Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[PrometheusBD]

Alright folks, I found a cheap and effective fix for the top seal air-leak problem, and the good news is: it comes included in your Ascent box! \o/

I took pictures but won't post them because honnestly you won't need them, just follow the instructions it's easy!

Kero's Ascent Quick Leak-Fix

1) Take one of your silicone straw "caps" included in your kit (the stuff you're supposed to use to cover the drawing straw end)
2) With a razor blade or your favorite sharp tool of choice, cut the thing and keep just the O-ring (you can leave a short bit of the stuff in place as you don't want to weaken the ring by cutting too close)
3) Remove your drawing glass straw
4) Remove carefully your silicone buddy rim (you can use the stir tool for that), mind the power button!
5) Insert the drawing straw into the now removed buddy rim
6) Fit the O-ring around the drawing straw on the bottom (normally hidden) side of the buddy rim
7) Push the straw and O-ring so that only a few milimeters protrude from the buddy rim bottom (this is needed because otherwise the straw gets in the way when putting the buddy rim in place)
8) Carefully put the power button in its location (slot, careful with those tiny wires)
9) Put buddy rim back in place

...and voila! Perfect top seal as the silicone will press the ring against the plastic tube, like a sandwich. Improved my draw, and no more air coming from the electronics!

All I have to say is wow man, this quick fix+the buildup of res I'm allowing around the edge of the silicon where you insert the airflow tube has literally made my ascent 4-5x more impressive since the day I un-boxed it. I have never been a glass bead fan and prefer just a full pack and MAN I'm on an 8/10 with this fix and the bowl is still slightly green, nice big puffs of visible vapor even after a 10 second hold. I would suggest this to anyone and would also suggest you take heed of the part about the wires, I almost ripped one of mine clean off. Literally made an account just to say this; thanks a million man.

 

[CarolKing]

I'm using an o-ring with my wooden and glass stems, makes a big difference. I agree, you need a little drag on the draw. I had to turn down the temp with my unit. I'm not going past 400 degrees now.

 

[PrometheusBD]

Now that I'm here though, just a few questions, to those that have compared a few types of fillers: Are the glass daises gonna be much different from the oil can w/ holes drilled (though my holes suck) or about 4 glass beads scattered throughout the load? My temperature may have been too high to start (365) but as far as 'efficiency' (using this vaguely I suppose) goes I have not been able to coax much from spacing as the load may deliver just as much vapor as a full pack but it won't last me quite as long. Now that I have made the seal adjustment which has improved my efficiency by about 1 session per bowl, would the glass flowers be a big enough step from the beads that I may want to convert? I was a Flight Box guy and while I'm aware I can't get that kind of efficiency out of this machine I'm tying to get just a little closer to it. Also, as far as GONG-ing goes, I'm fairly certain I just want to get an attachment to keep the set-up small. I have been looking closely at the Hydratubes VapeXhale as selling as they're all quite beautiful and I will be going VapeXhale when I can get an at home unit. However, These are all pretty expensive and rigged for a much more powerful vape as far as I've seen so I wonder if I would maybe be happier for the time being just purchasing the Pinnacle Pro version?

 

[CarolKing]

Only you can decide what's best for you. Sometimes is trial and error, also a lot comes down to personal preference. What I like maybe something that you wouldn't . I didn't like the MFLB, I like to sit back and relax. The MFLB is too much work putting the battery in and taking it out.

Maybe the oil can with the holes could be something that would work great, I don't know I never tried? I've heard others using the oil can with the holes. If you could find glass beads that would work and are safe, go of for it. I have tried glass beads before. I got pretty good vapor clouds. I bought them at Michaels Craft Store. I ended up getting the glass flowers. Whatever works that gives you good vapor flavor. There is no right or wrong as long as it's safe to use. I also use cotton as a filler, not everyone agrees with that.

Whatever works for you. As long as it's not combustion.
Good luck




not combustion.

 

[OF]

Whatever works for you. As long as it's not combustion.

