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Balls in vapes: Boro, Ruby, SS, Titanium, SIC?

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Depends on the use, if you are talking about using them as the heater, there is different heat retention properties, that's why a lot of people say sapphire and ruby are the best, better than using quartz or glass boro... You don't see many people using steel, but I think some have been trying titanium now, not sure exactly on the heat properties but you know it's different, I think they may require more recovery time, not sure... Silicon Carbide is not being used by anyone yet I don't think? But it is used for dabbing as something that is taking longer to heat up, but easier to clean, I'm not sure about the heat retention properties of the pearls but I know they are used for dabbing as well... Ceramic pearls are being used in the couch log, so another interesting option I'd say?

If you're talking about cooling needs, well then aside from the size of the pearl being a factor (if you go too small you will restrict the airflow too much in my experience, 3 mm was too small so I prefer a mix of 4 mm and 6 mm size pearls) more than the material... The material only really matters in a sense, for the hardness, if they are loose in the stem knocking around, someone mentioned if you had rubies in a glass stem they could be knocking against and creating glass dust because they are much harder than the glass? Also there's no real reason to use rubies as a cooling bead, in that regard it would be better to use glass or quartz which are more similar hardness and matching of the stem you are probably using? For this reason I bought quartz pearls from Beracky on Amazon (same place I've got rubies along with vgoodiez) to use instead as cooling beads, for TM stem setup and a 18mm male cooling stem set up I made from a nice DHgate mouthpiece from a good seller that had a fixed glass screen in one end already... I had used rubies in a lamart male hook which was my first experiment, so my plan is to switch those to quartz when I take it out to use it again someday lol

I know I saw it in the TM thread in particular, that people were using steel balls in the cooling unit body instead of the stock cooling unit set up, and some people using titanium balls maybe in the custom titanium stems? Again just different heat retention properties here, titanium is later weight and cools off quicker, steel would take more heat and allow for cooler hits but back to back they would get very hot and it would be heavier?
 

shopdognyc

Well-Known Member
Depends on the use, if you are talking about using them as the heater, there is different heat retention properties, that's why a lot of people say sapphire and ruby are the best, better than using quartz or glass boro... You don't see many people using steel, but I think some have been trying titanium now, not sure exactly on the heat properties but you know it's different, I think they may require more recovery time, not sure... Silicon Carbide is not being used by anyone yet I don't think? But it is used for dabbing as something that is taking longer to heat up, but easier to clean, I'm not sure about the heat retention properties of the pearls but I know they are used for dabbing as well... Ceramic pearls are being used in the couch log, so another interesting option I'd say?

If you're talking about cooling needs, well then aside from the size of the pearl being a factor (if you go too small you will restrict the airflow too much in my experience, 3 mm was too small so I prefer a mix of 4 mm and 6 mm size pearls) more than the material... The material only really matters in a sense, for the hardness, if they are loose in the stem knocking around, someone mentioned if you had rubies in a glass stem they could be knocking against and creating glass dust because they are much harder than the glass? Also there's no real reason to use rubies as a cooling bead, in that regard it would be better to use glass or quartz which are more similar hardness and matching of the stem you are probably using? For this reason I bought quartz pearls from Beracky on Amazon (same place I've got rubies along with vgoodiez) to use instead as cooling beads, for TM stem setup and a 18mm male cooling stem set up I made from a nice DHgate mouthpiece from a good seller that had a fixed glass screen in one end already... I had used rubies in a lamart male hook which was my first experiment, so my plan is to switch those to quartz when I take it out to use it again someday lol

I know I saw it in the TM thread in particular, that people were using steel balls in the cooling unit body instead of the stock cooling unit set up, and some people using titanium balls maybe in the custom titanium stems? Again just different heat retention properties here, titanium is later weight and cools off quicker, steel would take more heat and allow for cooler hits but back to back they would get very hot and it would be heavier?
As always thank you for the knowledge!

Asking for my Titi vape with my Pinky. For some reason, ordered SS balls but not bad not wow. Will experiment more. Don't have titanium balls yet, but will have to make that one too.
 
