DIY Dual-Use Halogen Heater: "The Glowbal"

Improvaper

Improvaper

Well-Known Member
Hi, friends!

The idea here is a simple halogen heater that delivers in 2 directions to male and female 18mm connections. This allows you to use it injector- or log-style. It is primitively simple, driven by a cheap 12v VVPS. It has many design flaws that I am happy to discuss and improve upon, but so far the flavor is outstanding and the performance isn't bad at all. And it's cheap and fun!

Main ingredients are an 18mm claisen plug, 2 50w halogen bulbs, aluminum clamps, 20g 316SS wires, 3 and 6mm boro balls, a ceramic spacer from a DTv4 to feed the wires through the handle, SS screens top and bottom, silicone wrap, 12V 5a VVPS. Any questions, hit me up.

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Abysmal Vapor

Abysmal Vapor

Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
:) I have tried putting balls around a halogen bulb and they dont last very long,maybe because they are meant to be used in open luminaries. How long have you used yours ? I suggest investing in glasses :D :D !
I love your waterpipe ,where did you get it from ? I always wanted a simple gridded line !
Btw those writing on the bulbs can be wiped with alcohol :).
 
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W

west-elec

Well-Known Member
Seriously considering getting my McGyver on, got a few questions if that's ok.
I note your using a 5A power supply but 2 x 50 watt bulbs, so not full wattage available from the power supply. What voltage are you running it at? How long do you heat soak?
Have you been trying for quick rips or gentle pulls? (Looks like a ripper).
Have you tried it with a single bulb, I only want the injector side. Thinking a single 50 sat a little higher, and I can run up to full wattage.
Looking forward to coming up with a nice handle and maybe a heat/light shield.
 
Improvaper

Improvaper

Well-Known Member
west-elec said:
Seriously considering getting my McGyver on, got a few questions if that's ok.
I note your using a 5A power supply but 2 x 50 watt bulbs, so not full wattage available from the power supply. What voltage are you running it at? How long do you heat soak?
Have you been trying for quick rips or gentle pulls? (Looks like a ripper).
Have you tried it with a single bulb, I only want the injector side. Thinking a single 50 sat a little higher, and I can run up to full wattage.
Looking forward to coming up with a nice handle and maybe a heat/light shield.
Click to expand...

It's a 12V variable PSU that tops out around 12.6V with this circuit. You're right the math says it shouldn't provide enough and perhaps it doesn't, but it's enough for me.

I've only soaked about 2-3 minutes which is enough to get the performance you see here. I could soak it longer but I don't want to stress things and honestly I feel I'm topping out with regards to flavor anyway. Any hotter/denser, and I might as well use another injector that doesn't taste as good. This thing still hits pretty well. For my average .15-2g load, I'm finishing in 2-3 rips.

It definitely milks harder the faster you pull. Lighter draws will yield more flavor. It's nice like that. Reminds me of the DCE.

Single bulb was my first design and it worked fine as an injector. I suspect with the right placement, a single bulb setup could drive both ends with a decent soak.
 
W

west-elec

Well-Known Member
Ok thanks. Yeah looks like you've got plenty of power. So you are running at full voltage? Have you tried backing off and heat soaking longer? Looks like it could store a lot of calories, more than the DCE.
 
badbee

badbee

Well-Known Member
I love seeing DYI projects but don't really get this one. Why not use a coil like the G43 (and all the similar others that came before) or a ceramic heater like all the other desktops? They are able to deliver reliable heat with as little as 10 Watts because they don't waste their energy generating unwanted and non-useful light.
 
badbee,
Improvaper

Improvaper

Well-Known Member
badbee said:
I love seeing DYI projects but don't really get this one. Why not use a coil like the G43 (and all the similar others that came before) or a ceramic heater like all the other desktops? They are able to deliver reliable heat with as little as 10 Watts because they don't waste their energy generating unwanted and non-useful light.
Click to expand...
Have you ever tasted a light bulb vape? Radiant heat is... different. It's hard to explain, but it's VERY pure to me and I love it. My favorite desktops are my DCE and Evo for their all-glass tasty heat paths. I'm all about minimizing metal and other non-glass items in the heater. I did my best here and I think it shows. This tastes better than the DCE or Evo to me.

Plus I think it looks kinda cool 🤷‍♂️
 
badbee

badbee

Well-Known Member
Improvaper said:
Have you ever tasted a light bulb vape? Radiant heat is... different. It's hard to explain, but it's VERY pure to me and I love it. My favorite desktops are my DCE and Evo for their all-glass tasty heat paths. I'm all about minimizing metal and other non-glass items in the heater. I did my best here and I think it shows. This tastes better than the DCE or Evo to me.

Plus I think it looks kinda cool 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
Fair enough. You did a great job on it by the way.
 
Hippie

Hippie

Well-Known Member
Nice :tup: but I bet you need to wear shades to hit it :cool:

I usually add stainless steel mesh or foil around the bulb area to reduce the glare from my Halogen builds but that takes you further away from the all glass airpath you wanted, you could wrap it or make a cover for the outside tho.
 
Xclerk

Xclerk

The Universe is our endless supply
I saw your post on Insta and was super intrigued. I see my self building one in the immediate future. Tx so much for posting this. Do I see some rubies in the future?
 
Xclerk,
W

west-elec

Well-Known Member
Got my first attempt plans sorted and my local Labglass place making me an adaptor with dimples to retain the balls ($50 custom, cheap enough to give it a try).
A little concerned the dimples will affect air flow turbulence and give an uneven heat , but they couldn't do a honeycomb screen. If it is no good I might try a version with a lip for a snowflake screen.
The ceramic lamp holders fit perfectly inside the 18mm joint, cables run up the handle, which is just sanded to fit into the joint. Neat and easy build. Thinking about a bamboo shield mounted off the handle, but will work that out when I have it in hand to figure it out.
All up it will cost me less than $100 for the prototype, not counting the bowl. 2 weeks to make up the adaptor so I will let you know the results shortly thereafter.
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Old_muel

Old_muel

Well-Known Member
Nice one! Love the idea of a dual use vapelamp too! Don't really get the radiant heat part either though, how could it taste different to say a e43 (coil driven elev8r) which is basically same thing but balls heated via a coil wrapped round the outside of the glass heater, is this a widely noticed phenomenon? Isn't the bulb just transfering thermal energy (heat) to the balls which in turn then give up that thermal energy to the air which then cooks your herb via convection. ls the hot air created by the bulb actually different somehow? Like a scientifically explainable &/or measurable difference, like different ions/charged particles being present or something, or is it not really known how or why & there's just somehow a perceived difference in taste? Anyone know?
 
Old_muel,
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