Outstanding. If we had needed a motto, I'd say that's the one.......

Well put.

OF

 

[PrometheusBD]

Fair enough, I'd say they're not gonna be my thing in that case hah, I've just read a lot of people saying that it increases how long they can tug on a bowl and have not noticed this same effect myself. As far as the hydratubes go, lets make it less about preference and more about application because I'm still torn. I'm trying to keep diffusion at a minimum to max out the flavor, would http://www.vapexhale.com/collections/hydratubes/products/swagger-barrel-2 be a better option than Pinnacle's much cheaper attachment? Pinnacle doesn't have the 'stats' that Xhale offers, but if they created a tube that still gives good flavor I'd rather save the hundred bucks

 

[KeroZen]

I'd say you could always give the glass flowers a try, they are relatively cheap... For me there are just too many drawbacks with all fillers and they change somewhat your "ritual" and in a sense make the device less practical to use on the go... this is why I prefer to just pack the load, and I'm getting excellent results.

The pros and cons of the various fillers have been discussed in length already. The cons of using no filler (puck technic) are just an increased likeliness of getting plant material in the glass screen.

I can't comment on your glass accessory question though, I'm always hitting it dry.

 

[gangababa]

namaste all

Just a quick six weeks-in check in. I am trying to come to the end of another as though interminable bowl, while dear spouse waits to walk out together into the liquid sunshine. Proffering perhaps proof of @KeroZen's o-ring repair?

The vapor swirls ascending around the head boiled from mountain-high hillside big-sky sunshine brightened-buds of outdoors' seemingly limitless-languid-loving samsara medicine.

However all is never perfect. The Ascent has a problem. The problem is as I hold my Ascent in hand, with tactile delight, apparently unseen I manage to press "menu" & "-" thus turning the bowl heater off; numerous times.

Also I believe, but have not ascertained, that the bottom silicone seal for the glass filter is removable.
With the glass (and top silicone) removed, the lower rubber cone flexes if pressed from above. The seal doesn't press out.
The oval border between hard plastic and plastic silicone can easily be determined with a tool. A thin tool can reveal the silicone part's flange (2.5 mm?) under the plastic oval, suggesting the seal (squeezed) could be removed. But what is behind? There is a circuit board low in the Ascent's back center (seen with light from above).

 

[poonman]

I'm trying to keep diffusion at a minimum to max out the flavor, would http://www.vapexhale.com/collections/hydratubes/products/swagger-barrel-

I think to add VXH HT to the ascent would be a slight Overkill .
Not to mention a bit of a balancing feat , with the chance of breaking your stems . jmo

I would suggest the PNWT or the F-Bomb offered by Planetvape .
You're correct about too much diffusion , compromising some flavor .

 

[Glass004]

Alright folks, I found a cheap and effective fix for the top seal air-leak problem, and the good news is: it comes included in your Ascent box! \o/

I took pictures but won't post them because honnestly you won't need them, just follow the instructions it's easy!

Kero's Ascent Quick Leak-Fix

1) Take one of your silicone straw "caps" included in your kit (the stuff you're supposed to use to cover the drawing straw end)
2) With a razor blade or your favorite sharp tool of choice, cut the thing and keep just the O-ring (you can leave a short bit of the stuff in place as you don't want to weaken the ring by cutting too close)
3) Remove your drawing glass straw
4) Remove carefully your silicone buddy rim (you can use the stir tool for that), mind the power button!
5) Insert the drawing straw into the now removed buddy rim
6) Fit the O-ring around the drawing straw on the bottom (normally hidden) side of the buddy rim
7) Push the straw and O-ring so that only a few milimeters protrude from the buddy rim bottom (this is needed because otherwise the straw gets in the way when putting the buddy rim in place)
8) Carefully put the power button in its location (slot, careful with those tiny wires)
9) Put buddy rim back in place

...and voila! Perfect top seal as the silicone will press the ring against the plastic tube, like a sandwich. Improved my draw, and no more air coming from the electronics!

