasionally use to boost the temp but now that my MZ has aged it is rarely used.
MyrtleZapsmall.jpg

BongAndMZ.jpg


Question for Rick:
Your site says this re short tapered stems:
"*Stainless or Brass?
Brass tip for Zaps built PRIOR to 9/12/11
SS tip for Zaps built AFTER 9/12/11"

Can I use the SS tip even though my MZ was built before 9/12/11? Or do I have to order the brass ones?
 
MoeOnTheMoon,
Finally caught up on the past 70 or so pages on the forum and it really gave me a new appreciation for my RZ knowing the history behind it.
I've had mine close to a month now and have fell in love with the product.

NOW back to hash, in case anyone is curious here are some photos



Sorry not focusing the camera for the 2nd photo (but I like to see you try after a few of those hash stems) LOL. but in case it is to blurry for to see you the first part I suck in up is medium grind to cushion the powder bubble hash and then I suck up a bit of finer herb after the hash so it will heat up real quickly and thoroughly.
It still gives you that nice burning sensation (that I love) so you know your getting good amount of hash in the hit
 
Seagullmeat,

MoeOnTheMoon

Medical Marijuana Activist
Company Rep
Nycdeisel said:
you need the brass stems. the new SS tips are too big to fit in older zaps

Thanks for that info!
I'd like to get one of the new ones, the designs are beautiful! But can't really justify spending the $ right now. In any case my MZ is working just fine.
 
MoeOnTheMoon,

THCMuscle

Well-Known Member
So I've decided to pull the trigger on a RZ. I have surfed the last 20 or so pages of this thread and can't find the answer I'm looking for. Is it possible to order any of these RZ's that Rick has posted? There is one a few pages back I like a lot...





And now to start reading this whole thread...
 
THCMuscle,

wildkfx

Member
MoeOnTheMoon said:
wildkfx said:
Ok, I thought after reading about everybodys stem loading and draw technique that I would have it figured out, but thats not the case. Here is what I do, what am I doing wrong?
1. The herb is very dry
2. grind very fine (Cali Crusher)
3. use straw technique to load stem
4. tamp down end very lightly with finger tip
5. used cho cho draw style and long slow draws (20-30 seconds)
I get 2 good hits and about 2 wispy hits, the ABV is far from what I consider brown (I'm color blind to some shades of green), all flavor is gone after the wispy hits. How warm should the vapor feel in your mouth (I feel almost no heat in mouth what so ever)?
I know its me doing something wrong and not the Zap itself. Keep in mind this is my first vape and I know there is a learning curve. Please help if you could point me in the right direction.

These comments apply to an older version brass MZ so I can only assume they would also apply to the latest rock zaps:

1. very dry may be too dry; personally I don't dry mine at all, I prefer it as it comes out of the medicine vile
2. I grind in a coffee grinder which grinds a little finer than a twist-it style grinder but not powdery at all
3. I use the "jam the stem down into the vile" method and then pack it a little with a little piece of wood, but not too tight, just medium tight
4. tamp down but very lightly, not packed tight
5. I use both the choo choo method and the slow draw method. Usually I start with the slow draw to get the stuff warmed up, then the choo-choo/ cigar puff method for big hits

I get 5-6 good hits this way. The ABV is not what I consider brown. In fact it doesn't look that spent at all but I throw it into a jar and add 140 proof alcohol to it and make an elixir out of it which is as strong as one wants it to be; sometimes too strong so I thin it out with more alcohol.

You should feel some heat on your throat for sure.

It could well be that your zap is not hot enough to give the kind of hits you want. Try heating it up by putting a sock around it or ?

I have had this problem with my Launch Box. At first my launch box was not hot enough. Over time and with always using fresh Eneloop batteries, it got hotter and now gives great hits. I leave my Zap on all the time and the temp is fine, but when I first got it, it took about a month for it to reach higher temps. Not sure if this applies to the new rock zaps or not. Anyway if I want higher temps I throw a (clean ;) ) sock around the bottom of my zap all the way up to the top.

With a bong I get huge hits with my zap, sometimes too huge for my liking (but that's purely my own fault, not judging my in-breath well enough).
After a good bit of practice I finally started to get it right. I have no clue which change I made helped but something did and I also think its running a little warmer now that its broken in.
 
wildkfx,

momofthegoons

vapor accessory addict
THCMuscle said:
So I've decided to pull the trigger on a RZ. I have surfed the last 20 or so pages of this thread and can't find the answer I'm looking for. Is it possible to order any of these RZ's that Rick has posted? There is one a few pages back I like a lot...

And now to start reading this whole thread...

