Sorry if this is a boring or long post.
I wanted to share the results of a recent experiment. I use my VB dry. I don't like the idea of dusty little irritants on my throat. Usually the water would filter that out.
So, I rigged up a very ghetto 'filter'. I was sorta surprised at how well it worked. I started by getting a brand new screen* and putting it in the down spout. Just drop it in. Then I took a loosely balled up wad of degummed hemp fiber** and put it down the downspout.
*
www.pipescreenz.com. 100 screens for about $7, free shipping
** purchased on Etsy. Super cheap - like $10 for a huge wad. I've been using it for over a year to make Dynavap filters. I still have several years' worth left.
This created a little 'filter' that caught a bunch of dusty crap. Here's a pic of what it looked like after about 10 days / 2 ounces of use.
It looks like it's completely clogged. But, It never affected airflow at all as this was just a bit of loose fibers. Honestly, I forgot it was in there. Zero effect on flavor or airflow.
I pulled the gummed up wad out and it looked like this down the spout
Don't know if that pic shows it very well. But no dust made it to the bottom. it kept the junk out. I peaked down the top hole with a flashlight - spotless. Then I took the wad, which now weighed a whole gram, pushed it into a little gummy sticky ball & vaped it.
Tasted exactly like I expected - 'zactly like ass with a whiff of ashtray. So, lots of' 'medicine' in the gummy ball. But, probably best either thrown away or used other than vaping.
So, a cheap (as in pennies) filter to avoid throat and lung irritants that takes seconds to make and install, lasts for a long time, and takes seconds to clean up. I don't see why this wouldn't work with water in the VB. I just prefer to not mess with water at all. Lazy. The device has plenty of mass to absorb heat - add a longer vape path (whip) and I have irritant free organically filtered vapor.
I don't have a ton of experience or comparative data. But, my opinion is that the hemp fiber allows more flavor to pass through than water.
Sorry if I bored you. And I know you're all tired of me beating the drum over and over about whips. I'm just loving the fact that I don't even have to move my head or body to vape. I don't ever have to pick up or move my VB either. It just sits on a low side table next to my recliner and fogs the room. This is lazy man vaping at its best.