----

@Glass004 : sorry for your loss... out of curiosity, how much were you opening the bottom of your device? (fully or half only)

@Urge : welcome! You'll need to perfect your technic, and also learn to not make a fixation on visible vapor.

I am hesitant to open my unit up as the performance is kicking my but as is.
My thoughts on the subject, now on my third Ascent unit:
I wonder if there are different batches of the silicon buddy seals, some with different measurements or consistency affecting the seal. The two units I have got from GotVape and the one unit from DaVinci do not seem to have an internal leak issue around the electronics.

Occasional overuse of glue in manufacturing would also indicate the possibility of not enough glue at times, which could affect the seal of the unit overall. Some units may not be properly sealed internally so that the extra stem seal is needed. I question the need of sealing the stems in my 3 units.

The seal improves dramatically as the resin accumulates on the tubes. My wood screen stem became so covered in resin, it would be shoved down into the oven with mouthpiece stem manipulation, but there was near 100% air flow seal. Don't clean your stems so often and the efficiency increases with decreased clearance because of resin.

Maybe I have been fortunate and have received many well matched stems.

And then one question about the stem seal technique. The O ring seal seems to be installed on the inside of the buddy seal. Does this mean you have to pull the buddy seal each time you replace the mouth piece stem?
Thanks again for your hard work benefiting us all.

 

[gangababa]

I am hesitant to open my unit up as the performance is kicking my but as is.
...
And then one question about the stem seal technique. The O ring seal seems to be installed on the inside of the buddy seal. Does this mean you have to pull the buddy seal each time you replace the mouth piece stem?
Thanks again for your hard work benefiting us all.

The O-ring beneath the buddy seal does create the dilemma you note. For one accustomed to frequent changes/ removal of the glass mouth piece, this is a difficulty.
As I use my unit with the stem out minimally, I have adjusted to not adjusting the glass. As needed, I push out the filter-stem with a stick from above (then pull), and clean the mouthpiece in place with swabs, ISO, water.

At the position I have the glass, the tool can be used to sweep duff out of the inside of the tube, down to the inner tube.

 

[KeroZen]

Keep in mind that the problem appeared gradually with my device, as during first inspection I couldn't see any gap. But with time, and especially since the gf broke the smallest OD straw, I imagine the friction of pulling/pushing the drawing straw in and out led to the slight silicone flexing problem.

Also keep in mind that the gap even if visible was relatively small. I was concerned in the first place by the health issue (but people kept telling me it was just cold air flowing from the electronics...well...cold how much I dunno... as after a long sesh the top of the device is clearly lukewarm...) but I couldn't imagine it would have such an impact on the vapor/air ratio and tightness of draw.

As you can see I implemented the fix just a few days ago, and I have to say my device never performed so well! It's a real pleasure and the low temperature vapor density is much more satisfying (and for a longer time) But of course there is a drawback, and you two nailed it precisely: once in place you can't remove the drawing straw anymore or you need to re-open the thing and re-fix it every time.

This can sound like a pain but 1) I said it was a cheap and quick fix (yet efficient), 2) using a q-tip + ISO it's easy to clean it in place (no reclaim possible though, but the goodies are usually in the lower stem more than the upper)

Of course we deserve a better solution, this is why I would like all Ascent owners in this thread to remove their upper straw, take a flashlight and inspect their buddy rim silicone vs plastic tube junction and see if there is ever the slightest gap. And if enough people have the problem (IMHO all devices are affected without exception), then maybe we could have more weight and make @Davinci_vaporizer issue an official fix.

That being said it's possible DaVinci will never release this fix officially because that would imply they acknowledge the problem, and it would be embarrassing etc. (so far their official stance is "this works as designed") We can at least hope that our collective action make them fix the next revision, and that would still make the community benefit.

 

[EveryDayAmnesiac]

As far as the hydratubes go, lets make it less about preference and more about application because I'm still torn. I'm trying to keep diffusion at a minimum to max out the flavor, would http://www.vapexhale.com/collections/hydratubes/products/swagger-barrel-2 be a better option than Pinnacle's much cheaper attachment?