If there is a particular Zap that caught your eye, shoot Rick an email. There is also a sold gallery on his website that will show the units and their names for reference. In any case, if it is sold, there is a good chance that another can be made (unless it is a wood type that is no longer available).
 
momofthegoons,

Rick

Zapman
THCMuscle
There are some units still available that have been shown on this thread. You will have to contact me via Email and reference the unit and the picture. Most likely, if you like it alot, it is gone as other people feel the same. Never know if it is gone til you ask though.
wildkfx, glad to hear the flow is improving with your CRZ. Often the little change required for better vaping results goes unnoticed. Just a small tweak here or there will do the job. In our 'state of mind' we often miss those subtle changes.
VaporBoxed
That is an original brass MZ you have there. Thanks for the vid.
Moe, thanks for the pics and all your help. Good to see you around. Been awhile.

We are including ZaPolish with each unit now. We have stopped including the short GonG stem for free but will add it as an option.

The old Zap retrofit question has again popped up. Time for me to make some specific comments on that subject.
We will NOT be doing any CRZ retros on old Zaps. Any re-work of an old Brass Zap will be done on an individual basis if at all and will be to simply replace the brass heatport with a new SS version. On occasion we will get an old Zap with a broken(solder broke) heatport. We will install a SSS heatport to repair those units if they show up.
I want to discourage any re-work of old brass Zaps. They are what they are and most are still working fine. The change to SS would be primarily cosmetic. I doubt there will be any significant performance increase just switching to SS. My hassle and labor increases and you will spend some money in the process for what result?
It is kind of like any old quality product. They are not as cool or maybe efficient as new models but they have their own niche. If one tries to 'update' or re-paint or change anything original, the value of the item decreases. Performance MAY be improved. One thing is for sure. It is not an 'original'.
Some of this decision is based on my desire to keep AZ/MZ/CRZ as PART of our life, not all of it. Another part of the decision is me messing with an old unit, often dinging it up here or there. The hardest part of the job is getting the old port out. I just do not have the available time in my life to veer off the current course in AZ/MZ/CRZ and keep my sanity at the same time. Maybe if we were a decade or two younger I would not be so selfish with my time.
My apologies for misleading everyone on the retrofit issue. I did get excited over the possibility of doing that until reality bopped me over the head.
We will always repair old broken Zaps if they are repairable. The problem, as always in the past, is the wood. It often chars and always changes with heat and time and we cannot fix that.
I have removed a few new insulated heatports from the CRZ wood enclosures and have seen nice clean, non charred wood in all cases. Yes, it has only been a couple months but looking good so far.
We are also finding the wood density and thickness may still affect performance to a small degree. Too much higher density wood can still pull heat from the insulated heatport more than we prefer. Lower density wood is not a problem as we have seen in the out on a limb versions which will be back in limited supply soon. Since the OOAL versions are the 'whole log', they are prone to serious cracking if not 100% dry when they are made. Uncle Remo actually popped right in half after a few weeks.
New SS stems only fit Zaps built after 9/12/11. We will always offer new brass stems to fit old Zaps as they work and fit the best for the old units. Those brass stems also work in new CRZs with the addition of a small sleeve on the stem tip.
 
Rick,

Gunky

Well-Known Member
Rick, I think you are doing the right thing on the retrofits. It's just not worth it. The brass
Zaps are good too. I enjoy mine
 
Gunky,

Vitolo

Vaporist
Gunky said:
Rick, I think you are doing the right thing on the retrofits. It's just not worth it. The brass
Zaps are good too. I enjoy mine
The Brass Zaps are good!
Touch image to see my old Zaps go through the paces!
 
Vitolo,

momofthegoons

vapor accessory addict
I always get a little tickle of excitement when I see Vito has posted a vid.... :lol: Another real nice one. It gives a real good example of how well all the Zaps hit. My older Zaps, including my original brass Zap, all still work like champs. :tup:

And, I can't believe the hits Ravin is giving you now Vito.
 
momofthegoons,

Vitolo

Vaporist
Ravin still gets plenty of use, mom... they all do.
Yes my RockZap is a perfect tool with which to medicate.
Here locally that is what everyone calls the Zap..
"The perfect tool to vaporize medical doses!"
BUT.....
My wife Patty sees me headed to Zapville, and has learned I am going to either
"Rock" or reminisce
"Rock" is 2 stems at my RockZap
The trip down memory lane is 2 stems done "down the chorus line' as you saw me do in the vid!
I am the big producer of a "Follies" type Zapville show....
and I get to walk down the line and kiss each of my showgirls! :brow:
 
Vitolo,

Puget

mollusk
Rick said:
[. . .]
Starting with GonG short stems, up on the website today sometime. I'll be getting them shorter in the next batch.
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab282/myrtlezap/stems10-1004.jpg
..............
Is the length pictured still in stock?
PD made theirs too short IMO; I sometimes burn my finger tips pulling out the "slide".