Last edited:

Hippie

Well-Known Member
It's a big question

Bigger balls leave bigger gaps, and smaller balls leave smaller gaps between the balls so the density and the airflow through the balls will be different.

Some materials heat up and cool down quicker, and conduct the heat better than others, so they require more/less energy to heat up and then give that heat back quicker/slower. Those properties are known as the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the material (you can look them up in the material data sheet).

The material's corrosion resistance, oxidisation resistance, hardness, resistance to heating and cooling ... are also important factors that you should be able to look up for each material.

I think your choices are Titanium, Stainless steel, Corundum (ruby and sapphire), Silicon Nitride, Silicon Carbide, Alumina, Quartz, Borosilicate, and I suppose soda lime glass should be on the list (altho they are known to fuse with soldering iron elements if you go too hot)

As there are electrical conductors and non conductors on the list - you may need to be careful about that too (depending on usage) ;)
 

bokashibro

New Member
i modded my sublimator (appolo) so i can use some terp balls inside (modified the heating elemt to a flat coil so there is some space inside witch i filled with beads) and i have to say the best tasting ones are TI (balls out of skateboard bearings (they claim that they are TI ) they arent magnetic but could also be some higher grade SS) but i really dont like the rush / hit it gives me. but the overall best performing is boro glass for me - it really mimics the original sub rush/hit and i fucking love it!
 

ConvectCode1

Well-Known Member
Depends on the use, if you are talking about using them as the heater, there is different heat retention properties, that's why a lot of people say sapphire and ruby are the best, better than using quartz or glass boro... You don't see many people using steel, but I think some have been trying titanium now, not sure exactly on the heat properties but you know it's different, I think they may require more recovery time, not sure... Silicon Carbide is not being used by anyone yet I don't think? But it is used for dabbing as something that is taking longer to heat up, but easier to clean, I'm not sure about the heat retention properties of the pearls but I know they are used for dabbing as well... Ceramic pearls are being used in the couch log, so another interesting option I'd say?

If you're talking about cooling needs, well then aside from the size of the pearl being a factor (if you go too small you will restrict the airflow too much in my experience, 3 mm was too small so I prefer a mix of 4 mm and 6 mm size pearls) more than the material... The material only really matters in a sense, for the hardness, if they are loose in the stem knocking around, someone mentioned if you had rubies in a glass stem they could be knocking against and creating glass dust because they are much harder than the glass? Also there's no real reason to use rubies as a cooling bead, in that regard it would be better to use glass or quartz which are more similar hardness and matching of the stem you are probably using? For this reason I bought quartz pearls from Beracky on Amazon (same place I've got rubies along with vgoodiez) to use instead as cooling beads, for TM stem setup and a 18mm male cooling stem set up I made from a nice DHgate mouthpiece from a good seller that had a fixed glass screen in one end already... I had used rubies in a lamart male hook which was my first experiment, so my plan is to switch those to quartz when I take it out to use it again someday lol

I know I saw it in the TM thread in particular, that people were using steel balls in the cooling unit body instead of the stock cooling unit set up, and some people using titanium balls maybe in the custom titanium stems? Again just different heat retention properties here, titanium is later weight and cools off quicker, steel would take more heat and allow for cooler hits but back to back they would get very hot and it would be heavier?
….months later, I’m using 3mm Silicon Carbide (SiC) balls in my BZero and Si3N4 silicon nitride 3mm balls in my B1. The Silicone Nitride is indistinguishable from SiC balls, when using them to add thermal heating mass in a quantity of 30+. SIC balls we all know are expensive, and even on Amazon you’ll never find anything but 4mm, 20 of them for $9.99 before shipping. The 3mm Silicon Nitride 3mm balls were just a steal at $15.99 for 50. (Joking, still a rip off). I’ve used G5 titanium, 304L/316L stainless steel, quartz, boro, rubies/sapphires, beads etc. They all se to function pretty much the same. Even when using an Auber PID that shows recovery time like a Mighty portable vape does and the recovery time is usually a couple of seconds and only a couple of degrees. You’re honestly best off just using 3mm rubies in the B1 and 4mm in the B2. I find that I like filling the B1 with 3mm rubies and 3mm Si3N4 balls mixed all together then at the very top out about 10 4mm SiC balls. I feel like mixing in the Si3N4 balls with their retaining heat makes the rubies retain heat better. I’m able to use the PID a full 80 degrees lower. I’ll admit however, the fewer rubies and more…darker colored balls…the less intense the flavor. I wondered if anybody has any experience at all using “Lime Glass Boiling Beads”?
 