I think to add VXH HT to the ascent would be a slight Overkill .
Not to mention a bit of a balancing feat , with the chance of breaking your stems . jmo

I would suggest the PNWT or the F-Bomb offered by Planetvape .
You're correct about too much diffusion , compromising some flavor .

I can concur, it does not work well with a HT!

 

[CarolKing]

Kerozen, I like to switch out stems, I'm not interested in using the same stem all the time. I use the o-ring but I wedge it down just a bit and I can take it back out. Maybe not constantly like everyday. It seems to work that way for me. The little metal tool with the round top I use to wedge the o-ring down.

 

[KeroZen]

@CarolKing : I'm sure the combination of your o-ring and/or Ed's stems works like a charm for you, and gives pretty much the same end result.

Actually I just received my GonG adapter (not from Ed unfortunately, just the DV glass one) Bought it following nigel's advice but haven't tested it yet. Should improve the seal when fully recessed, we'll see. It's definitely less portable and I don't know how long it will last before it shatters one way or another. It's also bigger to hold in the mouth.

As for the "quick fix", it's not that it is hard to remove the buddy rim every time you need to clean the straw (in fact it's pretty easy once you've done it a couple of times) but I don't have a high confidence in these tiny power button wires. Pulling the buddy rim too hard could rip them yeah... (but it would be fixable with any cheap $10 soldering iron) Apart from that it's pretty fool-proof and takes little time: pop out, insert straw, insert o-ring, pop-in.

Now onto my other gripe: batteries! We've all heard the story: "initial design had them replaceable but then lawyers bla bla" I wonder how they would have done that while keeping the current design... Anyways if they can't be removed from the top, and if there seems to be not much of interest below the taped side panels (cf picture very early in this thread, post #651 page #27) does anyone have a clue how the device can be opened?

EDIT: for some reason I couldn't see CK's picture... putting the o-ring on the top of the buddy rim could be enough to push and hold the silicone in place maybe...I'll give it a try but mine requires a considerable pressure with the fingers to fit nicely.

 

[gangababa]

Have any of you played with Da Vinci's Customizable Ascent Vaporizer page?
I tried saving some of my doodlings but failed, I thought.
These turned up in google images.

I notice that the burl wood is no longer on Da Vinci's Ascent page. Skulls, stealth, custom, croc skin, and carbon fiber are there.

 

[pakalolo]

Have any of you played with Da Vinci's Customizable Ascent Vaporizer page?
I tried saving some of my doodlings but failed, I thought.
These turned up in google images.

I notice that the burl wood is no longer on Da Vinci's Ascent page. Skulls, stealth, custom, croc skin, and carbon fiber are there.

If were you, I'd be careful about which skin you pick. According to lots of posts in this thread, choosing the stealth skin makes your Ascent unreliable.

 

[Bwellsascent]

Ah....... it feels good to be able to vaporize some herbs whenever i want!!

Tried the ascent this weekend...... fantastic!
My friend who owns the davinci classic is totaly jealous. Im puting one glass flower on top of the bowl (GFs are also available at local cigar shops hoooray) and one on bottom. We were getting little bits of herb in our mouths but im sure ill fix that by messing around with the packing.
One full bowl was enough for me and two friends, and enough still for me to reheat for game of thrones!
We were getting good draws with nice ammounts of vapor.
Totaly 100% happy!
I just need to get my replacment stem

 

[OF]

If I were you, I'd be careful about which skin you pick. According to lots of posts in this thread, choosing the stealth skin makes your Ascent unreliable.

Excellent point. Based on that effect I'm starting a side business making skins for Pintos to make them into safe, reliable family cars.

I figure if it looks like a Honda Accord........

OF

 

[CarolKing]

Hay, I had an olive green Pinto station wagon in 1977. I hated the manual shift,among a few other things. We had a lot of hills where we lived.

 

[nigel]

Sorry for the delayed response Nigel, and I do appreciate your help., Being electrically inclined, that was the very first thing I did was to test with second charger.