Update: well that was agonizing and frustrating. Walnut N7 was sold out from under me; the site is suuuper slooow right now.

Update2: my comcast cable seems to be part of the problem.
 
Puget,

Vitolo

Vaporist
Zapping Hash Oil?
We have discussed this before.
I wanted to remind all, that when Iso is used to clean up hash oil "mess" there is one last way to inhale the last drops of your treasure.....
THE ZAP!
I found another discovery about an empty earwax container.. and its remnants!!!!
I put 91% iso in it.. and shook...
I scraped and worked the sides.. until the alaskan ice "fingerprints were all gone.....then I stuck a qtip in and scrubbed within the alcohol, which absorbed into the qtip as I swabbed. When the thing was clean I laid down the qtip, and later I pulled the cotton ball off the qtip... stuck it in my Zap stem, and I got 3 BIG Hash tasting hits that actually medicated me very effectively! Cotton plug blew right out after hits stopped.. and the cotton was unscorched!
 
Vitolo,

reece

Well-Known Member
Vitolo said:
Zapping Hash Oil?
We have discussed this before.
I wanted to remind all, that when Iso is used to clean up hash oil "mess" there is one last way to inhale the last drops of your treasure.....
THE ZAP!
I found another discovery about an empty earwax container.. and its remnants!!!!
I put 91% iso in it.. and shook...
I scraped and worked the sides.. until the alaskan ice "fingerprints were all gone.....then I stuck a qtip in and scrubbed within the alcohol, which absorbed into the qtip as I swabbed. When the thing was clean I laid down the qtip, and later I pulled the cotton ball off the qtip... stuck it in my Zap stem, and I got 3 BIG Hash tasting hits that actually medicated me very effectively! Cotton plug blew right out after hits stopped.. and the cotton was unscorched!


I mentioned using qwiso with a zap by using cotton balls way back. Glad to see someone else has discovered this. Awesome ain't it?
 
reece,

MM..Food

vape enthusiast
Well I just ordered my first zap! It's Oak!
n8_oak_2_.jpg


Also ordered a oak stem with it. Should be getting it all next week. Can't wait. :D
 
MM..Food,

max

Out to lunch
Pre Stoned said:
Well I just ordered my first zap! It's Walnut!

Also ordered a walnut stem with it. Should be getting it all next week. Can't wait. :D
If you got a Walnut then you posted the wrong pic. That's Oak.
 
max,

MM..Food

vape enthusiast
Haha wow. oops! yes I ordered the oak one. I got mixed up because I was also looking at the walnut.
 
MM..Food,

THCMuscle

Well-Known Member
I had been searching the site daily to see the perfect RZ come up, when it did I went to order it then realized its paypal or check only! DOH! Oh well, time to transfer funds to my paypal and wait for the next perfect RZ.
 
THCMuscle,

Rick

Zapman
Pre Stoned, we will have that nice Oak Zap on the way to you Monday or Tuesday for a mid week arrival. We have been getting all Zaps delivered within a week of order date with maybe one or two exceptions.
Some news in Zapville. That would be the Zapville world I cannot even imagine in my best dreaming. I have no clue but I know it is and I know it does and I know it is the main artery to our heart.
We have changed servers. No more GoDaddy slow boat to China. This was all done overnight and is up now. I have been doing some back end work for the last hour or so. So much quicker and easier and no more "server not working" pages. I would often wonder if GoDaddy just had us way down at the bottom of the heap waiting for new pages to open.....and waiting. Now it is snap, crackle, pop, even with my satellite hookup at home. Makes me much happier as I have found I must be in the 'right' mood to do the website stuff because it was relatively time consuming and frustrating. Now it is zip the zap. Tweak the pic. In and out. No biggee. Fun. Also of course way quicker for you all out there, maybe 5 times quicker? Let me know if you anyone finds little bugs here or there.
Fun is coming back very rapidly in other ways too as 'the' long standing ex family jamming has stopped. I won't even say 'for now' because I am visualizing for good. For the duration. Very very big load taken off by our dearly beloved Master Flow.
I think I even snuck another Zap or two on AZ.com
edit for:
We cleaned up our urls a bit too so you may have to refresh stuff or whatever has to happen. The link in my signature is a new url now.
 
Rick,

momofthegoons

vapor accessory addict
Wow, the website is nice and clean Rick. And looks like you've got a few new beauties in stock...

I like the changes. ;)
 
momofthegoons,
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