gloeck79

Member
….months later, I’m using 3mm Silicon Carbide (SiC) balls in my BZero and Si3N4 silicon nitride 3mm balls in my B1. The Silicone Nitride is indistinguishable from SiC balls, when using them to add thermal heating mass in a quantity of 30+. SIC balls we all know are expensive, and even on Amazon you’ll never find anything but 4mm, 20 of them for $9.99 before shipping. The 3mm Silicon Nitride 3mm balls were just a steal at $15.99 for 50. (Joking, still a rip off). I’ve used G5 titanium, 304L/316L stainless steel, quartz, boro, rubies/sapphires, beads etc. They all se to function pretty much the same. Even when using an Auber PID that shows recovery time like a Mighty portable vape does and the recovery time is usually a couple of seconds and only a couple of degrees. You’re honestly best off just using 3mm rubies in the B1 and 4mm in the B2. I find that I like filling the B1 with 3mm rubies and 3mm Si3N4 balls mixed all together then at the very top out about 10 4mm SiC balls. I feel like mixing in the Si3N4 balls with their retaining heat makes the rubies retain heat better. I’m able to use the PID a full 80 degrees lower. I’ll admit however, the fewer rubies and more…darker colored balls…the less intense the flavor. I wondered if anybody has any experience at all using “Lime Glass Boiling Beads”?
Have you tried using 1 or 2 6mm pearls. I am using 4mm ruby Pearl's with 2 6mm Pearl's. I want to get 2 sic 6mm Pearl's and bury them in the ruby Pearl's. So far just the 4mm and 2 6mm ruby Pearl's work well. I think the 2 6mm pearls stacked and buried vertically on top of each other but with 4mm Pearl's separating them surrounding them seems to work. If dark sic pearls retain heat well, might work by having the 6mm retain the heat more while the ruby Pearl's help taste etc. No idea if it works better or not, cause I don't have sic pearls to experiment lol.

Anyone else knows or has idea feel free to tear it apart or explain if it works or not. I mean tear it apart cause I'm not sure if its more or less efficient lol. Also I forget if I used 3mm or 4mm Pearl's, so please don't go by what I said, use your own experiments. Cause I'm not sure how many pearls I used etc.
 
gloeck79,

ConvectCode1

Well-Known Member
Have you tried using 1 or 2 6mm pearls. I am using 4mm ruby Pearl's with 2 6mm Pearl's. I want to get 2 sic 6mm Pearl's and bury them in the ruby Pearl's. So far just the 4mm and 2 6mm ruby Pearl's work well. I think the 2 6mm pearls stacked and buried vertically on top of each other but with 4mm Pearl's separating them surrounding them seems to work. If dark sic pearls retain heat well, might work by having the 6mm retain the heat more while the ruby Pearl's help taste etc. No idea if it works better or not, cause I don't have sic pearls to experiment lol.

Anyone else knows or has idea feel free to tear it apart or explain if it works or not. I mean tear it apart cause I'm not sure if its more or less efficient lol. Also I forget if I used 3mm or 4mm Pearl's, so please don't go by what I said, use your own experiments. Cause I'm not sure how many pearls I used etc.
No I did try using a couple of I believe 5mm ruby pearls in the middle surrounded by 3mm rubies and didn’t notice much of a difference. I’m going to try what you did and get some 6mm pearls to stack the middle. I’ve tried as many combos as I have found as far as 3/4mm go and nothing seems to really POP as substantially better or worse. I mean the airflow is slightly tighter the lower the mm ball but as far as recovery time, flavor…nothings jumped out at me as the best really other than the boring rubies. The Si3N4 3mm balls don’t make much of a difference in any way to the rubies and the Sic balls (several of the packets of 20 from Amazon, so not so sure exactly how SiC they actually are) in either 3/4mm. I think I might just be about done spending money on tiny little balls. To say I have a bag containing many little bags of balls would be a vast understatement. My vape station looks like a Michael’s craft store.
 