Cool. I didn't think that would be the issue, but I'm glad you eliminated that as the cause.

I have attached the nice 14 mm glass water adapter I got from DaVinci to a 5 foot coiled plastic tube.

W0t??? 5*feet* of tubing?? That's a lot of air to evacuate before you start even getting vapor. I don't like the whip on my other unit for that reason.

I would maybe be happier for the time being just purchasing the Pinnacle Pro version?

I have it and like it, but I think the water chamber is a bit small (it IS a portable, so expected). I think the planetvape F-bomb is slightly larger?

The problem is as I hold my Ascent in hand, with tactile delight, apparently unseen I manage to press "menu" & "-" thus turning the bowl heater off; numerous times.

The buttons are really close and easy to hit, but just so you are aware, there is a motion sensor that will shut off the device if you set it down and forget to turn it off, and then there the timer, which also will turn it off. So it could very well be a combination of these three.

If I were you, I'd be careful about which skin you pick. According to lots of posts in this thread, choosing the stealth skin makes your Ascent unreliable.

Paka -- it sounds to me like you are joking, but just to stop the spread of mis-information here for anyone reading this that can't tell you are joking, it the old correlation != causation issue. The first batches were all Stealths, and it seems more of them are out there, so if you increase a population size, one would expect total issues to be up, but that has nothing to do with chance of any give unit having issues.
(Most of the general issues have been fixed by this point anyway.)

 

[Bwellsascent]

Has anyone figured out a way to harvest the resin from the screen stem? I soaked it in ISO this afternoon an a little came out but its still caked in there really good. Rather than wasting the perfectly good harb oils trapped in there as anyone found an efficent way to extract them?

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Has anyone figured out a way to harvest the resin from the screen stem? I soaked it in ISO this afternoon an a little came out but its still caked in there really good. Rather than wasting the perfectly good harb oils trapped in there as anyone found an efficent way to extract them?

I soak my stems in a 50mL vial of grain alcohol for several days to extract the resin. Which I've tried to reclaim (results were mixed, think my temperatures were too high). I also use a second 50mL vial to finish the cleaning of my stems.

What percentage ISO are you using? I've no problems extracting most of my resin from the stem through a simple soak (2+ days soaking).

 

[nigel]

Has anyone figured out a way to harvest the resin from the screen stem? I soaked it in ISO this afternoon an a little came out but its still caked in there really good. Rather than wasting the perfectly good harb oils trapped in there as anyone found an efficent way to extract them?

My understanding is that most of the good stuff *IS* extracted and you are just looking at plant matter. Unless you think the ISO is NOT penetrating the clumps (which it should be, and just because they are sticking doesn't mean they haven't been stripped). It's rather like making Green or Gold Dragon, and you just want to filter out the plant matter anyway.

BTW: Don't know why I didn't think of this before (was just using the normal faucet before), but if your sink has a spray nozzle, you can hold the stem such that exactly one jet will shoot down the stem and power-wash it. Just be sure that you are holding on to the stem well, as you don't want it knocked out of your hand into the sink... for which it would most likely break. But I think this is easier than a pipe-cleaner.

What percentage ISO are you using? I've no problems extracting most of my resin from the stem through a simple soak (2+ days soaking).

Good point ast there are different %s and most people just grab the closest bottle. The higher the number the better. I think the best you can get in a normal store is ~91% and that should be fine. If you can get the higher stuff, then great.

 

[Bwellsascent]

I soak my stems in a 50mL vial of grain alcohol for several days to extract the resin. Which I've tried to reclaim (results were mixed, think my temperatures were too high). I also use a second 50mL vial to finish the cleaning of my stems.

What percentage ISO are you using? I've no problems extracting most of my resin from the stem through a simple soak (2+ days soaking).

Oh wow i didnt soak for nearly long enough lol... only a couply of hours in 70%, i think.
Oh so you woul just soak and then boil away the ISO?
I wish the screen part could be screwed off!