Abele Rizieri Ferrari

Well-Known Member
Besides the materials it would be interesting to see the effect of different shapes. Something like these 20 sided dice should greatly impact surface contact between them, I expect making them function even more efficient because of it.
 

gloeck79

Member
No I did try using a couple of I believe 5mm ruby pearls in the middle surrounded by 3mm rubies and didn’t notice much of a difference. I’m going to try what you did and get some 6mm pearls to stack the middle. I’ve tried as many combos as I have found as far as 3/4mm go and nothing seems to really POP as substantially better or worse. I mean the airflow is slightly tighter the lower the mm ball but as far as recovery time, flavor…nothings jumped out at me as the best really other than the boring rubies. The Si3N4 3mm balls don’t make much of a difference in any way to the rubies and the Sic balls (several of the packets of 20 from Amazon, so not so sure exactly how SiC they actually are) in either 3/4mm. I think I might just be about done spending money on tiny little balls. To say I have a bag containing many little bags of balls would be a vast understatement. My vape station looks like a Michael’s craft store.
Yeah, I haven't experimented, I ran out of 3mm Pearl's so I said let me try this with a 6mm or 2 6mm and it filled it nicely because I was short 3mm so this helped fill in the void. Like I said I haven't done any experiments with it, just figured I'd see if anyone tried or had different results or if it was or not as effective or efficient. Probably not going to make that much a difference though lol.
 
gloeck79,

feralcomprehension

Qualified Observer
I found this interesting and it fits this thread:
"(Note on heater ball material: They're Stainless Steel, however a version mixed with a very high carbon content during manufacture giving the material 3x-4x better thermal properties for use in vaporizing applications. Basically, they are the best performing heater packing material we've used yet.)"

As seen here:

https://fuckcombustion.com/threads/...on-a-diy-byoh-vaporizer-kit-from-ddave.52760/
 
feralcomprehension,

bestvaping

Well-Known Member
I would like to get an SSV43 as Troy did:

https://420vapezone.com/ssv43-symphony-glass-bead-vape-mod-for-the-silver-surfer/

But here it is my first vape ball and I wonder what type of material to choose.

Here is the configuration, the balls will be added directly to the spherical glass of Elev8glass as well as around ceramic rod (AI203):

nwjt.png


I take advantage that my SSV are dismantled, by inserting them directly from the rear, I will probably not need a screen to hold them, indeed unlike the Silver, the Super has a different head (with the right diameter (3/4mm) the balls will not pass through):

thjx.png


Troy use glass beads but apparently a lot of other configuration are possible?

As the balls will be in contact with the ceramic head, the choice of material must be of great importance.

What do you think of beads in Quartz?

I often hear about Ruby pearls, Is it possible on this installation?

What do you recommend for this type of use? Thanks!
 

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
I would like to get an SSV43 as Troy did:

https://420vapezone.com/ssv43-symphony-glass-bead-vape-mod-for-the-silver-surfer/

But here it is my first vape ball and I wonder what type of material to choose.

Here is the configuration, the balls will be added directly to the spherical glass of Elev8glass as well as around ceramic rod (AI203):

nwjt.png


I take advantage that my SSV are dismantled, by inserting them directly from the rear, I will probably not need a screen to hold them, indeed unlike the Silver, the Super has a different head (with the right diameter (3/4mm) the balls will not pass through):

thjx.png


Troy use glass beads but apparently a lot of other configuration are possible?

As the balls will be in contact with the ceramic head, the choice of material must be of great importance.

What do you think of beads in Quartz?

I often hear about Ruby pearls, Is it possible on this installation?

What do you recommend for this type of use? Thanks!

Rubies are always a good choice, you can get them in bulk from beracky or vgoodiez, but you might get more replies to this question in the actual SSV thread? There might be a special DIY thread for SSV43 too...
 
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